Chaohong Xie, Yeming Gong, Xianhao Xu, Chung-Yean Chiang and Qian Chen
This study investigates the impacts of return channel type on the relationships between return service quality (RSQ) and customer loyalty (CL) in an omnichannel retailing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the impacts of return channel type on the relationships between return service quality (RSQ) and customer loyalty (CL) in an omnichannel retailing environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Data comes from Chinese customers having a return experience in omnichannel retailing that uses the channel type of both buy-online-return-in-store (BORIS) and buy-in-store-return-to-online warehouses (BSROW). The authors use the structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses and the bootstrapping method to test the mediation and moderation effect.
Findings
For BORIS channel, satisfaction of customer returns (CRS) partially mediates the relationship between convenience and CL, and fully mediates that between CL and responsiveness, transparency and competence, respectively. For BSROW channel, CRS partially mediates the relationship between responsiveness and CL, and fully mediates that between CL and convenience, transparency and competence, respectively. The mediation effects indicate that omnichannel customers may feel more satisfied due to higher omnichannel fulfillment (responsiveness and convenience) and omnichannel trust (transparency and competence) provided by retailers. Return channel type moderates the relationship between RSQ-convenience and CL. The results show the different expectations between BORIS and BSROW customers in the return process.
Research limitations/implications
This paper serves as a pioneering study to apply cognition-affect-behavior paradigm into the field of return management in omnichannel retailing.
Practical implications
The findings suggest retailers develop their strategies on customer returns and post-sales service quality improvement in the omnichannel. Also, retailers should develop an integrated return system across channels to provide convenient service to BORIS customers and quick response to BSROW customers.
Originality/value
Studying return service management in the omnichannel from customer's cognition appraisal, this study contributes to the literature of the reverse service management by bringing in the effect of omnichannel type to explore the relationship between RSQ and CL.
Details
Keywords
Xing Zhang, Shan Liu, Xing Chen and Yeming (Yale) Gong
Although health question-and-answer (Q&A) communities have become popular in recent years, only a few communities have successfully retained and motivated their members to share…
Abstract
Purpose
Although health question-and-answer (Q&A) communities have become popular in recent years, only a few communities have successfully retained and motivated their members to share knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the ways by which social capital and motivation influence knowledge sharing intention from the perspectives of health professionals and normal users in health Q&A communities.
Design/methodology/approach
The developed theoretical model integrates individual motivation and social capital theories. On the basis of a sample comprising 363 members from health Q&A communities in China, the authors tested the hypotheses by using structural equation modeling.
Findings
This study empirically finds that social capital positively affects intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, which then positively influence the intention of health professionals and normal users to share knowledge. Motivations of members fully mediate the effects of social capital on knowledge sharing intention. Specifically, intrinsic motivation influences knowledge sharing intention more for health professionals than for normal users, whereas extrinsic motivation influences knowledge sharing intention more for normal users than for health professionals.
Originality/value
This study explores the factors that affect the intentions of sharing knowledge in health Q&A communities by integrating social capital and motivation theories. Individual motivations can then bridge social capital and knowledge sharing intention. The effects of the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations of two user types were further examined and compared. These findings can extend the understanding of the underlying drivers of intention to share knowledge in the context of e-health.
Details
Keywords
Qian Chen, Yaobin Lu and Yeming Gong
Many service organizations use brand apps as an important mobile-end service channel and expect to increase brand app use through customer recommendations. The purpose of this…
Abstract
Purpose
Many service organizations use brand apps as an important mobile-end service channel and expect to increase brand app use through customer recommendations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the internal mechanism of brand app recommendation from the cross-channel perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on value–satisfaction–loyalty (VSL) framework, this study examines how brand app’s unique cross-channel features influence customer recommendations, and the effect of involvement in the framework. The authors conduct a research survey in airline industry and questionnaires are developed and distributed to respondents who have experiences with air travel and have used the corresponding airlines’ brand apps. Finally, the authors collect 399 valid questionnaires to test the research model.
Findings
The results show that brand app usability mediates the relationship between offline service satisfaction and brand app satisfaction, which finally leads to brand app recommendation. Brand app usability and satisfaction significantly affect involvement, which also lead to brand app recommendation.
Originality/value
This study distinguishes the features of brand apps from those of ordinary apps and fills the research gap in the internal mechanism of app recommendation from the integrated cross-channel perspective. Besides, this study extends the VSL value in the context of brand app use. Based on the results, this study also provides the practical suggestions of enhancing offline service quality and brand app usability to increase brand app recommendation.