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1 – 4 of 4Yanqun He, Shuk‐Man Cheung and Siu‐Keung Tse
There have been mixed results regarding the impacts of satisfaction, service quality and service value on consumer loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the…
Abstract
Purpose
There have been mixed results regarding the impacts of satisfaction, service quality and service value on consumer loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating effects of switching costs between the three antecedents and consumer loyalty via four loyalty dimensions, i.e. repurchase intentions, appreciating behavior, complaining behavior, and price‐increase tolerance.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual framework is developed where the canonical correlations among the antecedents and components of consumer loyalty are analyzed. Three hypothesis sets are proposed and tested based on 12 service industries in Hong Kong markets.
Findings
The findings provide strong evidence of the moderating effects on repurchase preference, but only partial support on the other three loyalty dimensions.
Practical implications
The above findings enable managers to adjust their strategies in response to varying levels of switching costs among services, which affect the relationships between the three primary antecedents and repurchase preference.
Originality/value
Consumer loyalty is considered as an important source of competitive advantages for service firms. Although potential antecedents of loyalty, including satisfaction, service quality and service value, have been identified, their influences on loyalty vary among different service industries. This research highlights the moderating effects of switching costs on the four consumer loyalty dimensions.
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Yanqun He, Deqiang Zou and Liyin Jin
The objective of this paper is to investigate the lifestyles of contemporary Chinese affluent consumers and their influences on a number of consumption variables such as brand…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to investigate the lifestyles of contemporary Chinese affluent consumers and their influences on a number of consumption variables such as brand preference (local versus foreign), attitudes toward innovative products, luxury consumption, impulse purchases, etc.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were collected from 1,317 consumers across 17 cities in China. Five lifestyle factors were identified and further verified through a confirmatory factor analysis. Multiple regression analyses were performed to explore the relationships between lifestyles and consumption patterns.
Findings
The results showed that affluent Chinese consumers, though apparently similar in terms of wealth possession, exhibited very different patterns in their purchase and consumption behaviors. For instance, consumers with a salient “need‐for‐uniqueness” trait were found to be quite contingent on consuming goods for being distinctive. The price conscious consumers were somehow over‐confident in their purchase decisions, resulting sometimes in impulse buying. A third group of people were found to often disguise their consumption behaviors with an explicit orientation for public interests, e.g. environmental protection. Compared with those who seek respect from others, consumers with strong needs for achievement were found to be more pragmatic and tended to be self‐oriented.
Practical implications
Findings from this study provides a useful framework for marketers to link their products to various lifestyle groups of affluent Chinese consumers, thus enhancing their marketing productivity and profitability in the Chinese market.
Originality/value
Despite the large body of lifestyle studies, very little research has focused on the Asia Pacific region. The current study provides an extensive empirical investigation, on which marketers may better approach affluent Chinese consumers with various lifestyles.
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Begins by considering whether the economic theory of the supply, nature and demand for biographies developed by James M. Buchanan and Robert Tollison might apply to this…
Abstract
Begins by considering whether the economic theory of the supply, nature and demand for biographies developed by James M. Buchanan and Robert Tollison might apply to this autobiography. Outlines Tisdell’s experiences in his pre‐school years (1939‐1945), at school (1946‐1956) and as a university student (1957‐1963). Covers the period of his first appointment as a temporary lecturer at the Australian National University (1964) and of his postdoctoral travelling scholarship (1965) which took him to Princeton and Stanford and the period of his employment from 1966 onwards. His family and its history are given particular attention.
Pingjun Jiang, Siva K Balasubramanian and Zarrel V. Lambert
The purpose of this paper is to make contributions toward new knowledge and understanding of how marketers can provide effective online customization experiences for customers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make contributions toward new knowledge and understanding of how marketers can provide effective online customization experiences for customers. The practicality of online mass customization has received much attention as consumers perceive more value from customized products than from their standardized counterparts. Little research has been done to understand consumers’ behavioral intentions in response to these value additions. This study incorporates product information framing in developing and empirically testing a model of the relationship between online customization and price sensitivity, endowment addition and expected likelihood of product return.
Design/methodology/approach
The relationship among the constructs specified in the model was tested using multiple group structural equation modeling analysis.
Findings
The findings indicate that consumers perceived knowledge gain via customization process influences the utilitarian value, which directly impacts levels of likelihood of product return and price sensitivity. The process value, on the hedonic side, influences more on the endowment addition. Endowment addition is found to mediate the relationship between the hedonic benefits and the two utilitarian outcome variables: price sensitivity and likelihood of product return.
Originality/value
Understanding the consequences of customization is particularly crucial for marketers. This research is the first to expand and further our knowledge of customization, particularly in relation to its outcomes of customers’ behavioral intentions.
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