Jose Luis Saavedra Torres, Monika Rawal and Ramin Bagherzadeh
This paper aims to examine the role of brand attachment as a relevant construct in customers’ evaluation after they face a service failure which impacts future consumer behaviors…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the role of brand attachment as a relevant construct in customers’ evaluation after they face a service failure which impacts future consumer behaviors. It mainly answers the research question: does brand attachment cushion or amplify the effect of service failure on customers’ negative emotions?
Design/methodology/approach
A 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design was conducted. Data analysis was performed with ANOVA and moderated mediation.
Findings
Customer’s feelings toward a brand (brand attachment) that existed before a service failure occurred can regulate customer’s negative emotions especially when consumer attribute service failure to a controllable cause. This process minimizes the effect of service failure in customer’s satisfaction and consequently increase customer behaviors like word of mouth and loyalty intentions.
Research limitations/implications
Adding perceived intentionality as a service failure’s attribution could provide another layer of explanation of customer behavior. Also, an expanded study using a sector characterized by higher cost of change and permanent consumption could provide result’s generalizability.
Practical implications
Brand attachment should be included in the customer service strategy. In a service failure situation, brand attachment becomes part of the “service customer policy” helping customers to regulate their negative emotions.
Originality/value
This study fills the knowledge gap regarding the role of customers’ positive emotions toward brands when a service failure occurs. The current study extends branding literature by differentiating brand attachment role from coping tactics.
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Mavis T. Adjei, Nan Zhang, Ramin Bagherzadeh, Maryam Farhang and Ashok Bhattarai
This research aims to provide a theory-based means for firms to improve customers' likelihood to provide reviews and elicit reviews that are more accurate accounts of customers'…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to provide a theory-based means for firms to improve customers' likelihood to provide reviews and elicit reviews that are more accurate accounts of customers' consumption experience. The authors also examined the moderating impact of type of review (whether the reviews are anonymous or identified) on the effect of moral identity on the likelihood to provide reviews and accuracy of the reviews.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected via two experiments (n = 524) in lab sessions. The authors used convenient samples comprised of college students and administrative staff. Study 1 was used to examine the impact of participants' naturally existing moral identity on the likelihood to provide reviews and the accuracy of the reviews provided. Study 2 was used to investigate whether moral identity can be artificially activated or not. Study 2 was also used to test the moderating impact of the type of review on the effect of moral identity (activated vs not activated/control) on likelihood to provide reviews and the accuracy of the reviews provided.
Findings
The authors found that moral identity positively impacts the likelihood that customers will agree to provide reviews and the accuracy of the reviews. Also, the type of review moderates the effect of moral identity for those whose moral identity was not activated (i.e. uninfluenced). However, the type of review did not moderate the effect of moral identity when participants' moral identity was activated or primed.
Originality/value
Strategies currently used to elicit online reviews yield low conversion rates or elicit reviews that potential customers do not trust. This paper provides an empirically tested, theory-driven means for managers of digital platforms to improve customer engagement behaviors such as “liking”, tweeting, sharing and product reviews.
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Monika Rawal, Jose Luis Saavedra Torres, Ramin Bagherzadeh, Suchitra Rani and Joanna Melancon
This study aims to understand the effect of cultural dimension (individualism/ collectivism) on promotional rewards (social or economic) resulting in incentivizing consumers to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the effect of cultural dimension (individualism/ collectivism) on promotional rewards (social or economic) resulting in incentivizing consumers to engage in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), further impacting their repurchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
In Study 1, a 2 (culture: individualism vs collectivism) × 2 (promotional rewards: social vs economic) between-subjects design was used. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. In Study 2, culture was measured instead of just being manipulated. The authors used regression analysis in this study.
Findings
Owing to the characteristics of collectivistic individuals, consumers in collectivistic cultures were more likely to respond to social rewards as an incentive to engage in eWOM. However, consumers in individualistic cultures were more motivated to engage in eWOM when economic rewards were offered.
Originality/value
Despite the global nature of eWOM, little research has explored the effects of cultural traits on consumer response to amplified eWOM strategy. Additionally, though many organizations now offer various promotional incentives to reviewers, little research has explored the effects of promotional offers on a reviewer’s subsequent behavior, and no research has explored the relationship between cultural dimensions and current and future response to promotional eWOM rewards.
