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Self-service technologies (SST) have become more and more pervasive in retail to facilitate autonomous checkout. In this context, customers play an active role and, as such, can be considered as “partial employees.” Partial employees have to perform a wide range of tasks, get rewarded for their work and need to understand the terms of the exchange, all without being subject to a formalized contract. In this research, the authors suggest that partial employees go through a process of organizational socialization that allows them to define the psychological contract they hold with the organization.

In order to investigate the psychological contracts of partial employees, 324 Canadian customers using SST completed an online questionnaire, in which their SST use, psychological contract fulfillment and organizational socialization were measured.

Descriptive analyses highlight that customers as partial employees build a psychological contract with their most frequent retailer, as they perceive not only retailer inducements but also their own contributions. Multiple linear regressions suggest that organizational socialization favors psychological contract fulfillment, but that specific dimensions of organizational socialization are important for employer inducements vs. employee contributions. Moreover, results suggest that the frequency of use of SST as well as the patronage positively predicts psychological contract fulfillment.

This research investigates a specific situation of unconventional employment – that of customers as partial employees with organizations. It contributes to the literature on the psychological contract by broadening its application to new relations and to the literature on customer management by reemphasizing the relevance of the psychological contract in this domain.

The study seeks to explore the effect of socialization mechanisms on relational embeddedness of logistics service providers (LSP), and relational performance of dyads, and finally their resulting effect on the supply chain performance in transitive triads.

To elaborate on the major constructs of the study, the researchers use the theoretical lens specifically provided by social capital theory (SCT), and relational view (RV). Consequently, the researchers use SCT to examine the role of the socialization process, used by the supplier and customer, to develop relational embeddedness of logistics service providers in triads. Next, the researchers use the RV, complemented by the underpinnings of supply chain practice view (SCPV) to elaborate on the relational performance of dyads and supply chain performance. The study uses partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to estimate the higher component model (HCM) and test the research hypotheses.

The results obtained from a sample of 350 transitive triads suggest that relational embeddedness of LSPs is only shaped by the mechanisms of formal socialization, developed by the supplier and customer. Interestingly, informal socialization appears to be insignificant for this process. The results indicate that relational embeddedness of logistics service providers has a positive effect on the relational performance of three dyads, which in turn, has a positive effect on the supply chain performance in transitive triads.

One of the intriguing avenues of future research is to investigate the dynamics of supply chains. It would be also worthwhile to make use of the specificity of transitive triads, formed by the supplier, customer and LSP, to explore whether and under which circumstances (e.g. reciprocity, symmetry) the strong ties encourage the transfer and integration of knowledge among actors, and the weak ties accelerate the search for information. In connection with that, the other interesting research avenue would be to investigate the information benefits derived from the nonredundant triads.

Although there is a number of recent studies that show empirical evidence for developing relational embeddedness in transitive triads, to date, little research interest has been paid to how relational embeddedness of LSPs is shaped within the supply chain structures, and how it finally affects the supply chain performance.

This research analyzes the role of happiness associated with sustainable purchases in social enterprises (SEs) as a key precursor of prosocial behavioral responses through satisfaction with such purchases.

This paper studies the relationships between past purchase in a social enterprise, consumer happiness, satisfaction and three indicators of loyalty: repurchase intention, word-of-mouth (WOM) intention and willingness to pay more. In addition, it analyzes the moderating role of altruistic motivation. A survey was designed to collect data from 380 consumers who had bought in a social enterprise.

Sustainable consumption is a source of happiness for ethical consumers to the extent that they feel that they meet a personal need or desire, and they contribute to achieving a social objective with their purchasing behavior.

SEs must appeal to the happiness of consumers as a strategic line to achieve their satisfaction and loyalty. Social enterprise practitioners and marketers should deploy organizational capabilities and resources in key performing areas such as communication, customer service or shopping experience, with the purpose of maximizing the happiness of ethical consumers with whom the firm is interacting for the first time.

This research highlights the importance of the social enterprise in the commercial setting, since it has been proven that purchases in these companies generate happiness and satisfaction in consumers. In addition, satisfaction has a great impact on their loyalty, which is a direct advantage for this type of company and an indirect one for society as a whole.

