Mark Wendlandt and Ulf Schrader
Although relationship marketing has developed into the prevailing marketing paradigm, it frequently encounters resistance from the demand side. Both management practitioners and…
Abstract
Purpose
Although relationship marketing has developed into the prevailing marketing paradigm, it frequently encounters resistance from the demand side. Both management practitioners and academics indicate that at least some consumers show reactance against loyalty programs, i.e. against tactical instruments of relationship marketing. Nevertheless, relationship marketing has widely neglected reactance theory. This paper attempts to close this gap.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the fundamental principles of loyalty programs and reactance theory the paper presents a set of hypotheses on the determinants and effects of situational consumer reactance against loyalty programs. It tests these hypotheses on the basis of 388 face‐to‐face interviews with bookstore customers. These interviews include a between‐subject manipulation on the reactance effect of economic, social‐psychological, and contractual bonding potentials. To test the proposed hypotheses, the paper applies structural equation modeling with PLS.
Findings
As expected, contractual bonds provoked reactance effects, while social‐psychological bonds neither increased reactance, nor the perceived utility of the program. Economic bonds raised perceived utility up to a certain threshold level, from which the reactance effect dominated thereafter.
Practical implications
As a consequence, a cautious and limited application of customer loyalty programs is advisable. The developed consumer reactance scale can help managers to evaluate the effects of planned or implemented customer retention measures.
Originality/value
This is the first attempt to investigate situational reactance in a loyalty program setting.
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Lisa K. J. Kuron, Sean T. Lyons, Linda Schweitzer and Eddy S.W. Ng
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether work values vary across different life and career stages in a sample of Millennials.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether work values vary across different life and career stages in a sample of Millennials.
Design/methodology/approach
The sample for this study was comprised of 906 Canadian Millennials (born between 1980 and 1994).
Findings
Pre-career and working Millennials varied in terms of the importance they placed on five work values – interesting work, achievement, good co-workers, doing work that helped people and salary – although these differences were small in magnitude. This suggests that Millennials’ work values are relatively stable as they grow older and gain work experience.
Research limitations/implications
A large body of research citing generational differences relies upon cross-sectional studies which compares different generations of individuals at different life stages, thus making it impossible to disentangle whether the differences are a result of generational or life-cycle effects. The findings that the importance of work values shift over the life course suggest that maturation effects may explain only a small portion of these differences in the emerging adulthood phase. This finding is particularly important for researchers who rely on samples of post-secondary students as this is a period of change from both an individual and career developmental perspective.
Practical implications
This research suggests that pre-career Millennials may be attracted to organizations which emphasize a collegial work environment and socially responsible culture. Once they are in the workforce, Millennials can be attracted and retained through attractive working conditions and remuneration. All Millennials are most likely to be attracted to workplaces that provide interesting work, work-life balance, job security and the information workers need to do their jobs effectively.
Originality/value
Developmental psychology and career development literature suggest that transitioning from school-to-work is a major life event. Past research has shown that the importance of work values change across this transition and that this change differs among social generations (i.e. Baby Boomers and Generation Xers), but research to date has not examined this transition in the current, millennial generation (born after 1980). We answer the call for researchers to understand Millennials as they progress in their careers, demonstrate that the shift in work values is different for Millennials, and provide actionable recommendations for managers.
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Gargi Bhaduri and Nancy Stanforth
This paper aims to understand whether product descriptor cues related to artisanal qualities can help marketers to delineate their clothing product offerings to consumers by…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand whether product descriptor cues related to artisanal qualities can help marketers to delineate their clothing product offerings to consumers by influencing consumers’ perceived product values and the effect (if any) of consumers’ fashion clothing involvement on such value perceptions. In today’s intensely competitive market environment marked by minimal product differentiation, marketers are often using the terms artisan, handcrafted or similar to indicate that their products are different, produced with care, are of higher quality and even premium.
