Maintaining a committed online customer: A study across search-experience-credence products

The goal of relationship marketing is to build and maintain a committed, loyal relationship between a customer and an organization. Although studies have discussed the types of relational bonds that enhance customer loyalty, empirical research that focuses on the application of relational bonds in a virtual environment is relatively sparse. In response, this study investigates the effects of various relational bonds on customer commitment across search-experience-credence goods/services on Internet. The results suggest that financial, social, and structural bonds have positive impacts on customer commitment. In addition, financial bonds are more successful in strengthening customer commitment for search goods/services than for experience or credence goods/services. Structural bonds are more important for credence and experience goods/services than for search goods, and social bonds are almost equally important for all three types of goods/service.     

Relational Bonds and Customer's Trust and Commitment - A Study on the Moderating Effects of Web Site Usage

Several relationship marketing theories have suggested that businesses could build long-term customer relationships. The purpose of this study is to develop relational bonding strategies for a financial service business and examine the relationship between the various relational bonds and customer trust and commitment under the moderating effects of corporate website usage. The findings of this study are threefold. First, the relational bonds that foster customer trust and commitment can be categorised empirically into three types: economic, social and structural bonds. Second, all of these bonds are significantly positively correlated with the customers' trust and commitment. Finally, customer use of a corporate website significantly moderates the relationship between the relational bonds and customer relational performance.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Influence of restaurants' physical environments on emotion and behavioral intention

The purpose of this study is to add to the body of knowledge on customer loyalty in professional services in business-to-business markets. The authors build on the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing group constructs and relate them to affective commitment, relational benefits and, through these two, to customer loyalty. The results show that trust and social bonds positively influence affective commitment, while adaptation and knowledge transfers positively influence relational benefits. Although both affective commitment as a more emotional construct and relational benefits as a more rational construct positively influence customer loyalty, emotional motivation seems to be much stronger than rational motivation. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed on the basis of the empirical findings.     

Boundary spanner turnover in professional services: Exploring the outcomes of client retention strategies

Abstract

Studies suggest that the termination of the interpersonal relationship between boundary spanners at buyer and seller firms can have a damaging effect on the inter organisational relationship. Few studies have addressed this issue in detail, but those that do, advise supplier firms to implement strategies such as service teams and boundary spanner rotation to lessen the negative effects of boundary spanner turnover. By creating multiple bonds between the two firms, dispersing client-specific knowledge widely throughout the supplier firm, and preventing the development of a close bond between buyer and seller boundary spanners, individual interpersonal relationships become less important. However, a review of relationship literature on trust, commitment, social bonds, and knowledge suggests the potential for negative outcomes from the implementation of the strategies. Using case studies and one-to-one interviews with design buyers and their agencies, this paper explores the outcomes of the two strategies, and the contexts in which these outcomes occur. Adopting a critical realist approach, findings are presented in the form of context–mechanism–outcome models. Agency size, agency culture, client experience, and boundary-spanner autonomy are amongst the contexts that influence the outcome of strategy implementation.     

Controversial Advert Perceptions in SNS Advertising: The Role of Ethical Judgement and Religious Commitment

This study attempts to advance knowledge in the area of controversial advertising by examining the antecedents and consequences of controversial advert perceptions in the context of social media, and particularly social networking sites (SNS). Specifically, we explore how ethical judgement and religious commitment shape controversial advert perceptions leading to attitudes towards the advert, brand attitudes and purchase intentions. Our results indicate that when a SNS advert is judged to be ethically acceptable, the level of perceived advert controversy is lower. However, the impact of ethical judgement on controversial advert perceptions becomes significant and positive when intrapersonal commitment and interpersonal religious commitment are introduced as moderators. This result implies that the level of religious commitment changes the ethical judgement–controversial advert perceptions relationship. The results also highlight that controversial advert perceptions negatively influence attitude towards the advert. The study contributes to the limited knowledge on controversial advertising on SNS, yielding significant and relevant implications for academics and advertisers alike, in their effort to improve advertising effectiveness without offending or alienating target audiences.     

