Customer gratitude in relationship marketing strategies: a cross-cultural e-tailing perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 445-455
Author(s):  
Kyle A. Huggins ◽  
Darin W. White ◽  
Betsy Bugg Holloway ◽  
John D. Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Web Quality

Purpose This study aims to examine how an organization’s Web-based marketing communication strategies drive feelings of customer gratitude and desired behavioral responses. The study specifically examines how a key cultural characteristic, ethnic identity, works in conjunction with Web quality to influence customers’ gratitude perceptions, thereby driving increases in positive word of mouth, repeat purchase intentions and price tolerance. Design/methodology/approach A major soccer e-retailer based in the USA collected survey data for the study. The authors examined the direct and indirect effects of Web quality through conditional process analysis. Findings Study findings indicate that customers’ Web quality and ethnic identity perceptions significantly influence customer gratitude and performance outcomes. Study findings also demonstrate the central mediating role of gratitude on the main and interactive effects of Web quality and ethnic identity. Practical implications Study findings suggest that online strategies of cultural-adaptation should go beyond integration of native language to include all key dimensions of website quality, to drive consumer gratitude and ultimately favorable outcomes such as word of mouth, price tolerance and repurchase intentions. Originality/value This research demonstrates empirical support for the successful deployment of relationship marketing efforts that impact all three dimensions (affect, cognition and behavioral intention) of customer gratitude.

Exploring market orientation among Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 617-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Long Zhang ◽  
Ali Kara ◽  
John E. Spillan ◽  
Alma Mintu-Wimsatt
Keyword(s):  
Market Orientation ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Orientation Measurement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Geographic Concentration ◽  
Marketing Orientation ◽  
Business Function

Purpose The role of marketing as a business function is rapidly changing in China. Consequently, their views on marketing orientation – whether it is accepted, rejected, modified or reframed – have been seriously impacted. This paper aims to report on the results of a survey among Chinese small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers and their perceptions of the market-orientation philosophy. In particular, emphasis was placed on three dimensions of market orientation: intelligence generation, intelligence dissemination and responsiveness. The effect of market orientation on business performance was also examined. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from 214 managers from SMEs. These businesses were located in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. The commonly used market orientation (MARKOR) measure was used to test the hypotheses. Findings Consistent with the extant literature, the findings provided empirical support for the three dimensions of market orientation among Chinese SME. The authors also found that a positive relationship existed between Chinese SME market orientation and firm performance. Research limitations/implications This study provides major insights into the market orientation measurement and practices of SME in China. From a measurement perspective, the empirical support for MARKOR across a non-Western context is noteworthy. From a practitioner perspective, the implications relating to understanding Chinese SME and how these companies can best market their products and services to their respective markets are critical. Some of the limitations of our study relates to the sample size, convenience sampling and geographic concentration of the respondents. Originality/value This study addresses the gaps in the literature by exploring market orientation in non-large scale businesses as well as the adaptation of the concept in a non-Western cultural setting. The findings extend the conceptualization and application of market orientation to Chinese SME.

Analysis of project managers’ leadership competencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 869-887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marzena Podgórska ◽  
Magdalena Pichlak
Keyword(s):  
Project Success ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Leadership Competencies ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Senior Project ◽  
Managerial Skills ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the three dimensions of leadership competencies, which refer to the competency school by Dulewicz and Higgs (2003) and impact on project success as well as the moderating influence of project type. Design/methodology/approach The mixed method was used and supported by survey questionnaire and semi-structured interview questionnaire. In total, 102 project managers as well as 11 senior project managers and people supervising project managers assigned to the projects participated in the study. Correlation analysis and regression analysis were performed to understand the relationship between leadership and project success. Findings The results provided empirical support for the influence of project manager’s leadership competencies, as well as their emotional and managerial skills on project success. What is more, the analysis of the results also pointed out that, depending on the type of the project, its success is influenced by other competencies. Research limitations/implications The research results are restricted by several limitations, i.e., the research model does not include the influence of other variables on the project success as well as operationalization methods of leadership and project success are not exhaustive. These limitations create possibilities for further analyses in this area. Practical implications The paper presented guidelines for the project management community concerning the proposals in terms of present management system modifications being about basing them on competencies and their development, as well as self-improvement of project managers. Originality/value The paper refers to the relationship between the leadership of the project manager and the success of the project in different types of projects and highlights how these relationships are formed in transitional economies.

