Chukwunonso Oraedu, Ernest Emeka Izogo, Justie Nnabuko and Ike-Elechi Ogba
This paper aims to advance knowledge on the influencers of positive electronic and face-to-face word-of-mouth (WOM) behaviour by examining an interrelationship model of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to advance knowledge on the influencers of positive electronic and face-to-face word-of-mouth (WOM) behaviour by examining an interrelationship model of relationship quality (RQ) components and antecedents in the telecommunication service setting.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey design was used to generate data from informants and was analysed using the partial least square structural equation modelling technique.
Findings
Findings indicate that service quality and relationship value have positive effect on trust and satisfaction, while service communication is positively related to trust but not satisfaction. Both trust and satisfaction have positive effect on face-to-face word-of-mouth (fWOM) and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). Additionally, relationship value directly influences fWOM but not eWOM, while service quality did not directly influence either mode of WOM behaviour.
Research limitations/implications
The study was conducted in a single service setting, and thus, outcomes cannot be generalised. Further, the authors limited the study of electronic WOM to only Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter media. As such, caution should be applied in generalising the research findings across contexts.
Practical implications
This paper provides a guide on how telecom service managers can develop and manage their relationship network. Specifically, it demonstrates how business referrals can be generated and harnessed to build customer retention from different relationship building strategies. The study suggests that service providers that deliver quality services, engineer superior value and provide reliable information are better placed to develop resounding relationships with customers and consequently get them to engage in positive referrals.
Originality/value
This study is unique because it investigates the antecedents of WOM from an inter-relational perspective. By simultaneously examining the direct effects of RQ, and its antecedents on both fWOM and eWOM in a single model, the authors illustrate the antecedents and outcomes of RQ in a distinctive way.
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Ernest Emeka Izogo, Abdi Reza, Ike-Elechi Ogba and Chukwunonso Oraedu
The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of relationship quality (hereafter referred to as RQ) and its impact on customer loyalty within an emerging retail banking…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of relationship quality (hereafter referred to as RQ) and its impact on customer loyalty within an emerging retail banking market through a dual-lens theory.
Design/methodology/approach
The research informants were recruited from a city in South-eastern Nigeria. A quantitative data obtained through bank-intercept method and online survey from 332 customers of retail banking services formed the final database. The proposed model and by implication the research hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling procedure.
Findings
The results show that customer orientation, expertise and information sharing are stimulus factors that directly influence the constructs of RQ (i.e. trust and satisfaction and indirectly influence customer loyalty through the constructs of RQ. The paper also demonstrates that the stimulus factors are direct predictors of consumers’ response. The proposed model explained 49 per cent of the total variance in customer loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
Customer orientation, expertise and information sharing are stimulus factors that improve RQ and customer loyalty. However, the explanatory power of the proposed model is modest. Future research should therefore integrate other determinants of RQ.
Practical implications
The paper provides clear insights into how retail bank managers operating in a very competitive and emerging market can improve RQ and subsequently attract customer loyalty.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the growing body of stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) literature within the retail environment by exploring unique stimulus and organism variables from an emerging retail banking market perspective. Additionally, by showing that the stimulus factors are direct predictors of consumers’ response, the paper challenged the existing tenets of the S-O-R framework and deepened the current understanding of the model. The paper also contributes to the social exchange theory by demonstrating how the components of RQ mediate the antecedents and consequences of the construct.
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The purpose of this paper is to extend previous research on employee commitment to their organisation within the Nigerian banking sector. This paper aims to use income and age as…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to extend previous research on employee commitment to their organisation within the Nigerian banking sector. This paper aims to use income and age as variables in assessing employee commitment to their organisations in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was employed in data collection, using a 28‐item, seven‐point Likert scaled questionnaire administered to 200 participants with a 42 per cent usable response rate. A factor analysis resulted in three components of commitment.
Findings
The results from the analysis indicate that employees with high income represent the same group of employees within the age groups 31‐35 with low commitment to their organisation.
