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1 – 10 of over 3000
Article
Publication date: 25 August 2022

Moustafa Mohamed Nazief Haggag Kotb Kholaif, Xiao Ming and Gutama Kusse Getele

This research aims to profoundly investigate the post-COVID-19's opportunities for customer-centric green supply chain management (GSCM) and perceived customer resilience by…

Abstract

Purpose

This research aims to profoundly investigate the post-COVID-19's opportunities for customer-centric green supply chain management (GSCM) and perceived customer resilience by studying the correlation between fear-uncertainty of COVID-19, customer-centric GSCM, and the perceived customers' resilience. Moreover, to examine how the perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities moderates the relationship among the variables.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was adopted on a sample of 298 managers and customers in the Egyptian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) market for data analysis and hypotheses testing.

Findings

Preliminary results indicate that the fear-uncertainty of COVID-19 positively affects customer-centric GSCM. Also, external CSR moderates the association between fear-uncertainty towards COVID-19 and customer-centric GSCM. However, internal CSR does not moderate this relationship. Customer-centric GSCM has a significant positive impact on the perceived environmental and social resilience. However, it has an insignificant effect on the perceived financial resilience. Also, customer-centric GSCM has a significant mediation outcome on the relation between fear-uncertainty of COVID-19 and the perceived environmental and social resilience. However, this relation is insignificant regarding the perceived financial resilience.

Practical implications

Managers could develop a consistent strategy for applying CSR practices, providing clear information and focusing on their procedures to meet their customer needs during COVID-19. Governments and managers should develop a consistent strategy to apply customer-oriented green practices to achieve customers' resilience, especially during the pandemic.

Originality/value

Based on the “social-cognitive,” “stakeholder” and “consumer culture” theories, this study shed light on the optimistic side of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it also brings the concepts of social responsibility, resilience and green practices back into the light, which helps in solving customers' issues and help to achieve their resilience.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 18 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 February 2023

Sarat Kumar Jena

The purpose of this study is to provide a unique competitive advantage to businesses in providing a wide range of products to prospective customers. To the best of the author’s…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide a unique competitive advantage to businesses in providing a wide range of products to prospective customers. To the best of the author’s knowledge, there is no study to discuss the impact of customer-centric retailing on total supply chain profit under price competition between organized and unorganized retailers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper considers a supply chain comprising of organized and unorganized retailers and a single manufacturer. This paper proposes three mathematical models considering a customer-centric approach in a competitive environment. Stackelberg game is used to examine how members of the chain interact, and Nash equilibrium was used to find optimal strategies for players under different customer-centric approaches.

Findings

The results show that the total supply chain profit is higher when both organized and unorganized retailers use a customer-centric approach independently instead of collaborating process. The result, in addition, establishes that when the dissatisfying cost exceeds a certain threshold (1.5), the total profit is higher for the organized customer-centric effort model compared to the other two models.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the study is to examine the effect of customer-centric retailing, considering dissatisfying costs on supply chains profit and individual decision-making under price competition between organized retailers and unorganized retailers. The authors developed different mathematical models in the different customer-centric approach.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 38 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2017

Manfred Bruhn and Stefanie Schnebelen

Despite decades of scientific and practical experience in the field of integrated marketing communication (IMC), little is known about the role of IMC in the era of new media. The…

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite decades of scientific and practical experience in the field of integrated marketing communication (IMC), little is known about the role of IMC in the era of new media. The purpose of the present paper is to undertake a first step to close this gap by proposing thought-provoking impulses for customer-centric IMC. This is done by discussing central premises of customer-centric IMC in terms of the changed conditions on the media markets, its challenges and principles and its implementation issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a conceptual approach to customer-centric IMC by deriving new lines of thinking from a review of existing literature relating to the concept of IMC.

