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1 – 10 of 623Stephanie Hui-Wen Chuah, Philipp A. Rauschnabel, Malliga Marimuthu, Ramayah Thurasamy and Bang Nguyen
The purpose of this paper is to go beyond satisfaction as an indicator of customer loyalty and propose a holistic model of service switching in a mobile internet setting. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to go beyond satisfaction as an indicator of customer loyalty and propose a holistic model of service switching in a mobile internet setting. The model, which reflects both barriers and inducements of switching, is developed based on the “mooring” and “pull” concepts in the migration literature.
Design/methodology/approach
Focusing on Generation Y mobile internet subscribers, the study analyzed a total of 417 usable questionnaire responses. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the research model.
Findings
The results show that first, satisfaction and switching barriers (i.e. a focal firm’s marketing innovation initiatives, switching costs, inertia, and local network effects) are positively related to customer loyalty; second, switching barriers have a stronger influence on customer loyalty compared with satisfaction; third, switching inducements (i.e. competitors’ marketing innovation initiatives, alternative attractiveness, variety-seeking tendencies, and consumers’ susceptibility to social reference group influence) is negatively related to customer loyalty and the relationship is weaker when perceived switching barriers are high.
Originality/value
This study empirically validates multidimensional scales of switching barriers and inducements from a more nuanced perspective, and specifies them as reflective-formative type II models. This study is among the first to use opposing dimensions to measure switching barriers and its counterpart. Hence, it illustrates how the two contrasting mechanisms can coexist in the minds of mobile internet subscribers.
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Mark M.H. Goode and Lloyd C. Harris
The current study aims to develop and extend existing research into online behavioural intentions of consumers' by proposing, operationalising, and testing a model of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The current study aims to develop and extend existing research into online behavioural intentions of consumers' by proposing, operationalising, and testing a model of the antecedents of behavioural intentions that models and evaluates how switching costs and inducements moderate the behavioural intentions of online shoppers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed a personally administered structured questionnaire to gather data regarding consumer's interpretations and evaluations of one specific website. A total of 296 completed questionnaires were analysed.
Findings
Analyses found support for the theoretical framework and uncovered strong links between a number of hypothesised antecedent and moderating factors and behavioural intentions.
Research limitations/implications
The study supplies an empirical contribution through conceptualising, and subsequently empirically verifying, a model of the antecedents and moderators of online behavioural intentions. Empirical contributions also stem from the findings of moderated associations as well as from the strength and magnitude of uncovered associative links. Finally the study also generates a more general contribution to existing knowledge of e‐loyalty.
Practical implications
The findings of the study also have numerous implications for practitioners. The moderated regression equation indicates that the exogenous factors studied explain nearly 68 per cent of variance in behavioural intentions. As such, the findings supply valuable insights into which factors practitioners should focus their attention to better tailor their approaches and content.
Originality/value
The value of the current study centres on the conceptual and empirical contributions regarding the moderation of links between antecedent factors and online behavioural intentions.
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Mohammad Suleiman Awwad and Bashar Awad Neimat
This study aims at identifying the most critical factors affecting the customer switching behavior for mobile service providers in Jordan. A number of 580 questionnaires…
Abstract
This study aims at identifying the most critical factors affecting the customer switching behavior for mobile service providers in Jordan. A number of 580 questionnaires distributed to a random sample of Jordanian mobile users. The questionnaire contains 33 items measured on a five‐point likert scale. The data were analyzed using regression analysis. It was found that all the independent variables (pricing, inconvenience, core service failures, service encounter failures, employee responsiveness to service failures, attraction by competitors, changes in technology, switching cost) had a significant effect on switching behavior of mobile service users except change in technology and employee responsiveness to service failure. Recommendations and directions for future research are proposed.
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Timothy B. Folta, Constance E. Helfat and Samina Karim
This paper introduces the volume on Resource Redeployment and Corporate Strategy, which is devoted to exploring a relatively new justification for how multi-business firms create…
Abstract
This paper introduces the volume on Resource Redeployment and Corporate Strategy, which is devoted to exploring a relatively new justification for how multi-business firms create value – having flexibility to internally redistribute non-financial resources across their businesses. We clarify how a theory around resource flexibility differs from other theories of how multi-business firms create value. We then synthesize the collection of papers in this volume and describe how they contribute to this line of inquiry. Finally, we offer our own views on opportunities for elaboration of this theory.
