Search results

This study aims to explore the relationships, direct and indirect, between business customers’ perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty.

The study was set in the business banking industry, with data collected from 381 micro-enterprise business customers of a large South African bank by means of a self-administered, internet-based questionnaire.

The results reveal that business customers’ perception of value results in both economic and non-economic satisfaction. The results further indicate that non-economic satisfaction mediates the relationship between economic satisfaction and behavioural loyalty.

The study contributes to business services marketing literature by taking a multidimensional approach to the traditional value-satisfaction-loyalty chain.

The study contributes to business services marketing literature by emphasising the importance of perceived value in driving both economic and social outcomes, which, in turn, drives behavioural outcomes. By providing evidence of the outcomes associated with higher perceived value, service providers gain insights into the importance of focussing on value creation and the building of personal connections with micro-sized businesses to ensure future repurchase behaviour.

This research expands on current value research by positioning economic and non-economic satisfaction and attitudinal and behavioural loyalty as outcomes of business customers’ perceived value. This is possibly the first study to investigate satisfaction and loyalty as outcomes of perceived value where both comprise two distinct dimensions.

The purpose of this paper is to identify underlying characteristics of Indian investors that influence them to achieve their non-economic investment goals.

The conceptual model posits that investors’ choice of non-economic goal (NEG) is determined by their values and beliefs which are measured through survey data collected from 342 respondents with prior experience of investing in the stock market. A structural equation model is specified to estimate the measurement model. Further, the study analyses the mediating effect of social investment efficacy on the impact of investors’ values and beliefs and their pursuit of non-economic investment goals.

Religiosity and the belief that one’s actions can bring about a change in the society are the two important determinants of Indian investors’ pursuit of non-economic investment goal.

The model ignores aspects of an investor’s financial stability that may influence the urge to pursue non-economic investment goals.

Socially responsible (SR) funds with investment filters designed to propagate religious values of Indian investors can be designed. As a result, it should be possible to channelize a part of the more than $15 billion available in different religious institutions across the country into the capital market.

Availability of SRI funds would provide investors with yet another avenue invest in companies that conform to their protected values.

This is the first study that attempts to study investor characteristics (values and beliefs) and its impact on investor’s NEG in the Indian context.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the satisfaction with economic and non-economic goals achievement is related to the overall satisfaction with the business of the CEO-owner, and whether family involvement moderates this relationship.

Based on a survey among 323 CEO-owners of family and non-family businesses operating in the Czech Republic, the authors employ the OLS hierarchical regression analysis and test the moderating effects of family involvement on the relationship between the satisfaction with different goals attainment and the overall satisfaction with the business.

The main finding is that family and non-family CEO-owner’s satisfaction does not differ significantly when economic goals (profit maximisation, sales growth, increase in market share or firm value) and firm-oriented non-economic goals (satisfaction of employees, corporate reputation) are being achieved; both classes of goals increase the overall satisfaction with the firm and the family involvement does not strengthen this relationship. However, when it comes to external non-economic goals related to the society or environment, there is a significant and positive moderating effect of family involvement.

The study contributes to the family business literature. First, to date, most of the studies focused on family business goals have been qualitative, thus not allowing for generalisation of findings. Second, there is a lack of evidence on the ways in which family firms integrate their financial and non-financial goals. Third, the authors contribute to the literature on the determinants of personal satisfaction with the business for CEOs, which has been the focus on a relatively scarce number of studies.

Information and communications technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities for individuals, businesses and society. The application of ICT is equally important to economic and non-economic activities. Researchers have increasingly focused on the adoption and use of ICT by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the economic development of a country is largely dependent on them. Following the success of ICT utilisation in SMEs in developed countries, many developing countries are looking to utilise the potential of the technology to develop SMEs. Past studies have shown that the contribution of ICT to the performance of SMEs is not clear and certain. Thus, it is crucial to determine the effectiveness of ICT in generating firm performance since this has implications for SMEs’ expenditure on the technology. This research examines the diffusion of ICT among SMEs with respect to the typical stages from innovation adoption to post-adoption, by analysing the actual usage of ICT and value creation. The mediating effects of integration and utilisation on SME performance are also studied. Grounded in the innovation diffusion literature, institutional theory and resource-based theory, this study has developed a comprehensive integrated research model focused on the research objectives. Following a positivist research paradigm, this study employs a mixed-method research approach. A preliminary conceptual framework is developed through an extensive literature review and is refined by results from an in-depth field study. During the field study, a total of 11 SME owners or decision-makers were interviewed. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using NVivo 10 to refine the model to develop the research hypotheses. The final research model is composed of 30 first-order and five higher-order constructs which involve both reflective and formative measures. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed to test the theoretical model with a cross-sectional data set of 282 SMEs in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected using a structured questionnaire issued to SMEs selected by applying a stratified random sampling technique. The structural equation modelling utilises a two-step procedure of data analysis. Prior to estimating the structural model, the measurement model is examined for construct validity of the study variables (i.e. convergent and discriminant validity).

