Social Class, Ingroup–Outgroup Comparison, and Citizen Evaluations : Is User Satisfaction Linked to Outcome Disparities?

Abstract - Research on citizen evaluations has emphasized the role of organizational effectiveness (including expectations regarding effectiveness) in shaping citizen satisfaction. In this study, we examine whether social equity also affects satisfaction. Specifically, we consider whether citizens interpret service provision through the lens of ingroup-outgroup comparisons, expressing dissatisfaction when members of their own social group experience worse outcomes than members of an outgroup. Using a data from Korean schools, we find that citizens appear to notice—and care—about a performance gap among social strata. Even when a student’s individual outcome is held constant, satisfaction varies with the school-level gap between high- and low-SES students, suggesting that users are concerned about not just their own outcomes but also the relative positioning of outcomes for those of their own social group compared to others in their organization