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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of three price-matching guarantee (PMG) variables, including refund depth, refund period and competitive scope, on consumer response; the moderating role of consumer search costs is also examined.

This study uses a scenario simulation method with a 2×2×2 factorial design to test the research model and hypotheses.

The results indicate that refund depth has a significant effect on price perception and purchase intention, while competitive scope has a significant effect on purchase intention. In addition, the effects of both refund depth and competitive scope on price perception are moderated by consumer search costs.

This study is a pioneering effort to explore the effects of PMGs variables on consumer response in the context of online retailing. These findings provide several important theoretical and practical implications for the PMG strategy of online retailing.

An issue devoted to the Second International Conference on Electronic Business, in December 2002, in Taiwan. Included are six papers, taken from a total of 205 papers that were originally submitted, accepted and included in the conference proceedings.

Employee voice can improve organizational and individual performance. The purpose of this paper is to consider individuals’ evaluations of various features of their work situations. In particular, emotional exhaustion mediates the influence of facades of conformity on employee voice behavior and job satisfaction. This study examines a model in which facades of conformity negatively affects employee voice and job satisfaction through emotional exhaustion.

A total of 401 employer–employee dyads from a large manufacturing company and public organizations in Taiwan were surveyed. Two-wave data demonstrated a significant positive relationship between facades of conformity and its outcomes, mediated by emotional exhaustion.

The results reveal that facades of conformity relates to employee voice and job satisfaction. Additionally, emotional exhaustion is an important mechanism in the relationships between facades of conformity and employee voice and facades of conformity and job satisfaction.

Although this study obtained data from employer–employee dyads, practical constraints prevented complete consideration of issues in the work domain, such as colleagues, which might influence employees’ voice and job satisfaction.

Employee who exhibit facades of conformity in an organization may work smoothly for short periods of time, the emotional response triggered by the conflict between their external behavior and their inner values can further reduce their voice behavior and thus affect the organization’s overall performance voice refers to an employee providing challenging advice to contribute to the success of an organization.

The findings have implications for the understanding of employees’ conditions and its associations with social issues in the workplace.

The purpose of this paper is to measure the performance and relative operating efficiency of mini branches of a commercial bank for internal benchmarking.

The authors employ data envelopment analysis (DEA) for measuring the relative efficiency of mini bank branches in a region of a state in the USA. In addition, the authors use Tobit regression analysis for finding determinants of the efficiency.

The authors identified efficient and inefficient branches using pertinent variables along with potential improvements for the inefficient branches. Among the variables, the authors confirmed that number of full-time employees and service charges were statistically significant for explaining the efficiency of bank branches.

The major limitation of this study is the one time measure of efficiency using observations for a month and selected variables. To improve this study: first, the authors need to test other variables related to, but not limited to, assets, bad loans, and number of new account opened; second, it is necessary to measure the efficiency of the branches over time.

The contributions of this study include an application of DEA for measuring and benchmarking the performance of bank branches, especially mini branches located in grocery stores and the use of internal data, which is rarely available to the public.

The aim of this paper is to understand the price‐ending strategies in European restaurants and make practical suggestions to the managers.

Data were collected from restaurant menus in three European countries. Results were compared with those of USA and Taiwan.

The price‐ending strategies of European restaurants are distinctly different from those of the USA and, interestingly, have more in common with those of Taiwan.

The small sample size is a concern. Data were limited to three countries. Inclusion of more European restaurants is highly desired, especially with the Euro as a common currency.

Restaurant companies could have better understanding of the impact of cultural differences, while implementing price‐ending strategies.

This paper presents a case where cultural differences are of significant economic value in setting restaurant menu prices. In Europe, dining out is considered more a cultural activity than a utilitarian participation. The historical roots of the usage of digit zero in a European context are presented here.

This study aims to investigate how Internet memes affect brand image.

The authors first used the Delphi method to refine Internet memes' constructs and dimensions and developed a scale for Internet memes. Second, the authors used a questionnaire to collect data from 348 valid Internet consumers.

