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Insufficient investment in facilities management organizations lead to postponement of major repairs and replacements of facilities. Lack of centralized information within an organization on the assessment of deficiencies and conditions in the facilities causes these projects to be carried out at the cost of critical replacements and repairs. This paper aims to describe a facilities condition assessment methodology and a tool.

In this paper, the physical condition and maintenance deficiencies of heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) type of equipment are assessed at its component level using failure checkpoints. The existing conditions of six cooling towers located at West Virginia University were assessed at the component level and an overall condition score was generated by the tool.

The tool helped to assess checkpoints on the components and identify the potential risk component and its impact.

When facilities managers initiate this structured assessment methodology based on a periodic frequency, the facilities availability and life is maximized apart from reducing overall risk.

The contributions of this paper include the use of a common and comprehensive methodology for HVAC physical condition assessments and risk assessment of component failure impact.

This paper eliminates the most evident scoring limitations in the literature such as “equal numbers or ties,” “summation of lower priority scores exceeding the higher priority score,” and the need for a “cost estimator.” A unique formula was determined for the scoring technique.

The purpose of this paper is to propose that online group buying is different from the traditional purchase model in that an aggregation of purchases on the internet can lead sellers to adopt various bargaining strategies. When buyers and sellers do not have the opportunity to meet face to face, consumer satisfaction is an important consideration for sellers.

This study investigates the influence of sellers’ strategies for offering bargains on consumers’ satisfaction, considering buyers’ characteristics and involvement. Data are analyzed by employing the multivariate analysis of variance.

The results demonstrate that the stage decreasing range strategy results in the highest level of consumer satisfaction with online group buying. In addition, consumers’ cognitive style, computer self-efficacy and involvement have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between incentive strategy and consumer satisfaction.

The findings show that for group buying consumers, stage decreasing range strategy reveals certain advantages, such as a short waiting time for gathering group buyers. Enterprises or online sellers that propose special offers for online group buying as part of their competitive strategy should consider the stage decreasing range strategy. Moreover, enterprises and sellers can adjust their operations according to consumers’ individual characteristics and construct good relationships in online group buying.

This study has investigated the influence of incentive strategies for offering bargains in online transactions on consumer’s satisfaction. The results of this study will provide some guidelines for managers of the e-retailing firms to maximize their abilities in terms of marketing activities.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of the retailer’s brand strength as a potential predictor of loyalty. It also examines the role of customer satisfaction (CS) to the retailer’s loyalty as well as its impact on the retailer’s brand strength.

The study was conducted in the grocery context and in a market under recession using the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model. Data were collected through a telephone survey from 2,000 participants responsible for the household grocery shopping with a quota of 250 respondents from each of the leading grocery retailers in Greece. A formative measurement model was developed and the collected data were analyzed using partial least square path modeling.

The findings revealed that the strength of the retailer’s brand and CS influence retail loyalty and that brand strength mediate the strength of CS to loyalty. Results also suggested that the expectations and the perceptions toward the retailer’s product offering are the most important drivers of CS and loyalty. Thus, the study has proved the importance of the functional store attributes to CS and loyalty in the grocery store setting.

Research examining the suitability of the ECSI model in the grocery setting and in a market under economic crisis is scarce. This paper addresses these shortcomings by examining a customer loyalty model which incorporates the brand strength construct and investigates the role of brand strength as a potential predictor of loyalty as well as the role of CS in the brand strength and loyalty.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between technical and social systems within an organization that potentially affect the service experience, as perceived by end customers.

The paper explores the potential impact of an integrated service quality system on the service experience. A conceptual model is presented, accompanied by a detailed development of the hypotheses. Two samples (Study 1: n=474, Study 2: n=225) of consumers are used to empirically test the proposed model.

The analysis reveals the impact a technical system has on employees’ inherent abilities (i.e. the social system), which, in turn, affect the overall assessment by customers. Additionally, the situation in which an employee works (i.e. operating environmental conditions) results in differences in the model.

This paper’s main implication is this paper employs established theory to develop a model that is empirically tested to show that implementing and maintaining a quality-oriented service system can positively influence the overall customer experience. The limitations are based primarily on the methodology in which individual employees assessed all aspects of both the social and technical systems.

Managers should be diligent in their design and implementation of the quality components as these affect the work setting in which employees operate.

Prior research has neither explored an integrated service quality system’s impact on the service experience nor employed an established theoretical framework. This work accomplishes both with the results providing contributions to both theory and practice.

Although the prior literature has identified the relevance of dealer participation for multinational enterprises (MNEs), it is unclear whether such participation could also be an important means for local dealers to learn from MNEs. By adopting local firms’ viewpoint, our study draws on organizational learning theory to examine how local dealers benefit from their participation with foreign suppliers in Africa.

