Customer engagement in online service brand communities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Chi ◽  
Paul Harrigan ◽  
Yongshun Xu
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Online Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Service Brand

Purpose Online service brand communities (OBCs) are an essential services marketing channel and relationship marketing tool, in which social capital (SC) is a critical success factor. Underpinned in social identity and social exchange theories, this paper aims to explore the effects of SC on customer brand engagement (CBE), considering the roles of collective psychological ownership (CPO), customer citizenship behaviour (CCB) and perceived community support (PCS). Design/methodology/approach The research model was tested using survey data from 256 participants; 137 from the Xiaomi Community and 119 from the Huawei Fan Club. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling analysis was used. Findings SC drives CBE. CPO and CCB are important mediators, whilst PCS is an important moderator. Practical implications Brand marketers need to foster SC in OBCs to achieve the maximum level of customer engagement. The authors provide recommendations as to how to build structural, relational and cognitive SC, as well as CPO, CCB and PCS. In short, brand marketers need to foster an interactive, empowering and supportive environment. Originality/value The authors further service research around the humanisation of technology. Specifically, OBCs are social spaces for brands and customers, and a key enabler of relationship marketing principles, such as CBE. The authors test the roles of structural, cognitive and relational SC in engagement in OBCs, through CPO and CCB. This holistic picture of engagement in OBCs is an important foundation for future service research.

Customer engagement behaviours in social media: capturing innovation opportunities

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie Carlson ◽  
Mohammad Rahman ◽  
Ranjit Voola ◽  
Natalie De Vries
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Customer Value ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Online Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Feedback ◽  
Value Perceptions ◽  
Design Characteristics

Purpose Social media brand pages have become instrumental in enabling customers to voluntarily participate in providing feedback/ideas for improvement and collaboration with others that contribute to the innovation effort of brands. However, research on mechanisms which harness these specific customer engagement behaviours (CEB) in branded social media platforms is limited. Based on the stimulus–organism–response paradigm, this study investigates how specific online-service design characteristics in social media brand pages induce customer-perceived value perceptions, which in turn, stimulate feedback and collaboration intentions with customers. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 654 US consumers of brand pages on Facebook were used to empirically test the proposed framework via structural equation modelling. Findings The theoretical framework found support for most hypothesized relationships showing how online-service design characteristics induce an identified set of customer value perceptions that influence customer feedback and collaboration intentions. Research limitations/implications The sample is restricted to customer evaluations of brand pages on Facebook in the USA. Practitioners are advised to maximize online-service design characteristics of content quality, brand page interactivity, sociability and customer contact quality as stimulants that induce brand learning value, entitativity value and hedonic value. This then translates to customer feedback and collaboration intentions towards the brand page. Originality/value The findings have important implications for the design and optimization of online services in the customer engagement-innovation interface to harness CEBs for innovation performance.

I am feeling so good! Motivations for interacting in online brand communities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Godinho Bilro ◽  
Sandra Maria Correia Loureiro
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Determination Theory ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Online Brand Communities ◽  
Brand Advocacy

PurposeThis paper focuses on customer engagement in online brand communities (OBCs). Drawing upon self-determination theory (SDT), the research proposes a conceptual model portraying the effect of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations on hedonic and utilitarian rewards, which the authors posit will affect subjective well-being (SWB) and brand advocacy.Design/methodology/approachData collected through a questionnaire completed by 367 members of OBC were employed to test the structural theory using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).FindingsThe empirical results reveal that intrinsic motivations significantly and positively affect hedonic and utilitarian rewards, but the same does not apply to extrinsic motivations. The results also confirm that hedonic and utilitarian rewards are significantly related to brand advocacy and SWB, although with different strengths.Originality/valueThis study provides new insights to the emerging research on customer engagement in OBC, including its motivations and rewards for contributing to these communities, from an SDT perspective. In addition, this paper offers a novel approach, by introducing brand advocacy and SWB as consequences of customer engagement in OBCs.

