Johanna Katariina Gummerus, Deirdre Mary O’Loughlin, Carol Kelleher and Catharina von Koskull
Following an interpretivist approach, the authors draw on semi-structured interviews with parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Abstract
Purpose
Following an interpretivist approach, the authors draw on semi-structured interviews with parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Design/methodology/approach
Responding to limited academic advancement, particularly in the context of consumers experiencing vulnerability, the aim is to deepen marketing scholars’ understanding of value co-destruction (VCD) and its under-explored relationship with consumer ill-being.
Findings
Three forms of systemic VCD mechanisms emerged: obscuring, gaslighting and siloing. Ill-being comprised material, physical, psychological and social harms, which consumers experienced individually, relationally and collectively due to VCD. Family members’ experiences of ill-being and vulnerability were deepened by service systems’ inability to recognise the individuality of their needs and provide appropriate support.
Research limitations/implications
In line with the interpretivist paradigm, the focus on families of children with ASD, while illuminating, delimits the generalisability of the findings. The authors call for further research on consumer ill-being, VCD and vulnerability in other service and marketing contexts.
Practical implications
The findings highlight the need for service system adaptability to recognise and address unstandardised needs.
Social implications
Several systemic failures of (public) service systems which manifested as VCD mechanisms are identified.
Originality/value
The overall contribution is the development of a contextually driven characterisation of both VCD and ill-being and a deeper understanding of how these are interrelated. First, VCD revealed itself as a systemic failure to access, provide or integrate resources to meet actors’ needs as manifested by the three mechanisms. Second, the authors characterise ill-being as comprising material, physical, psychological and social harms due to VCD, which are experienced individually, relationally and collectively. Finally, the authors illuminate the nature of vulnerability and delineate the entanglements between vulnerability and ill-being in a collective (e.g. family) context.
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Isabelle T. Szmigin, Deirdre Mary O'Loughlin, Morven McEachern, Kalipso Karantinou, Belem Barbosa, Grigorios Lamprinakos and María Eugenia Fernández-Moya
In the context of European consumers’ experiences of austerity, this study aims to advance current resilience theory in marketing through developing persistent resilience from a…
Abstract
Purpose
In the context of European consumers’ experiences of austerity, this study aims to advance current resilience theory in marketing through developing persistent resilience from a context of austerity influenced consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
Following an interpretivist approach, 38 face to face, in-depth interviews were conducted with European consumers from Ireland, UK, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece who were affected in some way by the global financial crisis.
Findings
Building upon limited conceptual and empirical investigations in social geography, the analysis identifies the themes of persistent stressors and temporal orientation as constants, alongside day-to-day coping, relating and pragmatism, consumer adjustment, repertoires of resistance and transformation as key elements of persistent resilience within the consumption context of austerity.
Research limitations/implications
The study addresses the limited theoretical and empirical focus on persistent resilience and austerity and directly contributes to consumer behaviour and marketing theory in understanding persistent resilience and its implications.
Practical implications
Changes to behaviours as a result of persistent resilience included reducing and stopping consumption, discount shopping, alternative consumption in the form of growing or making and mindful consumption through wastage reduction and re-use.
Social implications
The study highlights the significant social impact of austerity while also identifying positive outcomes for social relations among family, friends and the wider community.
Originality/value
This study develops and extends Golubchikov’s (2011) theory of persistent resilience through exploring European consumer responses to austerity, identifying key consumption characteristics relevant for marketing theory and practice.
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Mary Loonam and Deirdre O'Loughlin
The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence of self‐service banking technology and investigates customers' perceptions of internet banking self‐service within the Irish…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence of self‐service banking technology and investigates customers' perceptions of internet banking self‐service within the Irish financial services sector. This qualitative study of the Irish retail banking sector explored consumers' e‐banking interactions and experiences in addition to assessing the dimensions critical to e‐banking service quality.
Design/methodology/approach
A purposive sampling technique was employed to recruit 20 consumers representing the desired range of demographic characteristics (e.g. sex, age, profession), previous internet experience levels and product‐related knowledge.
Findings
Despite commonalities between traditional service quality and e‐banking service quality dimensions, due to the remote form of the online encounter, many traditional service quality attributes were found to be redundant and instead e‐dimensions such as web usability, trust, access and information quality service recovery and flexibility emerged as important to e‐banking service provision. Based on an extant review of the literature ten e‐service dimensions were proposed and evaluated empirically in the context of e‐banking service quality. Overall, process quality emerged as key within the online context, with nine out of the ten proposed e‐banking dimensions relating to the service process.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to previous research by adding to existing knowledge regarding what constitutes e‐banking service and the determinants critical to e‐banking service quality. The paper makes key recommendations towards enhancing current online financial services quality and delivery.
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Deirdre O'Loughlin and Isabelle Szmigin
This research seeks to explore current attitudes, motivations and behaviours in relation to student credit and debt consumption in the UK and Ireland.