The estimates show cognitive evaluation as an important antecedent for expectation which is shaped primarily by the entrepreneurs’ beliefs (perception) and also influenced by the owners’ innovativeness and culture. Culture further influences expectation. The study finds that facilitating condition, environmental pressure and country readiness are important antecedents of expectation and ICT use. The results also reveal that integration and the degree of ICT utilisation significantly affect SMEs’ performance. Surprisingly, the findings do not reveal any significant impact of ICT usage on performance which apparently suggests the possibility of the ICT productivity paradox. However, the analysis finally proves the non-existence of the paradox by demonstrating the mediating role of ICT integration and degree of utilisation explain the influence of information technology (IT) usage on firm performance which is consistent with the resource-based theory. The results suggest that the use of ICT can enhance SMEs’ performance if the technology is integrated and properly utilised. SME owners or managers, interested stakeholders and policy makers may follow the study’s outcomes and focus on ICT integration and degree of utilisation with a view to attaining superior organisational performance.

This study urges concerned business enterprises and government to look at the environmental and cultural factors with a view to achieving ICT usage success in terms of enhanced firm performance. In particular, improving organisational practices and procedures by eliminating the traditional power distance inside organisations and implementing necessary rules and regulations are important actions for managing environmental and cultural uncertainties. The application of a Bengali user interface may help to ensure the productivity of ICT use by SMEs in Bangladesh. Establishing a favourable national technology infrastructure and legal environment may contribute positively to improving the overall situation. This study also suggests some changes and modifications in the country’s existing policies and strategies. The government and policy makers should undertake mass promotional programs to disseminate information about the various uses of computers and their contribution in developing better organisational performance. Organising specialised training programs for SME capacity building may succeed in attaining the motivation for SMEs to use ICT. Ensuring easy access to the technology by providing loans, grants and subsidies is important. Various stakeholders, partners and related organisations should come forward to support government policies and priorities in order to ensure the productive use of ICT among SMEs which finally will help to foster Bangladesh’s economic development.

The purpose of this study is to examine how use of agriculture information systems could impact farmers' intention to convert from traditional to organic agriculture production in the mountainous areas of Northern Vietnam, based on a research framework developed from integrating Diffusion of Innovation Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior. Specifically, the authors aim to test the direct impact of use of agriculture information systems on converting intention and the interaction between use of agriculture information systems and perceived economic benefits, perceived non-economic benefits of organic production and market access on the formation of converting intention.

Data were collected from a sample survey that included 634 agriculture-producing households in Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang and Cao Bang provinces of Northern Vietnam. The logistic regression was used for data analysis.

Research findings indicate that perceived economic benefits, non-economic benefits, market access and use of agriculture information systems positively support the converting intention. Moreover, the use of information systems strengthens the links between the converting intention and perceived economic benefits, perceived non-economic benefits and market access.

This research is innovative in incorporating the use of agriculture information systems as both direct contributor and moderator in converting decisions.

The paper's purpose is to broaden knowledge of customer satisfaction and loyalty in business‐to‐business markets.

The authors propose and test a model in which customer satisfaction is conceived as mediating the relationship between the elements of relationship value (price, product quality, delivery performance, supplier know‐how, time‐to‐market, service support and personal interaction) and attitudinal and behavioural customer loyalty. The empirical analysis uses structural equation modelling and is based on 477 customer‐supplier relationships in the manufacturing context.

The results show that satisfaction is negatively affected by price and positively by delivery performance, supplier know‐how and personal interaction. On the other hand, satisfaction positively influences behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. In addition, behavioural loyalty is also negatively affected by price and positively by product quality, while attitudinal loyalty is positively affected by personal interaction.

Future research could add views from the supplier's side and also examine the focal relationship in a network of relationships. The model should be cross‐validated with the same instruments in other contexts.

The paper's main finding that satisfaction is more affected by delivery performance, supplier know‐how and personal interaction than by price holds direct implications for generic business strategies. By building unique relationships with their customers, suppliers can demonstrate they have something different to offer when there is strong market pressure on price. In addition, the finding that the antecedents of behavioural loyalty are more “rational” and “firm‐related”, while the antecedents of attitudinal loyalty are more “emotional” and “individual‐related”, can be used by marketers to improve the relationships with their customers.

The paper systematically addresses the antecedents of customer satisfaction and loyalty from the perspective of relationship value dimensions – an approach that has not yet been taken in the literature.

Cities from developing countries strive to compete on a global scale and hence try to attract and retain their residents in offering higher liveability. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which liveability influences resident’s sense of place and determines residents’ behavioural intentions.

