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The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of “initial” store image in a new store. Existing research affords limited explanation of how shopper trust in store is formed prior to store visits and regarding the impact of “initial” store image on shopper trust and patronage intentions.

Specifically, this paper operationalizes “trust‐image” of a new store as an antecedent to shopper trust; uses a multidimensional conceptualization for “trust‐image” which is similar to the existing tripartite view of “trustworthiness”; and examines the effect of store visit on perceived salience of trust‐image. The laboratory experiment has four scenarios that manipulate store image as positive/negative, and store visit by a “close friend” who is the source of trust‐image as none/one.

This is possibly the first empirical evidence supporting the significance of trust‐image in influencing shopper trust and patronage intentions of a new store. Contrary to existing theory, store “dependability” is not really significant for Indian apparel retail consumers at initial stages of store visits.

Further research is needed to examine which image dimensions contribute to formation of trust‐image across different products, age groups, and gender.

Retailers planning a foray into India need to understand that store “trust‐image” needs significant attention for a new store and also that Indian shoppers evaluate stores differently.

While the association between store image and patronage is well known, there is limited knowledge of trust‐image formation in a new store. This paper explodes the existing belief that store dependability is the first stage evaluation by shoppers bringing to light that Indian shoppers are unique in their experience of trust.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the dynamic relationship among Gold, Crude oil, Indian Rupee-US Dollar and Stock market-Sensex (gold, oil, dollar and stock market (GODS)) in the pre-crisis, the crisis and the post-crisis periods in the Indian context.

The authors use Johansen’s cointegration technique, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), Vector Auto Regression, VEC Granger Causality/Block Exogeneity Wald Test, and Granger Causality and Toda Yamamoto modified Granger causality to study long-run relationship and causality.

Johansen’s cointegration test results indicate that there is a long-run equilibrium relationship among the variables in the pre-crisis and the crisis periods but not in post-crisis period. VECM results report that none of four models of the variables show long-run causality in the pre-crisis period. During the crisis period, both crude oil and Sensex models show long-run causality. However, in some cases, results indicate short-run causality. The authors find one-way causality from USD and Sensex to crude oil, and from gold and Sensex to USD. Thus, the authors conclude that the relationship among GODS is dynamic across global financial crisis.

The research findings of this study are vital to the large group of stakeholders and participants of gold, crude oil, US dollar and stock market in emerging economies like India. The results are useful to importers, exporters, government, policy makers, corporate houses, retail investors, portfolio managers, commodity traders, treasury and fund managers, other commercial traders, etc.

This study is one of its kinds as it investigates the relationship among GODS in India in different sub-periods like before, during and after the global financial crisis of 2008. None of the studies compare phase-wise relationship among GODS in the Indian context. The study contributes to the economic theory and the body of knowledge. It highlights the need to revisit the economic theory to explain the interplay mechanism among GODS.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale for the measurement of service quality at the manufacturer–doctor interface of the pharmaceutical supply chain and to study the impact of service quality on doctor’s satisfaction and doctor’s prescribing behavior. Doctors from two major states of South India were selected for the study. A doctor perceived service quality scale with three dimensions having eight items was developed through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in the pharmaceutical context. Structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was used to show the relationship between service quality, satisfaction and prescribing behavior. The critical factors of service quality were identified, and a model was developed showing the relationship between service quality, doctor’s satisfaction and doctor’s prescribing behavior which has not been explored in any research. This model will be helpful in further development of new concepts and for analyzing the reasons for the failure of doctors in providing quality service. 

A total of 200 doctors from three major cities of South India were selected. A doctor perceived service quality scale with three dimensions having eight items was developed through CFA using Parasuraman Service quality scale (Parasuraman, 1985, 1986, 1988) as the basis in the pharmaceutical context after focus group discussions with company experts, retailers, doctors and academicians. SEM technique was used to examine the impact of service quality on doctor’s satisfaction and prescribing behavior.

There is no universal set of dimensions and items that determine service quality in manufacturing industries, especially at the manufacturer–doctor interface of the pharmaceutical supply chain though service quality plays a very important role in affecting the performance of manufacturing industries. The critical factors affecting the quality of service for a pharmaceutical company at the manufacturer–doctor interface of the supply chain were identified, and its impact on doctor’s satisfaction and their prescribing behavior were studied.

