Tipping to the top? Three conceptual replications on tipping tendencies in the non-WEIRD world

StatusPost-Print
Simple item page
dc.abstract.enPurpose: Most tipping studies from actual field settings have been conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies, typically in the United States (US). Because tipping practices are culturally contingent, the current research sought test the applicability of former findings in a different cultural context. To this end, we examined the replicability of US-based tipping studies in the majority world—where most people live—through three conceptual replications conducted in Turkey. Design/methodology/approach: We carried out three field experiments (Ntotal = 694 dining parties corresponding to 1,737 consumers) as conceptual replications of published US-based tipping studies. Dining parties either received a blank check or a check with (a) the words ‘Thank you’ added, with or without the server’s name included (Study 1); (b) a ‘smiley’ drawn (Study 2); or (c) the words ‘Wish you a sunny day’ written (Study 3). Tip amount, tip percentage, and tip likelihood were analyzed depending on the assigned condition of the dining parties. Findings: Across studies, most dining parties engaged in tipping irrespective of treatment. However, compared to receiving a blank check, tip amounts and tip percentages significantly increased by receiving a check with (a) the words ‘Thank you’ added, especially when the server’s name was included (Study 1); (b) a ‘smiley’ drawn (Study 2); and (c) the words ‘Wish you a sunny day’ written (Study 3). Tip percentages were considerably lower than those reported in former US-based studies. In fact, the conditions with the highest tip percentages in the current studies fell far below the conditions with the lowest tip percentages in the original studies (i.e., the control conditions), indicating cross-cultural variability in certain tipping tendencies. Research limitations/implications: The present studies generalize prior results in a different cultural context. From a managerial viewpoint, this research attests to the robustness and replicability of seemingly subtle tipping strategies, documenting that small details can benefit servers and possibly also the restaurants in which they operate. Practical implications: Managers in the service and hospitality sectors can use the results reported herein to train and educate their employees in ways that generate practically relevant and economically significant boosts in customers’ tip amounts and tip percentages. Originality/value: Studies 1-3 replicate some of the main results from prior research in another part of the world, with different cultural values and norms. Importantly, however, some results clearly diverged from prior findings, suggesting that certain tipping tactics may be contextually sensitive and, hence, might not generalize from WEIRD societies to other cultures. Considering repeated calls for more generalizable theories, these results add nuance to the tipping literature.
dc.affiliationDepartment of Psychology
dc.contributor.authorSavaş Kılıç, Anıl
dc.contributor.authorTavşan, Nihat
dc.contributor.authorDuran, Cem
dc.contributor.authorEcer, Emrullah
dc.contributor.authorOtterbring, Tobias
dc.date.access2026-03-16
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-16T12:26:57Z
dc.date.available2026-03-16T12:26:57Z
dc.date.created2025-12-19
dc.date.issued2026-02-14
dc.description.abstract<jats:sec> <jats:title>Purpose</jats:title> <jats:p>Most tipping studies from actual field settings have been conducted in Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies, typically in the United States. Because tipping practices are culturally contingent, the current research sought test the applicability of former findings in a different cultural context. To this end, we examined the replicability of US-based tipping studies in the majority world – where most people live – through three conceptual replications conducted in Turkey.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Design/methodology/approach</jats:title> <jats:p>We carried out three field experiments (Ntotal = 694 dining parties corresponding to 1737 consumers) as conceptual replications of published US-based tipping studies. Dining parties either received a blank check or a check with (a) the words “Thank you” added, with or without the server’s name included (Study 1); (b) a “smiley” drawn (Study 2); or (c) the words “Wish you a sunny day” written (Study 3). Tip amount, tip percentage and tip likelihood were analyzed depending on the assigned condition of the dining parties.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Findings</jats:title> <jats:p>Across studies, most dining parties engaged in tipping irrespective of treatment. However, compared to receiving a blank check, tip amounts and tip percentages significantly increased by receiving a check with (a) the words “Thank you” added, especially when the server’s name was included (Study 1); (b) a “smiley” drawn (Study 2); and (c) the words “Wish you a sunny day” written (Study 3). Tip percentages were considerably lower than those reported in former US-based studies. In fact, the conditions with the highest tip percentages in the current studies fell far below the conditions with the lowest tip percentages in the original studies (i.e. the control conditions), indicating cross-cultural variability in certain tipping tendencies.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Research limitations/implications</jats:title> <jats:p>The present studies generalize prior results in a different cultural context. From a managerial viewpoint, this research attests to the robustness and replicability of seemingly subtle tipping strategies, documenting that small details can benefit servers and possibly also the restaurants in which they operate.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Practical implications</jats:title> <jats:p>Managers in the service and hospitality sectors can use the results reported herein to train and educate their employees in ways that generate practically relevant and economically significant boosts in customers’ tip amounts and tip percentages.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Originality/value</jats:title> <jats:p>Studies 1–3 replicate some of the main results from prior research in another part of the world, with different cultural values and norms. Importantly, however, some results clearly diverged from prior findings, suggesting that certain tipping tactics may be contextually sensitive and, hence, might not generalize from WEIRD societies to other cultures. Considering repeated calls for more generalizable theories, these results add nuance to the tipping literature.</jats:p> </jats:sec>
dc.description.accesstimeafter_publication
dc.description.issue2
dc.description.physical544-561
dc.description.sdgDecentWorkAndEconomicGrowth
dc.description.sdgReducedInequalities
dc.description.versionfinal_author
dc.description.volume60
dc.identifier.doi10.1108/EJM-07-2025-0566
dc.identifier.eissn1758-7123
dc.identifier.issn0309-0566
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2219
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/org/science/article/abs/pii/S0309056626000080
dc.languageen
dc.language.abstracten
dc.pbn.affiliationnauki o zarządzaniu i jakości
dc.rightsCC-BY-NC
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOPEN_REPOSITORY
dc.subject.enconsumer behavior
dc.subject.entipping
dc.subject.enconceptual replication
dc.subject.enWEIRD
dc.subject.enreciprocity
dc.subject.enemotional contagion
dc.subject.enfeelings-as-information theory.
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleTipping to the top? Three conceptual replications on tipping tendencies in the non-WEIRD world
dc.title.journalEuropean Journal of Marketing
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle