Search results

In an era of burgeoning activity in online retail in India, the role of web-store design is paramount. Web-store design elements such as website functionality, brand assortment and product quality are expected to generate customer loyalty.

Using data collected from 553 students from two universities in north India, the present study investigates the indirect effect of web-store dimensions (through website functionality, brand assortment and product quality) on online store loyalty via an enjoyment state (flow) and customer satisfaction. Serial mediation has been analysed through PROCESS macro developed by Hayes version 3.0. In addition to this, the moderating role of gender and purchase frequency has also been investigated.

The present study renders support to serial mediation between website functionality, flow, customer satisfaction and loyalty. However, the path between brand assortment and loyalty is more strongly mediated by customer satisfaction only. Males experience less flow as compared to females while handling brand assortment on websites. The three-way interaction between brand assortment, gender and purchase frequency is also statistically significant.

The study examines the manner in which online retailers can choose to build customer loyalty when they try to build retail image using web store functionality and /or product/brand assortments. The study offers insights to retailers about how and when to focus on hedonism versus customer satisfaction or both of them in conjunction to enhance customer loyalty. This study is important as it investigates the relationships in Indian scenario witnessing a high rate of growth in online retail which can tremendously affect these relationships.

Social commerce is a subpart of electronic commerce (e-commerce), where social media is forced to support user contributions. The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of customers' interpersonal interactions in social commerce on customer relationship management (CRM) performance, based on the flow, commitment-trust and stimulus–organism–response (SOR) theories.

On the basis of the SOR framework, the authors developed a study model to determine the impact on CRM performance of customers' interpersonal interactions in social commerce. The primary data of the study were collected from 640 users of social commerce through a web questionnaire during the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic situation, and the authors tested the study model using the approach of covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM).

Results of the current study reveal that customers' interpersonal interactions in social commerce optimistically influence their perceived flow. Moreover, perceived flow absolutely controls users' trust and CRM performance. In turn, collective users' trust positively influences users' commitment and CRM performance. Finally, collective users' commitment absolutely influences the performance of CRM.

The authors provide a valuable contribution to the theoretical field of online marketing and CRM. Besides, the findings of this study are relevant for marketers to know the issues for increasing customer trust, commitment and performance of CRM.

The current study develops a model based on the flow, commitment-trust and stimulus–organism–response (SOR) theories. The authors' research is the first to estimate the effect of customers' interpersonal interactions in social commerce on CRM performance.

This study aims to examine the relationships between hotel website quality, perceived flow, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. Furthermore, this study also examines if perceived flow mediates the relationships between hotel website quality, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions.

The stimulus-organism-response framework is used as the theoretical framework for this study. A total of 441 valid online questionnaires were collected to empirically test the measurement and structural model using partial least square path modeling approach. The study sample includes hotel guests who booked their hotels via online travel agencies and/or hotel websites.

The findings confirm that hotel website quality influences customers’ perceived flow, which in turn, influences their satisfaction and purchase intention. Moreover, perceived flow also mediates the relationships between hotel website quality, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions.

Hotel website quality, perceived flow, customer satisfaction and purchase intentions altogether are not well understood in current literature despite the important implication for managers, academicians and consumers alike. This study contributes to the field of e-commerce marketing, retailing and e-tourism research.

The transition from multichannel to omnichannel retailing requires a better conceptualisation, especially for customer experience in smart shopping malls. Therefore, this study aims to propose a theoretical model that captures customers’ omnichannel experiences in smart shopping malls in terms of personal interaction, physical environment and virtual environment encounters. It examines the mediating role of flow experience on the relationship between the three types of encounters and customers’ intention to revisit smart shopping malls.

The study draws on four key theories: the service encounter model, trust-commitment theory, flow theory and experiential value theory. A total of 553 completed questionnaires were collected from customers (millennials) in the United Kingdom (UK). The data was analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling.

The findings show that physical environment encounters and personal interaction encounters play a significant role in customers’ omnichannel experiences in smart malls. Also, of significance are the following aspects of virtual environment encounters: interface design, personalisation, trust, privacy, consumer–peer interaction and relationship commitment. The findings highlight the significant mediating role of flow on the relationships between these three types of encounters and intention, and the effect of flow on omnichannel service usage in smart shopping malls.

The research contributes to the existing literature by proposing a conceptual model: the smart shopping mall omnichannel customer experience (SSMCE) model. The findings offer practical guidance to shopping malls and retailers who wish to enhance the customer omnichannel experience.

This study aims to address the management of reverse flows in the context of service supply chains. The study builds on the characteristics of services production reported in literature to: identify diverse types of reverse flows in services supply chains, discuss key issues associated to the management of reverse service flows and suggest directions for research for developing the knowledge for management of reverse flows in service contexts.

This study first provides an overview of the theoretical background which supports the identification and the characterization of the flows, and the reverse flows, involved in service production. A short summary of each paper accepted in this special issue is also provided to give readers an overview of the various issues around reverse exchanges in service supply chains that authors have attempted to address.

In this study, the authors identify distinct types of reverse flows in services production building on the analysis of the characteristics of service production and delivery reported in the literature. Our discussion highlights the fact that service supply chains can be quite diverse in the type of exchanges of inputs and outputs that take place between customers and providers, showing that often there can be substantial flows of items to return. In particular, and differently from manufacturing contexts, the authors highlight that in service supply chains, providers might need to handle bi-directional reverse flows.

The lack of research on reverse service supply chains is, to a great extent, a consequence of dominant paradigms which often identify the absence of physical product flows as a key distinguishing feature of service supply chains, and therefore lead to the misbelief that in services there is nothing to return. This special issue therefore aims to clarify this misunderstanding through the limited selection of eight papers that address various issues around reverse exchanges in service supply chains.

While theoretical and empirical research in supply chain is abundant, management of reverse exchanges in service supply chain is sparse. In this special issue we aim to provide the first contribution to understand how the characteristics of service production raise new issues for the management of reverse flows in service supply chains, and to foster the development of adequate management strategies.

This empirical study uses the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework to examine the interrelationships amongst hotel websites and app quality, flow, telepresence, user engagement and booking intentions.

Data from two different datasets, including users of hotel websites (N sample 1 = 257) and hotel mobile apps (N sample 2 = 292), were collected. Partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was used to test the research model.

Findings indicate that the quality of the hotel websites and mobile apps positively influences telepresence, flow and engagement. Telepresence and flow positively affect the users booking intentions for both the samples. However, for hotel website users, engagement has a no-significant effect on booking intentions. Finally, telepresence has a non-significant effect on flow, and flow has a non-significant effect on engagement for both the users of hotel websites and mobile apps.

This study uses two datasets to understand how hotel booking channel (hotel website and mobile app) quality leads to booking intentions by tapping into telepresence, flow and engagement.

This study examined relationships among e-stimuli and customers’ behavioral intentions and identified whether customers’ hedonic or utilitarian orientation moderation effects of e-stimuli on a bed and breakfast (B&B) website’s flow experience.

The proposed hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modeling. Two group comparisons were conducted to test moderating effects in the relationships between stimuli and flow experience.

This study determined e-stimuli affected customers’ flow experiences and causal relationships among emotions, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. It also found moderating effects of hedonic/utilitarian motivation.

Findings from this study could help B&B operators develop online marketing strategies.

This study developed a framework of e-stimuli in a B&B website setting to address customers’ psychological behaviors to understand the practical needs of the B&B industry and customers’ expectations.

