Cultural influences on B2B service quality-satisfaction-loyalty

The link between service quality, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty has drawn the attention of both academic researchers and practitioners. They are also focusing on the effect of cultural differences on customer attitudes and behaviour in the global service industry. This paper examines the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty as well as the moderating effect of cultural differences on the above relationships in the industrial business-to-business (B2B) service sector. The paper presents an empirical study using datasets collected from 7652 industrial customers across 55 countries and uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the hypotheses. The application of Net Promoter Score (NPS) as a customer loyalty metric based on customer experience management (CEM) is studied in relation to customer satisfaction. The study results demonstrate the positive relationship of service quality, satisfaction, and loyalty. In terms of the effect of cultural differences, the study finds that cultural dimensions of uncertainty avoidance negatively moderate the relationship between service quality and satisfaction, while individualism positively moderates the relationship between service quality and satisfaction. However, cultural differences do not impact on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty.     

The antecedents of complaint behaviour for Brazilian and French consumers of services

Using a cross‐cultural approach, this study investigates customer satisfaction after a service failure and recovery experience, considering (i) the influence of perceived justice on satisfaction; (ii) the impact of satisfaction on consumer repurchasing and complaint intentions; (iii) the moderating role of the customer cultural orientation; and (iv) the relevance of contextual variables. Based on a survey of 298 consumers from Brazil and France, the results indicated that (i) distributive and interactional justice influenced satisfaction; (ii) satisfaction was a significant predictor of repurchase intentions; (iii) satisfaction influenced third‐party, private and voice responses; and (iv) the level of the customer relationship, the severity of the failure and the responsiveness of the firm were significant contextual variables. Moreover, the individual‐level analysis suggested that only power distance cultural orientation was a significant moderator.     

The antecedents of customer loyalty: A moderated mediation model of customer relationship management quality and brand image

This study examines the mediating role of customer relationship management (CRM) quality to better explain the effects of service evaluation variables (service quality, customer satisfaction and customer value) on customer loyalty. The study also investigates the moderating effect of brand image on these mediated relationships. The mediating role of CRM quality on the relationship between the service evaluation variables and customer loyalty is supported. Further, it is found that the indirect effect of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty via CRM quality is stronger when perceived brand image is high than when it is low. The results have implications for relationship managers, brand managers and scholars who use service evaluation and relational metrics to predict customer loyalty.     

Mediating role of customer forgiveness between perceived justice and satisfaction

The relationship between perceived justice facets and satisfaction is well discussed in literature. The aim of this study is to test the mediating impact of customer forgiveness between justice facets and satisfaction in the context of Pakistan's banking industry. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the proposed hypotheses by using the data of 453 bank customers of domestic banks in Pakistan. Results of the study indicate that customer forgiveness mediates the relationship between justice facets and satisfaction. However, the direct impact of procedural justice on satisfaction was insignificant. Such findings have implications to theory and practice. In theory, it proposes and tests new linkages. In practice, managers need to consider that not only the justice facets but customer forgiveness is also an important predictor of satisfaction.     

Customer Satisfaction and Elapsed Time since Purchase as Drivers of Price Knowledge

This study investigates the influence of customer satisfaction and elapsed time since purchase on customers’ explicit and implicit knowledge of price. The results of two large, independent surveys of customers who purchased a consumer durable good indicate that customer satisfaction and elapsed time have different effects on explicit versus implicit price knowledge. Customer satisfaction has a negative impact on explicit price knowledge, but no substantial effect on implicit price knowledge. The length of time between purchase and retrieval of the price information has a negative impact on explicit price knowledge but no substantial effect on implicit price knowledge. Finally, customer satisfaction has a moderating role, in that the higher the customer satisfaction level, the stronger the negative impact of elapsed time on explicit price knowledge.     

Business Unethicality as an Impediment to Consumer Trust: The Moderating Role of Demographic and Cultural Characteristics

The article reports the findings of a study conducted among 387 consumers regarding their perceptions of the unethicality of business practices of firms and how these affect their response behavior, in terms of trust, satisfaction, and loyalty. The study confirmed that high levels of perceived corporate unethicality decrease consumer trust. This in turn reduces consumer satisfaction, which ultimately has negative effects on customer loyalty. It was also revealed that, although both consumer gender and urbanity have a moderating effect on the link between perceived unethicality and trust, the age group and level of education of the consumer did not exhibit such an effect. With regard to consumer cultural characteristics, both high uncertainty avoidance and low individualism were found to increase the negative impact of business unethicality on trust, as opposed to power distance and masculinity that did not have any moderating effect on this relationship. Implications for managers are extracted from the study findings, as well as directions for future research.     