The mediating roles of renqing and ganqing in Chinese relationship marketing

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinhua Zhou ◽  
Guicheng Shi ◽  
Matthew Tingchi Liu ◽  
Huimei Bu
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Relationship ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Attitudinal Loyalty ◽  
Marketing Investments

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the roles of renqing (reciprocal favor) and ganqing (positive affect) as consequences of relationship marketing investments (three dimensions: financial, social and structural) and antecedents of customer loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative survey methodology using self-administered questionnaires has been adopted to collect data of 218 procurement staffs from the database of China Purchasing Managers’ Club. Hypotheses tests were conducted using structural equation modeling. Findings – The results reveal that financial and social relationship marketing investments, but not structural relationship marketing investments, are crucial in evoking renqing and ganqing. The results also provide strong evidence of the relationship between renqing and ganqing, which in turn are necessary determinants of customer loyalty. Originality/value – This research is among the first to examine and confirm renqing and ganqing as a mediating mechanism through which financial and social relationship marketing investments influence attitudinal loyalty, and also through attitudinal loyalty ultimately affects behavioral loyalty. Findings imply the need for Chinese firms in general, and business-to-business context in particular, to strategically lever on the key antecedents of customer loyalty including relationship marketing investments, renqing and ganqing, in pursuit of a more competitive advantage and long-term profit.

Promoting or protecting my brand: the identity-expression and fear-of-imitation conflict

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica L. Thomas ◽  
Christina Saenger
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Online Surveys ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Meaning ◽  
Need For Uniqueness ◽  
Word Of Mouth Communication ◽  
Identity Expression ◽  
Group Member

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the conflict between consumers’ need to spread word-of-mouth about brands to express identity and the motivation to protect identity-linked brands from outside adoption that could dilute the brand’s symbolic associations. Current studies examine the interactive effects of self-brand connection (SBC) and consumer need for uniqueness (cNFU) on intentions to engage in brand-promoting and brand-protecting word-of-mouth behavior to in-group and out-group recipients. Design/methodology/approach Experimental scenario stimulus-based survey research was conducted, including scales measuring intentions to engage in promoting and protecting word-of-mouth, SBC and cNFU. Data for four studies were collected via online surveys and were analyzed using Hayes’ (2013) PROCESS macro and the Johnson–Neyman technique in SPSS 21.0. Findings The results of four studies demonstrate that the interaction between SBC and cNFU tempers intentions to engage in brand-promoting word-of-mouth and amplifies intentions to engage in brand-protecting word-of-mouth, when the recipient of the word-of-mouth communication is an out-group, but not an in-group, member. Originality/value This work exposes the conflict between identity-expression and fear-of-imitation by demonstrating that consumers’ tempered intentions to spread brand-promoting word-of-mouth and amplified intentions to spread brand-protective word-of-mouth are deliberate strategic mechanisms used to protect brand meaning. In doing so, this research exposes cNFU as a factor that influences self-brand-connected consumers to engage in a negative brand behavior and qualifies work in identity-expressive word-of-mouth that suggests that self-presentational concerns lead consumers to avoid spreading negatively valenced word-of-mouth about identity-linked brands.