Abstract
Purpose
This research seeks to explore current attitudes, motivations and behaviours in relation to student credit and debt consumption in the UK and Ireland.
Design/methodology/approach
Key qualitative consumer research based on 20 interviews with Irish and UK higher education students is presented.
Findings
The findings highlight that, while the UK and Irish student contexts are significantly different in terms of accommodation costs, tuition fees and living expenses, many Irish students reported relatively high debt levels, with some exceeding their UK counterparts. The research identifies key contextual factors associated with the credit‐friendly environment in which students live in addition to shedding light on student orientation towards credit and debt, with specific conclusions for future student debt.
Research limitations/ implications
Given the rise in debt and its detrimental consequences, the study has far‐reaching implications for policy makers, consumer agencies financial providers and marketers in terms of creating an environment where good student financial capability and management is developed and facilitated through increased financial education and regulation. The research has implications for other western countries in terms of predicting comparative trends in student credit and debt attitude and behaviour.
Originality/value
This paper addresses the lack of analytical and academic commentary exploring the dynamics and nature of student credit and debt, particularly within an Irish context, in addition to providing a cross‐cultural comparison between credit and debt consumption in Ireland, where debt is a relatively new phenomenon, and the UK, a country well‐entrenched in debt.
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Deirdre O'Loughlin, Isabelle Szmigin and Peter Turnbull
This study investigates the nature of customer‐supplier interaction that currently exists within Irish retail financial services. Specifically, issues relating to the role…
Abstract
This study investigates the nature of customer‐supplier interaction that currently exists within Irish retail financial services. Specifically, issues relating to the role, meaning and importance of financial service interaction within the context of current demand‐ and supply‐side relationship marketing issues are explored. Although the literature proposes that the relationship marketing (RM) approach is particularly applicable to the financial services sector, the research findings raise questions as to the appropriateness of general RM theory to the current nature of interaction between consumers and their financial services providers. In an age of increased depersonalisation and automation impacting upon financial service quality and delivery, the paper questions the relevance of the “relationship” concept and proposes the notion of an “experience” as a far more relevant and meaningful construct. The nature and importance of this experience to consumers is explored and three levels of customer experience are conceptualised which are identified as brand, transactional and relationship experience.
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Deirdre O'Loughlin and Isabelle Szmigin
This paper explores the role of financial services brand values and compares the importance of process and outcome factors in terms of their impact on customer perceptions…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the role of financial services brand values and compares the importance of process and outcome factors in terms of their impact on customer perceptions, behaviour and experience.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on exploratory managerial and consumer research, 50 in‐depth interviews were conducted with a quota sample of Irish consumers representing the desired range of demographic and product‐related characteristics, including income and financial experience.
Findings
Contrary to the literature, functional values are deemed by consumers to be significantly more important than emotional values. In addition, process factors, facilitated through positive interactions with staff, play a comparatively more salient role than outcome factors in building positive brand experience.
Research limitations/implications
Further in‐depth qualitative and/or quantitative studies need to be conducted with larger sample sizes to address issues in terms of making inferences and generalisations from the research. As this study was conducted in an Irish context, further comparative research should be conducted with other similar financial markets to investigate any underlying cultural bias.
Practical implications
It is recommended that financial services providers design brand appeals and advertising messages that are targeted at consumers' functional financial needs. Furthermore, financial service providers can maximise superior brand experience through a successful integrated strategy of meeting customer functional brand needs in an outcome‐driven approach and exceeding customer expectations within a process‐driven service experience.
Originality/value
This paper broadens understanding and insight into the complex and evolving area of brand management within retail financial services and has far‐reaching theoretical and practical implications.
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Liam O’Callaghan, David M. Doyle, Diarmuid Griffin and Muiread Murphy
The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it investigates the relationship between television, its audiences and Twitter around the creation of social TV events. Here it…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it investigates the relationship between television, its audiences and Twitter around the creation of social TV events. Here it contributes to knowledge by charting usage in relation to different types of programmes and by comparing Twitter to Facebook data. Second, it evaluates the way in which student-led research can be used to conduct audience studies with the help of Twitter.
Design/methodology/approach
The research applies a quantitative approach, measuring the volume of Twitter messages before, during and after two different types of television programmes, i.e. Reality TV (The X Factor and The Only Way is Essex) and sports broadcasts (football and Formula One). Brief comparisons are also drawn with data collected from Facebook. The pedagogical evaluation of the research is based on self-reflection by the author/tutor.
Findings
The research established similar trends and patterns of viewer engagement for both types of television programming, with key activity during and towards the end of a broadcast which points to viewers using Twitter, or Facebook, while watching the event. The findings are compared to previous studies on television programmes and Twitter use. The study also identified that student research using Twitter can lead to a valuable learning experience as it allows students to use their own knowledge of social media to inform the research process.
Originality/value
This research makes a contribution to the small yet growing body of studies examining Twitter activity in relation to TV events. It also contributes to knowledge on the educational use of social media by providing an account of how Twitter can be applied as a research tool by students.