Originality/value
This paper demonstrates that the relationships between age, income and commitment might be explained by reference to cultural factors which might have stronger influence on employee expression of commitment to their organisations.
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Ike‐Elechi Ogba and Zhenzhen Tan
Whereas there is a growing recognition of the relevance of brand image to the success of market offering and organisation, as indications suggests that a good brand image can…
Abstract
Purpose
Whereas there is a growing recognition of the relevance of brand image to the success of market offering and organisation, as indications suggests that a good brand image can enhance customer experience and satisfaction for long‐term commitment. Evidences suggest limited study on the impact of brand image on key marketing and organisational components, including the impact of brand image on customer loyalty and commitment. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to examine how brand image can influence customer loyalty as well as impact on customer commitment to market offering within Chinese mobile phone market.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was employed, using 26‐item, 7‐point Likert scaled questionnaire administered to 250 participants with 40 percent usable response rate. Data was analysed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach α internal consistency, ANOVA and correlation analysis for scale suitability, usability, reliability and test of association.
Findings
The outcome from the study was the reduction of 26‐25 scale items and high reliability of scale items at 0.942αs for further studies. Further behavioural analyses show that brand image have positive impact on customer expression of loyalty and commitment to market offering.
Originality/value
The outcome from this study concludes that brand image can positively influence customers' loyalty to a market offering and possibly boost customer commitment. The study identifies the degree of the relevant of brand image and its impact on organisations and their market offerings. The study suggests that good brand image should positively impact on customers' loyalty, which at long run should also influence customer perceived quality, enables satisfaction and should also influence to a greater degree the extent to which customers are willing to express commitment to such offering for sustainable profit. The limitations of the study are also explored in terms of the generalisation of the study, with the implications of the study further identified.
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Ike‐Elechi Ogba and Rebecca Johnson
Health is becoming an increasingly important issue in the UK as well as the rest of Europe. Emphasis on the importance of healthy eating is ongoing for many reasons, including the…
Abstract
Purpose
Health is becoming an increasingly important issue in the UK as well as the rest of Europe. Emphasis on the importance of healthy eating is ongoing for many reasons, including the growing concern about childhood obesity resulting in the ban of advertising of unhealthy foods to children in the UK in April 2007. However, although legislation has been placed upon the advertising of unhealthy food products, no such restrictions have been placed on the packaging of children's foods despite the influence of packaging on consumer buyer decisions. This paper aims to investigate the effect of packaging on children's product preferences and its ability to influence parents' buyer decision in‐store.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was approached from the parents' rather than the children's perspective. A quantitative approach was adopted in data collection, using a 28 item Likert scaled questionnaire administered to 150 parents, with over 95 percent response rate.
Findings
The study shows that packaging does affect the product preferences of children. Also, children are particularly interested in influencing the purchase of unhealthy foods. However, parents within the study claimed that they did not succumb to their children's requests for the purchase of unhealthy food, which contradicts evidence from previous findings.
Research limitations/implications
The claim by parents that they did not succumb to their children's requests for unhealthy food contradicts findings from previous research. This therefore leads to a recommendation for further studies as social desirability bias may have influenced the outcomes of the findings.
Practical implications
Findings from this study can be applied within the retail and service marketing sector to provide the practitioner with information relevant to decision making on children's influence on parents buyer behavior in‐store. Outcomes of the study are also important when considering the future of children's food marketing and tackling the issue of childhood obesity.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates that there is a relationship between packaging and children product preferences and children's influence on parents' buyer decision in‐store.
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Ernest Emeka Izogo and Ike-Elechi Ogba
The purpose of this study is to explore the dimensional structure of the SERVQUAL scale within non-western service setting as well as the impact of service quality dimensions on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the dimensional structure of the SERVQUAL scale within non-western service setting as well as the impact of service quality dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was employed, using 32-item, seven-point Likert-scaled questionnaire administered to 384 participants with 55.99 per cent usable response rate. Data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s internal consistency and γ test to, respectively, measure scale suitability, usability and strength/direction of association.
