Sanja Pekovic and Sylvie Rolland
The purpose of this study is to develop a better theoretical and empirical understanding of the causal and contextual mechanisms explaining the relationship between customer…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a better theoretical and empirical understanding of the causal and contextual mechanisms explaining the relationship between customer orientation and business performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-stage least squares model was used on a sample of 3,720 French firms with 20 or more employees.
Findings
By using a moderated mediation approach, it was found that the mediating effect of environmental customer innovation on the relationship between customer orientation and business performance under different contextual factors (market environment, firm size and sector of activity) can be significantly stronger or weaker.
Research limitations/implications
This analysis is restricted by the choice of one particular country, and further research should use data from other countries to develop a general understanding of the issues examined. Additionally, examining relevant mechanisms other than firm performance measures will advance the understanding of the customer orientation–firm performance linkage. Because of the fact that the majority of variables used are binary and that each survey was conducted in a particular situation and in a particular context, the picture portrayed could be biased. Because environmental issues not only concern consumers but also all other market actors, it would be highly useful to verify the obtained results using broader concepts such as Hult’s (2011) “market orientation plus” concept or the “sustainable market orientation” developed by Mitchell et al. (2010).
Practical implications
According to the results, to achieve market success and sustain a competitive advantage, managers must simultaneously invest in customer orientation and innovation performance. Additionally, managers should consider market environment, firm size and sector of activity as important contingencies in their decision of whether to invest in customer orientation.
Originality/value
This study makes an important contribution by opening up a “black box” and offers a deeper perspective on how and why customer orientation affects firm performance. In particular, rather than providing separate analyses of mediating and moderating effects, this study proposes a simultaneous analysis that reveals how and under what conditions customer orientation improves business performance.
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Sanja Pekovic, Sylvie Rolland and Hubert Gatignon
This study aims to investigates the effect of three customer orientation components – customer information-processing, responsiveness and values and norms – on a firm’s decision…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigates the effect of three customer orientation components – customer information-processing, responsiveness and values and norms – on a firm’s decision to adopt environmental management practices. Consistent with the literature on strategy and industrial marketing, the authors also examine the moderating effect of marketplace characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a linear model on a sample of 4,324 French firms with ten or more employees.
Findings
Based on a large-scale survey of firms across industries, the results indicate that customer information-processing and values and norms directly contribute to the adoption of environmental management practices. Furthermore, the effect of customer information-processing is shown to be contingent on market competition.
Practical implications
The findings have direct practical implications. When managers recognize the importance and usefulness of customer orientation, they understand the need to formulate organizational strategies in terms of environmental management practices that reflect customer expectations. In addition, following the strategic fit approach, customer orientation should fit with the specific market environment to stimulate the adoption of environmental management practices. In other words, the findings are useful for managers, who can assess the specific environmental characteristics they are facing and align these with customer orientation to build competitive advantage.
Originality/value
The findings indicate that the different dimensions of customer orientation distinctly affect a firm’s decision to adopt environmental management practices. In this sense, the authors argue that they capture different facets of the customer orientation measure, which points to the importance of analyzing the dimensions of customer orientation separately. Furthermore, rather than analyzing aggregate measures of corporate social responsibility, the authors selected environmental orientation as a specific dimension, which has received less attention in the industrial marketing literature. Finally, the main findings mark an important contribution to the literature because they provide deeper insights into the conditions under which customer orientation dimensions drive the adoption of environmental management practices.
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Sylvie Rolland and Ina Freeman
The purpose of this paper is to design, develop and evaluate a reliable and valid scale for the measurement of online retail service quality, specifically in the French context.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to design, develop and evaluate a reliable and valid scale for the measurement of online retail service quality, specifically in the French context.
Design/methodology/approach
Study 1 derived scale items from the literature by content analysis. Study 2 extracted items from two quantitative data sets, gathered by questionnaire from 172 and 125 online shoppers, by exploratory factor and reliability analyses. Study 3 applied psychometric testing and confirmatory factor analysis to data from a survey of 178 e‐shoppers.
Findings
The outcome is “E‐tail SQ”, a 15‐item scale to measure five key user values (labelled ease of use, information content, fulfilment reliability, security/privacy and post‐purchase customer service). These scale items derived from French data are found to be similar to those identified in previous international studies, except that French e‐shoppers place more emphasis than their English‐speaking counterparts on internet security and privacy of personal information.
Research limitations/implications
The sample profiles place limits on the applicability of the scale across markets and service categories. Further research must be conducted to improve its external validity.
Practical implications
“E‐tail SQ” can help online retailers in the French marketplace to measure service quality delivered, and thereby to improve it, and may be transferable to other national markets.
Originality/value
This new scale for the measurement of service quality in a specific cultural environment offers online retailers a framework within which to manage their web‐based relationships with a growing number of online shoppers.
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K.P. Singh and Malkeet Singh Gill
The purpose of this paper is to explore the growth and development of periodical literature on Web 2.0 technologies and their other fields.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the growth and development of periodical literature on Web 2.0 technologies and their other fields.
Design/methodology/approach
Bibliographic data of the articles published in the 13 leading peer‐reviewed journals are obtained from the Emerald database (www.emeraldinsight.com) directly using such keywords as “Web 2.0”, “blogs”, “wikis”, “RSS”, “social networking sites”, “podcasts”, “Mashup”, and multimedia sharing tools, i.e. YouTube and Flickr. The bibliographical surrogates such as author, title, subtitle, source, issue, volume, pages, etc. were recorded in MS‐Excel (2010) sheet for the analysis and interpretation of data. A bibliography of selected articles is provided.
Findings
The study found 206 research articles on the subject published in 13 leading library and information science journals of Emerald for period 2007‐2011. Further, the study found that 2009 was the most productive year with 69 articles. The study observed Online Information Review published 49 articles, and hence can be considered the core journal on the topic. Mike Thelwall from the UK was found to be the most prolific author, having authored or co‐authored five articles.
Research limitations/implications
The study was based on 206 research articles published during the years 2007‐2011. The study was restricted to this period because the Web 2.0 concept was originated during 2004‐2005 and the undertaken period has sufficient published literature on the topic.
Originality/value
The paper provides reliable and authentic information on the subject. This is the first study on this topic.