This research contributes to the development of service quality scale for measuring service quality in pharmaceutical manufacturing company, especially with reference to manufacturer–doctor interface of the supply chain which was not thoroughly explored earlier. A model was developed showing the positive relationship between service quality and doctor’s satisfaction and doctor’s prescribing behavior in pharmaceutical supply chain which is a new concept not proved experimentally.

The study is very useful for the pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to identify the service quality factors affecting doctor’s satisfaction and their prescribing behavior thereby leading to development of new measures for improving the performance of the pharmaceutical supply chain. This study can lead to identification of problems involved in pharmaceutical supply chain and also leads to generation of new ideas and development of new concepts for influencing doctor’s satisfaction and doctor’s prescribing behavior which in turn can help in providing better health.

This study actually has a direct impact on the society. If factors affecting doctor’s satisfaction and prescribing behavior are identified automatically, the end consumer, i.e. patient, can be satisfied in a better way, and better medical care can be provided. If doctor’s problems are identified, then better solutions can be provided to patients; this in turn has a lot of positive impact on the pharmaceutical company and society in general.

This research will act as a base for generating ideas relating to how quality service provided by a company will have an impact on doctor’s satisfaction and his prescribing behavior in pharmaceutical supply chain .To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind of the conceptual aspects of service quality, satisfaction and loyalty explained in terms of pharmaceutical supply chain as service quality, doctor’s satisfaction and doctor’s prescribing behavior and proved experimentally.

This study aims to investigate the drivers of loyalty in Indonesian Islamic banks, especially group of depositor vs financing customer and single vs dual customer.

The objectives of this study were the seven major commercial Indonesian Islamic banks using the purposive sampling technique. In total, 105 questionnaires were processed, consisting of questions regarding depositors, financing, single and dual customer. Structural equation modeling using partial least squares were the analysis methods used to test the hypothesis, while in-depth interviews were conducted with Islamic bank managers to validate the findings.

Image has a significant relationship with customer satisfaction, as well as trust. Similarly, customer satisfaction has a significant relationship with trust. Trust has a significant relationship with loyalty. For a financing customer, the image is very influential on customer trust. For a depositor customer, customer satisfaction is very influential on customer trust. For single customer, customer satisfaction has a stronger influence on the image, compared to dual customer.

Islamic banks need to maintain good image and service quality to create strong, reliable and long-term relationships with customers, more specifically, in terms of improvement and product innovation. A bank focuses on the micro or macro segment, as well as financing. Financing products should be referred to customers’ needs. Bank reputation can be done by strengthening branding and corporate culture in marketing strategy. Shariah compliance has the highest loading factor to trust customers. Indonesian Islamic banks need to maintain customer trust by sticking to Islamic principles and continuing to ensure that its products and services are in accordance with Islamic principles. In Indonesian Islamic banks, it is very important to keep the legal aspects in all of products and services. Deposit products and services of Islamic banks should be in line with the rules of the financial services authority and Bank of Indonesia culture. Bank efforts to strengthen reputation can be done by strengthening branding and corporate culture in marketing strategy, while increasing the attractiveness of the products by way of research and development (R&D) must endeavor to make products and services attractive in terms of both product characteristics and price. Furthermore, it is necessary to support a good marketing strategy to market their products.

Research can be used more widely in determining public policy, by strengthening the marketing strategy and public education. Islamic banks can work together with local religious departments to maximize marketing strategies to educate and convince people to be active economically under Islamic sharia guidance. Islamic banks need to maintain customer trust by sticking to the principles of sharia and continuing to ensure that products and services conform to sharia principles. Islamic bank management can strengthen customer trust by having a good risk management system, so that customers feel secure with Islamic bank transactions. In addition, sharia banks as companies must demonstrate social responsibility by distributing ZIS managed from customers and implementing CSR as a form of awareness of the surrounding community.

The study revealed the factors that lead to loyalty on the financing, depositor and the single and dual customers. The study found that improvement and innovation, strategic and sustainability are new indicators used to build images of Islamic banks.