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1 – 10 of 170
Article
Publication date: 1 August 2004

Scott R. Colwell and Sandra Hogarth‐Scott

This study examines the role of cognitive trust and the potential for relationship dissolution when consumers perceive themselves to be in a hostage relationship with their retail…

2248

Abstract

This study examines the role of cognitive trust and the potential for relationship dissolution when consumers perceive themselves to be in a hostage relationship with their retail banking service provider. This study reviews current literature on relationship continuance intentions, hostage relationships and transaction‐based cognitive trust to develop testable hypothesis on the affect of cognitive trust in hostage relationships. Quantitative data gathered via a cross‐sectional survey is then analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that consumers who perceive themselves to be in a hostage relationship with their bank indicate significant cognitive trust in the transactional ability of their bank and are deterred from dissolving the relationship, regardless of their perception of the undesirability of the relationship. This paper provides evidence of the effect of cognitive trust as a deterrent of relationship dissolution in hostage relationships. Also provided are managerial and theoretical implications and directions for future research.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 18 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2009

Scott Colwell, Sandra Hogarth‐Scott, Depeng Jiang and Ashwin Joshi

Within the service industry, the serviceperson enhances customer loyalty by increasing customer benefits and decreasing customer costs, but is also embedded within and influenced…

3919

Abstract

Purpose

Within the service industry, the serviceperson enhances customer loyalty by increasing customer benefits and decreasing customer costs, but is also embedded within and influenced by the organizational context. Thus, the influence of a serviceperson's orientation may differ or even conflict with the organization's orientation. There are two purposes to this paper. The paper first aims to develop a conceptual model that clearly distinguishes between benefit‐ and cost‐based explanations of the effect of the serviceperson. The paper's second aim is to examine the impact of the organization on the serviceperson's ability to foster customer loyalty through interactions with customers.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey methodology is used and data gathered from managers and customers. Multi‐group structural equation modeling is employed to test partial mediation and partial moderation theses.

Findings

In line with social exchange theory, the paper finds that a serviceperson's customer orientation can reduce customer costs and increase customer benefits. Furthermore, consistent with the literature on strategic orientations, when the serviceperson's organization evinces a low competitive service orientation, it attenuates the direct effects of a serviceperson's customer orientation on customer loyalty, such that the direct effect no longer exists.

Originality/value

The paper shows how multiple direct and indirect pathways connect serviceperson customer orientation to customer loyalty. It also shows how the effect of serviceperson customer orientation on customer loyalty depends on the organizational context and specifically the extent to which the organization embraces a competitive service orientation. The moderating role of organizational context has implications both for social exchange theory specifically and theories of exchange, such as transaction cost analysis more generally.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 47 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 April 2008

Scott R. Colwell, May Aung, Vinay Kanetkar and Alison L. Holden

The purpose of this paper is to report on the development and nomological testing of a 17‐item scale measuring the five dimensions of service convenience (decision, access…

5591

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the development and nomological testing of a 17‐item scale measuring the five dimensions of service convenience (decision, access, transaction, benefit, and post‐benefit) as proposed by Berry, Seiders, and Grewal.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross‐sectional survey methodology was used to collect the data.

Findings

Reliability and validity assessments provided evidence of the scale's psychometric validity. Service convenience was found to be a significant predictor of overall satisfaction in the context of personal cellular telephone and internet usage.

Research limitations/implications

This study uses a student sample which may limit its generalizability to other respondents. Also, the cross‐sectional survey methodology does not allow for the investigation of causation. Future research should investigate other contexts outside of the cellular and internet services examined in this study and across a broader sample. Furthermore, the ability to retrospectively rate service convenience, the trade‐off between price and convenience, and the continuum of convenience need to be investigated further.

Originality/value

This study provides psychometrically valid scales to measure service convenience as conceptualized by Berry et al..

