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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of four important variables in the development of customer loyalty in mobile commerce. These variables are personal (propensity to use information and communication technologies (ICTs)), transactional (opportunism), and relational (trust and satisfaction).

A broad sample of 1,053 mobile customers in Mexico was studied using the structural equation analysis methodology.

The results offer evidence on how trust and satisfaction can increase loyalty and motivate purchases via mobile devices. In addition, the results show evidence of the indirect effect (mediated through trust) of opportunism, and propensity to use ICTs on loyalty.

Achieving customer satisfaction is revealed as the main strategy enterprises should seek in order to encourage repetitive purchases via mobile devices and customer loyalty. At the same time, companies should consider that the customers most likely to use ICTs, and those who perceive less opportunism can also be very loyal as a result of a higher level of trust when making purchases using mobile devices.

The contributions of this paper are: (1) to analyze the generation of loyalty in mobile commerce using a conceptual model that includes variables of different theoretical perspectives and nature, both positive and negative. (2) To provide empirical evidence from a sample of mobile users who have already bought goods via mobile phone, contributing to prior literature that has focused on analyzing the behavior of mobile phone users who do not make purchases via mobile phones. (3) To study mobile commerce in an emerging market with notable potential for growth (Mexico), which has not been studied at length in previous literature.

El presente trabajo analiza el papel de cuatro importantes variables en el desarrollo de la lealtad de los compradores por móvil. Variables de índole personal (propensión al uso de las TICs), transaccional (oportunismo) y relacional (confianza y satisfacción).

Una amplia muestra de 1053 compradores por móvil en México es analizada mediante la metodología de ecuaciones estructurales.

Los resultados ofrecen evidencia sobre la capacidad de la confianza y la satisfacción para incrementar la lealtad y motivar la compra a través del móvil. Además, se muestra evidencia del efecto indirecto (mediado a través de la confianza) del oportunismo y la propensión al uso de las TICs sobre la lealtad.

La consecución de la satisfacción del comprador se revela como la principal estrategia que deben seguir las empresas que buscan fomentar la repetición de la compra a través del móvil y la confianza de sus actuales compradores. A la par, las empresas deben considerar que los clientes más propensos al uso de las TICs y los que perciben menos oportunismo pueden ser más leales, al aumentar su confianza en la compra por móvil.

Las contribuciones son: (1) Analizar la generación de la lealtad en el comercio móvil utilizando un modelo conceptual que incluye variables de distintas perspectivas teóricas y de naturaleza tanto positiva como negativa. (2) Ofrecer evidencia empírica de una muestra de usuarios de teléfono móvil que ya han comprado por este medio, contribuyendo a la literatura previa que se ha centrado en analizar el comportamiento de los usuarios de teléfono móvil no compradores. (3) Estudiar el comercio móvil en un mercado emergente (México) poco estudiado en la literatura previa y con un notable potencial de crecimiento.

This research aims to provide evidence of the impacts of market orientation, customer value approach (through prestige, value for money and reputation for quality) and innovation on museum sustainability.

The model is analysed through partial least squares (PLS-SEM), using a sample of 549 European museums.

The results reveal that reputation for quality, prestige, innovation and value for money positively and significantly influence museum sustainability. Interestingly, the most meaningful linkage is between market orientation and innovation.

This research helps museums that need to increase their customer value and innovativeness so as to ensure museum sustainability. It proves that museum managers have to increase employees’ involvement in decision-making processes.

By using a wide sample of European museums, this study suggests that museum managers need to consider the impact of marketing strategies and customer value perceptions on the economic and social sustainability of museums.

In the channel-mix era, the customer journey involves combining channels during all the stages of the decision-making process, such that creating and maintaining relationships with consumers poses a challenge to retailers. This work aims to explore what role brands play in this issue by analyzing what impact the perceived benefits of brand channel-mix have on consumer self–brand connection (SBC) and what their effect is in enduring consumer–brand relationships (i.e. future channel-mix use and word of mouth [WOM]). This paper also explores the moderating role of product involvement in these relations.

The authors carried out a personal questionnaire with a sample of 288 consumers who were recruited after leaving one of the stores of a clothing brand that is a successful example of distribution channel management.