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Mario J. Miranda, László Kónya and Inka Havrila
To identify the factors that influence shoppers' satisfaction with their “primary” grocery store, and those that encourage them to continue patronising it despite being presented…
Abstract
Purpose
To identify the factors that influence shoppers' satisfaction with their “primary” grocery store, and those that encourage them to continue patronising it despite being presented with a significant inducement to shop elsewhere.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured questionnaire containing 31 variables relating to shopping behaviour and satisfaction was administered to 934 shoppers leaving a number of grocery stores in an Australian city during a two‐week period. Results were used to construct two mathematical models predicting customer satisfaction and store loyalty, from which two research hypotheses were derived.
Findings
The results of model estimation show that factors with a significant influence on store satisfaction have little in common with others that impel shoppers to remain loyal to one store. Indeed, there was no evidence in this study that shoppers' overall satisfaction was by itself a significant influence on continued patronage.
Research limitations/implications
The questionnaire did not ask questions, judged to be intrusive, relating to respondents' income level, education background, employment status or household size – characteristics known to have a bearing on perception of risk associated with switching to an unfamiliar store and hence potentially to inhibit action. It would be instructive in future research to assess the extent to which demographic characteristics mediate perceptions of financial, psychological and social risk, and their influence on satisfaction and loyalty.
Practical implications
Retailers often do not recognise that what influences customer satisfaction is not the same as what engenders store loyalty, and consequently do not allocate scarce resources systematically among tactics influencing one or the other. Unless they are vigilant to changing consumer behaviour patterns, they will not be able to isolate in their strategy the elements of the retail mix that could insulate their loyal customers from responding to competitors' special offers.
Originality/value
This study introduces intelligence gatherers and strategic planners in the retail context to an important distinction between general satisfaction and specific loyalty.
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Consumer psychology research has established the importance of customer satisfaction as a determinant of customer repurchasing intention…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumer psychology research has established the importance of customer satisfaction as a determinant of customer repurchasing intention. Nonetheless, even satisfied customers switch brands. Also, even dissatisfied customers have repurchasing intentions. This means that customer repurchasing behaviour is extremely difficult to predict, necessitating additional research to identify additional factors that can help organizations better understand the methods to predict customer repurchasing intention. To fill this knowledge gap, this study examined the mediating effects of brand love (BL) and positive word of mouth (PWOM) on psychological contract fulfilment (PCF) and customer repurchasing intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a cross-sectional study. The study used structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse relationships from a sample size of 400 beauty salon customers. Also, a process macro mediation test was used to analyse the mediating effects of BL and PWOM on the relationship between PCF and customer repurchase intentions.
Findings
The findings indicate that transactional and relational psychological contracts have a positive and significant relationship with BL and PWOM. As well, BL and PWOM positively and significantly influence customer repurchase intentions. Finally, the findings indicate that BL and PWOM mediate the relationship between psychological contract fulfilment and customer repurchase intentions.
Research limitations/implications
This survey sampled beauty salons solely. Given that each type of organization may have a unique way of fulfilling psychological contracts, future studies may include more categories such as restaurants and craftsmanship to broaden the sample. Additionally, this study utilized female beauty salons. Therefore, future research could include salons that cater to women and men to boost the sample's generalizability. Finally, this study concluded that BL and positive recommendations are the most effective variables for resolving consumer satisfaction challenges. However, additional factors can probably amplify this fact by focusing on additional elements to broaden the arguments.
Originality/value
Past studies have extensively covered customer repurchasing intention in relation to customer satisfaction. However, it was noted that even some satisfied customers could switch to other brands, and those who were dissatisfied could repurchase the brand. Given that little is known about how other factors than customer satisfaction can affect repurchasing intentions, this study examines the mediating effects of BL and PWOM on PCF and customer repurchase intentions.
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Present data suggest that planned price increases should be carried out gradually in small systematic increments. However, an identical approach would not seem necessary for price…
Abstract
Present data suggest that planned price increases should be carried out gradually in small systematic increments. However, an identical approach would not seem necessary for price reductions. This is the third in a series of related experiments on brand choice behaviour, the major interest of which lies in the effects of introducing and withdrawing a price increase/reduction over a protracted period. The effects of each price change are assessed through the use of an interrupted multiple time‐series design with an equivalent no‐treatment control group. Various extensions to previous research are offered, and it is found that the effects of reduction extend beyond the promotional period. Price increases appear to have an effect on penetration only, but a stronger effect is measured than for a decrease.
