Janna M. Parker, Doreen Sams, Amit Poddar and Kalina Manoylov
The purpose of this study (mixed-method) was to examine the effectiveness of two types of marketing interventions on water conservation behavior and to compare behaviors to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study (mixed-method) was to examine the effectiveness of two types of marketing interventions on water conservation behavior and to compare behaviors to self-reported conservation claims.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper consists of four phases (advertisement selection focus group, behavioral trace field study, self-report survey and follow-up focus group). In the USA, residing in a dormitory typically includes a fee for water without quantity restrictions. The subjects for this research were college students who lived in dormitories at a medium-sized university in southeastern USA where metering individual water consumption is not possible.
Findings
The results of the field study phase of student water conservation behaviors were not congruent with the participants’ self-reported behaviors. Phase 2 yielded results contrary to published laboratory experimental research in which cause-related claims were effective.
Research limitations/implications
This research was limited by a single sample (one university), time (13 weeks) and the inability to measure individual consumption behavior. However, valuable findings were obtained, and suggestions surfaced for future research.
Practical implications
Using eco-feedback technology and advertisements may result in significant cost savings. While findings were somewhat inconclusive, there was evidence that the use of the eco-feedback technology could result in cost savings for the subject university.
Originality/value
The behavioral trace study is one of the first field research studies in the marketing discipline designed to examine resource conservation behavior in an impactful way. Further, this research used a single sample triangulated methodology across Phases 2, 3 and 4.
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The purpose of this paper is to propose a virtual forward-buying model that allows for forward buying but reduces the channel cost with no major behavioral change on the part of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a virtual forward-buying model that allows for forward buying but reduces the channel cost with no major behavioral change on the part of manufacturers and retailers.
Design/methodology/approach
Using simulations, the authors compare the proposed virtual forward-buying model with the traditional forward-buying and everyday-low-price approaches.
Findings
The authors find that the proposed model leads to lower overall channel costs that are shared equitably between both the manufacturer and the retailer.
Research limitations/implications
No primary or secondary is used, a situation that is usually very difficult to find in this area.
Practical implications
The paper presents a new method to improve trade promotion efficiencies that does not require a drastic change of habits for either the manufacturer or the retailer; allows the practice of forward buying to continue; and leads to channel cost reductions for both parties.
Originality/value
The paper presents research in an area that is under-researched due to lack of data.
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Ramana Kumar Madupalli and Amit Poddar
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of problematic customer behaviors on customer service employee (CSE) attitudes and subsequent retaliation toward customers.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of problematic customer behaviors on customer service employee (CSE) attitudes and subsequent retaliation toward customers.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from five semi-structured in-depth interviews and a structured survey with 434 responses are used to develop and test the theoretical model. CSEs working in different call center companies serving American and European customers were approached using an established survey panel.
Findings
Results using partial least squares methodology showed that problematic customer behaviors have significant effects on emotional dissonance and drain CSEs emotionally. Negative emotional reactions are positively impacted by higher emotional dissonance and exhaustion levels and, subsequently, lead to higher employees’ retaliation.
Research limitations/implications
For implications, this study provides an understanding of the relationship between problematic customer behaviors and CSEs’ retaliation. Future researchers can utilize the findings to investigate employee retaliation in other marketing employees. Limitation was use of cross-sectional data.
Practical implications
This paper provides call center managers with an understanding of the effects of problematic customer behaviors on employee attitudes. It discusses the need for understanding problematic customers and ways to manage the effects of such experiences. This research helps call center and customer service managers recognize the existence of problematic customer behaviors and retaliation of employees, and different levels of antecedents to such employee responses.
Originality/value
The study investigates an under-researched phenomenon, problematic customer behaviors. It provides evidence of relationship between problematic customer behaviors and CSE retaliation. This study is one of the few to investigate employee retaliation in services.
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Amit Poddar and Ramana Madupalli
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of problematic customer behaviors on customer service employee attitudes and subsequent turnover intentions from the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of problematic customer behaviors on customer service employee attitudes and subsequent turnover intentions from the organization and also the occupation.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from five semi‐structured depth interviews and 215 quantitative surveys using structured questionnaires were used to develop and test the theoretical model. Customer service employees working in different call center companies serving American customers were approached using an established survey panel.