Insofar as consumers perceive channel-mix benefits, SBC will be higher and (or as a result) their future intentions with the brand will be more intense. In addition, the results show that product involvement moderates the relationship between SBC and channel-mix use intention and WOM.

This work contributes to channel-mix, relationship marketing, brand and product involvement literature by analyzing how customers may be retained in the channel-mix era through brand management and by considering product category involvement. This study merges brand and product variables to explore their impact on relationship marketing within channel-mix behaviors.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of booking website (hotel or third-party) characteristics and hotel star-rating classification, as signals of quality, on travelers’ relationships with hotels or hotel chains, taking into account the moderating effect of travelers’ tendencies to seek variety.

To test the hypothesized relationships, structural equation modeling was performed. A multi-group analysis was also conducted to test the moderating effect of travelers’ variety seeking.

Both booking website quality and star rating improve customer satisfaction with specific experiences at hotels and behavioral intentions toward hotels. The results also show that travelers’ variety-seeking levels (low/high) exert a moderating effect on their overall relationships with hotels, and quality signals are more relevant for those who are less inclined to seek variety in their travel experiences.

This paper analyzes the importance of quality signals on travelers’ relationships with hotels in an electronic shopping environment. Furthermore, the influence of travelers’ variety-seeking in the hotel sector in particular is studied. For hotel managers, a better knowledge of this personality trait can help to apply successful segmentation strategies.

Este estudio analiza la influencia de las características del sitio web de reserva -web propia del hotel o de un tercero- y del número de estrellas del hotel, como señales de calidad, en la relación del cliente con el hotel o cadena, teniendo en cuenta el efecto moderador de la tendencia del viajero a buscar variedad.

Para probar las hipótesis, se llevó a cabo un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM). También se realizó un análisis multi-grupo para probar el efecto moderador de la búsqueda de variedad del viajero.

Tanto la calidad del sitio web de reserva como las estrellas favorecen la satisfacción del cliente con la experiencia concreta en el hotel y, finalmente, las intenciones de comportamiento hacia el hotel. Además, el análisis muestra que el nivel de búsqueda de variedad del viajero (bajo/alto) ejerce un efecto moderador en su relación global con el hotel y que las señales parecen ser más relevantes para los individuos con menor tendencia a buscar variedad en sus experiencias de viaje.

Este trabajo analiza la importancia de las señales de calidad en la relación de los viajeros con los hoteles en un entorno de compra electrónica. Además, se estudia la influencia de la búsqueda de variedad de los viajeros en el sector hotelero en particular. Un mejor conocimiento de este rasgo de la personalidad puede ayudar a los gerentes de hotel a aplicar estrategias de segmentación exitosas.

摘要

本研究的目的是分析作为品质判断因素的预订网站(酒店或第三方)特征和酒店星级评分分类对游客与酒店或连锁酒店关系的影响，并考虑游客寻求多样性倾向的调节作用。

为了检验假设的关系，我们进行了结构方程建模。本研究还采用多组分析的方法来检验旅客的多样性寻求的调节作用。

预订网站的质量和星级评分都可以提高客户对酒店具体体验的满意度和对酒店的行为意向。结果还表明，游客的多样性寻求水平(低/高)对他们与酒店的整体关系具有调节作用，而质量因素对那些不太倾向于在旅行体验中寻求多样性的人更相关。

本文分析了在电子购物环境下，品质因素对游客与酒店关系的重要性。此外，本文还特别研究了游客的多样性寻求对酒店行业的影响。对于酒店管理者来说，更好地了解这一个性特征有助于成功地应用细分策略。

This research aims to address ethnocentric consumers’ willingness to boycott dual origin brands, in the particular case of national brands linked to a very specific regional origin, through analysing the paradox of (unfavourable) regional ethnocentrism versus (favourable) consumer–brand relationship (i.e. brand identification, trust and love) on consumers’ decision to buy or boycott those brands in that circumstances. Building on social identity and cognitive dissonance theories, this study aims to examine the Spanish consumer relationship with national brands originated in Catalonia considering the current conflicting circumstances in the region.