The authors proposed four significant characteristics of Internet memes: humour, high positive emotional intensity, brand interactions and prestige, and high spreadability to prompt consumers to remake, share and spread memes. The study results indicate that Internet memes positively influence the brand image. However, not all meme characteristics were correlated with the brand image; only brand prestige, interaction and humour enhanced brand image.

For scholars in online marketing communication research, this study shifts the current paradigm of brand-generated and customer-passive to user-generated and customer-active. It also addresses the importance of pandemic effects of Internet memes on brand image. To be specific, this study presents the important symbolic values that Internet memes need to include to affect consumers' behaviour in response to perceived brand image by applying both mind infection and symbolic value perspectives. Finally, this study redefines the dimensions and measurements of Internet memes to address the lack of consensus and concrete scales regarding meme transmission characteristics and extending into online marketing communication strategies.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-11-2019-0364

This paper aims to examine the information content of mutual fund flows and its indication on investors’ preference/tolerance toward risk.

Mutual funds are grouped into different categories based on assets with different levels of risk perceptions (e.g. equity fund, money market fund), and this information is publicly accessible. This paper examines the correlation patterns between fund flows and changes in credit default swaps (CDS) spreads. In addition, it also examines such a relation by dividing the samples into different fund types (e.g. retail vs institutional fund flows).

This paper suggests that equity fund flows are negatively related to CDS spreads, whereas money market fund flows are positively related to CDS spreads. Furthermore, it indicates that retail fund flows provide insightful information and serve as the primary driver behind the relation between fund flows and CDS spreads.

The findings of this paper indicate that flows into equity and money market funds could serve as a risk sentiment in credit markets. And this is the first study, to the best of the author’s knowledge, to establish such a linkage between fund flows and CDS spreads to help investors gauge credit market sentiment.

The purpose of this study is to investigate empirically how the determinant attributes of coffee quality, service, food and beverage, and extra benefits influenced customer‐perceived value in the coffee outlet industry.

A self‐administrated questionnaire was distributed to 834 respondents from chain and independent coffee outlets for the study. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify which factors of determinant attributes of service quality influenced customer‐perceived value.

The study found that factors of determinant attributes of service quality significantly influenced functional and symbolic dimensions of perceived value with the former being related with coffee quality, service, and food and beverage, whereas the latter is positively related with coffee quality, food and beverage, and extra benefits.

The paper bears significant theoretical and practical results. Theoretically, determinant attributes of service quality can enhance not only functional value but also symbolic value, ignored in previous value‐based research. It is believed that perceived value should be considered as a base in designing determinant attributes of service quality. Practically, it is imperative for marketers to gain a thorough understanding of the consumption experience of their customers by enhancing value perceptions in terms of determinant attributes of service quality.

The study challenges the existing literature by identifying how customers perceived function and symbolic values based on determinant attributes of service quality offered in the coffee outlet industry.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of explanation on customer satisfaction in the service failure stage. It seeks to better understand the dynamics of consumer repurchase intention through a mediating effect of customer satisfaction.

A structured questionnaire was e-mailed to collect the primary data. With three reminders, this study managed to obtain 322 responses from customers who complained about their internet service in Malaysia. Structural equation modelling techniques were applied to examine both direct and mediating effects between variables.

Results reveal that all four dimensions of explanation have significant partial mediating effect on repurchase intention through customer satisfaction. Results also disclose that there is no significant relationship between excuse and customer satisfaction in service failure. Among all dimensions, reference and apology have higher influence on repurchase intention through customer satisfaction.

The results are particularly valuable for managers, as it supports the role of using explanation as a practical tool for fostering positive and profitable outcomes like repeat customer purchases.

The findings of this study will help organisations rethink their explanation strategies with the eye to foster greater customer repurchase intention.

The results are particularly valuable for managers, as they support the role of using explanation as a practical tool for fostering positive and profitable outcomes like repeat customer purchases.