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A large number of service corporations are configured with headquarters that determine the major principles of operation (services, pricing, marketing and advertising) and regional salesforces that are responsible for acquiring new customers and catering to the needs of existing customers. This separation of work within the corporation opens up a principal‐agency approach to the service production and delivery. Develops a conceptual model to examine the individual and joint work done by headquarters and regional salesforces in creating customer loyalty. Uses an external dyadic channel perspective ‐ i.e. channel and customer. A relationship between the channel and the customer is hypothesized to be one where customers perceive the regional salesforces to be their focal point to the company. Proposes and empirically tests a conceptual model based on data from 1,400 individual customers of a Norwegian life insurance company. Analyses data using structural equation modelling. Estimates headquarters’ and regional salesforces’ contribution to customer satisfaction and loyalty on the attribute level, based on path coefficients. Concludes by claiming that headquarters’ contribution to customer loyalty is more significant than that of the regional salesforces. These findings challenge headquarters’ assumptions about improving customer relations through regional salesforces. From a managerial perspective, information regarding channel members’ individual and joint contribution to customer loyalty is vital with regard to resource allocation to improve customer satisfaction and thus customer loyalty.

The purpose of this paper is to present a numerical model to investigate the dynamic behavior and force coefficients of a compact squeeze film damper with dual film clearances adjusted by an elastic ring, known as elastic ring squeeze film damper (ERSFD).

The governing equations of ERSFD as well as the boundary conditions are obtained based on Reynolds equation. A simplified Greenwood–Williamson model is implemented to investigate the contact behavior between the elastic ring and the journal. The interactions between the films and the elastic ring are achieved by block iterative method.

The radial deformation as well as velocity of the elastic ring are captured to illustrate the pressure profiles of the inner and outer films. High-order frequency components related to the number of the boss N are observed on the frequency spectrum of the film force. The force coefficients of the ERSFD are constant for a wider range of non-dimensional whirling radius ε compared with conventional squeeze film damper.

The force coefficients of the ERSFD are obtained by assuming that the journal center moves in a circular centered orbit. High-order frequency components related to the number of bosses N are observed. These findings may provide helpful materials for the application of the ERSFD.