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Organisational culture is largely the result of the interaction between the people of an organisation over time and communication plays a major role in such intra‐organisational interaction. The prevailing organisational culture will reciprocally determine the communication of the organisation, not only internally, but also externally with all of its stakeholder groups, and particularly with its customers. This external communication is particularly relevant to an organisation's ability to render service to its customers. This article investigates differences in the way in which managers and employees perceive the role of communication in an organisation in the automotive industry. The results indicate that managers consistently evaluate prevailing service‐related communication contexts more positively than employees. It is concluded that progress in service quality can be seriously inhibited by a false sense of security about prevailing service related communication procedures and practices among the managers of an organisation.

This study aims to present an extended service-profit chain (SPC) framework for assessing service performance. This framework is then used to investigate non-linear and asymmetric links between service delivery investments and customer satisfaction, as well as time lags in organisational performance outcomes.

The study draws on panel data with repeated measures from a sample of automotive after sales service departments. Data collected comprises both objective and survey-based data, including operational inputs, productivity, service quality, service experience, behavioural intentions, customer retention and organisational performance.

Non-linear and asymmetric effects are identified, suggesting that customers’ evaluations of service performance are more sensitive to negative performance (dissatisfaction) than positive performance (satisfaction). Accordingly, focusing on attributes for which customers are experiencing negative performance first, and then allocating resources to attributes for which customers are experiencing positive performance, can be far more consequential for improving customer satisfaction.

From a practical perspective, the findings deepen current understanding of the relationships between service performance metrics. They also provide guidance for managers seeking to better deploy service resources to enhance service quality, customer satisfaction and customer retention to improve profitability over time.

Drawing on a unique and rich data set, this study provides a significant improvement on previous SPC frameworks by adding new dimensions identified in recent meta-analyses and addresses calls for more research into non-linear, asymmetric and longitudinal effects within the SPC.

Until recently stakeholder communication has tended to be mostly unidirectional and simple. However, the advent of the Internet has brought unprecedented change. Stakeholder communication is no longer unidirectional, and as stakeholders increasingly communicate with each other this communication becomes infinitely more complex. Unfortunately many of the tools and models of PR were developed and refined in a pre‐Internet world. This paper introduces an integrated Internet stake‐holder communication matrix (I²SCM), and explains its use for the identification of issues that need to be managed with regard to the Internet and2 PR.

Brand loyalty is investigated by examining actual past behavior and its impact on future behavioral intentions: in terms of expectation to purchase the same/another brand from the same/another retailer, as well as willingness to recommend the purchased brand and retailer from which it was purchased. Findings indicate that while not without its flaws, purchase expectations/intentions data remain a valid research metric. Furthermore, it would appear as if the brand/consumer interface offers greater predictive ability than the retail/consumer interface. Lastly, willingness to recommend does not seem to be influenced by past behavior, but the higher the respondent’s expectation to purchase a brand, the higher will be their willingness to recommend that brand. The same applies to retailer recommendation. Limitations are discussed, and directions for future research suggested.

The links between quality and customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty in offline retail settings are well established. It therefore seems fair to posit that quality will also be a determinant of online retailer success. This assumption motivated Wolfinbarger and Gilly to develop a scale for the measurement of “eTail quality”. The paper's purpose is to validate that scale.

The study investigates the equivalence of the eTailQ scale across different product categories in three countries. Tests for both conceptual and psychometric equivalence are conducted.

Findings suggest that eTailQ exhibits conceptual equivalence. It also exhibits psychometric equivalence by providing acceptable levels of reliability, variance extracted and both discriminant and nomological validity.

eTailQ can be used with confidence by online goods and service retailers in English speaking countries outside the USA.

The aim of this paper is to emphasize the value of design theory in brand research.

The paper is a theoretical essay with illustrative examples.

The paper finds that the use of brand theory should not be restricted to explanation and prediction. It also finds that brand researchers should also develop theory that can help prescribe and design action.

The paper broadens the scope of theory in brand research.

The paper points out that the absence of theoretical logic, by definition, precludes theory advancement. It provides a fresh “theoretical lens” for brand researchers.

The Internet is playing an increasingly important role in the marketing activities of organisations across a wide range of industries. While the opportunities afforded by this phenomenon seem readily apparent, there is still much debate and speculation on exactly what impact it will have on marketing. To shed some light on this uncertainty, the present study examines managers’ perceptions of the impact of the Internet on key marketing activities. It employs a quasi‐longitudinal research design involving mail surveys to Australian marketing decision makers. Findings suggest that expectations in 1999 may have been unrealistically optimistic and exaggerated. It would appear that the so‐called “dot.com crash” has led to more realistic and pragmatic expectations among practicing managers in 2001. The study then focuses on differences in perceptions between industries. As expected, divergent views emerge, particularly from within the services sector. Managerial implications are then considered, conclusions drawn and future research directions outlined.

Anomie describes the individual’s lack of integration in social life. The construct has been linked to various types of activities and concepts but no research appears to have been undertaken linking it to academic dishonesty. The literatures on anomie and academic dishonesty are examined, measurement instruments are identified and a survey is carried out among undergraduate students of a business school. The psychometric properties of the instruments are confirmed and correlates are investigated. The point is made that besides seeking ways to curb academic dishonesty, universities need to foster the development of an internalized code of ethics among students. Limitations are noted and directions for future research are indicated.

Reports that the increased calls for transparency and accountability in government organizations underscores the need for a market orientation even among government departments. Considers the degree of market orientation and its effect on the organizational commitment in government departments in the Australian public sector. Results provide empirical support for a relationship between market orientation in the public sector and organizational commitment. Draws implications from and discusses directions for future research.

While considerable prior research has focused on the development of standardized viewer response scales in advertising, such studies have, without exception, taken an emic approach. In other words, the scales have first been developed in one country, often the U.S., and then validated or replicated in other countries. Emic approaches have obvious limitations in an increasingly multicultural environment. By contrast, we offer a simple uni-dimensional advertising response scale developed following an etic approach, in which a universal measurement structure across cultures is sought using multiple cultures simultaneously. Psychometric tests demonstrate that the new scale is reliable, valid, parsimonious and generalizable across cultures and product categories. Theory-building and managerial implications of the approach are discussed, limitations noted and future research directions outlined.