Anuradha Deb and Andy Ranaweera
Many companies claim to focus their resources on the development of their people, but few can match the learning culture at Indian IT company, Mahindra BT. Its focus on education…
Abstract
Many companies claim to focus their resources on the development of their people, but few can match the learning culture at Indian IT company, Mahindra BT. Its focus on education and development had led to a rapidly growing business with enviable employee recruitment and retention rates.
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Chatura Ranaweera and Andy Neely
This paper presents a holistic model of customer retention incorporating service quality perceptions, price perceptions, customer indifference and inertia. Data from a large‐scale…
Abstract
This paper presents a holistic model of customer retention incorporating service quality perceptions, price perceptions, customer indifference and inertia. Data from a large‐scale postal survey of telephone users in England showed that perceptions of service quality have a direct linear relationship with customer retention even in mass services with low customer contact. Price perceptions and customer indifference too were found to have a direct linear effect on retention. Furthermore, it was also seen how both price perceptions and customer indifference moderated the relationship between service quality perceptions and customer retention. A linear relationship between inertia and customer retention was not found. Furthermore, there was evidence to indicate that inertia was a relatively unstable condition and that reliance by service providers on inertia to retain customers could indeed be a risky strategy.
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Amalia E. Maulana and Giana M. Eckhardt
This study aims to understand the meaning of web site connectedness from the consumer's point of view, and uncover the underlying meaning of emotional ties between visitors and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the meaning of web site connectedness from the consumer's point of view, and uncover the underlying meaning of emotional ties between visitors and web sites.
Design/methodology/approach
The study, conducted a netnography which uses three qualitative research methods: online interviews; diary analysis; and observation of web site usage and behaviour. Seven respondents were obtained for the depth interviews, and 12 respondents participated in the diary study. The length of interviews was approximately 1.5 hours/respondent; whereas the three‐consecutive days of diary entries consist of three‐four pages per day/respondent. Observation was undertaken by the lead researcher as an active member of several user groups.
Findings
The emic perspective illuminated here shows that web site connectedness consists of three major themes: relatability; dependency; and sense of community. The paper defines these constructs, and suggests that to transform the relationship from “just friends” to “soul mates” web site owners should focus on improving one or all of the connectedness components. Surprisingly, frequency of visit did not determine the depth of the relationship between web sites and their visitors, as is the common assumption in the literature.
Originality/value
This research study illuminates a new way to understand the emotional connection between consumers and web sites, and uncovers the three most important factors that lead toward three varying levels of emotional connectedness (just friends, good acquaintances and soul mates). The paper also suggests ways in which emotional connectedness can be enhanced.
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Rami Mohammad Al-dweeri, Antonia Ruiz Moreno, Francisco Javier Llorens Montes, Zaid Mohammad Obeidat and Khaldoon M. Al-dwairi
The purpose of this paper is to examine the dimensions of e-service quality, its effects on e-satisfaction and e-trust and its impact on behavioural and attitudinal loyalty in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the dimensions of e-service quality, its effects on e-satisfaction and e-trust and its impact on behavioural and attitudinal loyalty in Jordanian youth users of online retailing.
Design/methodology/approach
The scale proposed in this study has been specifically constructed using the four models most recognised for measuring e-service quality: E-S-QUAL, WebQual, eTransQual and eTailQ. The dimensions used in this study are efficiency, privacy, reliability, emotional benefit and customer service. The research model was statistically tested by students in Jordan, using Amazon.com.
Findings
It is found that privacy, reliability, emotional benefit and customer service are important elements to measure the e-service quality, but efficiency is not. E-trust was found to be an antecedent of e-satisfaction, and behavioural loyalty an antecedent of attitudinal loyalty.
Originality/value
The contribution of this study is thus the investigation of the causal relationship between the e-service quality dimensions, e-satisfaction, e-trust, behavioural loyalty and attitudinal loyalty, where it is necessary to consider the subject in more depth and to examine e-service quality dimensions based on a proposed model constructed from the four most common models.
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Heba F. Zaher and Gilberto Marquez-Illescas
This paper aims to examine the existing literature on firms’ power through the lens of the supply chain and highlights some gaps that could be covered by future research.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the existing literature on firms’ power through the lens of the supply chain and highlights some gaps that could be covered by future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a systematic framework-based review combining the insights of the antecedents, decisions and outcomes (ADO) and theories, contexts and methods (TCM) frameworks. The review was carried out using a sample of 108 articles published between 1984 and 2022 in 25 prestigious journals.
Findings
The ADO framework maps out the state of the art of the antecedents of power (i.e. sources and types of firm power), the decision to use power and the effect that exercising power over other firms may have on firm performance and the quality of inter-firm relationships. In addition, this framework highlights factors that mediate or moderate the decision to exercise power and the factors that mediate or moderate the outcomes of exercising power or power asymmetry. The TCM framework provides insights into the theories, contexts (i.e. countries, industries, level of analysis and sources of data) and methods used by the existing literature. The content analysis using the aforementioned frameworks provides the basis to elaborate propositions for future research on power in the supply chain from the perspective of gender differences.
Research limitations/implications
This systematic literature review offers a comprehensive guide for researchers to understand the antecedents, decisions and outcomes of firm power in the supply chain, as well as the TCM used in the literature. The content analysis using frameworks provides a road map to investigate the proposed factors that might moderate the decision to exercise power and the outcome of exercising power or power asymmetry from the perspective of gender differences. In addition, based on content analysis, the authors make propositions about TCM that could be applied in future research.
Practical implications
From a practical perspective, this systematic literature review may help managers to better understand the sources and consequences of their firm’s power. This would allow managers to make better decisions when negotiating with their supply chain parties, which could potentially lead to better performance for their firms and the whole supply chain.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to conduct a comprehensive systematic literature review of the different dimensions of firms’ power in the supply chain.
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Solimun Solimun and Adji Achmad Rinaldo Fernandes
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediation effect of customer satisfaction in the relationship between service quality, service orientation, and marketing mix…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediation effect of customer satisfaction in the relationship between service quality, service orientation, and marketing mix strategy to customer loyalty, in a study in Telkomsel-Indonesia. The product used in this research will take the telecommunication service product categories with a number of products available in the market. In this research, the telecommunication service products of Telkomsel with various features as the research objects were studied.
Design/methodology/approach
The population of this research is Telkomsel customers who use the products of Halo, As and Simpati, domiciled in Malang, 2016. Since it was impossible to get the exact number of customers, the population in this study is infinite. The study had a sample size of 200 respondents. This research uses the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis techniques along with AMOS methods.
Findings
The quality of service, service orientation, and strategy marketing mix applied by the company are not all variables can directly affect customer loyalty, but must first going through satisfaction. Which means that companies must first need to understand what the customer needs through variable service quality, service orientation, and marketing mix strategy so that the customers feel loyal when the level of satisfaction is resolved. The service quality provided by the telecommunications industry needs to be improved in order to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty of telecommunications services, especially for Telkomsel in Malang.
Originality/value
Originality for this paper shows: mediation effect (using the Sobel test) customer satisfaction on the effect of service quality, service orientation and marketing mix strategy to customer loyalty; location of the study (no previous research for this relationship): telecommunication services in Malang, Indonesia.