Harsandaldeep Kaur and Harmeen Soch
The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the factors influencing Indian consumers’ loyalty toward mobile phone service providers by exploring the mediating…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop an understanding of the factors influencing Indian consumers’ loyalty toward mobile phone service providers by exploring the mediating roles of commitment, corporate image and switching costs on causal relationships between customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey of 855 Indian mobile phone users was carried out to test the hypothesized relationships using structural equation modeling. The results support most of the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The direct linkages in the model are found to be statistically significant. Of these relationships, corporate image emerged as the strongest determinant of attitudinal loyalty. Calculative commitment and corporate image are found to be partial mediators between satisfaction and attitudinal loyalty. Calculative commitment and switching costs are each proven to be partial mediators between trust and attitudinal loyalty, while corporate image is proved to be a complete mediator.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to examining the impact of relationship variables on Indian consumers’ loyalty toward mobile phone companies. Future research can examine the impact of variables such as rate plans, value-added services, billing experience and voice quality on customer loyalty.
Practical implications
The results have implications for retaining customers in highly competitive and maturing Indian mobile telecommunications. The research provides some initial insights into corporate brand building as an important area for mobile phone companies.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to test the mediating role of commitment, switching costs and corporate image in the relationship between satisfaction, trust and loyalty in the Indian context.
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Kiranbir Kaur and Harmeen Soch
The study examines the mediating effects of social value perception and emotional value perception on the relationship between brand prominence and purchase intentions. Further…
Abstract
Purpose
The study examines the mediating effects of social value perception and emotional value perception on the relationship between brand prominence and purchase intentions. Further, it examines the consumer preferences about the mark or logo showcased on luxury fashion products during the purchasing process.
Design/methodology/approach
The data was obtained from a sample of 420 participants through the administration of questionnaires, utilizing both online and offline methods. The sampling approach employed was a combination of purposive and snowball sampling. For offline data collection, the shopping malls and flagship stores of Delhi NCR and Chandigarh were visited. For analysis of the data, Smart PLS 4 and IBM SPSS were used.
Findings
Social value perception and emotional value perception have a significant positive relationship with brand prominence and purchase intentions. The relationship between brand prominence and purchase intentions is fully mediated by social value perception and emotional value perception. Further, consumers in India have also shown a preference for brands that have displayed their logos prominently rather than subtly.
Practical implications
This study contributes to the existing body of work on brand prominence by investigating the role of social value perception and emotional value perception as mediators. The research offers valuable insights for advertisers and practitioners to develop strategies for planning and implementing effective communication techniques.
Originality/value
This study fills the major gaps in the literature about brand prominence. The study unveils the Indian consumer preferences towards the level of brand marks during purchasing behaviours along with the social value perception and emotional value perception as mediators between brand prominence and purchase intentions.
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This study aims to contribute to the darker side of consumer–brand interactions by examining the relationship between consumer-related antecedents, particularly consumer…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to contribute to the darker side of consumer–brand interactions by examining the relationship between consumer-related antecedents, particularly consumer personality traits, in triggering brand-hate emotions. Additionally, the link between brand hate and brand forgiveness was also taken into account, as well as the moderating impact of personality attributes. The impact of brand forgiveness on consumer coping behavior was investigated, particularly for brand switching (flight) and negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) (fight) on Indian e-commerce shopping websites/apps.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a structured questionnaire survey and a nonprobability purposive sampling approach, data were obtained from 438 online shoppers who had experienced hate directed at a particular shopping website or app. The hypotheses were tested statistically using partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 4 software.
Findings
First, the findings demonstrate that agreeableness, extraversion and neuroticism significantly affected brand hate. Second, the results indicate that personality traits, particularly extraversion and conscientiousness from the Big-Five model, play a substantial role in moderating the relationship between brand hate and brand forgiveness. Third, the study also reveals the significance of brand forgiveness in mitigating the adverse consequences of NWOM and brand switching in the context of e-commerce platforms.
Practical implications
Practical steps such as complaint-management processes and prompt resolutions through an appropriate means of active interaction and understanding the consumer’s personality when their concerns are heard and handled can help brand managers earn customers’ forgiveness and reduce brand hate toward e-commerce websites/apps.
Originality/value
Based on the authors’ understanding, this study is the initial one to incorporate brand hate, brand forgiveness and coping strategies into the model in a service context with the interaction effect of consumer personality traits.
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Harsandaldeep Kaur and Harmeen Soch
Identifying the loyalty drivers to cell phone operators is extremely important in today's competitive environment. Consensus is absent in the marketing literature on how loyalty…
Abstract
Purpose
Identifying the loyalty drivers to cell phone operators is extremely important in today's competitive environment. Consensus is absent in the marketing literature on how loyalty should be conceptualized and measured in the service industry. The purpose of this study is to test an integrative model to examine the relations among customer satisfaction, trust, commitment, corporate image, attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty. It also aims to examine the mediating roles of commitment and corporate image on causal relationships between trust and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collection was done in two stages: in the first stage in which the primary purpose of analysis was pre‐testing, the authors collected data from 250 respondents. In the second stage, data were obtained from 855 mobile phone users in India via questionnaire. The data were analysed by structural equation modelling (SEM) in order to test all the relationships between variables in the model.
Findings
The findings supported the proposed hypotheses, which are consistent with the theoretical framework. Analysis showed that corporate image is an important determinant of attitudinal loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
In order to generalize the findings, the proposed model should be studied in different service industries. This research does not examine the interaction effects between customer satisfaction and trust. Future researchers can test these interaction effects and study its impact on development of behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. The proposed model should be tested using a longitudinal research design.
Practical implications
Firms should focus both on attitudinal and behavioural loyalty to create truly loyal customers. A defensive marketing strategy is important for the highly competitive and maturing mobile telecommunications service market. Mobile phone companies should develop and reinforce marketing strategies focusing on factors (satisfaction, commitment, trust and corporate image) which have the greatest influence on retention.
Originality/value
This paper examines the mediating roles of commitment and corporate image in the formation of customer loyalty.