F. Javier Rondán‐Cataluña and David Martín‐Ruiz
Taking into account the increasing prices of attending concerts and gigs and the decreasing prices and better sound quality of CDs and music in file‐computer format, is the future…
Abstract
Purpose
Taking into account the increasing prices of attending concerts and gigs and the decreasing prices and better sound quality of CDs and music in file‐computer format, is the future of music events threatened by music CDs? Are clients' perceptions about concerts and CDs very different? This study aims to answer these research questions by comparing important perceptions of concert attendees and CD buyers.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study is conducted in two different contexts: CD buyers and concert attendees. In order to answer the research questions outlined the most appropriate statistical tool is the student's t‐test. The variables to compare do not have normal distributions; therefore, non‐parametric tests have been conducted to confirm the results. In addition, a discriminant analysis has been applied in order to assure that both consumers sub‐samples differ with regard to the variables used in the study.
Findings
The future of music events is not threatened at all by music CDs. On one hand, the concert industry has been increasingly making more profits in many countries in last decade. On the other hand, consumer satisfaction, price fairness perception, willingness to pay, customer value, and product/service quality are significantly more highly ranked in concert attendees than in CD buyers. The statistical analyses show clients' perceptions about concerts and CDs are very different. All the variables analysed except image have been significantly different in both sub‐samples of consumers.
Originality/value
This paper examines customer perceptions of two of the most important sectors in the music industry: concerts and CDs, using variables that directly measure these perceptions. It is crucial for music managers to understand motives and feelings of music consumers of these basic sectors in order to make appropriate decisions.
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Manuela Vega‐Vázquez, Francisco J. Cossío‐Silva and David Martín‐Ruíz
This study aims to examine the relationship between a firm's market orientation, product innovation success and market performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the relationship between a firm's market orientation, product innovation success and market performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for the empirical research is obtained from a sample of innovative industrial enterprises based in Andalusia (Southern Spain), all of which were required to have introduced a new product in the preceding three years and to have more than 20 employees. Data collection was conducted by means of a postal survey of 294 firms. The respondents were either the director of the marketing department or the general manager. In all, 85 questionnaires were completed correctly by firms and included in the study, a response rate of 28.91 per cent.
Findings
The results support a positive relationship between market orientation and new product success, providing also partial confirmation of the moderating role of “product newness” in the relationship between market orientation and new product performance.
Originality/value
This work contributes to the literature as follows. First, it addresses the previously neglected question of the influence of MO on dimensions other than organisational performance (in the broad sense). The literature has suggested that MO improves the performance of innovations, but few studies have examined the relationship between MO and the characteristics of new products (such as degree of newness and success); nor have they examined the moderating role of degree of product newness. Second, the study provides empirical evidence that the relationship between MO and product innovation is influenced by the degree of product newness for the market (NM).
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Carmen Barroso Castro, Enrique Martín Armario and David Martín Ruiz
This work analyzes the effect that service company employee behavior has on customer perceptions of the quality of services received, and the consequent company performance…
Abstract
This work analyzes the effect that service company employee behavior has on customer perceptions of the quality of services received, and the consequent company performance. Organizational citizenship behavior has been recognized as relevant behavior of some employees, but its role regarding customer perceptions and company profitability remains unexplored. Beginning with a brief review of the conceptual background of organizational citizenship behavior, service quality, and its consequences, this paper proposes a model to test these relationships empirically. Some helpful recommendations for managing service companies are presented.
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David Martín‐Ruiz and Francisco Javier Rondán‐Cataluña
The purpose of this paper is to explore consumers' perceptions of price unfairness in services, what are its antecedents and when it is important for the consumer. Thus, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore consumers' perceptions of price unfairness in services, what are its antecedents and when it is important for the consumer. Thus, the central question of this research is whether consumers care about how much profit the service company is making and whether there are significant differences to physical goods.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on justice and equity theory, a causal model is developed – which analyses the main antecedents (seller profits vs customer value), moderators and consequences of perceptions of price unfairness. Structural equation modelling has been applied to test the proposed model.
Findings
The lack of specific tools to measure perceptions of price fairness required the development of a multi‐item scale to capture the complexity of the evaluation. This instrument has been tested for reliability and validity in a variety of settings, with excellent results, and can be appropriate when using the survey as a data collection method. Also, the authors have argued that there should be significant differences due to the nature of the product – service industries vs physical goods– as well as due to the number of available alternatives that the buyer has in the market.
Originality/value
The validity of a new model is tested by means of an empirical research conducted in four different settings, two different services (automobile repair services and music concerts) and their related physical goods (automobiles and music CDs). A multi‐item scale is also developed to capture the complexity of price fairness perceptions. Finally, significant differences between contexts, as well as due to the number of available alternatives present in the marketplace are examined.
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Silvia Martelo-Landroguez and David Martin-Ruiz
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the services management literature by identifying a sequence of the different processes of knowledge management (KM) to create…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the services management literature by identifying a sequence of the different processes of knowledge management (KM) to create customer service value.
Design/methodology/approach
The context for the research hypotheses is the Spanish banking industry. The authors conducted a study including 76 banks and 1,832 customers of these banks. This paper uses the partial least squares method to conduct the data analysis.
Findings
The authors find support for all the hypotheses proposed in the model. The results show that service firms that are able to apply more knowledge or apply knowledge more effectively are likely to generate more benefits for their customers, and/or reduce their sacrifices, contributing significantly to a higher perception of service value.