scholarly journals B2B service brand identity and brand performance

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 1139-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren Andrew Coleman ◽  
Leslie de Chernatony ◽  
George Christodoulides
Keyword(s):  
Significant Influence ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Brand Management ◽  
Brand Identity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Brand Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Visual Identity ◽  
Service Brand ◽  
The Uk

Purpose – This paper aims to apply the business-to-business (B2B) Service Brand Identity (SBI) scale to empirically assess the influence of service brand identity on brand performance for the first time. Design/methodology/approach – Based on data collected from 421 senior marketing executives, this paper applies the B2B SBI and structural equation modeling to fulfill the above purpose. Findings – Brand personality and human resource initiatives have a positive and significant influence on brand performance. Corporate visual identity, in addition to an employee and client focus, has an insignificant impact on performance. Consistent communications have a negative and significant influence on brand performance. Research limitations/implications – Data were only collected from executives in the UK. This research would benefit from replicative studies. Practical implications – This research empirically establishes the brand management activities that drive brand performance. Originality/value – This is the first empirical study to assess the influence service brand identity has on brand performance.

Exploring the influence of store attributes on customer experience and customer engagement

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (11) ◽  
pp. 1138-1158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suhaily Mohd-Ramly ◽  
Nor Asiah Omar
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Department Store ◽  
Customer Experience ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Term Survival ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Store Attributes

Purpose The global retail landscape has changed drastically. The rising role of Asia as one of the fastest growing international retail penetration and expansion will continue to make the region to be the driving force in world economic growth. However, the ambitious expansion plans are making the retail sector to be more challenging. Emphasizing on the customer experience and enhancing the value proposition to customers are undeniably vital factors for the long-term survival of any retail business. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of store attributes on customer experience and customer engagement in the context of department store in Malaysia. Subsequently, the influence of customer experience on customer engagement is also analyzed. Design/methodology/approach Using drop and collect survey, 484 valid responses of department store cardholders of age 18 years and above in the area Klang Valley, Malaysia, were collected. PLS structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses of this study. Findings Results revealed that customer experience is influenced by merchandise, store atmosphere, and loyalty program, while customer engagement is influenced by merchandise, communication, interpersonal communication, and loyalty. In contrast, post-transaction services were found to have non-significant impact on both customer experience and customer engagement. Analysis also revealed a strong relationship between customer experience and customer engagement. Research limitations/implications This study is carried out on customers of department store in Malaysia. However, the researchers urge other researchers to replicate the study from different countries and category of department stores. Originality/value Retail researchers recognize little knowledge on the contribution of store attributes to customer experience and customer engagement. This paper represents original research that encourages foreign retailers to employ service-dominant logic as a new marketing thought in designing strong customer engagement and experience strategies to capture the Malaysia market.

The impacts of relationship marketing on cognitive dissonance, satisfaction, and loyalty

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 553-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Shahin Sharifi ◽  
Mohammad Rahim Esfidani
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Attitudinal Loyalty ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Post Purchase ◽  
Purchase Satisfaction

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how relationship marketing can reduce cognitive dissonance in post-purchase stage and, thereby, increase customer satisfaction and encourage loyalty under mediating roles of trust and cognitive dissonance. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a survey on consumers of cell phones, the authors tested the effects of relationship marketing on cognitive dissonance and then customer satisfaction, behavioural, and attitudinal loyalty, using structural equation modelling. Findings – The results indicate that, thanks to relationship marketing, consumers undertook less cognitive dissonance in post-purchase stage. Thus, as consumers faced less cognitive dissonance, they represented more satisfaction and thereby behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. Additionally, the study confirmed the mediating role of trust and cognitive dissonance. Practical implications – The results show that when brands and retailers make their ties with their customers stronger and encourage trust, they can discourage cognitive dissonance in post-purchase stage and thereby encourage customer satisfaction and behavioural and attitudinal loyalty. Originality/value – Literature on post-purchase behaviour and cognitive dissonance shows how cognitive dissonance can reduce post-purchase satisfaction. Our research adds to the literature of both relationship marketing and post-purchase behaviour.