The moderating impact of internal social exchange processes on the entrepreneurial orientation–performance relationship

This paper applies a social exchange perspective to understand the internal contingencies of the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and performance. It focuses on two aspects of social interactions among functional managers (procedural justice and trust), as well as on their organizational commitment, as potential enhancements to the firm's successful exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities. A study of 232 Canadian-based firms finds several positive moderating effects: The EO–performance link is stronger for higher levels of procedural justice, trust, and organizational commitment. In addition, consistent with a systems approach to organizational contingencies, the EO–performance relationship is stronger when the organization's social context comes closer to an “ideal” configuration of procedural justice, trust, and organizational commitment that is most conducive to knowledge exchange within the organization. The study's implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Examining human resource practice outcomes and service innovation

This study sought to examine the relationship between human resource practice outcomes and service innovation. It also examines the moderating role of knowledge sharing in the relationship between workplace friendship and service innovation, as well as the mediating role of knowledge sharing in the relationship between job satisfaction and service innovation. The study employed survey research design. The respondents were selected from across the service industry in Ghana using convenience sampling technique. Items measuring the constructs were adapted from extant literature. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to ascertain the validity of the measurement model. Hierarchical regression was used to analyse the data. The results show that knowledge sharing, job satisfaction, workplace friendship, and employee commitment predict service innovation. However, the interaction of workplace friendship and knowledge sharing has no effect on service innovation. Similarly, the moderation of employee commitment and job satisfaction did not make any contribution to service innovation. The findings imply that service firms must create a friendly working environment, ensuring that employees are satisfied in order to promote service innovation. It also implies that service firms must promote social activities that encourage knowledge sharing, but these social activities must relate to employees’ job.     

How social presence drives commitment and loyalty with online brand communities? the role of social commerce trust

Increasing interest in social commerce has been accompanied by concerns about creating high-quality customer relationships. Brands are particularly interested in how they may foster the creation of commitment and loyalty regarding their online social commerce communities. The present study contributes to this question by examining the relationship between social presence and customer relationship quality by means of customer commitment and loyalty. More specifically, this study clarifies the role of social commerce trust in this relationship. Based on 189 questionnaires from social commerce users, the direct relationships between social presence and commitment as well as loyalty are not supported, in contrast to prior findings. The results show that social commerce trust fully mediates the relationship between social presence and commitment as well as loyalty in social commerce online brand communities.     

基于知识交易视角的供应链伙伴关系与创新绩效实证研究

以供应链企业间知识交易为视角,构建了供应链伙伴关系、知识交易与创新绩效之间关系的概念模型,其中供应链伙伴关系包括信任与关系承诺两个维度。利用结构方程模型结合256家供应链上下游企业的调查数据对上述概念模型进行了实证研究。研究结果表明,供应链企业间信任对关系承诺、知识交易与创新绩效有显著的正向影响;关系承诺对创新绩效有显著的正向影响,但其对知识交易的影响并不显著;知识交易对创新绩效有显著的正向影响。     

A relationship maintenance model: A comparison between managed health care and traditional fee-for-service

This article proposes and tests a model of the patient-physician relationship maintenance process. The model is based on constructs from social exchange theory and Rusbult's investment model. A patient's commitment to their relationship with their physician is conceptualized based on a three-component model of commitment. The three components of commitment (affective, continuance, and obligation commitment) are examined in an interpersonal setting. A general model of the patient-physician relationship maintenance process is first tested. Then the model is tested separately on a traditional fee-for-service subsample and a managed health care subsample (HMO, PPO). The results indicate that the relationship maintenance process is different in the traditional fee-for-service group than the managed health care group. Specifically, affective commitment is more important for traditional fee-for-service patients and satisfaction and continuance commitment are more important for managed health care patients.     