Design/methodology/approach
For the study, a 2 (Involvement: High/Low) × 4 (Cues: Control/Artisan-made/Part of a curated collection/Handcrafted) × 2 (products replications: Jeans/Handbags) mixed model repeated measures experiment was designed. A sample of 487 adult female US consumers was recruited using a market-based research firm.
Findings
Results indicated that framing luxury products as artisanal using product descriptor cues influenced the perceived value of these products. Moreover, consumers’ fashion involvement positively influenced their perceived value for artisanal luxury products.
Originality/value
The study is one of the few attempts in understanding the value of artisanal luxury products. Given the importance of the artisanal luxury industry to the global economy, focusing on how consumers perceive the value of artisanal luxury products is important to marketers and practitioners as well as academicians. From a theoretical perspective, the study indicates fashion involvement as a predictor of consumers’ perceived value, thereby filling a gap in literature. The study used two different product categories to aid in generalizability of the results.
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Michael A Jones, Kristy E Reynolds, Mark J Arnold, Colin B Gabler, Stephanie T Gillison and Vincent Myles Landers
The purpose of this study is to explore consumers’ overall attitude toward relationship marketing and to determine the influence of consumers’ overall attitude on consumers’…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore consumers’ overall attitude toward relationship marketing and to determine the influence of consumers’ overall attitude on consumers’ intentions and behaviors. Many services companies practice relationship marketing and customer relationship management. Although the benefits and drawbacks of relationship marketing for consumers have been established, little is known about whether consumers have a relatively positive or negative attitude toward relationship marketing practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This research investigates consumers’ attitudes toward relationship marketing using a national survey of 245 consumers and a survey of 417 consumers living in the southern region of the USA.
Findings
Although approximately 70 per cent of our national consumer sample had a somewhat positive attitude toward relationship marketing, about 30 per cent had a somewhat negative or neutral attitude. Furthermore, approximately 39 per cent of consumers in the study would choose a company that does not engage in relationship marketing over a company that does. The results also indicate that consumers’ overall attitude toward relationship marketing impacts their likelihood to respond favorably to specific relationship marketing tactics.
Research limitations/implications
Some limitations should be noted. First and not uncommon to most survey research in marketing, the relationships between constructs in this study may be inflated because of common methods bias. Second, this research reports the results from two studies. Although one of the studies represents a national sample, additional research using the scales developed in this research is needed.
Practical implications
This research indicates that consumers’ attitudes toward relationship marketing impacts their willingness to engage in relationships with service companies and their response to specific relationship marketing tactics. Because consumer attitudes toward relationship marketing vary, companies should consider segmenting their customer base using this information.
Originality/value
This study extends previous research by using quantitative techniques to measure consumers’ overall attitudes toward relationship marketing and assessing the influence of those attitudes on intentions and behaviors.
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Ashutosh Kolte, Nitin Veer, Yogesh Mahajan and Dario Siggia
The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of perceived benefits offered by loyalty programmes on store patronage behaviour and repeat purchase behaviour of customers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to measure the impact of perceived benefits offered by loyalty programmes on store patronage behaviour and repeat purchase behaviour of customers. Another purpose of this study is to assess the impact of mediating and influencing factors on patronage behaviour and customer loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
The convenience sampling method was adopted for the sample selection. Structured questionnaire instruments were distributed to subscribers who are enrolled or subscribed to any loyalty programme and asked them to mark their opinions about subscriptions to a loyalty programme and the benefits or perceived values that customers get from the subscribed loyalty program. To determine respondent responses, closed-end questions and Likert scales were used. A SmartPLS statistical programme was used to analyse the coefficient and p-value of the perceived value of the loyalty programme and its relation with patronage behaviour.