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 April 2007

David Aron, Kimberly Judson, Timothy Aurand and Geoffrey Gordon

Bad service experiences potentially leading to long‐standing grudges can be quite costly for an organization. In many cases, corporate actions and policies cause grudges as…

Abstract

Bad service experiences potentially leading to long‐standing grudges can be quite costly for an organization. In many cases, corporate actions and policies cause grudges as consumers grow more and more frustrated about their interactions with large, impersonal companies. The primary objectives of this study were to examine through empirical research the causes of consumer grudgeholding, the behaviors undertaken by grudgeholders in response to their outcome, the impact of grudges against businesses, and whether differences exist depending on the grudgeholder’s age. The findings suggest that older consumers are more likely to discuss their concerns with store, company or organization employees, and in addition, they can be expected to tell more people outside of the firm than younger consumers. While neither younger nor older consumers appear highly inclined to purchase products or services from the firm following a bad experience, older respondents displayed a stronger aversion to the company, store or firm in question.

Details

American Journal of Business, vol. 22 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1935-5181

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 January 2020

Sabine Fliess and Maarten Volkers

The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons why customers often cannot or do not exit a negative service encounter (lock-in) and to discuss how this affects their…

1347

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons why customers often cannot or do not exit a negative service encounter (lock-in) and to discuss how this affects their well-being and coping responses. This contributes to the research on how negative service encounters emerge and evolve and how such encounters impact customer well-being and subsequent responses.

Design/methodology/approach

An inductive, exploratory approach was used. Interviews with 20 service customers yielded over 90 detailed lock-in experiences across 25 different services. A multi-step, iterative coding process was used with a mixture of coding techniques that stem from a grounded theory approach.

Findings

Four categories of factors that caused customers to endure a negative event were identified (physical lock-in, dependency on the service, social lock-in and psychological lock-in). Customers either experienced inner turmoil (if they perceived having the option to stay or leave) or felt captive; both impacted their well-being and coping strategies in different ways. Three characteristics of negative events that caused lock-in to persist over time were identified.

Research limitations/implications

This is a qualitative study that aims to identify factors behind customer lock-in, reduced well-being and coping strategies across different types of service encounters. Future research may build on these themes to investigate lock-in during specific service encounters in greater depth.

Practical implications

This research provides insights regarding how service providers can anticipate lock-in situations. In addition, the findings point to several ways in which frontline employees can assist customers with the coping process, during lock-in.

Originality/value

Customer lock-in during a service encounter is a common, yet unexplored phenomenon. This research contributes to a better understanding of why customers endure negative events and how such perceptions are reflected in their experiences and behaviors.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 31 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Abstract

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 40 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2013

Stanley Kam Sing Wong

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the role of management involvement in innovation and its relationships with organizational, technical and marketing innovations…

4083

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the role of management involvement in innovation and its relationships with organizational, technical and marketing innovations. Organizational innovation, which features both administrative and human capital innovation, is introduced as the intermediate construct to test its indirect effects on the influences of management involvement on technical and marketing innovations.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 196 respondents to an online questionnaire that was sent to 2,500 potential participants randomly selected from electronics manufacturing firms across China. Structural equation model using AMOS 18 was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The findings reveal that management involvement has a positive and significant impact on all dimensions of innovation featured. It is also found that organizational innovation has a mediating effect on the association between management involvement and technical innovation, though no such effect can be found in the relationship between management involvement and marketing innovation.

Research limitations/implications

Since the study is quantitative using data emanating from the electronics manufacturing industry in China, further empirical study would be useful to verify and complement the results in other industries and other countries.

Practical implications

The findings show that management involvement appears to exert permeating impacts on all strata of innovation, presenting a reminder to practitioners and researchers that clear senior management direction, endorsement and support are essential to innovation pursuits.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the body of knowledge relating to innovation and innovation decisions. By investigating the interrelationships between management involvement and the various dimensions of innovation featured, the study identifies and charts the casual chains that can be used to guide innovation decisions.

Article
Publication date: 20 September 2023

Romane Guillot, Rameshwar Dubey and Sushma Kumari

Globalisation, trade barriers, unprecedented health crises and geo-political crises have forced organisations to revisit their performance measurement systems (PMS) to better…

Abstract

Purpose

Globalisation, trade barriers, unprecedented health crises and geo-political crises have forced organisations to revisit their performance measurement systems (PMS) to better prepare their supply chain against the risk and improve performance in times of crisis. This study aims to review the supply chain operation reference (SCOR)-based PMS and propose a dynamic SCOR-based PMS for supply chain risk management (SCRM).