This study aims to determine website quality, young adult socialization and dark triad personality as the factors influencing the real estate purchase decision. In addition, this study also measures the mediating effects of young adult socialization on real estate purchase buying behavior.

Related literature, quantifiable variables with a five-point Likert scale, hypothesis testing and mediators are used to study the model. A systematic questionnaire that was divided into four sections was used. A total of 336 valid responses were collected and analyzed through a structural equation model.

The results suggest that dark triad personality and young adult socialization considerably affect real estate purchase decisions. The development proves website quality does not significantly impact real estate purchase behavior.

This study is limited to a few young consumers’ responses. Future studies could be more widespread globally and should include more variables and offline methods of purchasing behavior.

As per the review of existing literature, this research is the first, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to determine the factors affecting the real estate purchase decision with factors like website quality, dark triad personalities and young adult socialization involving it.

This study aims to develop customer trust through information quality, customer awareness, and perceived value. This study is motivated by the hustle and bustle occurred as the result of the socialization of MyPertamina, a digital payment service for subsidized fuel customers in 11 areas of 4 provinces in Indonesia. The hustle and bustle can be viewed as customer distrust of MyPertamina. However, customer trust is a business success key. Is MyPertamina a solution or problem maker for customers to buy subsidized fuel?

The design of this study is survey. Primary data are collected through questionnaires sent to subsidized fuel customers in the socialization areas of MyPertamina. The data are processed using SPSS and Amos programs.

PV, IQ and CA, respectively, can develop CT on MyPertamina. Although the PV cannot strengthen the effect of CA on CT, the construct can strengthen the effect of IQ on CT.

Indonesian Government via Pertamina, a state-owned enterprise, must develop CT through IQ, CA and PV to succeed the application of MyPertamina.

This study develops IQ, CA and PV based on technology acceptance model and theory of reasoned action to develop CT on MyPertamina.

Insights into how fan experience can be used to cultivate football (soccer) fan loyalty are limited. Based on the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) paradigm, this study develops and tests a theoretical model investigating the effects of football-game socialisation, team interest, football interest and transaction satisfaction (stimuli) on fanship and cumulative satisfaction (organism), and subsequently, attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty (response). National culture was a moderator.

A self-administered online survey collected data from a convenience sample of 762 football fans from Brazil, China and Germany.

The PLS-SEM results support the S-O-R based model, indicating that football fan-loyalty behaviours are determined by fanship and cumulative satisfaction with the team. Fan experiences, in turn, are also found to be influenced by fan perceptions relating to socialisation, team interest, football interest and transaction satisfaction—elements over which the football team's management may exert some degree of control. Some national cultural differences were found, with three of the model's 12 structural paths significantly different for Germany vis-à-vis Brazil.

This study advances the authors’ understanding of the significance of socialisation and fan-interest factors for football, providing evidence supporting the role of the fan experience and service-consumption stimuli related to those game experiences as significant drivers (stimuli) of the fan's affective (fanship) and cognitive states (cumulative satisfaction). This study enriches the limited body of evidence on fanship's role as a driver of attitudinal and behavioural loyalty. Finally, the multi-country study partially supports the moderation effect of national culture.

This study aims to investigate the nature of relationships between consumers and green brands and notably their role in shaping green brand evangelism. More particularly, the study first focuses on the influence of green relational benefits (confidence, self-expression, socialisation and altruistism) on green brand loyalty and subsequently the direct effect of green brand loyalty on green brand evangelism.

Data were collected using an online survey administered to a sample of 101 graduated female consumers of green personal care and beauty brands. Partial least square structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized relationships of the proposed conceptual model.

The study results demonstrate the existence of a positive and direct impact of confidence, socialization and self-expression benefits on green brand loyalty, with a stronger influence of confidence compared to the other benefits. Green brand loyalty generates a positive green brand evangelism from consumers.

To promote green brand evangelism, managers should invest in actions that enhance consumer loyalty towards green brands through a combination of confidence, socialization and self-expression benefits.

Although previous studies have discussed how relational benefits contribute to the development of brand loyalty, the issue has not been examined from a green brand perspective. In addition, this paper explores the antecedents of green brand evangelism, which have not been sufficiently addressed in the existing literature.