Key account relationship management: the moderating effects of relationship duration and transaction volume

This study investigates the impact of three relational benefits (i.e. financial benefits, human interaction benefits, preferential treatment benefits) on switching barriers, customer satisfaction, and behavioral loyalty for key accounts in the context of the air express delivery industry in Taiwan. Empirical results indicate that relational benefits impact switching barriers, switching barriers influence customer satisfaction and loyalty, and customer satisfaction effects loyalty. Findings also confirm most of the hypothesized moderating effects for relationship duration and transactional volume on the relationship between relational benefits and switching barriers. Specifically, long-term key accounts place greater emphasis on the human interaction and preferential treatment benefits. Key accounts that have less established relationships based on the length of business relationship place more importance on financial benefits. Financial benefits were found to have a positive influence on switching barriers only for low annual transactional volume clients, while both human interaction benefits and preferential treatment benefits have positive effects for both low and high transactional volume key accounts.     

The relationship between informational justice, recovery satisfaction, and loyalty: the moderating role of failure attributions

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between informational justice, recovery satisfaction, and customer loyalty, as well as the moderating role of failure attributions, concerning the link between informational justice and recovery satisfaction. Data were gathered by means of survey from airline passengers who experienced a failure and, subsequently, a recovery within the past 1 year. The current study extends previous research by incorporating informational justice, as well as investigating the impact of stability and controllability attributions, within the existing framework of customers’ post-recovery evaluations. The results of this study found that failure attributions (stability, the frequency of failures, and controllability, whether the airline is responsible for the situation) moderate the relationship between informational justice and recovery satisfaction. The findings also confirmed that there is a positive and significant relationship between recovery satisfaction and loyalty.     

Psychological contract violation and customer intention to reuse online retailers: Exploring mediating and moderating mechanisms

This study examines the impact of psychological contract violation (PCV) on customer intention to reuse online retailer websites via the mediating mechanisms of trust and satisfaction. The moderating role of perceived structural assurance (SA) is also investigated. An empirical study conducted among online shoppers confirms the indirect effects of PCV on customers' intention to reuse via trust and satisfaction. The findings also support the moderating impact of perceived SA in the network of relationships. The study underscores the importance of SA as a trust-building mechanism for mitigating the deleterious effects of PCV among online customers, although the role of SA in preserving satisfaction is found to be limited. The findings suggest that online retailers may benefit by investing in SA and addressing the negative effects of PCV proactively rather than simply relying on post-failure service recovery mechanisms.     

Culture and age as moderators in the corporate reputation and loyalty relationship

This study investigates the moderating role of culture and relationship age in the relationship between customer-based corporate reputation (CBR) and customer loyalty using data from two service contexts (retailing and fast-food restaurants) in three countries (France, the U.K., and the U.S.) that differ with regards to two cultural values—uncertainty avoidance and time orientation. Results suggest that CBR has similar effects on affective and intentional loyalty in all three countries. However, culture interacts with relationship age, such that relationship age magnifies the effect of CBR in France, while relationship age suppresses CBR's effect in the U.K. and the U.S. The authors provide explanations for these effects based on cultural theories. Managerial and research implications are developed.     

Quantifying the link between employee engagement,and customer satisfaction and retention in the car rental industry

In the retail service industry, employee engagement may play an important role in customer satisfaction and retention, as employees often interact directly with customers. This paper investigates the empirical link between employee engagement and customer satisfaction and retention by analyzing a unique data set from a large car rental company. Our analysis makes use of retirement-induced employee turnover as an exclusion restriction that is plausibly induced by employee age, thereby allowing for variation in employee engagement that is partially exogenous to common underlying factors that also impact customer satisfaction and retention. We show that there is a positive effect of employee engagement on customer satisfaction and retention. Further analysis of moderating effects highlight potential limits to employee engagement, as service disruptions in the form of car downgrades can dampen the positive effects of employee engagement. However, despite the dampened impact of employee engagement its overall effect remains positive indicating that employee engagement can be a key factor in building resilience to unforeseen service disruptions.

     

Relationship marketing in A B2C context: The moderating role of personality traits

More and more, retailers are investing in relationship building as a strategy for enhancing customer retention in the business-to-customer (B2C) context. However, some marketing scholars have expressed concern over the usefulness of relationship marketing under certain conditions. As such, this study investigates the moderating role of personality traits on the relationship between satisfaction-driven relationship quality and behavioral loyalty. Based on a sample of 158 retail shoppers, we find that customers’ overall satisfaction with the retailer leads to quality customer–firm relationships and ultimately, behavioral loyalty to the retailer. We also found that the impact of relationship quality on behavioral loyalty depends on the consumer's personality traits, i.e., consumer innovativeness, variety seeking, and relationship proneness. These findings extend the extant relationship literature by showing that the value of relationship marketing is not universal, thereby refining our understanding of the relationship between customer behavior and relationship marketing. Implications for academics and managers are discussed.     