Findings

The paper positions customer-centric IMC as an important advancement of IMC. It shows that the most important new lines of thinking which could be adopted as strategic components of customer-centric IMC are relationship orientation, content orientation and process orientation. The paper thus suggests that customer-centric IMC is a balancing act between a company’s own branding activities and the integration of customer-centered issues.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper resides in a detailed conceptual discussion of new insights into a customer-centric IMC. In contrast to existing work on IMC, this paper threads together the existing perspectives on IMC (inside-out and outside-in) to highlight the potential role of IMC in the era of social media (customer-centric IMC) by adding an outside-out view to the concept of IMC.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 51 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 February 2023

Matti Haverila, Kai Christian Haverila and Jenny Carita Twyford

This study assesses the impact of marital status towards customer-centric measures in a Canadian ski resort using the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) as the analytical…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study assesses the impact of marital status towards customer-centric measures in a Canadian ski resort using the importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) as the analytical framework. For the purpose of this paper, the three groups that were assessed included singles, partnership without children and partnership with children as marital status indicators. From the theoretical and especially managerial point of view, knowing the importance and the performance of the relevant ski resort-related customer-centric perceptions is of key importance.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was completed to assess customer-centric measures including customer satisfaction, repurchase intent, value for money, willingness to recommend, overall performance in terms of meeting expectations, relationship quality and skiing service quality. An IPMA was conducted with partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess the importance-performance perceptions of the three marital status groups.

Findings

The results indicated that for five of the seven customer-centric measures, there were significant differences between the marital status groups. Overall, singles appeared to have the lowest values in customer-centric measures, whereas respondents living in partnership with children had the highest. This was also the case with the value for money perceptions, although the cost for the ski resort visit was likely to be the highest for the respondents living in partnership with children. There were also differences between the marital status groups in terms of the importance-performance evaluations.

Originality/value

Results of this research have implications for ski resort management as the three marital status groups appear to perceive the customer-centric measures quite differently in the IPMA framework.

Details

European Journal of Management Studies, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2183-4172

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2018

Elisa Martina Martinelli and Annalisa Tunisini

The purpose of this paper is to explore the topic of customer integration into supply chains. Particular attention is focused on literature concerning customer-driven and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the topic of customer integration into supply chains. Particular attention is focused on literature concerning customer-driven and customer-centric supply chains. The aim is to provide a deeper understanding of these two approaches, clarify the differences, compare them and provide a conceptual model and research propositions, leading to theoretical and managerial implications.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a systematic literature review conducted using a consolidated methodology. The protocol used allows for the identification, analysis, synthesis, reporting and discussion of the results stemming from the literature on customer integration into the supply chain. This analysis enables us to summarize the results in a conceptual framework and introduce new research propositions.

Findings

Using the results of the literature review, the authors first systematized the literature on customer-driven supply chain and on customer-centric supply chain in the conceptual framework. For each of the two sets of studies, the authors highlighted three main streams of research concerning customer integration into the supply chain. The authors analyzed three different topics: why customer integration is needed, how customer integration takes place and which intra-organizational issues are necessary to implement customer integration into the supply chain. Second, the authors developed a conceptual framework to confront customer-driven and customer-centric approaches to supply chain management in an evolutionary perspective. The authors thus formulated research propositions aimed at entering in greater depth the management of the shift from the customer-driven to customer-centric supply chain.

Research limitations/implications

The systematic literature analysis developed in the paper contributed to more integrated and comprehensive knowledge of customer integration into the supply chain. The paper identifies and describes the characteristics of different supply chain approaches through the organization and interpretation of academics’ contributions. The paper suggests the need for further research in at least three areas: the study of variables supporting customer-driven or customer-centric approaches, the relevant intra-organizational issues underscoring the customer-centric supply chain and the impact of digitalization on supply chain processes.

Practical implications

The paper outlines the main structural elements that compose the customer-driven and customer-centric supply chains. The results of the systematic analysis of the literature can be used to inform managers about the different levels and approaches for achieving customer integration. These diverse configurations of customer integration imply administrative and organizational considerations. Major issues to be considered when managers want to integrate the customer into the supply chain are identified. In addition, conditions underscoring different options – namely, customer-driven and customer-centric supply chains – are provided.

Originality/value

The originality of this work lies in the systematic review of literature examining customer integration into supply chains, which highlights two main levels of customer integration: customer-driven and customer-centric. The main contribution is the formulation of a conceptual framework and new research propositions from the comparison and merger of these two configurations. The information presented in this paper enhances the literature on recent developments in customer integration, thereby enabling managers to select the most suitable configuration for the supply chain structure.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 November 2011

Liem Viet Ngo and Aron O'Cass

The purpose of this paper is to adopt a customer‐centric value creation perspective to provide insights into the contribution of business orientations, especially marketing…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to adopt a customer‐centric value creation perspective to provide insights into the contribution of business orientations, especially marketing orientation and innovation orientation to the creation of customer‐centric value (customer equity and brand performance).