Findings
The study finds a significant impact of various loyalty programme determinants on store patronage behaviour, supported by hypothesis testing. Researchers have used variable commitment to the test with satisfaction and trust and found it supportive. Another hypothesis tested for the impact of satisfaction on trust shows a significant relationship. They found a significant relationship between the perceived benefits of a loyalty programme and satisfaction with the store and trust. Another hypothesis tested for the impact of satisfaction on trust shows a similar relationship. The impact of commitment on loyalty behaviour (store patronage) was analysed and found to be significant.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, to date, this methodology has not been used to measure the influence of loyalty programme values on patronage behaviour in the present context. Based on the understanding that the measurement of the impact of perceived values of loyalty programmes on repeat purchase behaviour could be very useful in providing guidance for decision-making in consumer retention strategy, this paper contributes to the literature on the evaluation of store patronage behaviour with its influencing variables.
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Bharat Chillakuri and Ramanjaneyulu Mogili
The purpose of this paper is to present strategies maximizing the millennial talent. The study focuses on finer aspects such as millennials interests, likes, risk tolerance level…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present strategies maximizing the millennial talent. The study focuses on finer aspects such as millennials interests, likes, risk tolerance level, and unhappiness at workplace. The paper also underlines that the generational differences in the workplace cannot be ignored but only has to be welcomed to build an organization that exhibits and promotes inclusive behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design adopted for the study is exploratory in nature. The research analysis is based on the information/data collected from the journal articles, newspapers, and the various conferences and majorly from in-person discussions with the HR heads.
Findings
Millennials engage in discussions with their age group and peers, who are like-minded. They often tend to exhibit intolerance with incompatible and thus avoid talking to older generation workforce in the organization. While confronting them, they like to challenge the status quo and go beyond the conventional way of doing things.
Research limitations/implications
The findings and the implications reflect the perspective of millennials employed in the services industry. Further research can focus on other industries especially in the manufacturing sector, where the scope of innovation and doing different is limited.
Practical implications
Millennials express very little loyalty when compared to the older generations. Further, they also feel that they are underutilized and have greater potential to do more. Organizations should take every effort that the older generations help the millennials in understanding the work, invest time in coaching and development of their leadership skills.
Originality/value
The study presents an alternative in managing the millennials thereby maximizing their talent in the workplace.
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Astha Sanjeev Gupta and Jaydeep Mukherjee
Short-term changes in consumers' shopping behaviour due to the Covid-19 pandemic have been studied, but not the long-term effects. This study fills this gap by exploring the…
Abstract
Purpose
Short-term changes in consumers' shopping behaviour due to the Covid-19 pandemic have been studied, but not the long-term effects. This study fills this gap by exploring the long-term changes in consumers' retail shopping behaviour, due to their experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data were collected from one hundred fifty-nine respondents, and grounded theory approach was applied for interpretation. Gioia thematic analysis method, open coding, and axial coding were used for analysis.
Findings
Individuals who positively approached their experiences during the Covid-19 demonstrated increased pro-sustainable and pro-environmental self-identity, resulting in sustainable consumption and a shift to online shopping. Individuals having overpowering negative experiences demonstrated heightened fear of missing out (FOMO), loss aversion, and rumination. While shopping, they demonstrated herd behaviour and shifted to online shopping.
Research limitations/implications
This study highlights emotional and psychological mechanisms influencing long-term changes in consumer shopping preferences post Covid-19 pandemic. The generalizability of the findings is limited due to the study's exploratory nature and the sample size.
Originality/value
This study contributes to shopping behaviour literature by uncovering novel constructs of self-identity, loss aversion, FOMO, and rumination as antecedents to long-term shopping behaviour changes post-Covid-19. It provides a new conceptual model of consumers' shopping behaviour, which may be empirically validated.