The authors collected data by means of personal questionnaires, distributed among 277 Spanish consumers of Catalan brands of Cava. The data is analysed by using structural equation modelling and linear structural relations.

After controlling for brand familiarity, the results of this study reveal that ethnocentrism negatively distorts consumers’ confidence in dual origin brands and highlight the role of identification and trust as brand love antecedents. It also reveals that ethnocentrism has a more profound impact on boycotting decision than brand love.

This study is one of the few to capture the puzzlement created by the paradoxical nature of the brand’s duality of origin. Furthermore, it contributes to the marketing literature by examining the impact of ethnocentrism on two relationship variables (i.e. identification and trust) and exploring their joint impact on consumers’ decision to buy or boycott. The findings of this study can be helpful for companies facing boycotting behaviour triggered by ethnocentric consumer reaction towards dual origin brands.

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo abordar la disponibilidad de los consumidores etnocéntricos para boicotear las marcas de origen dual -en el caso particular de marcas nacionales vinculadas a un origen regional muy específico-, mediante el análisis de la paradoja del (desfavorable) etnocentrismo regional versus la relación (favorable) entre el consumidor y la marca (es decir, la identificación, la confianza y el amor a la marca) en la decisión de los consumidores de comprar o boicotear dichas marcas en esas circunstancias. Partiendo de las teorías de la identidad social y la disonancia cognitiva, este estudio examina la relación del consumidor español con las marcas nacionales originales de Cataluña, considerando las circunstancias conflictivas actuales en la región.

Los datos se recogieron mediante cuestionarios personales, distribuidos entre 277 consumidores españoles de marcas catalanas de Cava. Los datos se analizaron utilizando modelación de ecuaciones estructurales y relaciones estructurales lineales.

Después de controlar la familiaridad con la marca, nuestros resultados revelan que el etnocentrismo distorsiona negativamente la confianza de los consumidores en las marcas de origen dual y destaca el papel de la identificación y la confianza como antecedentes del amor por la marca. También revela que el etnocentrismo tiene un impacto más profundo en la decisión de boicotear que el amor por la marca.

Este estudio es uno de los pocos que captura la confusión creada por la naturaleza paradójica de la dualidad del origen de la marca. Además, contribuye a la literatura de marketing al examinar el impacto del etnocentrismo en dos variables relacionales (la identificación y la confianza) y explorar su impacto conjunto en la decisión de los consumidores de comprar o boicotear. Nuestros hallazgos pueden ser útiles para las empresas que se enfrentan al comportamiento de boicot provocado por la reacción etnocéntrica de los consumidores hacia las marcas de origen dual.

This study aims to focus on how smartphone addiction impacts young consumer behavior related to mobile technology (i.e. the compulsive app downloading tendency). After a thorough literature review and following the risk and protective factors framework, this study explores factors that could mitigate its effects (resilience, family harmony, perceived social support and social capital).

The study used the covariance-based structural equation modeling approach to analyze data collected from 275 Generation Z (Gen Z) smartphone users in Spain.

Results suggest that resilience is a critical factor in preventing smartphone addiction, and smartphone addiction boosts the compulsive app downloading tendency, a relevant downside for younger Gen Z consumers.

Through the lens of the risk and protective factors framework, this study focuses on protective factors to prevent smartphone addiction and its negative side effects on app consumption. It also offers evidence of younger consumers’ vulnerability to smartphone addiction, not because of the device itself but because of app-consumption-related behaviors.

This study aims to test the central role of the perceived reputation of country-of-origin (COO) firms between cultural and socio-psychological variables and management and economic variables that help to explain the multi-faceted phenomenon of COO on a developing market. It also tests the moderator role of ethnocentrism, which is the objective of recommending different segment marketing strategies for international firms.

The study opted for the structure equation modelling methodology to analyze data collected from 274 Mexican car owners who evaluate Korean automobiles.

The results show that the COO reputation of firms from a developing market has a mediating role on the relationship between cultural openness and animosity and trust, risk and purchase intention, but the consequents of the perceived reputation of COO vary depending on the level of consumers’ ethnocentrism.