Findings
Results using the partial least squares (PLS) methodology showed that problematic customer behaviors drain customer service employees emotionally. Emotional exhaustion is negatively related to job satisfaction, and subsequently, employees' turnover intentions. The results also show that turnover intentions with organization and occupation are positively related to each other.
Research limitations/implications
As regards implications, this study provides an understanding of the relationship between problematic customer behaviors and employees' turnover intentions. Future researchers can utilize the findings from this study for investigating other consequences and antecedents of problematic customer behaviors. A limitation of the study is its use of cross‐sectional data.
Practical implications
This paper provides call center managers with an understanding of the effects of problematic customer behaviors on employee attitudes. It discusses the need for understanding problematic customers and ways to manage the effects of such experiences.
Originality/value
The study investigates an under‐researched phenomenon, i.e. problematic customer behaviors. The study provides evidence of the relationship between problematic customer behaviors and turnover intentions in service employees. This study is also one of very few in marketing to investigate the relationship between organizational and occupational turnover intentions.
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Amit Poddar, Timucin Ozcan and Ramana Kumar Madupalli
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of customer service employees’ (CSEs) competence and service recovery outcomes on service evaluations of foreign and domestic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of customer service employees’ (CSEs) competence and service recovery outcomes on service evaluations of foreign and domestic CSEs.
Design/methodology/approach
Three experiments were conducted to test and validate the proposed hypotheses. The participants were told a cover story that they were either listening to (Study 2) or reading (Studies 1 and 3) a real conversation between a customer service representative of a bank and a customer and the authors wanted their views about the service encounter. While country of origin (COO) and competency were common independent variables across three studies, Study 2 included service recovery with a full refund and Study 3 had both full and partial refund and apology offered or not.
Findings
Results from three experiments show that while competent CSEs are evaluated the same, regardless of their COO, the domestic CSE is evaluated more negatively than the foreign CSE when both are incompetent. The authors also find that when competent CSEs deliver no service recovery, the foreign CSE evaluations are significantly lower than the domestic one. Study 3 results show that this effect is mediated by participants’ ethnocentric beliefs.
Research limitations/implications
For implications, this study provides a deeper understanding of the role of COO in services contexts. Future researchers can utilize the findings to investigate the important role that expectations play in determining service excellence and how it affects the COO effect.
Practical implications
The paper provides managers in both offshoring client and provider firms with an understanding of the effects of offshoring on employee evaluations. It discusses the relevance/irrelevance of COO on the customer evaluations of service employees.
Originality/value
The study investigates an under researched phenomenon – offshoring of services. This paper is one of the few looking at the role of different interaction factors, such as competence, recovery on service evaluations.
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Syagnik Banerjee, Amit Poddar, Scott Yancey and Danielle McDowell
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how to design better awareness and memory of product information using mobile coupon campaigns among those who do not redeem the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how to design better awareness and memory of product information using mobile coupon campaigns among those who do not redeem the coupons.
Design/methodology/approach
The research involves two field experiments with a Mid Western mobile marketing firm where differently designed coupons were sent out to men and women customers of a fast food chain, and non‐redeemers filled out a survey revealing how much they remembered. The research also connected their subsequent purchases a week later. The data were analyzed using ANOVAs.
Findings
Factual ad claims create better recognition than descriptive ad claims in general, but among older working people when ad is viewed in leisure situations men better remember descriptive appeals, and women factual appeals. Also the memory has no effect on purchase intentions or future purchases. In contrast, among younger students, men remember factual ad claims better than descriptive, like women, and their memory has significant effects on subsequent purchase behavior.
Research limitations/implications
Selectivity hypotheses may be applied to design advertising congruity/incongruity based on tasks people are doing in different physical situations. Other limitations include some sampling error (or selectivity) and its difficulties in generalizability across industries.
Practical implications
Managers can build awareness using different types of ad claims depending on gender and situation among older working groups, and use factual appeals for younger groups. Among younger groups the memory of coupons can also drive subsequent purchase behavior.
Originality/value
The paper uncovers the value of non redeeming customers in m‐coupon campaigns, and identifies how to target and design campaigns to best extract that value.