In this study, the author aimed to measure the effect of customer loyalty on customer citizenship behavior as well as the effect of experience value perceptions of tourist railway journey customers on customer loyalty within the scope of social exchange theory.

The author obtained data from 126 participants who had experienced the tourist railway adventure through random sampling. In the next stage, the author extracted the data obtained with the bootstrapping sample technique to 5,000 samples. The author analyzed these obtained data with the PLS-SEM model with the Smart PLS 3 software.

The results of the research show that the most important experience value dimension that creates loyalty in the touristic railway journey is the emotional value dimension; the second important dimension is the hedonic value dimension and other experience value dimensions did not have any effect on customer loyalty intention levels. In addition, an important result of the study is that loyal customers mostly intend to advise other customers, and relatively less of them intend to give feedback to the firm.

The fact that the concepts of touristic railway journeys are different due to the nature of tourism is an important limitation of the study, which is only for individuals who have experienced the Touristic Eastern Express. The fact that the Touristic Eastern Express is a long journey and stops at many destinations on its arrival and departure route can affect customers' perceptions of the experience value.

The values that create customer loyalty in the touristic railway journey are mostly emotional and hedonic values. In addition, customers who are loyal as a result of this journey are more intent on advising other customers than giving feedback to the firm.

The study was carried out on the customers of the touristic eastern express, which started its activities in 2019. Ensuring customer loyalty for the sustainability of this trend has significant tourism potential; Afterwards, the transformation of customer loyalty into customer citizenship has a very important place. In addition, as far as we have examined the literature, the absence of similar studies in the tourism sector is an indicator of the study's originality. Considering these data, it is expected that the study will fill an important gap in terms of both sectoral and academic.

The tendency shows that more customers will bring and use their mobile devices in-store. This study proposes a further analysis of the complementary role of the mobile device in an in-store purchase providing a characterisation of those customers and analyses their usage preferences and behaviour intentions, presenting new insights concerning gender and generation preferences.

Quantitative research with customers of electronic stores was conducted based on a questionnaire applied at the store’s exit. To assess the differences between genders and among generations were used the parametric T-Test and one-way ANOVA.

The results demonstrate divergencies between generations when using mobile devices. In addition, they indicate that males have more intention to manage shopping tasks efficiently and consequently are less affected by in-store marketing stimuli and less predisposed to impulse purchases.

Although real customers participated, a convenience sample was used. The results should be compared with research on other retailer types. The customer shopping motivations and the types of mobile device usage should be further investigated since they can change the experience and the retailer’s outcomes.

Contributing to related specific research areas such as shopping behaviour and technology in retail settings by showing the usage preferences, the study also provides information for retailers, especially those needing to approach the Gen Z customers, improving the development of strategies.

This research explores further the complementary role of the mobile device in an in-store purchase. By conducting the study in a new setting, it brings new insight into a less explored, yet important sector.

Contrary to want-based services, customer participation has got lesser attention in high-credence services like health care. Customer participation for patients with chronic illnesses could be life-threatening and goes beyond the service organization’s physical environment. Realizing the importance of transformative service research in health-care services, this study aims to propose and validate the conceptualization of customer participation for patients with chronic illnesses.

The study uses sequential exploratory research design with mixed method research. The first phase is a qualitative exploration of the nature and meaning of customer participation by synthesizing theory and insights from semi-structured interviews (N = 75) with doctors, patients and paramedical staff. Next, survey data (N = 690) of patients with chronic illnesses is used to validate the proposed conceptualization. Finally, nomological validity was also tested on an additional survey data set (N = 362) using SEM and FsQCA.

The findings reveal that health-care customer participation is a three-dimensional behavioral construct in which a customer can participate by sharing information, involving in decision-making and ensuring compliance. The study also demonstrates that customer participation is a critical driver of satisfaction with life and perceived control on illness.

The research provides policy guidelines for owners and operators of health-care organizations in developing frameworks for collecting participation data, which can be used in strategies for seeking customer participation.

The research conceptualizes and validates “customer participation” as a multidimensional higher-order construct for patients with chronic illnesses, rarely focused in services marketing and management research on health care.