Firms seeking to internationalize need to find out how to overcome the hurdle of target market animosity, to increase the cultural openness and to promote trust and purchases in international markets; at the same time, they reduce the perception of risk. In this sense, it might help to increase the perceived reputation of COO firms and to use different marketing strategies according to the target market.

This study analyzes reputation of firms associated to a COO as a signal that can help to solve purchase decisions in the relationship between consumers and firms from developing markets and also corroborates its role as a mediator factor. In addition, this study empirically tests how animosity and cultural openness influence perceived reputation of COO firms, relationships that has scarcely been studied in literature. This study has also found that less and more ethnocentric consumers have differences in how the COO cues influence on their evaluations and behaviour. Finally, as insufficient consumer research has been conducted into emerging and developing markets, this study focuses on consumers from a developing country and regards automobiles from an emerging country.

This study aims to explore the issue of word of mouth (WOM) about mobile shopping, including activities conducted by consumers using a wireless internet connection to make a purchase. The objective is to ascertain the determinants of m-shoppers’ WOM.

This study uses a causal model to examine how satisfaction, perceived control, perceived entertainment and subjective norms affect WOM about mobile commerce. The authors treated a sample of 447 Spanish mobile phone buyers and applied different sound theoretical approaches to support the research.

Shopping experience, control over the process, group influence and satisfaction with mobile purchasing affect subsequent WOM shopping recommendations by innovative and pioneer mobile shoppers. Besides, entertainment, group influence, shopping experience and perceived control influence customer satisfaction in mobile shopping contexts.

This research provides a better understanding of WOM regarding m-shopping and contributes by outlining important variables for recommending WOM regarding m-shopping, which is key in the m-shopping diffusion. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a pioneer study in Europe focusing on these variables for addressing the ways of achieving m-shopper WOM and one of the few addressing WOM in the m-shopping context. This study is based on information collected from real buyers, who are pioneer in m-shopping.

Nowadays some consumers consider themselves as “omnichannels” – they combine both physical and digital channels expecting a seamless shopping experience – since they view their shopping process from a multiple-channel viewpoint. Giving that situation, the aim of this paper is to test the role of consumers’ omnichannel tendency (omni-tendency) in the information processing in the digital channel.

Based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), emotions as well as utilitarian and hedonic experiences are proposed to understand consumer attitude towards the digital store. Through a survey, data were collected from 284 digital shoppers. PLS path modelling and PLS-MGA were used to test the research hypotheses.

The results confirm that emotions positively affect the evaluation of the experiences, which in turn improves the attitude towards the digital store. Focusing on the differences among consumers, the findings show that for consumers with low omni-tendency the emotions are key to improve the evaluation of their experiences. Moreover, regarding the attitude, consumers with more omni-tendency follow the central route to process the information; and consumers with less omni-tendency follow the peripheral route.

This paper contributes to the literature in three ways. First, this research includes the study of omni-tendency, as a consumer trait, in the information processing developed in the digital channel, ignored in the literature. Second, this work contributes to information processing theories in digital context confirming, specifically the applicability of ELM into the omnichannel context. This offers support to the application of traditional theories to explain new phenomena. Third, and in line with the previous contribution, this work goes a step further in understanding ELM theory by including other constructs –the omni-tendency and emotions– to explain the information processing in the digital context.

The purpose of this paper is to address the potential impact of need for touch (NFT) on perceived product quality and the possible roles of purchasers’ social (subjective norms), personal (buying impulsiveness) and epistemic (e-commerce orientation) factors, as well as the likely interaction effect of the shopping channel.

The empirical study is based on 540 observations, analysed in a partial least squares structural equation model.

The link between the NFT and perceived quality tends to be negative, especially for online purchases. E-commerce orientation reduces the need to touch products, but subjective norms and buying impulsiveness have no significant effects.

The NFT scale might be improved by adding more items. Some of the structural model coefficients indicate a low effect size. Finally, the results are limited to Spanish purchasers of the focal product.

Firms should appeal to purchasers’ e-commerce orientation to reduce the negative implications of a need to touch products among consumers shopping online.

The need to touch a product may be an obstacle to online purchases, yet few studies deal with its impact in online, relative to offline, contexts to evaluate product quality. This study also integrates personal, social and epistemic factors.