The effects of knowledge creation process on organizational performance using the BSC approach: the mediating role of intellectual capital

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 802-823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gholamhossein Mehralian ◽  
Jamal A. Nazari ◽  
Peivand Ghasemzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeKnowledge is a key success factor in achieving competitive advantage in the current fast-paced and uncertain economic environment. Several studies in the literature have analyzed the relationship between knowledge creation (KC) and organizational success; however, the mechanisms by which KC leads to accumulation of intellectual capital (IC) and thereby affects various dimensions of organizational performance are understudied. The purpose of this paper is to examine how KC and IC and their relationship influence key dimensions of organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachA research model was developed and tested based on the literature in the areas of KC, IC and organizational performance. This study uses a survey sent to companies in an intensive knowledge-based industry. The balanced scorecard (BSC) approach was used to measure the key dimensions of organizational performance.FindingsThe results from structural equation modeling (SEM) on 470 completed questionnaires received from the pharmaceutical companies in Iran reveal that KC activities lead to the accumulation of organizational IC and IC has a crucial and positive impact on the BSC. Furthermore, the results from the path analysis indicate that IC mediates the effects of KC on the BSC.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study contribute to the extant literature on the relationship between knowledge and organizational performance by demonstrating that knowledge and KC lead to performance when organizations utilize KC activities and leverage them to accumulate IC. Once used effectively, IC will result in a better performance in the knowledge-intensive environments.Originality/valueThis is the first study that investigates how KC contributes to firm performance by incorporating the mediating impact of IC on the BSC. The proposed model and results will help organizations to identify the mechanisms through which KC initiatives improve organizational performance.

scholarly journals Unveiling heterogeneous engagement-based loyalty in brand communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (9) ◽  
pp. 1854-1881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Dessart ◽  
Joaquín Aldás-Manzano ◽  
Cleopatra Veloutsou
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Brand Engagement ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
Behavioural Engagement ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Although recent research appreciates that consumers increasingly interact with brands in brand communities and that brand engagement is an important and complex phenomenon in brand communities, little is known about the nature of individuals’ brand engagement in brand communities. This study aims to identify brand community members’ segments in terms of their brand engagement within the community; help us understand if these segments use a different approach in the development of brand loyalty; and develop mechanisms that can be used to identify members of these segments. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a quantitative approach and uses a total of 970 responses from members of Facebook brand pages in three popular languages on Facebook (English, French and Spanish). Data are analysed with structural equation modelling, integrating FIMIX-PLS and POS-PLS. Findings The results reveal that cognitive, affective and behavioural engagement dimensions play a different role in driving brand loyalty. Three different segments of engaged consumers exist (emotional engagers, thinkers and active engagers). Variables related to the perceived value of the brand community provide initial explanations as to the differences of the consumer groups. Research limitations/implications The data were collected from a specific type of brand communities (Facebook-based, company-managed brand communities) and are self-reported. Practical implications This work demonstrates the heterogeneity of brand community members in terms of their brand engagement profile and the effect of this profile on the formation of behavioural brand loyalty. Suggestions on identifying members of these segments based on the value that they get from the community are offered. Originality/value This work extends the brand engagement and brand community literature. It is the first work that provides this nature of actionable suggestions to the teams supporting brands with brand communities.

scholarly journals Enabling transformative value creation through online weight loss services

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 797-808
Author(s):  
Heini Taiminen ◽  
Kimmo Taiminen ◽  
Juha Munnukka
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Behavioral Control ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Perceived Behavioral Control ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Actual Weight ◽  
Service Period

Purpose This study aims to understand how online weight loss services could help customers achieve a durable change. The particular focus is on exploring the roles of value co-creation and well-being outcomes in reinforcing the transformative value potential, which is argued to be realized as customers’ intentions to continue a healthier lifestyle after the service period has ended. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from the participants of an online weight loss service (n = 498), and a conceptual research model was tested using structural equation modelling. Findings The results imply that compliance with the guidelines and social support are two value co-creation activities that can influence the well-being outcomes of transformative services (i.e. perceived behavioral control and satisfaction with one’s achievements). These well-being outcomes help attain the transformative value potential of online weight loss services. However, the actual weight loss affected the transformative value potential only through customers’ satisfaction with their achievements as a subjective well-being outcome. Originality/value This study provides insight into the transformative value potential of services in the weight loss context. This study contributes to the transformative service research by focusing on the role of online services in reinforcing a durable change through the co-creation of value and improvements in customers’ well-being.

