How core, technical and social components of business relationship value drive customer satisfaction and loyalty in high tech B2B market

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeru Sharma

Purpose This paper aims to investigate to what extent core, technical and social components of relationship value influence customer satisfaction and loyalty in the high technology business to business (B2B) markets. Design/methodology/approach Seven attributes of a high-technology buyer-seller relationship are identified representing the core, technical and social nature of relationship value. A conceptual model is proposed in which customer satisfaction mediates between the relationship value components and the two aspects of customer loyalty – attitudinal and behavioural. The empirical study is conducted in India employing 127 high technology customers. Structural equation modelling and path analysis is used to test the hypothesized linkages and examine the impact of different components. Findings Technical and social components of value influence customer satisfaction to a greater extent than the core components. Whilst behavioural loyalty is more driven by core components, attitudinal loyalty is more influenced by the social component. Satisfaction mediates the links between relationship value components and the two aspects of loyalty. Research limitations/implications Future research could test the modelled linkages in different countries and using larger samples and investigate the supplier perspective. Practical implications The paper provides useful implications for high tech product suppliers to improve their relationship with their customers. Suppliers must develop collaborative product/technology development projects and explore opportunities for personal relationships/rapport building with their customers, whilst delivering a quality product at a competitive price. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the paper is the first in B2B literature to provide an insight of how the different components of relationship value vary in influencing satisfaction and loyalty in a high technology B2B buyer-seller relationship.

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 152-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerson Tontini ◽  
Júlio Cesar da Silva ◽  
Eliane Fátima Strapazzon Beduschi ◽  
Elis Regina Mulinari Zanin ◽  
Margarete de Fátima Marcon

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to consider the nonlinear impact of online retail stores’ quality dimensions on general customer satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – Using a quantitative approach, 429 online users answered a closed questionnaire regarding their present satisfaction with 26 service attributes, their general satisfaction and loyalty. Using factorial analysis with Varimax rotation, five service-quality dimensions are studied: service accessibility/speed, fault recovery, buying reliability, service and site flexibility and site interaction/feedback. Penalty and reward contrast analysis identifies the Kano model classification of the service-quality dimensions, and the nonlinear impact of these dimensions, and customer satisfaction, on customer loyalty. Findings – The results show that there is a nonlinearity between quality dimensions, customer satisfaction and loyalty. The dimension “service accessibility/speed” has a one-dimensional impact on customer satisfaction, but with higher reward impact than penalty impact. “Fault recovery” is a “must-be”, “buying reliability” and “service flexibility” are “attractive” and “site interaction/feedback” is one-dimensional. Besides, the dimension “service accessibility/speed” has also a direct impact on loyalty if achieving above-average performance, thus reinforcing general customer satisfaction. Originality/value – Few previous papers explore this nonlinearity in online retail services. So, future studies should lead to a theoretical and practical understanding of managing these services. Understanding this nonlinearity may help companies to better identify what improve or offer to customers.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Mehdi Mirisaee ◽  
Yahaya Ahmad

Purpose Tourism development has been perceived as a promoter of city restoration and can also affect the post-war city reconstruction. Questions on how to reconstruct ruined buildings and urban areas through a post-war tourism-oriented approach based on the expectations of residents and tourists profound answers. The purpose of this paper is to adopt the sequential mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) with purposive sampling which is a non-probability method to investigate tourism-oriented approaches in the reconstruction of buildings and landmarks as the core components of urban tourism. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted the sequential mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) to investigate tourism-oriented approaches in the reconstruction of buildings and landmarks as the core components of urban tourism. Findings The findings of the study point that the preferred strategy for the reconstruction of damaged symbolic building is the preservation of the war effects in regard maintaining the buildings’ history to be considered by urban policy makers, urban designers, and authorities. Research limitations/implications The constraint was associated with the time-consuming nature of this type of research. Original documents of the research context and all the interview data were in the Persian language, making the translating process a time-consuming matter. Furthermore, data collection in the area located near the Iran-Iraq border (500 meters) presented a number of security caveats as limitations. Originality/value The research found a majority of tourists and the residents preferred tourism zone where the combination of post-war and natural attraction across riverside area. In other word, most considerable post-war attractions are those that combined with the appeal of the other tourism potentials like eco-leisure tourism. The preferred strategy for the reconstruction of damaged building reconstruction as post-war tourism attractions is the preservation of the war effects in regard maintaining the buildings history rather than reconstruction as the most likely to pre-war conditions with less attention paid to the war effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 543-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neale J. Slack ◽  
Gurmeet Singh