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Elisabeth Niendorf, Akshay Milap, Valerie Mendonca, Ajay Kumar Kathuria and Amit Karna
This case describes the evolution of MHFC, a player in the Indian informal housing sector. As a new entrant offering micro home loans to the financially excluded lower income…
Abstract
This case describes the evolution of MHFC, a player in the Indian informal housing sector. As a new entrant offering micro home loans to the financially excluded lower income families of urban India in 2008, MHFC had grown to an annual number of 18,000 loans worth INR 8 billion with an average ticket size of INR 0.43 million (USD 6,000).
With a 53.5% purchasable equity stake in MHFC, Chopra and his team were left with certain decisions to make. Should the company on-board a new social investor? Or should it bring on the more readily available and capital-rich private equity investors interested in the lucrative prospects of the microfinance housing sector?
The case discusses two key objectives: (1) to understand the entire entrepreneurial journey of a group of entrepreneurs and how they plan to exit the venture, and (2) to enable classroom discussion on how to develop a business model from scratch, get it funded, achieve scale and then exit.
Details
![Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad](/insight/static/img/indian-institute-of-management-ahmedabad-logo.png)
Keywords
Surjit Kumar Kar and Munmun Samantarai
The purpose of this case study is to understand effect of Indian ethos, socio‐cultural setup, etc. on growth of family‐based business; impact of ethnicity and genetic intelligence…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this case study is to understand effect of Indian ethos, socio‐cultural setup, etc. on growth of family‐based business; impact of ethnicity and genetic intelligence on development of entrepreneurial traits, etc. in family business contexts in India.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach takes a single case study on an organized retail firm named Bothra Megabazar Private Limited in Rourkela, India to comprehend the established theories and literature on emergence and spread of business community/class in India known for its own ethos and values as a country. As a part of narrative enquiry method in qualitative research, it collects the narratives of central and peripheral characters in the respective business house through “story telling” and by “restorying” the same, understands and explains the family‐based entrepreneurial journey amidst business dynamics.
Findings
The important findings of this case study are manifold. It finds that there is inter‐connectedness of different aspects amounting for success/growth of family business entrepreneurs and enterprises. Some of these factors are deep‐seated Indian ethos and values, multiple family and social networks, joint and undivided family structure, inheritance of family business down the generations, financial backing from members of family and social networks, long standing experience in trade, genetic intelligence across generations, internal capacity building with unique style of leadership and high‐risk appetite, etc.
Research limitations/implications
With its focus on one specific community like Bani(y)as or Marwaris in Indian business society, the case may not justify the understandings on genetic intelligence in case of other communities/class. However, the study elaborates scope of future studies in the same direction.
Practical implications
Practicing managers and research scholars can use this case for understanding of the key success/growth factors behind socio‐culturally guided family‐based business enterprises.
Originality/value
The paper presents a case that is original.
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Natasha Saqib and Mir Shahid Satar
Emerging markets are witnessing rapid changes in their economy owing to the ongoing liberalization and globalization. India, as one of the emerging markets in south Asia, is also…
Abstract
Purpose
Emerging markets are witnessing rapid changes in their economy owing to the ongoing liberalization and globalization. India, as one of the emerging markets in south Asia, is also experiencing a dramatic change in its business ecosystem. This poses huge opportunities to the companies, both start-ups and established ones. In this direction, the business model innovation offers a strategic renewal mechanism. The study aims to explore the practices of an online transport network company (OLA) creating a distinctive place for itself in Indian taxi service sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Methodologically, an exploratory case study of an India-based online transport company (OLA) business model innovation is reported.
Findings
This paper reveals that OLA has been able to gain competitive advantage in the Indian emerging market by developing an innovative business model with its distinctive features of personalised customer service, asset sharing, usage-based pricing, collaborative ecosystem, agile and adaptive organising and successful expansion strategies.
Research limitations/implications
This study adds to current knowledge concerning the theoretical foundations and antecedents of business model innovation as a competitive advantage. The paper is explorative in nature because the analysis is mostly based on literature review. Furthermore, in consideration of the analysis of business model of a single company, further research is required to generalize the results.
Practical implications
The understanding of the intricacies of business model innovation can be of great concern to existing and prospective managers and entrepreneurs of emerging markets.
Originality/value
The paper discusses the features of innovative business models and how firms can make their business models more relevant to the competitive markets. As such, the study is hopeful to aid practitioners engaged in the pursuit of beating the competition with innovation driven business models.