本论文检验了网络刺激与消费者行为意向之间的关联, 并且指出具体消费者享乐主义动机和功利主义动机在网络刺激对民宿网站的整体感受之间的调节作用。

本论文采用SEM对提出的假设进行验证, 并且采用两组对比分析针对刺激源和整体感受之间的调节作用

研究结果确定了网络刺激对消费者整体感受的作用力, 以及情感、满意度、与行为意向之间的因果关系。此外, 研究结果还发现享乐/功利动机的调节作用。

本研究结果帮助民宿业主开发在线营销策略。

本论文开发一个民宿网站的网络刺激模型, 来解决消费者的心理行为, 以了解民宿产业的实际需求和消费者期望。

The purpose of this paper is to construct a system of indicators that will allow firms to evaluate the long‐term results of their marketing activities along the value chain.

The paper integrates the concepts of network relationships, value chain management, and customer lifetime value (CLV). The authors use participative inquiry and case studies to validate and clarify the model.

The authors develop the customer flow conceptual model and propose a sequence of actions to translate it into measures and indicators that will allow firms to understand their role in the creation of sustainable value. Using this model, the authors conduct comparative analyses of the acquisition and retention strategies of a multinational firm in the European and Russian markets. The results provide a crucial justification for new directions in future long‐term marketing activities.

The model is validated in two cases in different industries. Further research is required to examine the implementation of suggested tools in different industries.

The model was simplified for a practical application and indicators for future monitoring process and customer flow management were developed.

The authors developed the concept of customer flow to assess the long‐term results of marketing activities and to emphasize the difference between managing new and existing customers. New performance metrics are proposed based on customer flow and its structural characteristics. This allowed comparing of acquisition and retention strategies of the same company in different markets and reveals the crucial differences between the marketing strategies prevailing in Russia and those in Europe. The authors have demonstrated how the concept may help firms to develop and implement successful strategies.

This study aims to investigate the effects of consumers’ motivations on behavioral intention to use self-service technology (SST) in airline services exploring multimediating effects of flow experience and SST evaluation in Stimulus-Organism-Response model.

An online survey was conducted with quota sampling based on age group who had experiences of SSTs usage at the Incheon International Airport in South Korea. A total of 286 responses were used for the data analysis with structural equation modeling to examine the proposed model and the multimediating effects.

The results showed that consumers’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations had positive impacts on their flow experience, SST evaluation and behavioral intention to use airline SSTs. Their flow experience had a positive influence on SST evaluation, and their SST evaluation influenced behavioral intention to use airline SSTs. Consumers’ flow experience and SST evaluation mediated the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and behavioral intention to use airline SSTs.

It is important for customers to perceive extrinsic motivation such as speed, convenience and efficiency for the smooth process of airline SSTs at the airport. SST evaluation plays a key role to increase customers’ behavioral intention to use airline SSTs.

This study extends the understanding of consumers’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, flow experience, SST evaluation and behavioral intentions to use SST in airline services by building on a model. Especially, findings of the (multi)mediating effects of customers’ perceived flow and SST evaluation on the relationship between motivations and behavioral intention to use airline SSTs might provide better guidelines for managers to incorporate SSTs, to increase operational efficiency and to boost customer experiences.

Mobile banking or m-banking enables consumers to carry out their banking affairs with the help of mobile devices. Mobile-user banking interactions in the context of technology services create opportunities for positive experiences that can nurture trust, foster brand equity and eventually lead to long-term relationship building. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concepts of m-banking customer flow experiences and their role in affecting customer intention in the continued use of m-banking.

To achieve this main objective, a research model was developed by taking theoretical backgrounds and specific characteristics of m-banking into consideration for testing. The study to test this model was carried out in Iran, a developing country in the Middle East.

Results of the PLS-SEM analysis of 927 bank customers showed that the flow experience is positively influenced by both hedonic and utilitarian features. While, flow experiences influence trust and brand equity, individual mobility has a stronger effect on the intention to continue the use of m-banking compared with trust, flow experience and brand equity.

The current research provides various useful insights into customer engagement for conducting banking tasks via mobile technologies. Managers and decision makers can take into account the following insights to enhance positive flow experiences and loyalty intention of customers toward m-banking.