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The purpose of this study to improve the efficiency of customer acquisition and retention through the design of salary information disclosure mechanism.

This study develops a stylized game-theoretic model of delegating customer acquisition and retention, focusing on how firms choose delegation and wage information disclosure strategy.

The results confirm the necessity for enterprises to disclose salary information. When sales agents are risk neutral, firms should choose multi-agent (MA) delegation and disclose their wages. However, when agents are risk averse, firms may disclose the wages of acquisition agents or both agents in MA delegation, depending on the uncertainty of the retention market.

This paper contributes to the literature on delegation of customer acquisition and retention and demonstrates that salary disclosure can be used as a supplement to the incentive mechanism.

This study examines the customer strategies for small- and medium-sized manufacturing suppliers (SMMSs) in customer dominance markets, particularly regarding power asymmetry. It has two key objectives: (1) to identify factors impacting SMMSs' customer strategies, including technological and marketing capabilities and the importance of the main customer and (2) to examine the impact of these strategies on firm growth.

Using the survey data on 279 Korean manufacturing suppliers in B2B markets, nine hypotheses were verified through a structural equation model (SEM). It involved capturing the varied influence of organizational capabilities on the two types of customer strategies and the link between customer strategy and firm growth.

Technology and marketing capabilities affect new customer acquisition directly, while in the case of main customer retention, marketing capability affects main customer retention through the overall satisfaction about the existing relationship. Although the importance of the main customer suppresses new customer acquisition strategies, SMMSs should actively pursue both customer acquisition and retention to promote firm growth.

The findings reveal how SMMSs, leveraging technological and marketing capabilities, can concurrently pursue new customer acquisition and main customer retention. Additionally, it empirically demonstrates the impact of the main customer’s importance on these customer strategies and underscores the positive impact of both strategies on firm growth. This provides a blueprint for a value-creation process linking capabilities, customer strategies and firm performance.

The purpose of this paper is to explore mechanisms of the overseas marketing assets needed for marketing dynamic capability in Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) settings. Marketing assets of foreign subsidiaries contribute to the dynamic capability of MNEs, which are crucial for their sustained competitiveness. This kind of mechanism attracts much attention in academia and industry. However, there are few studies on how dynamic capabilities are developed in MNEs considering the organizational structure of geographically dispersed assets in multiple locations. This paper aims to examine the effect of knowledge-based and relational-based marketing assets on dynamic marketing capabilities and the mediating effect of customer orientation on Chinese MNEs.

Integrating the dynamic capability approach and the international marketing literature, this study examines the impact of two types of marketing assets of foreign subsidiaries, focusing on knowledge-based and relationship-based marketing assets, on the dynamic marketing capabilities of Chinese MNEs. A large-scale empirical study of Chinese MNEs operating in overseas markets was performed, and the questionnaires were distributed and collected.

The results suggest a positive impact of knowledge-based and relationship-based marketing assets on marketing dynamic capability. We find that customer orientation has a positive mediating effect on the relationship between marketing assets and marketing dynamic capability. We also find that the competitive strength of the overseas market negatively moderates this relationship.

This study aims to contribute to the existing literature with a more fine-grained understanding of marketing assets and marketing dynamic capability, then provides theoretical guidance and management suggestions for the formulation and implementation of internationalization strategies of Chinese MNEs.

The findings outline several important implications for MNEs seeking into expand to overseas markets.

This paper contributes a novel, combined perspective on marketing assets and marketing dynamic capability.

This study explores the mediating effects of relationship marketing orientation (RMO) and service quality orientation (SQO) on market orientation, selling orientation, and policyholder retention in non-life insurance services. Additionally, it offers important recommendations for non-life insurers in Taiwan for policy development and improving policyholder retention.

Data were collected from a sample of policyholders belonging to the top five non-life insurance companies in Taiwan. The data were then analyzed with structural equation modeling.

RMO and SQO mediate the effects of the salesperson’s market orientation on policyholder retention. Thus, RMO and SQO are key factors influencing policyholder retention. Consequently, high levels of market orientation should be maintained to increase RMO and SQO, strengthening the retention rate of non-life insurance policyholders.