How resource alignment moderates the relationship between environmental innovation strategy and green innovation performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing-Wen Huang ◽  
Yong-Hui Li
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Support ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Ecological Modernization ◽  
Green Innovation ◽  
Environmental Innovation ◽  
Green Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resource Alignment

Purpose Empirical evidences support the benefits of environmental innovation to improve performance. However, previous research has not considered the role of resource alignment in green supply chain management. To fill the research gap, this paper aims to identify resource alignment as a potential moderating mechanism and to examine the relationships between environmental innovation strategy, resource alignment and green innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach The empirical study uses a questionnaire approach designed to collect data. Regression analysis is used for hypotheses testing. Findings The findings indicate that environmental innovation strategy and resource alignment between partners are positively related to green innovation performance. This study also provides considerable support to the key contingent moderator of resource alignment. The positive effect of environmental innovation strategy on green innovation performance is stronger under the conditions of a higher level of resource alignment between partners. Research limitations/implications This study provides empirical support of the ecological modernization theory and integrates partner analysis literature and green management literature. Higher resource alignment may facilitate firms to develop environmental innovation strategy to attain green innovation performance. Practical implications Environmental innovation strategy enables firms to integrate ecological issues into their business operation. Managers could learn how to execute environmental incentive programs to promote sustainable development of green new product and green process. Managers need to pay attention to resource alignment that may have moderating influence on the performance outcomes of environmental innovation strategy. Originality/value This study highlights the importance of environmental innovation strategy and resource alignment in the process of green management and helps scholars and managers to better understand the moderator of resource alignment in quest of environmental innovation and green management.

The strategic hybrid orientation and brand performance of B2B SMEs

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 585-606 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Anees-ur-Rehman ◽  
Saila Saraniemi ◽  
Pauliina Ulkuniemi ◽  
Pia Hurmelinna-laukkanen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Brand Awareness ◽  
Brand Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Credibility ◽  
B2b Branding ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
One Way Anova

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to learn how strategic hybrid orientation – constructed from brand and market orientations – is related to the brand awareness, brand credibility, and financial performance of business-to-business (B2B) small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach The questionnaire was used in a survey to collect data from 250 Finnish B2B SMEs. The sampled firms were categorized into four clusters according to a two-by-two matrix, and their relationships with the brand performance outcomes were examined using one-way ANOVA and multiple regression. Findings The results indicate that strategic hybrid orientation is positively related to all three dimensions of brand performance, showing that two dissimilar orientations can complement each other in improving brand performance outcomes. However, the strength of complementary interaction seems to vary depending on the degree to which brand- and market-oriented attributes dominate in a firm’s strategy. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to provide empirical evidence to support the concept of strategic hybrid orientation for branding in B2B SMEs. This study aims to contribute to existing research on SME branding by capitalizing on B2B branding and strategic management literatures.

scholarly journals Consumer confusion proneness: insights from a developing economy

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 722-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fandy Tjiptono ◽  
Denni Arli ◽  
Tania Bucic
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
General Tendency ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Confusion ◽  
Young Consumers ◽  
Positive Word Of Mouth ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine young consumers’ general tendency to become confused and its effect on the word of mouth, trust, and consumer satisfaction in Indonesia – the largest smartphone market in Southeast Asia. Design/methodology/approach – A combination of convenience and purposive sampling were used to select the sample of young adults in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY), Indonesia. Findings – The results confirm that consumer confusion proneness comprises three dimensions; similarity confusion, overload confusion, and ambiguity confusion among young consumers in the smartphone market. Furthermore, each dimension has different consumer behavioural implications. Practical implications – In the context of Indonesia and when targeting young consumers, companies should focus on defining unique product features instead of simply imitating competitor offerings, because similarity confusion negatively affects consumer trust. Moreover, managers should consistently emphasize unique and value-adding features to overload the product. This will lead to increased positive word of mouth, especially with the growing trend of social media usage among young consumers in Indonesia. Originality/value – This paper represents a replication of Walsh and Mitchell's (2010) study. It is unique in that it is set in the context of the Indonesian smartphone market – the largest smartphone market in Southeast Asia, and concentrates specifically on the young consumer market. It provides valuable insights into the impact of consumer confusion proneness on the word of mouth, trust, and consumer across this age group and in this market.

