Analysing reviews in the Web 2.0: Small and medium hotels in Portugal

This study presents a characterisation of online reviews for small and medium hotels (SMH) in Portugal. We collected and analysed 1500 online reviews from 50 SMH. The findings show that room, staff and location were the concepts most frequently appeared in the reviews, with cleanliness, friendliness, helpfulness, and centrality of position the terms most frequently used to qualify the concepts. This study points out the main features which SMH managers should prioritize.     

What's Behind CRM Research? A Bibliometric Analysis of Publications in the CRM Research Field

The diversity of approaches to customer relationship management (CRM) brings about the need for systematic reviews. The objective of this article is to identify and categorize the most used publications in the CRM field. We conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database. To identify and categorize the subfields, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis. The most used publications were categorized into: (1) methodology in the CRM research field; (2) relationship marketing; (3) service quality and customer loyalty; (4) implications of market-oriented strategy; (5) CRM theory and its practical implications; (6) strategic management; and (7) customer value.     

Advertising Spending,Mood and Level of Product Information on Quality Perception

The aim of this article is to investigate the influence of advertising spending and mood on consumers' perceived quality, considering scenarios with slight and severe information asymmetry as regards a product's attributes. An experimental study conducted with 385 subjects demonstrated that mood moderates the impact of advertising spending on consumers' perceived quality, specifically when these expenses are at and above the market average. Moreover, the impact of mood on perceived quality was moderated by the level of product information. These results have several theoretical and managerial implications, and may help companies to invest their advertising resources more efficiently. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Impact of Service Recovery Processes on Consumer Trust and Loyalty in Car Repair Services

ABSTRACT

Although researchers and managers are increasingly paying attention to customer satisfaction, trust, loyalty and service recovery, not much is known about how these constructs interrelate with one another. Previous research has examined the interrelationships among subsets of these constructs. The authors extend this previous research by developing and testing a conceptual framework, considering all of these constructs (complaint encounter-specific evaluations and relational constructs) within a business/consumer environment. The findings show that distributive and interactional justice perceptions of the service recovery impact the satisfaction with the way the complaint is handled, which, in turn, influences the consumer's level of trust. Finally, consumer loyalty is affected by satisfaction, trust and perceived value.

RESUMEN. A pesar del creciente interés demostrado por los investigadores y gerentes en la satisfacción, confianza lealtad y recuperación del servicio del cliente, es poco lo que se conoce sobre cómo estas condiciones se interrelacionan entre sí. Investigaciones anteriores examinaron la interrelación entre los subgrupos de estos elementos. Los autores ampliaron la investigación anterior, desarrollando y poniendo a prueba un marco conceptual, considerando todos estos elementos (las quejas tienen evaluaciones específicas y elementos relacionales) dentro del entorno negocio - consumidor. Los hallazgos muestras que las percepciones de la justicia distributiva e interreaccional de la recuperación del servicio, impactan la satisfacción debido a la forma en que se manipula la queja que, a su vez, influye sobre el nivel de confiabilidad del consumidor. Finalmente, la lealtad del consumidor también se ven afectados por el grado de satisfacción, confianza y el valor que ellos le atribuyen.

RESUMO. Embora pesquisadores e gerentes venham prestando cada vez mais atenção à satisfação, confiança e fidelidade dos clientes e à recuperação de serviço (Service Recovery), pouco se sabe sobre como esses construtos se inter-relacionam. Pesquisas anteriores examinaram as inter-relações entre subconjuntos desses construtos. Os autores estendem essas pesquisas anteriores, desenvolvendo e testando uma estrutura conceitual, considerando todos esses construtos (avaliações de reclamações específicas aos encontros e construtos relacionais) dentro de um ambiente empresa/consumidor. As descobertas mostram que as percepções da justiça distributiva e interacional da recuperação de serviço impactam a satisfação com a forma como a reclamação é manuseada, o que, por sua vez, influencia o nível de confiança do consumidor. Finalmente, a fidelidade dos consumidores é afetada pela satisfação, confiança e valor percebido.     

Effects of personal characteristics on organizational commitment: evidence from Brazil's oil and gas industry

In 1997, Brazil's major energy company faced a loss of its monopoly as part of the country's structural reform. Many of its employees were recruited by new entrants to the oil and gas industry. In order to retain employees, the company initiated a multiyear planning process which included a redesigned human resource management model oriented to organizational commitment. This study examines the long-term influence of five employee personal characteristics (type of employment, job level, gender, education level and service time) on the affective, normative and continuance components of organizational commitment. The research was conducted in one of the company refinery and involved a questionnaire survey of all employees and interviews with senior managers. It was found that type of employment (company staff or contractor) had the greatest impact on affective and normative commitment, while service time and education level are the most significant contributors to continuance commitment. Gender and job level were found to have limited implication for commitment. The results demonstrate that the company response to structural reform had the long-term positive effect of binding employees to the organization.     

The characteristics of hotel websites and their implications for website effectiveness

Hotels are increasingly taking advantage of the Internet as a marketing tool able to provide direct contact with customers, but is the full potential of this tool being exploited? This article constructs and validates an instrument for the measurement of website characteristics and relates those characteristics to website performance, using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that small and medium size hotels in the Balearic Islands in Spain, a developed tourist destination, and in the South of Brazil, a developing destination, are using their websites as mass media tools; ignoring the potential for interactivity and one-to-one communication. It is suggested that hoteliers should adopt a more strategic approach to the Internet, preparing the ground for direct contact with customers.