Empathy for the Provider

What it measures

A five-item sentence-completion scale measuring the degree to which a consumer engages in perspective-taking toward a service provider — actively considering what it is like to be in the provider's position, understanding their feelings and personality, and contemplating the impact of the consumer-provider interaction on the provider's wellbeing. Items complete a stem identifying the service provider type. Developed for research on sharing economy platforms.

Response format

7-point Likert (sentence completion)

Scale items

• ...what it's like to live a day in my _____'s shoes.
• ...what the _____ is feeling.
• ...what my _____ is like as a person.
• ...how my interaction with this _____ impacts his/her day.
• ...whether I can have a genuine connection with this person.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

SENTENCE COMPLETION FORMAT: Items complete a stem such as 'I think about...' followed by the item. Blanks should be replaced with the service provider type (e.g., 'host', 'driver', 'cleaner'). Single alpha: α = .83 — Costello & Reczek (2020, Study 3; n = 387 undergraduates). VALIDITY: Not reported. Scale appears original to the authors. Originally labelled 'empathy toward providers.' Companion to Emotional Information Exchange (EMIX, ID 2135) and Empathy for the Business (EMPB, ID 2137).

Recommended companion scales

Citation

Costello, John P. and Rebecca Walker Reczek (2020). Providers versus platforms: Marketing communications in the sharing economy. Journal of Marketing, 84(6), 22–38.

Keywords