The direct and interactive effects of retail community engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald J. Lund ◽  
John D. Hansen ◽  
Robert A. Robicheaux ◽  
Clara Cid Oreja
Keyword(s):  
Community Engagement ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results

Purpose This paper aims to examine the direct and interactive effects of community engagement and economic value on customers’ trust in, and commitment to, the retailer. This paper also examines the extent to which these variables, in turn, drive desirable behavioral outcomes in the form of positive word of mouth communications and share of customer. Design/methodology/approach Study results are derived from a cross-sectional survey of 1,757 respondents. Findings The authors find that retailer community engagement positively impacts word of mouth and share of customer indirectly through commitment and trust. As hypothesized, the results support a suppressing interaction between community engagement and economic value on trust. Contrary to the hypothesis, the interactive effects on commitment are positive. Research limitations/implications The study uses cross-sectional, single-sourced data. Incorporating secondary data or using experiments would reinforce these findings. This research is limited to local community engagement, future studies could broaden the focus to strategies that benefit communities outside the local area. Practical implications Study results indicate that managers can indeed build stronger customer relationships through community engagement as customers are more apt to be trusting of and committed to retailers perceived to be more actively engaged in the community. These findings are particularly important considering that community engagement is typically less expensive than other marketing strategies. Community investments are inexpensive initiatives that retailers can leverage to generate a big impact in the hearts and minds of their customers. Originality/value While it seems logical to assume that community engagement will benefit retailers in the form of stronger customer relationships, the authors empirically validate this assumption. The finding that community engagement simultaneously serves as both an antecedent and moderator is novel, albeit counterintuitive in the sense that the variable negatively moderates the economic value-trust relationship while positively moderating the economic value-commitment relationship. Taken in their totality, these findings indicate that community engagement serves to simultaneously drive stronger customer relationships while also differentially affecting the way customers arrive at their assessments.

The impact of information sharing on supply chain adaptability and operational performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Yang ◽  
Baofeng Huo ◽  
Minhao Gu
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Information ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study looks beyond firm boundaries to depict supply chain (SC) adaptability and classifies it into internal, customer and supplier dimensions to investigate their performance implications, respectively. This study also examines the enablers of SC adaptability based on information processing theory.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies the structural equation modeling method to investigate relationships among SC information sharing, SC adaptability and operational performance using data collected from 216 manufacturers in China.FindingsInternal information sharing has a positive impact on three dimensions of SC adaptability, whereas supplier and customer information sharing only have a positive impact on supplier adaptability. Customer and supplier information sharing interact to positively influence the three dimensions of SC adaptability, while internal and customer information sharing interact to negatively affect customer adaptability. We also find that all the three dimensions of SC adaptability can enhance operational performance.Originality/valueThis study contributes to providing a holistic definition of SC adaptability and classifies it into three dimensions. It also investigates antecedents and performance outcomes of SC adaptability.

Patients’ intent to revisit with trust as the mediating role: lessons from Penang Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 140-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salmi Mohd Isa ◽  
Grace Sze Sze Lim ◽  
Phaik Nie Chin
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Medical Tourism ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Private Hospitals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cognitive Components ◽  
Medical Quality ◽  
Affective Components

Purpose This study aims to examine hospital image, perceived medical quality, relationship marketing and word-of-mouth as the determinants of patients’ intent to revisit private hospitals in Penang, based on the theory of planned behaviour. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study comprising a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to domestic and international patients at the airport, private hospitals and hotels located in Penang. The partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was used to analyse and test the research hypotheses. Findings The results show that cognitive components (i.e. hospital image and perceived medical quality) do not have any significant influence on patients’ intent to revisit, while affective components (i.e. relationship marketing) and behavioural components (i.e. word-of-mouth) are important in increasing patients’ intent to revisit private hospitals in Penang, Malaysia. Trust has no significant mediating effect between predictor variables and patients’ intent to revisit, but it has significant association with affective and behavioural components. Practical implications The findings provide insights to medical marketing teams in promoting and increasing patients’ intent to revisit their respective hospitals and for the governments to sustain and enhance medical tourism in their countries. Originality/value This study is one of the few studies that looks at the relationship between hospital image, perceived medical quality, relationship marketing, word-of-mouth and patients’ intent to revisit private hospitals in Penang, Malaysia. This study also explored the direct and indirect effects of trust on patients’ intent to revisit that was still limited.

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