Design/methodology/approach

To undertake this examination, a model was developed and then tested to validate its applicability in the context of both developed and developing economies. The paper includes partial least squares.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that being marketing‐oriented and innovation‐oriented appears to be important in creating customers, keeping them, and increasing add‐on selling to them and rewards the firm with greater brand performance in the marketplace. Importantly, these relationships are universally held across developed and developing business environments. Interestingly, marketing orientation was found to contribute more to the creation of customer‐centric value than innovation orientation in developing business environment, whereas the opposite was found in the context of developed business environment.

Research limitations/implications

The data incorporate only the subjective measures of customer‐centric value. Future studies can use financial measures to complement the self‐reporting approach used in this paper. This dual‐approach to measuring the value of customers to the firm (customer equity) and brand performance would provide additional insights into the customer‐centric marketing literature.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that managers should strive to develop a high level of marketing orientation and innovation orientation as two efficient ways to achieve higher levels of customer equity. They are also advised that if their firms are more effective in acquiring potential customers, retaining current customers, and enhancing add‐on selling, they see their brands perform better. Importantly, the findings also provide guidance for managers on how to allocate their resources to key business activities (e.g. marketing and innovation) in the context of international business (developing versus developed business environments).

Originality/value

This study contributes to customer‐centric marketing theory by enhancing understanding of the contribution of marketing and innovation to the creation of customer‐centric value in different business environments. This study also contributes to the business orientation literature by demonstrating the utility of a cultural‐behavioral approach in measuring marketing orientation and innovation orientation.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 23 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2013

Mamunur Rashid, Islam Abdeljawad, Siti Manisah Ngalim and M. Kabir Hassan

The purpose of this paper is to investigate customer‐centric corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Islamic banks of Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Arabian Gulf Region. The new…

2751

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate customer‐centric corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Islamic banks of Bangladesh, Malaysia and the Arabian Gulf Region. The new framework is found from the incomplete link between managerial motivation and their actual involvement with CSR activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses annual reports of 16 Islamic banks from three regions. Using content analysis method, the study produces an ethical identity index on eight dimensions. The average index scores are ranked to get a view of the importance given by Islamic banks to the path of social responsibility.

Findings

In this study, the customer‐centric CSR framework assumes that there are two layers of CSR involvement in Islamic banks. The upper layer assures the commitment towards Allah (SWT) by operating under Islamic Shari'ah. The bottom layer ensures the commitment towards customers, employees and society. The reports of Islamic banks show that the selected banks are too customer centric and efficiency driven. However, that efficiency is targeted at the cost of sacrificing Shari'ah norms. Their commitments to basic Islamic rules fall far behind the average.

Research limitations/implications

The study uses content analysis of the annual report to identify CSR involvement of the Islamic banks. There are various issues related to CSR and corporate management that are not reported in annual reports. Moreover, disclosure norms and regulation also have an influence on reporting standards. Thus, this study is limited to what is found in the reports only.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the existing literature on customer‐centric CSR and customer‐centric marketing. There is evidence that the findings from this study are consistent with other studies. Islamic banks are becoming customer centric because of the competition from conventional banks. However, they must not forget the very essence of the establishment of these banks which is the spiritual freedom based upon sole submission to Allah (SWT).

Article
Publication date: 6 June 2016

Syed Saad Andaleeb, Mamunur Rashid and Quazi Akhlaqur Rahman

Customer-centric banking envisions that banks should meet both tangible and intangible satisfaction criteria of their customers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the…

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Abstract

Purpose

Customer-centric banking envisions that banks should meet both tangible and intangible satisfaction criteria of their customers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the customer-centric banking practices that drive satisfaction of corporate customers in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

Financial managers from a sample of 112 non-financial listed companies were interviewed. The study employed a structured questionnaire using Likert scales. Exploratory factor analysis followed by multiple regression analysis were used to test the effects of both tangible and intangible factors.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate that customer-centric banking is primarily influenced by intangible factors. Among six bank selection criteria analyzed in this study, corporate image, commitment, compassion and consistency are the four significant intangible factors that drive corporate customer satisfaction. The two tangible factors: cost-benefit and convenience were not significant determinants of satisfaction for corporate clients.