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty and the mediating role of customer satisfaction in the supermarket sector.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 480 supermarket customers participated in an intercept survey in four urban centres of Fiji. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the level of service quality provided by supermarkets, and inferential statistics to determine the gap between customer's service quality expectations and perceptions and to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe findings indicate service quality of supermarkets is perceived as being unsatisfactory, service quality significantly affects customer satisfaction and loyalty and customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty reducing customer's perceptions of service quality, leading to lower customer loyalty.Practical implicationsThis study provides an indication as to where supermarkets should target their marketing attention and scarce corporate resources and may help in their efforts to service, satisfy, retain and attract more long-term loyal customers in the increasingly competitive supermarket sector. This research could inform government policy makers in sequencing the supermarket sector transformation and assist local supermarkets to adapt to this changing retail landscape.Originality/valueThis study advances our understanding of the effect of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty and the mediating role of customer satisfaction in the supermarket sector.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurdin Sobari ◽  
Andyan Kurniati ◽  
Hardius Usman

Purpose This study aims to analyze the behavior of Indonesian Muslim consumers toward halal wellness services, especially to determine the effect of Islamic attributes providing halal wellness services and customer religious commitment as a moderating variable on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The study was carried out by surveying 260 respondents from 13 Muslim salon outlets in the Jabodetabek area as research samples. Furthermore, a quantitative approach with moderated regression analysis is used as an analytical tool to test the research hypothesis. Findings The study found that embedding Islamic attributes in a halal service correlated positively with customer satisfaction. Four of the six dimensions of Islamic attributes that provide halal wellness services have a significant influence on customer satisfaction and loyalty. In addition, it was found that the moderating effect of religious commitment variables was only significant on two Islamic attributes, namely, Muslim goods and services and halal labeled products. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted with samples taken from only one brand of muslimah salon in Jabodetabek area. So that generalization needs to be done with caution. Practical implications The paper includes implications for the marketing strategy of halal wellness services industry including the importance of experiential marketing strategy, the moderation between fiqh law compliance and customer convenience and the service customization based on customer preferences. Originality/value This paper gives an understanding of the behavior of halal wellness service users on how halal service attributes affect user satisfaction and loyalty.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-162
Author(s):  
Catherine Prentice

Purpose This study aims to draw on the complexity theory and uses a non-an asymmetrical method – fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to test the core tenets of complexity theory, namely, asymmetry, equifinality and causal complexity and valence reversals or conjunction with a focus on testing the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty. Case outcome forecasting accuracy rather than relationships are tested in asymmetric testing. Design/methodology/approach Both symmetrical (structural equation modelling or SEM) and non-symmetrical (fsQCA) methods were used to test the proposed relationships (symmetrical testing) and case outcome forecasting accuracy (asymmetric testing). The former was used as a comparison. The study setting was in Australian airports. The data were collected from departure passengers. Findings The results from SEM and fsQCA differ substantially. The former provides very simplistic findings of variable directional relationships; whereas the latter presents asymmetrical, equifinal and conjunctional relationships regarding service quality, customer satisfaction and behavioural intentions. These findings support the core tenets of the complexity theory. Research limitations/implications The study findings conform to the complexity theory that indicates relationships between variables can be nonlinear and the same causes can produce different effects. The findings suggest the outcomes of interest often result from combined antecedent conditions rather than a single causal factor. The study confirms that asymmetrical thinking relies on Boolean algebra and set theory principles. Originality/value This study uses both symmetrical and asymmetrical methods to reveal the nuanced information about the relationship that has been tested primarily using symmetrical methods.


Significance It is also designed to enable greater reliance on domestic resources and markets in an increasingly hostile international geopolitical environment. Infrastructure is the core of the strategy. Impacts The most visible impact will be the construction of infrastructure, especially in transport, energy and the high-tech sector. Foreign investors are likely to play little if any role in Go West. Some foreign firms may benefit if costs fall and incomes rise in Western China; others will lose out if China’s self-sufficiency increases. Economic growth will not reduce ethnic tensions in Xinjiang and Tibet if ethnic Han benefit disproportionately.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muahmmad Kashif ◽  
Sharifah Suzana Wan Shukran ◽  
Mohsin Abdul Rehman ◽  
Syamsulang Sarifuddin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of PAKSERV measures on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the Malaysian Islamic banking context. Design/methodology/approach – The dimensionality of the PAKSERV scale is examined with confirmatory factor analysis. A survey approach is adopted to collect data from 300 Islamic banking customers in Kuching, Malaysia. Findings – Results reveal an excellent model fit for the PAKSERV scale in collectivist cultural context of Malaysia. All dimensions of PAKSERV are validated except reliability. The issue of non-validity of the reliability dimension in an Islamic banking context is explained by extant literature. Practical implications – Islamic banks are recommended to focus on all the PAKSERV scale dimensions to impart service quality. Given a collectivist cultural setting, a “network marketing” approach is recommended to maintain a desirable level of customer satisfaction and loyalty. Originality/value – The PAKSERV scale has been employed for the first time to investigate the service quality-loyalty path in a collectivist cultural context. The validity of the PAKSERV scale has been operationalized for the first time in a collectivist cultural context.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafikul Islam ◽  
Selim Ahmed ◽  
Mahbubar Rahman ◽  
Ahmed Al Asheq