A survey was carried out to test the hypotheses using a sample of 362 residents from the city of Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Structural equation modelling and the method suggested by Hayes and Preacher (2010) for mediation analysis were used.

Findings show that residents’ preferences for different types of liveability attributes (included in seven dimensions) influence their sense of place that in return shapes their behavioural intentions towards their place of residence. Results also reveal the importance of non-economic attributes of the urban environment. Moreover, residents’ sense of place mediates the relationship between liveability and residents’ behavioural intentions.

Future research could more deeply investigate the social functioning of a place and particularly the role of place identity, as it is recognized to affect residents’ attitudes and behaviours. In addition, further developments may contribute to the ongoing debate on the relationship between liveability and growth.

From a public policy standpoint, this study suggests that local authorities need to identify a distinct set of economic and non-economic characteristics that will encourage residents to stay longer in the place they live. As such, enhancing liveability represents a critical strategic initiative for cities from developing countries to make them a great place to live.

Compared to developed countries’ cities, few attempts have been made to investigate the attitudes of residents towards a place and the role of liveability in the context of emerging countries fast-growing urban areas. In addition, findings revealed the importance of place-based meanings, i.e. sense of place, which played a pivotal role in the development of place-protective behaviours.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of non-economic factors on the financing decisions of family firms in the Middle East. To contextualize the study, the authors steer away from the traditional capital structure debate toward the choice of financing paradigm: conventional vs Islamic.

This study uses Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior due to its ability to delineate the influence of non-economic motivational factors on the financing decisions of family firms. This study also examines the influence of “familial stewardship (FS),” another non-economic factor which is highly relevant in a collectivistic context. The authors initially use SEM with Amos to analyze 115 surveys of family firm owner-managers. For deeper probing, the authors undertook an additional post hoc qualitative analysis of six case studies using semi-structured interviews.

The findings of this study suggest that owner-managers’ attitude toward Islamic finance plays a primary motivational role in influencing their intentions to use it. More importantly, the findings depict a significant influence of “FS” and subjective norm on the attitudes of owner-managers. This implies that financing decisions which involve religious beliefs are directly influenced by the decision maker’s personal attitude, which, in turn, is significantly influenced by familial and social pressures.

This study fills a gap in the family-firm financing literature by suggesting that when choosing religion-related financial products, attitude plays a far more significant role than other motivational factors. This study also contributes to the “familiness” area of research by empirically demonstrating that FS has a significant influence on owner-managers’ attitude toward financing choices.

This paper aims to develop and test a conceptual model of supplier selection decisions in the public sector. The study seeks to determine the relative importance of a broad range of non-economic variables in explaining supplier selection decisions during strategic organizational purchases.

Data were collected from a national sample of 341 senior staff and top management team (TMT) members in 40 public sector organizations in Nigeria by using structured questionnaires.

Results of structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis shows that government policy requirements, social ties of organizational actors, party politics, decision-makers’ experience and the perception of instrumental ethical work climates are the most important determinants of strategic supplier selection decisions, followed in a descending order of importance by the perception of rules ethical work climates, self-enhancement personal values, CEOs’ structural position, self-transcendent personal values and the perception of time pressure. Findings also indicate that the choice of a supplier per se is not an important determinant of organizational performance.

No prior study has brought together, in a single model, the broad range of variables employed in this study with a view to exploring their relative importance in explaining public sector supplier selection decisions in a non-western country context. The findings of this study have implications for Marketing Managers looking to do business with public sector firms in emerging markets.

Drawing on the theory of goal systems applied to family business this case study focuses on the interdependence between non-economic goals and family goals, in order to identify if and how achieving non-economic goals generates dysfunctional behavioural patterns for family members in the long term.

This study used an inductive, 20-year longitudinal case-study based methodology.

This case study shows how the business family faces ethical/affective dimensions, struggling every day for a balance and often undermining the legitimisation and differentiation of its children. Findings show that the achievement of non-economic goals can occur to the detriment of family goals, such as by generating a dysfunctional system, specifically in business family adaptability.

The principal limitation is that this single case study evidently does not allow for complete generalization of the findings.

This case study makes a contribution to alerting the family business system to the long-term risk they face in trying to simultaneously maintain both harmony/cohesion and ethics/responsibility. Practitioners and consultants are therefore called on to help family firm owners with adopting a strategic vision by considering possible long-term counterfinal (i.e. mutually incompatible) goals.

SMEs are the most widespread type of firm in the world, and consequently dysfunctional behavioural patterns within business families represent a prominent socio-economical problem for policy makers and institutions.

This study shows that, in the long term, that which is perceived to be a desirable goal can transpire to be a dysfunctional pattern. In doing so, this research introduces a new point of view to the literature on goal systems in family business.