The empirical setting is a combinative dataset of secondary data and primary survey of 164 small- and medium-sized local dealers with nine subsidiaries of a Chinese motorcycle company in six countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

This research shows that dealer participation is positively associated with dealer performance, and this positive effect is stronger when local dealers operate in regions with low government corruption and high government support. However, the positive relationship is weaker when local dealers use the local tongue extensively but becomes stronger when their foreign suppliers have a high dealer coverage.

By taking a local-participant perspective, our study extends the participation literature to show how firms from a resource-constrained region may benefit from their proactive participation with foreign counterparts. Additionally, we identify the boundary conditions of institutional factors and strategic choices of local dealers and foreign suppliers, providing a nuanced understanding of firm behaviors in complex and uncertain markets.

Consumers use cues to assess whether a recovery is effective. Prior literature on service recovery has focused mainly on individual-related factors. This paper aims to study how other consumers in the same failure and recovery influence an individual consumer to evaluate the firm ' s recovery efforts.

Two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 tested the interaction effects between recovery modes (public vs private) and recovery dimensions (economic vs social) on an individual consumer ' s evaluation of a recovery strategy for a group service failure. Experiment 2 investigated the complementary role of social recovery on economic compensation.

Experiment 1 identified a significant interaction effect. Results suggest that an individual in a group service failure responds more favorably to public economic recovery than to private recovery. However, an individual ' s reaction to social recovery follows the opposite pattern. Furthermore, in experiment 2 a complementary effect between economic recovery and social recovery was found.

One potential contribution is that the paper sheds light on the issue related to the influence from other affected consumers in the same service failure and recovery situation in affected consumers ' recovery evaluation. An individual will consider the recovery other individuals receive when he or she evaluates the recovery ' s strategy. The paper also provides insight into the complementary use of economic and social recoveries to enhance a consumer ' s evaluation of a firm ' s overall recovery at a reduced cost.

The purpose of this corporate social responsibility (CSR) paper is to investigate specific social roles of multinational corporations (MNCs) in a developing economy, and how these MNCs’ CSR marketing activities are legitimized, from the institutional perspective.

Anchoring this study in institutional theory, the authors explore how formal and informal institutions affect the legitimacy of MNCs’ CSR marketing practices in the host country of Pakistan. The authors conducted interviews with top managers from 15 local MNCs undertaking CSR programs in various sectors, such as automotive, banking, consumer products, oil and gas, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications.

The authors find that MNCs show commitment to CSR programs despite underdeveloped and very weak formal institutions, and that lots of these initiatives such as education, health, environmental protection, and civil society/religious organizations are oriented toward norms-based social CSR marketing, i.e. charitable and philanthropic work, civil society-led social media and religious groups also force MNCs to spend more on CSR marketing initiatives. MNCs follow headquarters’ global CSR marketing strategies and adapt their CSR programs to the host country’s norms, focussing on their product brand value related CSR marketing. However, the MNCs have not taken an integrated approach to CSR marketing, considering the overall institutional environment of the host country.

On the basis of very weak regulatory constraints on CSR marketing activities, MNCs have the propensity to develop normatively acceptable CSR marketing under very weak formal institutional pressures. The findings suggest the need for developing an integrative approach to the CSR strategies of MNCs, comprehensively incorporating regulatory, economic, and socio-cultural as well as various stakeholders’ perspectives.

The authors take the institution-based approach to MNCs’ CSR marketing in the context of the developing economy, which extends the extant MNC and international marketing literature. Particularly, MNCs’ CSR marketing legitimacy depends highly on the adaptation to local norms, leading to the importance of the normative pillar of institutionalization in developing economies.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of market orientation on performance and to figure out the mediator effect of incremental innovation on this relationship with an implementation on Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Following a survey among 333 owners/managers of SMEs in Indian, six research propositions were framed. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and regression analysis was used for the purpose of data analysis.

The outcome of the study demonstrates a significant effect of market orientation on SMEs performance. In addition, the mediating effect of innovation between market orientation and business performance was not supported in the context.

This study uses cross-sectional research, which limits the ability to test the causality; hence, such studies should be replicated in other settings also to get more evidences about the relationship.

The research will help managers especially in manufacturing SMEs of developing countries to understand benefits of being market-oriented to improve performance.

The study attempts to enrich the market orientation literature especially in developing economies. It identifies the significant effect of interfunctional coordination on performance of small and medium enterprises working in more volatile environment. Further, the study also examines mediating role of innovation between market orientation and performance linkage.

El objetivo del estudio es examinar el efecto de la orientación al mercado en el desempeño empresarial así como el efecto mediador de la innovación incremental en una muestra de PYMEs indias.

Utilizando una muestra de 333 propietarios/gestores de PYMEs en India se desarrollan seis proposiciones que se contrastaron mediante análisis factorial confirmatorio y análisis de regresión lineal.

Los resultados muestran un efecto significativo de la orientación al mercado en los resultados de las PYME. Además, se corrobora el efecto mediador de la orientación al mercado.