Design/methodology/approach

Due to the need for multi-stakeholder perspectives on SCOR-based PMS for the SCRM, the authors aimed to develop a theory rather than to elaborate upon or test the theory. Hence, the authors adopted an inductive theory-building approach to build research propositions. The authors also gathered 12 semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable managers from B2B international companies.

Findings

The findings of the study highlight the challenges faced by the organisations during the implementation of the SCOR-based performance indicators and the positive impacts they have on decision-making and on the continuous improvement strategy of organisations to tackle supply chain risks and improve performance. The findings suggest that the effects of these indicators are more felt during risk management and risk monitoring stages.

Research limitations/implications

Like any other study, this study has some rules, and, thus, the authors caution the readers that they must interpret the findings of the research considering these limitations. The study is based on semi-structured qualitative interviews. The interviews were conducted with 12 knowledgeable managers from France; thus, the insights drawn from the study cannot be generalised to other settings. Furthermore, the samples represent something other than small and medium enterprises. In the future, the samples from small and medium firms can offer a nuanced understanding of the performance indicators for SCRM.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the few studies which has attempted to revisit the SCOR-based PMS in the B2B supply chain for risk management. The study’s findings help expand the SCOR-based PMS literature and offer numerous insights to the management and consultants facing challenges in SCOR implementation.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2006

Venkata Yanamandram and Lesley White

To investigate the determinants of behavioural brand loyalty amongst dissatisfied customers in the business‐to‐business (B2B) services sector.

7239

Abstract

Purpose

To investigate the determinants of behavioural brand loyalty amongst dissatisfied customers in the business‐to‐business (B2B) services sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study was conducted, with 28 personal interviews undertaken with managers who are involved in the choice of service providers. The respondents belonged to 24 organisations located in Australia. Template analysis and eyeballing were techniques used to analyse the data collected.

Findings

Assessment of the reasons why dissatisfied customers stayed with the service providers resulted in six categories. The categories were found to be, in order of decreasing frequency, impact of alternative providers, switching costs (18), others (17), inertia (14), investment in relationships (13), and service recovery (13). The results not only confirmed factors found in the literature, but also uncovered 11 other factors.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size, whilst appropriate for qualitative research, should be considered adequate only for exploratory analysis and a further quantitative study is needed to validate the study.

Practical implications

This study is important for those firms who have many prospective switchers because it is important to understand why these customers stay, and to what extent such firms can discourage such customers from leaving in both positive and negative ways. For those service firms that are attempting to attract these prospective switchers, an understanding of why they do not switch is important, as it will enable them to develop strategies to overcome these switching barriers and gain market share.

Originality/value

This research is the first study to investigate in a single model a range of barriers to switching in a B2B services context. The results that confirmed categories found in the literature also discovered 11 other factors not evident in the extant literature.

Details

International Journal of Service Industry Management, vol. 17 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0956-4233

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2007

Lesley White and Venkata Yanamandram

The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical framework of the factors that potentially influence dissatisfied customers to continue purchasing from their existing service…

10420

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a theoretical framework of the factors that potentially influence dissatisfied customers to continue purchasing from their existing service provider in the business‐to‐business (B2B) services sector.

Design/methodology/approach

This review paper synthesises the findings from previous studies on switching barriers, and relationship variables, dependence, and calculative commitment.

Findings

Five major factors deter customers from switching to an alternative service provider: switching costs; interpersonal relationships; the attractiveness of alternatives; service recovery; and inertia. These factors are mediated by dependence and calculative commitment.

Originality/value

This is the first comprehensive study of the factors that potentially influence dissatisfied customers to remain behaviourally loyal to a service provider in the B2B services sector. This important study has significance for marketers in developing strategies for customer retention and service recovery.

Details

Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-4529

Keywords

1 – 10 of 170