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1 – 10 of over 23000This article aims to dispel the perception that academic libraries do not need to market their services and resources; to acquaint academic librarians to the concept of word‐of…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to dispel the perception that academic libraries do not need to market their services and resources; to acquaint academic librarians to the concept of word‐of‐mouth marketing and its potential for academic libraries; and to share a word‐of‐mouth marketing academic library success story.
Design/methodology/approach
Includes an introduction to the concept of word‐of‐mouth marketing and its application to academic libraries. Also includes how one academic library successfully employed this marketing technique.
Findings
Provides an introduction to the word‐of‐mouth marketing strategy and its usefulness for academic libraries. Shares a real‐life success story of academic library word‐of‐mouth marketing.
Practical implications
Useful as an introduction for academic librarians to a specific type of marketing strategy that works well in a college/university setting and provides some successful techniques of word‐of‐mouth marketing for academic libraries.
Originality/value
Helps fill a void relative to using marketing strategies in an academic library setting and offers suggestions on how to do this successfully.
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The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of corporate image and relationship marketing on trust, the impact of trust on consumer purchase intention, and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of corporate image and relationship marketing on trust, the impact of trust on consumer purchase intention, and the moderating effects of word‐of‐mouth between the influence of trust on consumer purchase intention.
Design/methodology/approach
Consumers of an online travel agency in Taiwan aged over 18 were taken as the research sample. Primary data were collected through convenience sampling. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The main findings are: corporate image has a significantly positive influence on trust, and commodity image has the most significant influence on trust, followed by functional image and institution image; structural and financial relationship marketing has significantly positive influence on trust, and structural relationship marketing has greater influence on trust compared with financial relationship marketing; trust has a significantly positive influence on consumer purchase intention; and positive word‐of‐mouth has a moderating effect between the influences of trust on consumer purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of this study include: the data obtained in this study only reflected the correlations and cause and effect among the variables studied during a specific period of time; this paper only focused on tour agencies; consumers who used only the most popular online tour agencies were selected. Therefore, the samples might involve some bias. The implications of this study include: different types of corporate image will have different levels of influence on consumer trust. There is a need to support the previous study that relationship marketing has a significantly positive influence on consumer trust. The moderating effects of positive word‐of‐mouth between the influences of trust on consumer purchase intention must be examined. The influence of trust on purchase intention must be considered.
Practical implications
The study findings reveal the need and importance for a company to improve corporate image continuously. The study indicates the need to emphasize the use of critical relationship marketing and to realize the nature and importance of the moderating effect of word‐of‐mouth.
Originality/value
The value of this study is combined theory and practical and finding four management implications and three practical implications.
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Examines the importance of the verbal exchange of positive andnegative information about a firm′s products and services. Presentssuggestions for learning what is being said and…
Abstract
Examines the importance of the verbal exchange of positive and negative information about a firm′s products and services. Presents suggestions for learning what is being said and how to gain systematic control over the word of mouth process. Suggests a model of this process, including interpersonal communications among a variety of stakeholder groups. Highlights the case of the hospitality industry, but makes suggestions of use to all service businesses.
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The purpose of this study is to contrast the effects of four exit barriers on word of mouth activities. Monetary, service loss, social and convenience exit barriers are compared…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to contrast the effects of four exit barriers on word of mouth activities. Monetary, service loss, social and convenience exit barriers are compared. The differential effects of these four barriers on the valence of word of mouth (positive, negative), the type of word of mouth recipient (weak tie, strong tie) and the motives (catharsis, company sabotage) for spreading word of mouth are studied.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for empirically addressing a set of hypotheses were collected from 185 consumers. The hypotheses were analyzed using ANOVA models along with post hoc tests.
Findings
The results suggest that the type of exit barrier matters. Exit barriers, with respect to word of mouth activities, seem to fall on a continuum. On one extreme, the most detrimental barriers are monetary hurdles, and on the other end, the least detrimental barriers are convenience hurdles. Monetary barriers are responsible for the most negative word of mouth and company sabotage. Social and convenience barriers lead to significantly less.
Practical implications
The implications for erecting exit barriers are discussed. In particular, the value of monetary barriers is questioned. The benefits of such involuntary customer retention methods may be offset by the sabotage they invite through negative word of mouth.
Originality/value
The paper provides insights into word of mouth activities of dissatisfied customers that are trapped by various exit barriers. The word of mouth activities investigated include valence, recipient type and motives. The study contrasts monetary, service loss, social and convenience exit barriers.
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The purpose of this research is to study the influence of self-service technologies (SST) on cross-buying and word-of-mouth. This study tests the direct impact of perceived…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to study the influence of self-service technologies (SST) on cross-buying and word-of-mouth. This study tests the direct impact of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use on cross-buying and word-of-mouth. Further, this study also tests the mediating role of e-service quality for the aforementioned relationships. The study has been undertaken in the context of retail banking in an emerging market, India.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional survey research design was used to collect data from 235 customers of retail banks in India. The data were analysed using IBM AMOS 23.0 taking structural equation modelling (SEM) approach to test the hypothesised relationships.