scholarly journals Effect of the university on the social entrepreneurial intention of students

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-24
Author(s):  
Carlos Bazan ◽  
Hannah Gaultois ◽  
Arifusalam Shaikh ◽  
Katie Gillespie ◽  
Sean Frederick ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intention ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Mind Set ◽  
Innovation And Entrepreneurship

PurposeThe study aims to test the applicability of a variant of the model proposed by Hockerts (2017) for assessing the social entrepreneurial intention (SEI) of male and female students. It extends the model by incorporating the university's environment and support system (ESS) as an additional more distal construct. The university's ESS, coupled with the experience with social, cultural and environmental issues can affect SEI by influencing the more proximal precursors of empathy towards others, perceived self-efficacy, perceived community support and social, cultural and environmental responsibility.Design/methodology/approachA structured non-disguised questionnaire was administered to students at a Canadian university. A sample of 485 usable responses was analysed by means of second-order structural equation modelling.FindingsThe results provide confirmation that the proposed model is a multi-group invariant and appropriate for analysing the SEI of male and female students. They also show that the university's ESS helps predict SEI indirectly through the complete mediation of the more proximal antecedents.Research limitations/implicationsThe questionnaire is limited to universities with social innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives.Practical implicationsOutcomes of the study can help universities assess the efficacy of their social innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives for instilling a social entrepreneurial mind-set in students. Consequently, universities will be better equipped to raise the perceptions of venture feasibility and desirability, thus increasing students' perceptions of opportunity.Originality/valueThe study advances the social entrepreneurial knowledge of the university's effect on the precursors of SEI.

scholarly journals Increasing customer loyalty through customer engagement in the retail banking industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Monferrer ◽  
Miguel Angel Moliner ◽  
Marta Estrada
Keyword(s):  
Market Orientation ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Retail Banking ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Corporate Level

Purpose This study aims to determine the main antecedents of customer engagement (market orientation, satisfaction, emotions and self-brand connection) and the relationship between customer engagement and customer loyalty in the retail-banking context. Design/methodology/approach A theoretical model of effects is tested using dyadic methodology, based on 225 dyads (bank branch manager–average of five branch customers). The authors use structural equation modelling (EQS 6.1) to test the relationships. Findings The results reveal a strong relationship between customer engagement and customer loyalty. Satisfaction is the main antecedent of customer engagement. Self-brand connection and emotions during the service also have a significant influence. Finally, branch market orientation has a positive influence on satisfaction and emotions. Research limitations/implications The first concerns the transversal data used. Geographical context is the second limitation. Third, the study sample only included customers with experience of the financial services of a specific bank (online customers are not included). Finally, the dyads are based on the opinion of the branch manager, on one hand, and an average of five customers per branch, on the other. Practical implications The combination of the branding strategy at the corporate level and the relationship marketing strategy at branch office level creates a situation in which customer engagement and customer loyalty can thrive. The communication campaigns designed to promote the brand image and associate brand values with the personality of the banks’ current and potential customers help to create an emotional bond that represents a switching cost for the customer. The moments of truth in branch offices are crucial aspects in the retail bank strategy. Originality/value First, from the conceptual perspective, it establishes a direct relationship between customer engagement and customer loyalty. Second, it empirically tested Pansari and Kumar’s (2017) customer engagement framework, which establishes customer satisfaction and customer emotions as the antecedents of customer engagement. Third, the study took an innovative step in establishing two levels of customer emotions in the retail bank context: emotions generated by corporate branding and emotions that arise during the experience of purchase and consuming. Fourth, the study shows that the market orientation adopted not at the macro corporate level but at the individual branch level is crucial to the generation of positive relational outcomes in the service the customer receives. The fifth contribution is related to the fact that the research streams associated with market orientation and relationship quality have traditionally been studied in isolation.

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