Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

College/School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Department/Program

Psychology

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Manuel F. Gonzalez

Committee Member

Michael Bixter

Committee Member

Cheryl Gray

Abstract

The current study aimed to explore how paid memberships in the Warehouse Club Industry (e.g., Costco, BJ's, Sam's Club) influences customer entitlement, power, and status, which have been linked to customer aggression in retail settings. Prior research suggests that loyalty and reward programs can increase perceptions of entitlement and power, with membership identification (e.g., gold vs. silver) affecting status. Drawing on social exchange theory, I hypothesized that warehouse members, who are in social exchange with the warehouse by purchasing a membership, would (1) experience higher levels of entitlement and power, compared to status, (2) tier 1 members would have higher levels than tier 2 members, and (3) main account holders and add-on account holders who help pay for the membership would have higher levels than those who are added onto the account and do not pay. Data were collected from 92 warehouse members through a cross-sectional survey, in which they completed measures of entitlement, power, and status, as well as demographic questions related to their membership experiences. Data was analyzed using an ANOVA and MANOVAs. Results showed status was significantly higher for Tier 1 members compared to Tier 2 members. Moreover, warehouse members experienced higher perception levels of entitlement and status compared to power. These findings can be introduced to Warehouse Club management to identify how to better manage membership status and entitlement perceptions in hopes to reduce the antecedents of customer aggression and provide a healthier workplace environment for employees.

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