The main limitation of this study is its cross-sectional nature. In the future, researchers should collect data from other countries and service industries (e.g. banks, securities, and other financial institutions), expand to different insurance contexts (e.g. life insurance), and conduct longitudinal studies or experimental research.

The results of this study can act as a guide for providers of non-life insurance services. Based on the research results, we recommend decision-makers pay increased attention to increasing policyholder retention rates by strengthening their firm’s RMO and SQO.

Few studies have investigated the relationships among market orientation, selling orientation, RMO, SQO, and policyholder retention in non-life insurance services within Asian contexts in general and specifically in Taiwan. Thus, this study’s theoretical contributions, managerial implications (especially for decision-makers), and the proposed future research directions represent timely and valuable additions to the literature.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied by businesses to optimize their processes and decision-making, develop effective and efficient strategies, and positively influence customer behaviors. Businesses use AI to generate behaviors such as customer retention (CR). The existing literature on “AI and CR” is vastly scattered. The paper aims to review the present research on AI in CR systematically and suggest future research directions to further develop the field.

The Scopus database is used to collect the data for systematic review and bibliometric analysis using the VOSviewer tool. The paper performs the following analysis: (1) year-wise publications and citations, (2) co-authorship analysis of authors, countries, and affiliations, (3) citation analysis of articles and journals, (4) co-occurrence visualization of binding terms, and (5) bibliographic coupling of articles.

Five research themes are identified, namely, (1) AI and customer churn prediction in CR, (2) AI and customer service experience in CR, (3) AI and customer sentiment analysis in CR, (4) AI and customer (big data) analytics in CR, and (5) AI privacy and ethical concerns in CR. Based on the research themes, fifteen future research objectives and a future research framework are suggested.

The paper has important implications for researchers and managers as it reveals vital insights into the latest trends and paths in AI-CR research and practices. It focuses on privacy and ethical issues of AI; hence, it will help the government develop policies for sustainable AI adoption for CR.

To the author's best knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to comprehensively review the existing research on “AI and CR” using bibliometric analysis.

This study aims to enrich the field of entrepreneurial marketing (EM) by examining decision-making processes in the unique context of start-up ventures. To do so, it extends research on the distinct EM dimensions to the behavioral context by revealing how causation and effectuation principles shape entrepreneurs’ actions.

The study investigates EM behavior through 12 semi-structured interviews with 10 start-up founders and two founder associates in Germany. Use of established frameworks of the EM dimensions and causation/effectuation principles paves the way for an in-depth analysis. This methodology uncovers a distinct pattern of decision-making behaviors characterizing various activities within start-ups.

The findings show that causal logic prevails in start-ups’ EM, and effectual reasoning serves a complementary role. On the dimensional level, the findings reveal a predominant goal-driven focus on customer intensity and value-creation processes. Predictive logic guides opportunity focus, proactiveness and risk management, with nonpredictive behaviors providing adaptability. The principle of affordable loss is also evident in risk management. Finally, start-ups exhibit a blend of causal and effectual logic in innovativeness and resource-leveraging.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to illuminate the interplay of behavioral logics in start-up firms’ EM by exploring the nuanced principles underpinning the decision-making processes of entrepreneurs. In doing so, it advances understanding of the marketing–entrepreneurship interface and enriches decision-making literature.

A novel phenomenon in product and service promotions, social coupons facilitate group buying at lower prices, bringing key benefits to customers, merchants and coupon aggregators. This study maps the evolution and innovations in social couponing, identifies knowledge gaps in the domain and sets the future research agenda.

Through a detailed systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis, this study maps the evolution of social coupons over time. The analysis examines social coupon research by studying research outputs by authors, institutes, countries and research themes. It also explores how the social couponing phenomenon has benefited the three key stakeholders: customers, merchants and coupon aggregators.

An innovation in couponing, social coupons are discount coupons that feature group buying, pre-purchase and daily deals. Based on the extensive review of extant literature, the study proposes a conceptual model for the social couponing process. The study also provides inputs for future research on social coupons and delineates their academic and managerial implications.