Research limitations/implications
The study focusses on one particular industry in a single point in time. A longitudinal analysis of a variety of service industries would enrich the study.
Practical implications
It is argued that KM constitutes a key capability for service firms for the delivery of service value. According to the research, if service firms want to improve the application of knowledge, it is important to focus on knowledge retention while they create new knowledge.
Originality/value
Although a considerable amount of research has been carried out in the fields of KM and customer value, there has been less research that has taken both into consideration simultaneously. This paper addresses this gap in the literature.
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Matti J. Haverila and Kai Christian Haverila
Customer-centric measures such as customer satisfaction and repurchase intent are important indicators of performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine what is the strength…
Abstract
Purpose
Customer-centric measures such as customer satisfaction and repurchase intent are important indicators of performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine what is the strength and significance of the path coefficients in a customer satisfaction model consisting of various customer-centric measures for different types of ski resort customer (i.e. day, weekend and ski holiday visitors as well as season pass holders) in a ski resort in Canada.
Design/methodology/approach
The results were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach for the four different types ski resort visitors.
Findings
There appeared to differences in the strength and significance in the customer satisfaction model relationships for the four types of ski resort visitors indicating that the a priori managerial classification of the ski resort visitors is warranted.
Originality/value
The research pinpoints differences in the strength and significance in the relationships between customer-centric measures for four different types ski resort visitors, i.e. day, weekend and ski holiday visitors as well as season pass holders, which have significant managerial implications for the marketing practice of the ski resort.
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The present study aims to examine how consumers evaluate the extended human brands of athlete celebrities beyond their unique brand personality associated with sports. Athlete…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study aims to examine how consumers evaluate the extended human brands of athlete celebrities beyond their unique brand personality associated with sports. Athlete celebrities' unique image in sports is used as a human brand, and attitude toward the athlete brand extensions is investigated when the athlete's name is included in a new non-sport brand. The concepts of brand extensions were employed to develop the ideas of human brand extensions.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 198 participants answered online survey questions before and after being informed of athlete brand extensions. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is utilized to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The survey results indicated that athlete–product fit and image transfer positively influenced attitude toward the extension. In addition, attitude toward the athlete brand extensions was significantly influenced by consumers' pre-existing attitude toward the celebrity; however, not by celebrity's expertise.
Originality/value
The research findings imply that some brand extension concepts are applicable to human brands to understand the effectiveness of athlete brand extensions for non-sport products.
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Frank Ojadi, Simonov Kusi-Sarpong, Ifeyinwa Juliet Orji, Chunguang Bai, Himanshu Gupta and Ukoha Kalu Okwara
Sustainability trends have changed the modus operandi in businesses even as the market environment becomes more socially conscious. However, relatively little research has been…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustainability trends have changed the modus operandi in businesses even as the market environment becomes more socially conscious. However, relatively little research has been conducted on integrating social sustainability aspects with a focus on corporate social responsibility (CSR) into the selection of suppliers in the service sector, particularly the banking industry. In this paper, this study aims to propose a CSR decision support methodology to evaluate and prioritize socially responsible suppliers.
Design/methodology/approach
A novel integrated decision support methodology composed of Shannon Entropy and TOmada de Decisão Interativa e Multicritério (TODIM) methods is introduced. The Shannon-Entropy approach is used to estimate CSR factor weights, and TODIM is used to rank the suppliers, with the process completed in a group decision setting.
Findings
A Nigerian bank was used as a case study to test and show the usefulness of the CSR-based decision framework in evaluating and selecting socially responsible suppliers. The results show the topmost ranked suppliers that are recommended for future negotiations by the case (bank). The study will enable banks to select socially responsible suppliers, which could accelerate the attainment of sustainability objectives, protect their reputations and improve competitiveness.
Originality/value
This study pioneers the application of a novel decision methodology based on Shannon Entropy and TODIM in selecting socially sustainable suppliers in the Banking sector of an African emerging economy-Nigeria.
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Elizabeth Breeze, Nicola Jean Hart, Dag Aarsland, Catherine Moody and Carol Brayne
– The purpose of this paper is to scope potential and gaps in European cohort studies with focus on brain ageing and neurodegeneration.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to scope potential and gaps in European cohort studies with focus on brain ageing and neurodegeneration.
Design/methodology/approach
Combined and augmented two scoping exercises conducted for European Union Joint Programme on Neurodegenerative Diseases (JPND) and the Alzheimer Society UK.
Findings
In total, 106 cohorts initially identified with a further 52 found on second sweep. Strengths include gender balance, diversity of measures and much detail on health and health behaviours, and lifecourse representation. Major gaps identified were the oldest old, non-Caucasians, people in Eastern Europe, migrant populations, rural residents and people in long-term care. Quality of life, psychosocial and environmental factors were limited. Relatively few cohorts are population representative. Analytical methods for combining studies and longitudinal analysis require careful consideration.
Research limitations/implications
European studies and published information only.
Practical implications
Collaboration across disciplines and studies, greater dissemination of methods and findings will improve knowledge about cognitive and functional decline in current and future older populations.
Social implications
Better understanding of brain ageing and the dementia syndrome will improve investment decisions for primary, secondary and tertiary prevention.
Originality/value
Building on the work of JPND and the Alzheimer Society is the first study of the scope and limitations of current cohorts in Europe. It is designed to help researchers and policy makers in their planning.