The effects of distributive,procedural, and interactional justice on customer retention: An empirical investigation in the mobile telecom industry in Tunisia

The framework offered in this study provides empirical evidence concerning the interaction between distributive, procedural and interactional perceived justice and loyalty program satisfaction on relational satisfaction in the mobile telecommunication context. Firms that rely on justice perception for strategy implementation are able to attain customer retention. This study suggests a theoretical model of customer retention that aims at investigating the role of satisfaction with loyalty program on relationship marketing. The structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothetical relationships. A self-administrated questionnaire was distributed to a total of a convenience sample of 520 customers of multiple mobile phone companies. The target population includes customers who have subscribed to a loyalty program. Results show that distributive justice moderates the relationship between satisfaction with the loyalty program and relational satisfaction. The results highlight the need to focus on distributive justice in order to nurture satisfaction and loyalty. Satisfaction with the loyalty program is a key predictor of a satisfactory relationship with the operator and customer retention.     

Does Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Customer Loyalty in the Taiwan Insurance Sector? The role of Corporate Image and Customer Satisfaction

This study aims to investigate the impact of corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty, and examines the role of corporate image and customer satisfaction. The empirical results indicate a positive effect of economic and legal corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty, as well as a partial mediating effect of customer satisfaction between corporate social responsibility and customer loyalty. Moreover, this study identifies the moderating effect of corporate image between corporate social responsibility and customer loyalty. The results of this study are useful to the life insurance sector for enhancing their customer loyalty and service marketing strategy.     

The Moderating Influence of Broad‐Scope Trust on Customer–Seller Relationships

Trust relates not only to customer trust in individual companies (i.e., narrow‐scope trust) but also to the broader business context in which customer–seller relationships may develop (i.e., broad‐scope trust [BST]). Based on two surveys comprising 1155 bank consumers and 817 insurance consumers, respectively, this study investigates the moderating influence of BST on relationships between satisfaction, narrow‐scope trust, and loyalty and also examines the direct influence of BST on these variables. The results indicate that whereas BST negatively moderates relationships between satisfaction and narrow‐scope trust and between narrow‐scope trust and loyalty, BST positively moderates the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. In addition, it is demonstrated that BST positively influences customer satisfaction and narrow‐scope trust. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Convenience and satisfaction: mediation of fairness and quality

This study investigates the role of service fairness and service quality in the relationship between service convenience types (decision, access, transaction, benefit and post-benefit) and customer satisfaction. Results show that service convenience has a significant positive impact on service fairness. Both service fairness and service quality mediate the relationship between service convenience and customer satisfaction. This study provides useful insights to both researchers and practitioners on the role of service convenience in improving service fairness, service quality and customer satisfaction. Findings of this study contribute to the literature by empirically investigating the impact of service convenience types on service fairness, service quality and customer satisfaction; and by examining the mediating role of service fairness and service quality between convenience types and customer satisfaction.     

The moderating role of switching barriers on customer loyalty in the life insurance industry

In recent service management literature, researchers have incorporated switching barriers as an important potential influential factor on customer loyalty and found that the impact of customer satisfaction on customer loyalty might vary under different switching barrier conditions. However, switching barriers and their importance in the life insurance service contexts have received little in-depth attention. This study aims to examine the impact of switching barriers as a potential moderator on the complex interrelationships among the antecedents and consequences of customer satisfaction in the life insurance service context. The main findings of this study show that the switching barriers do have a moderating effect and play a crucial role in winning customer loyalty.     

It takes two to tango: The role of customer empathy and resources to improve the efficacy of frontline employee empathy

This study investigates the link between employee empathy and customer satisfaction. Building on social exchange theory, we develop a model of employee-customer empathy. We focus on the central role of customer-oriented behaviour in explaining the empathy-satisfaction relationship, predicting that employee empathy positively influences customer-oriented behaviour, which in turn enhances customer-satisfaction. We also examine the moderating roles of customer empathy, as well as of customer resources. Results of a dyadic-survey study of 211 pairs of frontline employees and their customers support the proposed moderated -mediation model. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

B2C网购环境下的顾客满意度与顾客忠诚度研究

通过对广州市各个高校共342位同学的实地和网上问卷调查,考察了B2C网购环境下的顾客信任在顾客满意度对顾客忠诚度之间关系的中介作用以及性别差异对该关系的调节效应。研究结果显示,在B2C网购环境下：顾客满意度对顾客忠诚有正向影响;顾客信任在顾客满意度与顾客忠诚的关系中具有中介作用;性别差异在顾客满意度与顾客忠诚度的关系中没有调节效应。     

Retail service quality,corporate image and behavioural intentions: the mediating effects of customer satisfaction

This study investigates the relationships between service quality, corporate image, satisfaction and behavioural intentions. A structural equation modelling (SEM) approach is applied to test the proposed conceptual framework, using data collected from 404 supermarket customers in China. The structural model suggests that customer satisfaction fully mediates the impact of retail service quality on behavioural intentions (e.g. intention to recommend and repurchase). The results also indicate that retail service quality significantly influences customer perceptions of corporate image. The relationship between corporate image and behavioural intentions is fully mediated by satisfaction.