This study makes a pioneering endeavor to comprehensively map the knowledge structure of social coupons from multiple dimensions.

This study aims to examine the impacts of bancassurance contracts on the financial performance of the Egyptian insurance market from 2011 to 2022.

To achieve this main objective, a mixed methodological approach was adopted: a quantitative methodological approach through analyzing the content of Misr Life Insurance (MLI) Firm’s annual reports from 2011 to 2022. This period frame includes three crucial eras in the history of Egypt: the period covered by the two revolutions in Egypt, the period of political and economic stability and the COVID-19 period. Furthermore, a paired sample test was conducted for two related samples to examine the differences between the averages of financial indicators of MLI Firm for the period prior to and after the bancassurance. Additionally, a qualitative case study approach was adopted, focusing on the MLI Firm in Egypt. To support and confirm the results from quantitative content analysis, an interview was conducted with a financial manager from MLI Company.

Generally, the analysis reveals that the financial performance indicators of MLI are significantly influenced by bancassurance because of the variations between the financial performance of MLI Company before and after bancassurance, as the company’s financial performance rose after the bancassurance experience. Therefore, the current research suggests promoting awareness of bancassurance contracts in Egypt to boost financial performance and economic development through bulletins.

The research has limitations because of its mixed methodological approach, focusing on annual reports, the Egyptian life insurance environment and the insurance sector.

The findings of this research are probably going to be helpful in clarifying the state of bancassurance in the Egyptian insurance industry for a wide range of interested parties, including managers, investors and scholars. More specifically, this research provides insights into MLI’s financial performance from 2011 to 2022. It aids investors in making informed decisions, boosts shareholder trust and encourages new business in the Egyptian insurance industry.

This research strives to establish a novel field of study, as there are few studies in developing countries that introduce empirical evidence on the impact of bancassurance on the financial performance of insurance firms in Egypt.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of brand equity on corporate financial performance across various institutional factors in China, encompassing macro (regional economic development and product market development), meso (industry uncertainty), and micro (CEO overseas experience) levels.

Using archival data related to Chinese listed companies, this study employs standard error combined with fixed effect regression for model estimation to empirically evaluate the impact of brand equity on financial performance (Tobin’s q) and its boundary effects.

This study reveals that in China, the influence of brand equity on Tobin’s q isn’t significant. However, when considering institutional factors across various levels, its impact becomes significant. Specifically, the positive effect of brand equity on Tobin’s q in China is more pronounced in regions with higher economic or product market development, industries with high uncertainty, or when the CEO has overseas experience.

This study enriches the brand-related marketing literature in China and highlights the potential underperformance of brand equity within this context. Furthermore, this study advances the integration of resource-based view with institutional theory by combining brand equity with institutional factors at the macro-, meso-, and micro-level in China.

This study focuses on brand performance in China, the largest emerging market, emphasizing the importance of integrating brand equity with diverse institutional factors to amplify its beneficial influence on financial performance.

This paper aims to examine the relationships between motives, skepticism and brands evaluations in the LGBT-friendly branding hotels context.

An online survey is created and 278 LGBT participants are recruited through a consumer panels firm. The research model is tested through structural equation modeling.

Values-, stakeholder- and strategic-driven motives are negatively related to skepticism, while egoistic-driven motive is positively related to skepticism. Also, sexual orientation openness moderates the relationship between stakeholder-driven motives and skepticism. Finally, skepticism is negatively related to brands evaluations.

The research findings are limited to the LGBT-friendly hotels. However, this research contributes to the CSR and LGBT consumer research by examining the relationships between the four motives and skepticism considering LGBT customers’ sexual orientation openness level.

Hotels should devote greater efforts to communicating that their LGBT-friendly branding efforts are genuine by acknowledging both the social benefits and the business interests.

As more and more hotels promote themselves as LGBT-friendly brands, a key challenge is reducing skepticism by appropriately conveying their motives. This research sheds light on this critical issue.

Although existent research on LGBT-friendliness has established its importance; there is a lack of understanding as to how customers perceive LGBT-friendly branding hotels. This research examines the four motives of hotels presenting themselves as being LGBT-friendly and their relationships to skepticism.