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Abdul Hafaz Ngah, Ramayah Thurasamy and Heesup Han
The issue is which third-party logistics to engage, and escalating customer complaints about service quality of third-party logistics (3PL) enhances the tendency of online…
Abstract
Purpose
The issue is which third-party logistics to engage, and escalating customer complaints about service quality of third-party logistics (3PL) enhances the tendency of online retailers to switch to another 3PL. The current study seeks to investigate the factors influencing the satisfaction and switching intention of 3PL services among online sellers in Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
Applying a purposive sampling method, data were gathered via an online survey among online sellers. Initially, the system gathered 418 respondents, but only 311 were useable for further analysis. Since we operationalised the measures as composites, a combination of reflective and formative measurement in the study and the study focuses on explanatory and predictive purposes, partial least squares structural equation modelling with SmartPLS 4 was applied to test the model developed.
Findings
The results indicated that conflict handling had a positive effect on satisfaction, and satisfaction had a negative relationship with the switching intention of 3PL among the online retailers. Moreover, satisfaction and customer relationship management sequentially mediated conflict handling and switching intention, whereas CRM strengthens the negative relationship between satisfaction and switching intention.
Research limitations/implications
The respondents only limit to the online sellers in Malaysia which based on purposive sampling method, thus the findings cannot be generalised to another countries.
Practical implications
The study offers insightful information for the managers of the 3PL in crafting a better policy to avoid switching behaviour among their customers. The conflict between customers and providers is unavoidable since consumers have unlimited demand and businesses have limited resources. The findings also benefit online sellers and 3PL service providers to create attractive marketing strategies for business sustainability.
Originality/value
The study developed a new model for the 3PL studies using the S-O-R model in introducing conflict handling and customer relationship management as the stimulus, customer's satisfaction as an organism and switching intention as a response. The study introduced single and sequential mediators also contributes to the S-O-R theory to predict the switching intention among the online sellers towards the 3PL providers. Another important contribution, customer relationship management, was confirmed to play a moderating role to influence the relationship between satisfaction and switching intention.
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Choukri Menidjel, Linda D. Hollebeek, Sigitas Urbonavicius and Valdimar Sigurdsson
This study aims to examine the role of service customers’ variety-seeking and engagement in driving their service switching intention. The authors also explore the moderating role…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the role of service customers’ variety-seeking and engagement in driving their service switching intention. The authors also explore the moderating role of customer relationship proneness in this association.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the hypotheses, the authors deployed a sample of 227 service customers, whose data was analyzed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
The findings show that customer engagement mediates the relationship of customer variety-seeking and their service switching intention, as hypothesized. Moreover, customer relationship proneness weakens the negative effect of engagement on customers’ service switching intention.
Originality/value
Though scholarly acumen of customer engagement is rapidly developing, little remains known regarding its theoretical interface with customer variety-seeking and switching intention. Addressing this gap, the authors test a model exploring the mediating role of customer engagement in the association of customer variety-seeking and switching intention, and the potentially moderating role of customer relationship proneness in the association of customer engagement and service switching intention.
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Yonghua Cen and Li Li
Given a product or service, the number of its installed user base has a significant positive effect on the existing users’ loyalty and new users’ conversion. This effect is…
Abstract
Purpose
Given a product or service, the number of its installed user base has a significant positive effect on the existing users’ loyalty and new users’ conversion. This effect is conceptualized as network externalities in economics. Network externalities are supposed to be particularly striking in nowadays online business-to-business (B2B) platforms, but yet the mystery behind their effects on user loyalty to online B2B platforms remains to be delicately unraveled. The purpose of this paper is to discover the factors driving users’ loyalty, especially buyers’ loyalty, to online B2B platforms, by highlighting the impacts of network externalities on loyalty and other mediating factors.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model of buyer loyalty under network externalities is elaborated. The reliability and validity of the instruments of the latent model constructs are assessed by confirmatory factor analysis, and the hypothesized causal relationships among the constructs are tested by structural equation modeling, on 710 valid buyer samples collected from a famous online B2B platform in China.
Findings
The analysis demonstrates that: perceived value, user satisfaction and switching costs are the major predictors of buyer loyalty to online B2B platforms characterized by network externalities; network externalities positively account for buyer loyalty by contributing to perceived value, user satisfaction and switching costs; and direct network externality (measured by perceived network size and perceived external prestige) has a significant effect on indirect network externality (measured by perceived compatibility and perceived complementarity).
Originality/value
The findings allow the authors to conclude meaningful managerial implications for online B2B service providers to build up loyal user bases through improving users’ perceptions of network externalities, switching costs and value.
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