Investigation of the relationship between service values and loyalty behaviors under high commitment

The aim of this study is to investigate to relationship between service values, commitment, and customer loyalty. Based on self-administrated survey from 440 mobile service users in South Korea, the proposed model was estimated by a hierarchical regression. First, the price and the quality values have a positive effect on repurchase intention under high calculative commitment. Second, price value also has a positive effect on positive word of mouth under high calculative commitment. Finally, and social value has a positive effect on positive word of mouth under high affective commitment. We discuss the implications of these findings for commitment management strategies on the relationship between service values and customer-loyalty link. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also presented.     

工会承诺、组织承诺和员工绩效——被企业所有制类型跨层次调节的中介模型

基于我国工会维稳与维权的双重角色,要发挥工会预防劳资矛盾激化的功能,并履行集体劳动争议代表的责任,需要研究工人是否对工会有承诺,以及这种承诺与组织承诺和员工绩效的关系。鉴于不同所有制企业工会的差异,文章基于角色理论、认知理论和交换理论,针对员工的工会承诺、组织承诺和绩效之间的关系展开研究,研究中使用了32家企业共709个员工样本的嵌套数据建立了不同所有制企业跨层次被调节的中介模型进行假设验证。研究结果表明：工会承诺正向影响组织承诺,组织承诺在工会承诺和员工绩效关系中起中介作用,并且该中介作用在公有制企业中较强,在非公有制企业中较弱。文章最后对实证分析部分进行了讨论,并指出未来研究方向。     

Does CEO transformational leadership influence top executive normative commitment?

Grounded in social exchange theory logic, this study proposes that CEO transformational leadership causes high normative commitment among top executives but this relationship is nonlinear. Specifically, top executives in Turkey express less normative commitment when their CEOs exhibits moderate levels of transformational leadership than low or high levels of transformational leadership. Additionally, CEO transformational leadership exhibits a similar nonlinear relationship to affective commitment which fully mediated the J-shaped relationship between CEO transformational leadership and normative commitment. The findings highlight the need to consider the nonlinear effects of leadership types as well as implications for further exploration of antecedents of normative commitment.     

The impact of IT and customer orientation on building trust and commitment in the supply chain

The application of information technologies (IT) to logistics activities may have benefits beyond cost savings, as it can create bonds between the supply chain partners. The objective of this paper is to analyse the influence of customer orientation on the application of IT to the supply chain and of these on the development of channel relationships based on trust and commitment. A questionnaire-based personal survey was conducted among manufacturers. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesis contained in the theoretical model. The results indicate that customer orientation affects the application of IT to logistics, and IT has a positive impact on manufacturer and supplier commitment to the relationship.     

The Impact of Internal Corporate Social Responsibility on Organizational Commitment: Evidence from Vietnamese Service Firms

This study examines the relationship between internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) and organizational commitment in the service sector in Vietnam. Results from a survey of 256 employees indicate that internal CSR has a positive and significant correlation with organizational commitment. More specifically, labor relations, health and safety, and training and education had a significant effect on organizational commitment whereas work–life balance and social dialogue have no significant association with organizational commitment. The authors also provide implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research.     

Mutual commitment and experiential knowledge in mature international business relationship

This paper examines how market knowledge and market commitment are developed in mature supplier/customer relationships in international markets. It reports the empirical testing of a model of increasing commitment and experiential knowledge development in international business relationships. The assumption is that the connected relationships in a business network are the basis for forming a relationship and it will influence how the focal relationship develops. The model shows the process when a supplier increases his or her knowledge of the business network that a foreign customer is embedded in and what happens as their relationship with the customer becomes mature, stable and profitable. In this situation the firm does not invest as much as it did early on in the relationship but diverts its attention to firms that are more embedded in the local business network context. The model thus explicates a process of transition as a firm moves from one mature relationship to create new relationships as it increases its foreign market involvement.     

Relationship banking and escalating commitments to bad loans

The relationship banking literature suggests that business relationships play an important role in the loan decisions of small banks. We test one aspect of this hypothesis using a cross-sectional panel dataset of small banks located in Texas from 1994 to 2002. Our results suggest that small banks located in smaller counties escalate their commitment to bad loans when compared with those located in larger counties, even after controlling for psychological and social factors that influence escalation tendencies. These results highlight the need for small banks to trade-off the positive benefits of adopting a relationship banking strategy against its unintended negative consequence. We provide some suggestions on how small banks may lessen their escalation tendencies despite adopting a relationship banking strategy. The results of this study also suggest that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that develop strong relational bonds with small banks may benefit from continued access to credit facilities, especially during periods when they experience financial distress.     