El estudio usa datos de sección cruzada lo que limita su capacidad para contrastar causalidad, por lo que sus resultados deberían ser contrastados en otros contextos para obtener mayores evidencia acerca de las relaciones.

Este trabajo ayudara a los gestores de las PYME manufactureras en países en desarrollo a entender el beneficio para la empresa de la orientación al mercado.

Este estudio plantea la existencia de mediadores en la relación entre la orientación al mercado y los resultados empresariales en países en desarrollo.

Innovación incremental, Orientación al mercado, Mediación, PYMEs

Revisión general

O objetivo do estudo é examinar o efeito da orientação do mercado sobre o desempenho e também descobrir o efeito mediador da inovação incremental nessa relação com uma implementação em PMEs indianas.

Após uma pesquisa com 333 proprietários/gerentes de PMEs na Índia, seis proposições de pesquisa foram elaboradas. A análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC) e a análise de regressão foram utilizadas para fins de análise dos dados.

O resultado do estudo demonstra um efeito significativo da orientação para o mercado no desempenho das PMEs. Além disso, o efeito mediador da inovação entre a orientação para o mercado e o desempenho dos negócios não foi apoiado no contexto observado.

Este estudo utiliza a pesquisa transversal que limita a capacidade de testar a causalidade, portanto, tais estudos devem ser replicados em outros locais também para obter mais evidências sobre a relação estudada.

A pesquisa ajudará os gerentes, especialmente na manufatura de pequenas e médias empresas dos países em desenvolvimento, a entenderem os benefícios de serem orientados para o mercado para desta forma melhorar o desempenho.

O estudo é um dos que aborda o papel da mediação na orientação para o mercado e no relacionamento de desempenho nos países em desenvolvimento.

Inovação incremental, Orientação Para o mercado, Mediação, P ME

Revisão geral

As manufacturers and retailers aim to increase return on marketing investments, value- vs experience-related trade promotions gain attention. These two trade promotions become complicated in the presence of different retail format strategies (generalist vs specialist) and channel structures (direct to retailer vs distributors). Building on trade promotion literature, this study aims to show the main effect of value-related and experience-related trade promotions on retailers’ sales and the moderating role of different retail strategies and channel structures.

The authors use unique panel data from 8 personal care brands with 1,920 observations to test the hypotheses. The authors investigate how consumer goods manufacturer sells products using different channels structures and retail strategies. Estimated panel regressions provide the empirical evidence and robustness analyzes provide extra confidence to the findings.

Results reveal higher retail sales when the manufacturer invests in value-related trade promotions rather than experience-related trade promotions. The results also demonstrate how the manufacturer successfully invests in trade promotion by adequately accounting for channel structure and retail strategy. While temporary price reduction’s positive effect on retail sales is enhanced in generalist retailers (e.g. supermarket stores), shelf display’s positive impact is enhanced in specialist retailers (drug stores).

The authors used unique panel data accounting for 15 months, limiting the findings. The results supported the investment allocation decisions in each period. However, future research may evaluate the effectiveness over a longer period and thoroughly address each investment’s seasonal effects.

The authors unveil how retailers achieve higher sales with value-related trade promotions when compared to experience-related trade promotions. The authors also shed light on the way manufacturers design their relationships with generalist and specialist retailers by working in direct and indirect channels. Trade promotions yield better results when the direct channel structure couples with a retailer’s generalist strategy.

The empirical findings help manufacturers achieve success in trade promotions by developing an equitable evaluation to contrast value- and experience-related promotions accounting for generalist and specialist retail strategies and direct and indirect channels.

This study aims to conceptualize the relationship of perceived artificial intelligence (AI) credibility with consumer-AI experiences. With the widespread deployment of AI in marketing and services, consumer-AI experiences are common and an emerging research area in marketing. Various factors affecting consumer-AI experiences have been studied, but one crucial factor – perceived AI credibility is relatively underexplored which the authors aim to envision and conceptualize.

This study employs a conceptual development approach to propose relationships among constructs, supported by 34 semi-structured consumer interviews.

This study defines AI credibility using source credibility theory (SCT). The conceptual framework of this study shows how perceived AI credibility positively affects four consumer-AI experiences: (1) data capture, (2) classification, (3) delegation, and (4) social interaction. Perceived justice is proposed to mediate this effect. Improved consumer-AI experiences can elicit favorable consumer outcomes toward AI-enabled offerings, such as the intention to share data, follow recommendations, delegate tasks, and interact more. Individual and contextual moderators limit the positive effect of perceived AI credibility on consumer-AI experiences.

This study contributes to the emerging research on AI credibility and consumer-AI experiences that may improve consumer-AI experiences. This study offers a comprehensive model with consequences, mechanism, and moderators to guide future research.

The authors guide marketers with ways to improve the four consumer-AI experiences by enhancing consumers' perceived AI credibility.

This study uses SCT to define AI credibility and takes a justice theory perspective to develop the conceptual framework.