Findings
The findings of the study suggest that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use influence cross-buying and word-of-mouth. E-service quality partially mediates the relationship between perceived usefulness on cross-buying and word-of-mouth. E-service quality partially mediates the relationship between perceived ease of use and cross-buying but does not mediate the relationship between perceived ease of use and word-of-mouth.
Practical implications
This study shows that managers need to focus on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in order to ensure cross-buying and promote word-of-mouth recommendations by customers. Also, managers will be able to enhance cross-buying and promote word-of-mouth recommendations if e-service quality delivered by the bank is perceived to be good by customers.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on SST and offers empirical evidence to show that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use can influence cross-buying as well as word-of-mouth. Previous studies have shown that SST usage can foster loyalty, and the present study offers new evidence on the outcomes of behavioural loyalty. The study has been undertaken through responses taken from retail bank customers in an emerging market. This study also contributes to the literature on SST by testing the mediating effect of e-service quality for the above-mentioned relationships.
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Beatriz Moliner Velázquez, María Fuentes Blasco and Irene Gil Saura
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how information and communication technology (ICT) adoption in hotels contributes to satisfaction and loyalty from the consumer…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how information and communication technology (ICT) adoption in hotels contributes to satisfaction and loyalty from the consumer perspective, considering the online dimension of recommendations.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research based on a structured questionnaire and using a personal survey method was developed. Surveys were conducted on 386 guests from Spanish hotels. Causal methodology by testing structural equation model was applied.
Findings
Significant relationships are obtained in the sequence “ICT use perception – satisfaction with ICT – overall satisfaction with the hotel – dimensions of loyalty” and the mediating effect of positive electronic word-of-mouth intention between ICT satisfaction and general intention to recommend the hotel is confirmed.
Research limitations/implications
Future research can replicate these relationships in other tourist services and employ multidimensional scales to measure word-of-mouth behaviour.
Originality/value
The novelty of this work is that it studies the relationships between ICT, satisfaction and loyalty in hotel services, paying particular attention to positive word-of-mouth behaviour, both conventional and online.
Objetivo
El propósito de este trabajo es investigar la contribución que tiene la adopción de las TIC en los hoteles en la satisfacción y la lealtad, desde la perspectiva del consumidor y considerando la dimensión online de las recomendaciones.
Diseño/metodología
Se desarrolló una investigación cuantitativa basada en un cuestionario estructurado y empleando el método de la encuesta personal. Se realizaron 386 encuestas a huéspedes de hoteles españoles. Se aplicó la metodología causal testando un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales.
Hallazgos
Se obtienen relaciones significativas en la secuencia “percepción de los clientes del uso de las TIC – nivel de satisfacción con las TIC – nivel de satisfacción general con el hotel – dimensiones de la lealtad” y se confirma el efecto mediador que tiene la intención del boca-oreja online entre la satisfacción con las TIC y la intención general de recomendar el hotel.
Limitaciones/implicaciones
En futuras investigaciones se pueden replicar estas relaciones en otros servicios turísticos y emplear escalas multidimensionales para medir la conducta de boca-oreja.
Originalidad/valor
La novedad de este trabajo radica en el estudio de las relaciones entre las TIC, satisfacción y lealtad en los servicios hoteleros poniendo especial atención en la conducta de boca-oreja positivo, tanto convencional como online.
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Lloyd C. Harris, Raymond P. Fisk and Hana Sysalova
While the links between customer word-of-mouth and desirable organizational outcomes have been widely studied, the possibility that customers might routinely exaggerate their…
Abstract
Purpose
While the links between customer word-of-mouth and desirable organizational outcomes have been widely studied, the possibility that customers might routinely exaggerate their consumption experience stories has been neglected. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The first exploratory study examined exaggerated and unexaggerated word-of-mouth and the targets of such activities. The second exploratory study focussed on customer-exaggerated negative word-of-mouth and its drivers. The two experimental studies generated deeper insights into attributions of service failure and exaggerated negative word-of-mouth.
Findings
This research explicitly addresses customer exaggeration regarding service consumption and the reasons customers engaged in such behaviors. Study 1 focussed on the scope and targets of exaggerated word-of-mouth, and Study 2 concentrated on identifying the drivers of exaggerated negative word-of-mouth. Studies 3 and 4 experimentally elucidated the cognitive mechanisms leading to exaggeration.
Research limitations/implications
Contributions include deeper understanding of the phenomenon of exaggerated negative word-of-mouth and developing and testing a model of the factors associated with consumers’ exaggerated negative word-of-mouth.