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John Fraedrich, Othman Althawadi and Ramin Bagherzadeh
The continued rise of the multinational and debate as to what constitutes global business values is predicated on the UN Declaration and Global Business Compact. This research…
Abstract
Purpose
The continued rise of the multinational and debate as to what constitutes global business values is predicated on the UN Declaration and Global Business Compact. This research suggests both documents explicitly exclude the existence of a foundational ethereal power creating morals thereby nullifying two thirds of the general population’s belief system. The authors argue against humanism as a global value beginning and suggest theism as a better origin and use the scientific method to introduce mathematical axioms supporting theism and complimenting humanism. Ontologically, the theist becomes a stronger base for the scientific inquiry into morals, values and business ethics. A comparison of major religious morals revealed eight factors: assurance; candor, fairness and honesty; character, integrity, truthfulness and exacting in truth; charity and compassion; environment; perseverance and tolerance; sacrifice; and seriousness. The research suggests that the UN documents do not adequately reflect these morals suggesting a change for businesses especially in Islamic regions.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive review of religious materials emphasizing morals rather than customs, eternal entity description or negative behaviors yielded 1,243 morals and associated synonyms via six religions (Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism) representing 4.5 billion people. All positive morals were cross-referenced and only common items across all six religions were included. With the 29 common morals, the authors completed a word meaning search and did a second comparison that yielded 8 moral factors or constructs.
Findings
Eight moral factors were found to be common in all major religions (assurance, fairness/honesty, character/integrity, charity/compassion, environment, tolerance, sacrifice and seriousness). By using the scientific method (Axioms), the authors argue that theism is a better beginning to researching morals and values within business and marketing.
Social implications
Multinationals should be made aware of the disconnect between the underlying problems of the Global Business Compacts’ values and the global morals identified. The results suggest adopting a codification system based on the pertinent morals as related to economic theories: capitalism, socialism and theism. The use of theism as a base to business and marketing ethics includes billions of customers and employees and their belief systems that should increase the validity and reliability of actions associated with corporate social responsibility, the environment and best practices.
Originality/value
The UN Declaration and subsequent Global Business Compact are argued to be flawed by its exclusion of religious morals and the historical period in which it was created. By using the scientific method and creating two axioms, the base to all business and marketing ethics must shift to the common moral factors identified.
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Ramin Sadeghi Asl, Majid Bagherzadeh Khajeh, Mohammad Pasban and Reza Rostamzadeh
The purpose of this paper is to present green supply chain, resilient supply chain, agile supply chain, cold supply chain and lean supply chain (GRACL SC) procedures based on a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present green supply chain, resilient supply chain, agile supply chain, cold supply chain and lean supply chain (GRACL SC) procedures based on a detailed perspective, analyzing subjects in the past 19 years with a systematic literature review (SLR) of the papers reported from 2000 to 2019, and offering information and guidelines for further studies.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on 17 keywords in the title and topic of the articles and collects data from Web of Science (WOS) databases and objectively chooses 1,190 articles and performs meta-data analyses. Tables and statistical reports are based on the following three filters: publication year, authors and document type. At least, 39 publications from the ISI WOS has been examined for presenting information of categorization of the conducted research with regard to the content analysis, comprising the conceptual development and obstacles, cooperation with the supply chain elements, as well as mathematical and other optimization models.
Findings
Finally, this study answered three main questions in the research and demonstrates that the majority studies in the green supply chain (GSC) and a minimum number of studies on the cold supply chain have been conducted and 27 factors are chosen to achieve the 2000 to 2019 GRACL SCM model which robust and fit for Iranian food industries. The model shows that the agile, resilient and lean supply chain have direct effect on GSC and it can be said that all 27 groups which are selected for the final model of this research can be the main groups in the supply chain.
Originality/value
This paper was actually conducted by authors who reported it. To prevent plagiarized, redoubled efforts have been made and actually this paper is based on SLR methodology and the results are real and the researcher discusses the results appropriately. This investigation can have a positive impact within the field of expanding supply chain flexibility and lessening squander within the Iranian generation framework.