The interrelationships between relationship marketing constructs and customer engagement dimensions

The study examines the interrelationships between selected relationship marketing constructs, namely customer satisfaction, trust, perceived value and commitment, and their effect on the dimensions underlying customer engagement. The study is quantitative and an explanatory research design was followed. A total of 489 self-administered questionnaires were collected from customers of short-term insurance providers on the basis of convenience. Customer satisfaction impacts positively on affective commitment and trust. Customer value also impacts positively on affective commitment and trust, while trust impacts positively on affective commitment. Affective commitment in turn impacts positively on the four customer engagement dimensions: interaction, attention, absorption and affection. The research findings offer an initial understanding of the interrelationships between key relationship marketing constructs and their ultimate effect on various customer engagement dimensions. These matters have received little attention in marketing research, and knowledge of the proposed relationships may lead to further research on this topic.     

The Precursor Role of Cooperation,Coordination, and Relationship Assets in a Relationship Model

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study is to test the importance of activity-oriented precursors in a relationship model. This study supports the theoretical view that firms create trust and knowledge through activities and these activities make a commitment decision less risky (Johanson & Vahlne, 2009). The secondary purpose of this study is to collect and examine data from interorganizational relationships in both Sweden and the United States. By including data from two countries, results will be more generalizable. Results can also lead to several managerial implications.

Methodology/approach: This study focuses on a sample of distributors from both the United States and Sweden. One hundred sixty-one usable surveys were returned from the U.S. survey, for a response rate of 27%. One hundred twenty-four usable surveys were returned from the Swedish survey, for a response rate of 21%. The PLS-SEM method was used to examine the model’s constructs.

Findings: Similar to past research results show that trust and commitment have a direct positive influence on satisfaction, and that trust also has a direct positive influence on commitment. However, this study uniquely supports four out of six newly tested hypotheses. Both cooperation and relationship assets have a direct positive influence on commitment. Cooperation has a direct positive influence on trust and commitment. Relationship assets have a direct negative influence on trust but a direct positive influence on commitment. Surprisingly, two hypotheses were not supported: Coordination did not have a significant relationship with either trust or commitment.

Research implications: Managers who want to achieve a satisfactory relationship based on trust and commitment need to prioritize their attention toward cooperation. They should also be aware that participation in joint activities (i.e., coordination and relationship investments) does not guarantee higher levels of trust or commitment in the relationship. It is the quality of the joint activities and the how dependent firms are on each other and not just participation in joint activities that are likely to create higher levels of trust or commitment. The quality of coordination and manageable levels of dependence may counteract the higher costs associated with joint activities compared to the costs associated with cooperation. Managers may be wise to not make major commitments to other firms unless high quality joint activities have created knowledge and trust between firms. Originality/value/contribution: The model adds the joint activity-oriented antecedents associated with collaboration which is essential to a successful relationship. Because of the high failure rate of collaboration may be due to cooperation and coordination failures and because these two constructs are underspecified in interorganizational research, this study is unique in examining activity-oriented antecedents in a trust/commitment model of relationship satisfaction in a cross-cultural context (i.e., with U.S. and Swedish samples).     

Financial Attitudes in Family Firms: The Moderating Role of Family Commitment

This study investigates how family commitment moderates whether and how financial knowledge, positive experience with debt suppliers, and economic goal orientation affect owner–managers' attitudes toward debt financing in family firms. Using a sample of 280 German family firms, we find significant relationships between both financial knowledge and positive experience with debt suppliers and owner–managers' financial attitudes toward debt. Our findings show that family commitment moderates these relationships such that high family commitment increases the impact of prior experience with debt suppliers, though the effect of economic goal orientation is lowered and reversed. Overall, we contribute to research on financial decision making, capital structure, and social capital in family firms.