Practical implications
Implications include possible organizational and public policy actions to prevent Pinocchio customers from exaggerated negative word-of-mouth.
Originality/value
This paper explores the nature and scope of exaggerated customer word-of-mouth and contributes insights in four ways. First, this research explores the scope of consumer exaggeration during word-of-mouth storytelling and the intended targets of such communications. Second, this research focusses on exaggerated negative word-of-mouth and develops a conceptual model of the drivers of such activity. Third, the theory is tested and contributes empirical insights into exaggerated negative word-of-mouth. Fourth, through experiments, insights are gained into the cognitive mechanisms leading to exaggeration and the effects of attribution differences in personal vs service provider blame.
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Lin Wang, Zhihua Wang, Xiaoying Wang and Yang Zhao
The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence mechanism of the word-of-mouth reputation of influencers.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the influence mechanism of the word-of-mouth reputation of influencers.
Design/methodology/approach
This study explored word-of-mouth reputation from four characteristics of information source of influencers: credibility, professionalism, interactivity and attractiveness. The grounded theory was used to extract the characteristic indicators of influencers and used questionnaire surveys to obtain 218 valid samples. The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was used for the configuration analysis.
Findings
The results revealed the following: (1) a causal asymmetric correlation exists between the driving mechanism of high word-of-mouth reputation and non-high word-of-mouth reputation; (2) influencers matching high word-of-mouth reputation comprises potential, developmental and almighty types, whereas live streaming influencer matching non-high word-of-mouth reputation comprises elementary and groping types; and (3) all factors must be combined to play a role, and neutral permutations of two solutions were found among the three overall solutions to attain high word-of-mouth reputation; (4) the combination of high user activity and high exposure is the core configuration that results in high word-of-mouth reputation.
Practical implications
This study provides recommendation for consumers, live streamers, brand and e-commerce platform on how to promote the sustainable and healthy development of influencer marketing.
Originality/value
This study focused on elucidating how the characteristics of information source affect the word-of-mouth reputation of influencers and have a reference value for the research on word-of-mouth reputation in the context of live commerce.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating effect of organizational identification in the relationship between person-organization fit and intention to stay as well…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating effect of organizational identification in the relationship between person-organization fit and intention to stay as well as word-of-mouth referrals. The study also examines the role of perceived external prestige as a moderator of the relationship between organizational identification and intention to stay and word-of-mouth referrals.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 2,649 millennial employees working in various companies located within the Central Thailand Industrial Estates. The hypothesized relationships were tested and analyzed by means of a confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, hierarchical regression and a bootstrapping procedure.
Findings
The results revealed that the direct relationships between person-organization fit and intention to stay as well as word-of-mouth referrals were found to be partially mediated by organizational identification. In addition, perceived external prestige was found to have a moderating effect on the relationship between organizational identification and word-of-mouth referrals, but found no effect on employee retention.
Research limitations/implications
The current research took place among the millennial workers in Thai organizations, which needs to be extended to other generational cohorts or different culture settings for more generalization.
Practical implications
The results imply that managers should routinely assess and monitor person-organization compatibility, and ensure that corporate cultures, values and norms are properly communicated and mutually shared among the millennial workers. The aim is to inspire them to perceive better fits and proudly identify with their workplace. Such efforts are likely to induce not only retention, but also should encourage word-of-mouth referrals.
Originality/value
This study extends existing knowledge by assessing the relationships among person-organization fit, organizational identification and perceived external prestige as well as their impacts on intention to stay and word-of-mouth referrals by millennial employees, which has not been extensively investigated in the literature.
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Beomjoon Choi and Beom-Jin Choi
– This research aims to examine the consequences of customer justice perception and the role of customer affection in the context of service failure and recovery.
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to examine the consequences of customer justice perception and the role of customer affection in the context of service failure and recovery.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.
Findings
The authors' findings indicate that procedural and interactional justice perceptions significantly influence customer affection, with distributive justice perception being significant only if the failure severity is high. The present research also provides evidence for the links between customer affection and loyalty, and customer affection and word-of-mouth respectively, indicating that strengthening the emotional tie between customers and companies is crucial after service failure and recovery.
Research limitations/implications
The present research makes a significant contribution by demonstrating the relationship between customer affection and other key constructs such as justice perception, customer loyalty, and word-of-mouth intention.
Practical implications
Customers' distributive justice perception has a significant impact on customer affection especially in a severe service failure situation. Therefore, managers may need to provide monetary compensation for service recovery in a timely manner along with apologies to enhance customer affection when customers experience a high-magnitude service failure. On the other hand, in the case of a low-magnitude service recovery, providing apologies and prompt response to service failures may be enough to win customers back.
Originality/value
The current findings highlight the importance of customer affection in service recovery. The effect of customers' distributive justice perception on customer affection, which is moderated by service failure severity, is also highlighted.
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