Offering low price guarantees to improve customer retention

Major retailers in the USA offer money back guarantees (MBGs) under which they return money to dissatisfied customers. Some of these retailers also offer low price guarantees (LPGs) under which they promise to refund price differences if buyers find a lower price after purchase. Some researchers have argued that LPGs should be legally challenged because they limit price competition and contribute to higher prices. This paper shows that adding an LPG to an MBG can help improve economic efficiency as both retailer loss and customer hassle costs from excessive returns are reduced. This reduction serves as a counter argument against those who believe that LPGs should be prohibited.     

The HASSLE Scale

Abstract

Retailers can respond to consumer complaints of perceived problems in many different ways. The response chosen by the retailer, as well as the time and effort exerted by the consumer, can influence consumer satisfaction/dissatisfaction (S/D) with the complaint resolution process. Results suggest that consumer S/D with the complaint resolution process has four critical dimensions. The two consumer input dimensions are consumer time and consumer effort expended in an attempt to resolve the problem. The two outcome dimensions are compensation received and attributes of the retailer's representative.     

Attracting and retaining food servers: How internal service quality moderates occupational stigma

This study examines the abilities of internal service quality (ISQ) to moderate occupational stereotype for restaurant food servers. Food servers at restaurants responded to two surveys measuring ISQ and occupational stereotype. It was concluded that ISQ overcomes occupational stereotype to attract and retain food servers in the hospitality industry. This investigation contributes to the hospitality literature and to a better understanding of the world of waiters, especially in reference to employee turnover, employee retention, and motivation to work in the food service industry. This research used an integrative model which may be applied to service sectors outside hospitality.     

The Effects of Person–Organization Ethical Fit on Employee Attraction and Retention: Towards a Testable Explanatory Model

An exploratory model is presented as a heuristic to indicate how individual perceptions of corporate reputation (before joining) and corporate ethical values (after joining) generate specific individual organizational senses of fit. The paper suggests that an ethical dimension of person-organization fit may go some way in explaining superior acquisition and retention of staff by those who are attracted to specific organizations by levels of corporate social performance consonant with their ethical expectations, or who remain with them by virtue of better personal ethical fits with extant organizational ethical values. Specifically, the model suggests that individual misfits that arise from ethical expectations that either exceed or fall short of perceived organizational ethical performances lead to problematic acquisition and retention behavioural outcomes.     

粮面压盖材料的控温保水效果及应用成本分析

分析比较了双膜冷气囊、包膜泡沫板、麻袋稻壳包、编织袋稻壳包、散装稻壳及20cm散装稻壳＋包膜泡沫板等6种粮面压盖结构的控温、保水效果及应用成本。结果表明6种材料都具有控温、保水作用，且控温、保水能力由好到差依次为：双膜冷气囊〉20em散装稻壳＋7．5cm包膜泡沫板〉20cm散装稻壳≈麻袋稻壳包≈包膜泡沫板〉编织袋稻壳包；应用成本由大到小依次为：双膜冷气囊〉20cm散装稻壳＋7．5cm包膜泡沫板〉麻袋稻壳包〉20cm散装稻壳≈包膜泡沫板≈编织袋稻壳包，这6种压盖形式对稻谷的脂肪酸值的影响尚不明显。     

An examination of food tourist’s behavior: Using the modified theory of reasoned action

A number of studies have been conducted to examine the behavior of tourists. However, there has been little research done on food tourism examining food tourist’s behavior. Food tourism is one of the fastest growing industries and areas of interest in the tourism industry today. The current study provides an integrated approach to understand the effect of food tourists’ behavior based on perceived value and satisfaction as it relates to their intention to revisit using the modified theory of reasoned action (TRA). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of perceived value on intention to revisit (H1) and satisfaction (H2), and satisfaction on intention to revisit (H3). Empirical findings indicated that H1, H2, and H3 were supported significantly in this study (p < 0.01). H1 was supported (β = 0.67) showing the perceived value is the antecedent of satisfaction. H2 and 3 suggested that attendees’ intention to revisit is predicted by the perceived value (β = 0.13) and satisfaction (β = 0.67) respectively. The most significant contribution of this study is a theoretical understanding with empirical results using the new factors (i.e., perceived value, satisfaction, and intention to revisit) in the context of the modified TRA rather than using the original factors. The implications will be very useful for food festival organizers as well as destination marketing organizations.     

Knowledge transfer: analysis of three Internet acquisitions

The importance of knowledge as the fundamental resource from the strategic viewpoint is widely recognized. Acquisitions are a means of complementing and renewing the knowledge base of the firm. In this study we analyse different variables of the implementation process (autonomy, retention, interaction, cultural similarity) in three acquisitions. We observe that the degree of autonomy granted to the acquired firm is influenced by the nature of the knowledge to be transferred, whereas retention and the means of interaction are not. The results with regard to cultural similarity are not conclusive.     

Life happens and people matter: Critical events,constituent attachment,and turnover among part-time hospitality employees

This research examined the impact of critical life events and constituent attachment on entry-level voluntary employee turnover. Specifically, this research examined the influence of three types of critical events on turnover – external personal events, external professional events, and internal work events. With a sample of 290 servers from a restaurant chain in the U.S., data on critical events and constituent attachment were collected with employee surveys, and turnover data were obtained six months afterwards from organizational records. Overall, the results demonstrated that positive and negative external personal events and positive external professional events were positively related to turnover. Meanwhile, positive internal work events and constituent attachment were negatively related to turnover, promoting retention. Furthermore, constituent attachment curbed the extent to which critical events lead to turnover. These findings highlight the importance of life events and constituents at work in explaining the employee turnover phenomenon in the hospitality industry.     

CAE分析在某车型座椅满足行李位移乘客防护强度改进中的应用

通过使用Hypermesh软件构建座椅骨架的有限元分析模型，根据GB15083--2006中行李位移乘客防护的要求，对某车型后排座椅进行行李位移乘客防护试验仿真分析。仿真分析结果展示了座椅结构的应力集中位置，以及座椅结构中容易导致试验失效的薄弱环节。通过优化设计，改进了产品的结构，降低了零件开发成本及采购成本，并使改进后的座椅结构成功应用在新车型上。     

EMPLOYING LATENT CLASS REGRESSION ANALYSIS TO EXAMINE LOGISTICS THEORY: AN APPLICATION OF TRUCK DRIVER RETENTION

Multiple regression analysis assumes that one model or theory is relevant for the entire population, yet research has shown that this assumption is often false and may severely limit valid theory development and testing. Latent class regression analysis overcomes this limitation and allows the researcher to identify and develop regression models that are relevant for different segments within the same population. Latent class regression analysis is introduced and is used to analyze truck drivers' intentions to stay with the same firm. This article demonstrates the advantages of testing logistics theory with latent class regression analysis and provides numerous applications for practitioners.