A critical assessment of the nature and role of gratitude in: MGM’s Las Vegas Loyalty programme ‘M life’

Abstract

An upsurge in cognitive approaches to emotions has provoked deeperenquiries into gratitude’s emotional components. Critically, whilst theliterature explores gratitude’s values, scholars from vastly differentepistemological backgrounds have hypothesized gratitude varyingly as aresponse, a debt to be paid, a virtue, an emotion and a copingmechanism. This paper critically analyses the key literature on gratitudeand explores the role of gratitude in the MGM ‘M life’ loyalty programme.The paper concludes with a conceptual framework to provide guidancefor MGM to increase consumer gratitude in their loyalty efforts.MGM Resorts International is renowned for its global entertainmentofferings. Infamous for its “best-in-class hotels and casinos, live andtheatrical entertainment experiences†(MGM 2017), the company’s resortportfolio encompasses 27 hotels, 13 of which dominate the Las Vegasstrip. This paper argues the need for MGM Las Vegas resorts to focus ongratitude through their ‘M life’ programme.