Research limitations/implications

For lack of sample frames and relative unavailability of corporate respondents, a non-probability sampling technique was used. The study contributes to the existing literature on customer-centric marketing, relationship marketing and bank selection by suggesting that there is a shift in banking needs among corporate clients in developing countries such as Bangladesh.

Practical implications

The study contributes to a richer understanding of the customer-centric banking framework, suggesting the service strategies that banks ought to adopt. The results are especially important for developing countries that are experiencing a change in theoretical understanding of customer satisfaction in financial services.

Originality/value

Now banks and policy makers can better strategize on building loyal corporate customers for banks, thereby ensuring healthy corporate banking relationship. Banks can also prioritize on the important intangible elements to focus on to satisfy corporate customers. Among other factors, technology adoption, training of corporate customer managers, and emphasizing customer-centric banking policies may help provide better services and obtain higher levels of customer satisfaction.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 34 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 February 2020

Thuy T. Dang and Anh D. Pham

While technological advances have been changing the way that services are delivered to customers, direct interaction between banks’ front-line staff and customers still holds its…

Abstract

Purpose

While technological advances have been changing the way that services are delivered to customers, direct interaction between banks’ front-line staff and customers still holds its distinct position in the banking sector. This research investigates the relationship between interactional justice and the willingness of commercial banks’ front-line staff to engage in customer-centric behaviors, as well as the mediators behind this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This research combined both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In-depth interviews were employed to explore the potential mechanisms underlying the relationship between interactional justice and customer-centric behavior and to develop the specific measurement scale for customer-centric behavior in the banking service context. A survey was conducted to test the conceptual model using a sample of 312 customer contact employees working in Vietnamese commercial banks.

Findings

The research results indicate that interactional justice significantly enhances employees’ willingness to engage in customer-centric behaviors, and this relationship is partially mediated by overall job satisfaction and the leader-member exchange relationship.

Research limitations/implications

This research faces several limitations. The first limitation concerns the fact that the data are based on self-reports, which might lead to common method biases. Second, this study used a sample drawn from the North of Vietnam only. Third, this study adopted a limited set of measurement items due to the concerns of model parsimony and data collection efficiency. Fourth, we followed prior justice work to assume the linear relationship between interactional justice and leader-member exchange, in which the leader-member exchange is hypothesized to be the outcome of fair treatment (Erdogan and Liden, 2006; Masterson et al., 2000). Last, we only considered how leaders treat their followers through the lens of interactional justice, while interactional justice differentiation has also been affirmed as a crucial determinant of leader-member exchange and employees’ performance.

Originality/value

This research is noteworthy that it is the first to take a social exchange perspective to examine customer-oriented behavior as an outcome of interpersonal interactions in the workplace. Accordingly, it delivers a key message to bank supervisors: “Treat employees the way you want your customers to be treated.”

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 38 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 July 2013

Christos Sarmaniotis, Costas Assimakopoulos and Eugenia Papaioannou

Valid measurement scales for predicting the adoption of hoteliers’ customer‐centric orientation are in short supply. The present research develops and validates a new scale for a…

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Abstract

Purpose

Valid measurement scales for predicting the adoption of hoteliers’ customer‐centric orientation are in short supply. The present research develops and validates a new scale for a specific variable, i.e. Management Attitudes Towards Customer‐Centric Orientation (MATCCO). Furthermore, this research attempts to identify some broad determinants for a successful CRM system implementation and propose a research model depicting possible relationships among MATCCO, broad determinants and profit.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire has been developed in order to accomplish the research objectives. Data were collected from 86 Greek luxury hotels. Accepted methodology was used to construct the measure, factor analysis to determine the CRM key success factors (KSFs) and Pearson correlation, ANOVA and discriminant analysis to test the proposed model. Additionally, qualitative research was conducted in two Greek luxury hotels.

Findings

A reliable and valid measure of MATCCO was constructed. Four CRM KSFs were identified. The research model was verified and proposed confirming relationships among MATCCO, CRM KSFs and company profit. Cases analysis showed that effective customer communication strategy, IT infrastructure and suitable organizational strategy are the KSFs of CRM implementation provided that hoteliers are positive toward customer‐centric orientation.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study are applicable to luxury hotels.

Practical implications

There is a necessity of checking the level of MATCCO before undertaking a CRM implementation project. Further, the results of this study highlight some crucial factors that influence successful CRM implementation in the hotel lodgings.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the paper is the construction of the multi‐item measure of hoteliers’ customer‐centric orientation.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 3000