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Andre Marchand, Thorsten Hennig-Thurau and Sabine Best
This paper aims to contribute to the marketing literature and practice by examining the effect of product placements on the host brand. The declining effectiveness of traditional…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to contribute to the marketing literature and practice by examining the effect of product placements on the host brand. The declining effectiveness of traditional advertising has prompted increasing interest in strategies for placing products in media programming. Most existing research adopt the perspective of the brands embedded in media products, with limited attention to the impact that product placement has on the media product that serves as a host brand for the embedded brands. The authors investigate this effect in the context of motion pictures and develop a theory-driven conceptual model.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors test their hypotheses with two experiments in which randomly assigned participants view one of seven versions of a custom-made, seven-minute short film that differ in their level of placement prominence.
Findings
The results from a mediation analysis indicate that, after controlling for audiences’ general attitudes toward the embedded brand, greater placement prominence heightens consumers’ reactance to persuasion attempts and negatively affects their evaluations of the host brand. A post hoc experiment confirms that even very low levels of placement prominence can worsen host brand evaluations.
Originality/value
This research is among the first to investigate the effects of product placement from a host brand perspective. It issues a warning to producers of entertainment content: a product placement strategy may generate additional earnings, but it also can lower audiences’ evaluations of the focal entertainment product.
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Giovanna Esposito, Maria Francesca Freda and Valentina Bosco
This study aims to examine the self-perceived competencies of 231 Italian students enrolled in a psychological degree program and involved in a practicum. It analyzes the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the self-perceived competencies of 231 Italian students enrolled in a psychological degree program and involved in a practicum. It analyzes the subjective perception of the competences that students expect to develop, acknowledge as developed and that might be inferred from tasks performed during the practicum; the level of expertise (novice, intermediate or advanced) of these competences; and the relation between the practicum facility and the competences.
Design/methodology/approach
This study administered an ad hoc survey comprising open-ended questions and used the Practicum Competencies Outline (Hatcher and Lassiter, 2007) as a framework for the content analysis.
Findings
The results revealed poor perception of some competency domains, such as Diversity: Individual and Cultural Differences; Development of Leadership; Application of Research and Ethics; and a frequent acknowledgment of Psychological Assessment and Professional Development. Before the practicum, the students expected to develop competence mainly at a novice level of expertise; after the practicum, the intermediate level of competences acknowledged as developed and inferred from performed tasks increased.
Research limitations/implications
The findings have implications for research on competence-based training, such as the necessity of self-assessment training evaluation.
Practical implications
Undergraduate psychology students must reflect on the value of psychological competences during their formative training to re-orient their learning process and build a competent professional role. Moreover, psychological facilities and university must share common objectives in training undergraduate students.
Originality/value
This study is the first attempt to analyze Italian college students’ subjective perceptions of psychological competencies expected or developed during practicum .
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Hossein Sepiani, Maria Anna Polak and Alexander Penlidis
The purpose of this study is to present a finite element (FE) implementation of phenomenological three-dimensional viscoelastic and viscoplastic constitutive models for long term…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to present a finite element (FE) implementation of phenomenological three-dimensional viscoelastic and viscoplastic constitutive models for long term behaviour prediction of polymers.
Design/methodology/approach
The method is based on the small strain assumption but is extended to large deformation for materials in which the stress-strain relation is nonlinear and the concept of incompressibility is governing. An empirical approach is used for determining material parameters in the constitutive equations, based on measured material properties. The modelling process uses a spring and dash-pot and a power-law approximation function method for viscoelastic and viscoplastic nonlinear behaviour, respectively. The model improvement for long term behaviour prediction is done by modifying the material parameters in such a way that they account for the current test time. The determination of material properties is based on the non-separable type of relations for nonlinear materials in which the material properties change with stress coupled with time.
Findings
The proposed viscoelastic and viscoplastic models are implemented in a user material algorithm of the FE general-purpose program ABAQUS and the validity of the models is assessed by comparisons with experimental observations from tests on high-density polyethylene samples in one-dimensional tensile loading. Comparisons show that the proposed constitutive model can satisfactorily represent the time-dependent mechanical behaviour of polymers even for long term predictions.
Originality/value
The study provides a new approach in long term investigation of material behaviour using FE analysis.