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of various service quality dimensions, namely reliability, responsiveness, visibility, employee commitment and access to service on customer satisfaction in the private banking sector of Bangladesh. The research also investigates the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty and effect of demographic variables on customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers distributed 320 self-administered survey questionnaires among private banks' customers in Bangladesh and obtained 200 useable responses with a 62.5% valid response rate. The research data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) approaches. Analysis of variance and logistic regression have also been used to obtain the supplementary findings.FindingsThe research findings indicate that visibility, responsiveness and employee commitment have positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction, whereas reliability and access to service are found to have insignificant influence on customer satisfaction of private banking services. The findings of this study also revealed that customer satisfaction has positive and significant relationship with customer loyalty. But except respondents' occupation type, all other demographic variables have no statistically significant relation with customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focused solely on the private banking sector of Bangladesh, and thus the results may not be applicable to other service sectors.Originality/valueThis study conducted on customers' perception of private banking services is based on extended service quality dimensions and its relationship with customer satisfaction towards loyalty. The present research findings are anticipated to offer the guidelines for improving the customer satisfaction and loyalty of private banking services in Bangladesh as well as other countries.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Sivadas ◽  
Rupinder Paul Jindal

Purpose Scholars have conceptualized and measured customer satisfaction in several different ways such as overall satisfaction and relative satisfaction. This paper aims to study if how one conceptualizes customer satisfaction matters. The authors study if key attributes of customer satisfaction differ in their impact based on how satisfaction is conceptualized. Furthermore, they examine the effects of these alternative measures of satisfaction on word of mouth (WOM). Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct three survey studies: at a single independently owned restaurant (n = 248); across restaurants using a national sample of respondents (n = 208); and across apparel retailers using a local sample of respondents (n = 214). The authors analyzed data using iterative seemingly unrelated regression and recursive system of equations with correlated errors. Findings The core offering (food quality or merchandise quality) and service influence overall satisfaction about equally; however, influence of the core offering on relative satisfaction is more than that of service. Furthermore, while overall satisfaction influences WOM, relative satisfaction does not. Thus, focusing solely on the core offering to improve relative satisfaction may not be enough. Positive WOM is generated when customers are overall satisfied with the brand which demands both a superior core offering as well as high service. Firms should aim for overall best performance rather than merely better relative performance. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to simultaneously study these two alternative measures of customer satisfaction along with their antecedents and influence on WOM.


2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 218-239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saman Sheikhesmaeili ◽  
Sana Hazbavi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the impact of food-related lifestyle (FRL) and food-related personality traits (FRPTs) on customer satisfaction and loyalty so that sufficient evidence for forming a new pattern of predictors of customer satisfaction and loyalty can be explored. Design/methodology/approach The research method in this study was the descriptive type and was based on the goal of the applied research methods. Data were collected from 384 sample group consumers of chain stores in the city of Tehran. The hypothesized relationships were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings Final results of study showed the significant effects of FRL and FRPT on satisfaction and loyalty of consumers. This indicates that aforementioned variables can create customer satisfaction and loyalty toward food. The research conceptual model was confirmed with goodness of fit. Research limitations/implications First, the sample consisted of customers who use a wide range of food despite diverse motives and interests. While knowing that costumers’ specific traits about food would have provided a more detailed and comprehensive understanding, conducting research in a set of general food consumer without considering special foods category could be a limitation. Second, and more importantly, since the customer behavior in consumption choices is an unconscious and cognitive process, other factors and domain that are linked to customer satisfaction and loyalty would have been missed. Practical implications This study shows that understanding the behavioral aspects of food consumption can help food producing companies to adjust their production and specially to foresee changes. Marketers are advised to investigate customer traits to promote customer satisfaction and loyalty effectively. This paper contributes to the body of knowledge in food marketing. Originality/value The present study offers a unique and valuable insight into a customer’s behavior and deepens customer satisfaction and loyalty by incorporating FRL, food neophobia scale and food involvement scale as independent variables to contribute knowledge in the context of food marketing, and throws some light upon the predictive power of mentioned variables on customer behaviors.


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