Findings
The outcome from the study was the reduction of the 32 items to 26 scale items with 0.929 total α score. Further outcomes show that service quality dimensions are significant predictors of customer satisfaction and loyalty with the commitment dimension accounting for the highest degree of this impact.
Research limitations/implications
Findings failed to corroborate past research as it was established that distinct efforts to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty within non-western service contexts proved to be less useful. However, outcomes cannot be generalized and as such, the modified scale that emerged from this research should receive more rigorous tests in other emerging services contexts.
Practical implications
Automobile repair services firms within Ebonyi State will be better placed in their strategic responses to customer loyalty if they boost customers’ satisfaction through excellent service quality improvement actions.
Social implications
The best way to enhance the welfare of the consumers of automobile repair services in Ebonyi State is by improving the empathy, tangibles, responsiveness, reliability and commitment dimensions of service quality.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates that the commitment dimension of service quality emerged as the most significant predictor of customer satisfaction and loyalty. The research also demonstrates that satisfied customers will definitely be loyal because a distinct effort to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty was found to be less useful.
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Ernest Emeka Izogo, Ike-Elechi Ogba and Kenneth Chukwuma Nwekpa
The purpose of this paper is to explore the linkages between the determinants of relationship marketing and the behavioural component of these determinants within a non-Western…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the linkages between the determinants of relationship marketing and the behavioural component of these determinants within a non-Western retail stores setting.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was employed, using 19-item, seven-point Likert scaled questionnaire administered to 350 participants with 67 per cent usable response rate. Data was analysed using exploratory factor analysis, Cronbach’s α internal consistency; correlation analysis and One-Way Analysis of Variance test.
Findings
Trust-Quality services emerged as the most outstanding determinant of relationship marketing within the retail stores context followed by relational orientation, commitment and proximity. Quality services were found to have the most significant positive impact on trust whereas trust was found to have a strong positive impact on commitment. Relational orientation was found to have a strong positive impact on trust, commitment and quality services but proximity was found to be a docile factor determining commitment and relational orientation. Finally, consumers were identified as being more relationally oriented than retailers and all categories of consumers can be served with same blend of relationship marketing strategies.
Research limitations/implications
Since findings could not be generalized across other sectors and regions, guides for testing the proposed research model are put forward.
Practical implications
Relationship marketing implementation within the context of retail stores will be more successful if based on delivery of quality services. Consumers are also more likely to patronize closer than distant retail stores. As such, even if retail firms build strong trust, commitment and relational orientation with customers through quality services, consumers will still patronize stores that are closer to them more than stores in distant locations. Siting retail stores in locations with the largest pool of customers’ is therefore central to enhancing retail stores performance. All categories of customers could be served with same stream of relationship marketing strategies because designing different schemes of relationship marketing programmes for different customer categories were found to be counter-productive.
Originality/value
This paper identified 16 attributes that are important to consumers under four dimensions: Trust-Quality services, relational orientation, commitment and proximity within the retail stores context. The findings are acknowledged to be unique because they emerged from a largely under-researched collectivistic emerging market where relationship marketing formation is key.
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Padma Panchapakesan, Muslim Amin and Halimin Herjanto
The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of service excellence and guest delight on guest affective commitment to luxury restaurants, more specifically, the…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of service excellence and guest delight on guest affective commitment to luxury restaurants, more specifically, the mediating effect of guest delight in the relationship between service excellence and guest affective commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 270 guests with a response rate of 67.5%. SmartPLS software was used for data analysis.
Findings
The findings indicate that service excellence and guest delight had increased guest affective commitment to the luxury restaurant. It has been determined that guest delight acts as a mediator between service excellence and guest affective commitment.
Practical implications
Providing a high level of service excellence and delighting, thereby encouraging luxury guests to have a high level of commitment to the restaurant. Therefore, luxury guests' expectations must be exceeded to obtain their commitment to the restaurant.
Originality/value
This research study provides a substantial contribution to the hospitality literature by providing a significant concept of guest delight that can offer the opportunity to establish a new understanding of guest affective commitment in the luxury restaurant context.