The Customer-Centered B2C Literature through the Lens of Activity Theory: A Review and Research Agenda

A multitude of published research studies investigate the B2C phenomenon from the customer point of view. At this point, making sense of such a large number of studies is a difficult task. The aim of this paper is to organize the literature to provide a clear depiction of what we know and what we don\u27t know about it in order to identify specific areas where future research efforts are needed. A review of the B2C literature of the past seven years yielded 115 papers investigating the phenomenon from the user/customer perspective, 74 of these were empirical. This literature is organized according to the Activity Theory framework, allowing for an enhanced understanding of the phenomenon through a social context perspective. Future research directions are identified and discussed

THE CONSUMER CHOICE OF E-CHANNELS AS A PURCHASING AVENUE: AN INVESTIGATION OF THE COMMUNICATIVE ASPECTS OF INFORMATION QUALTIY

A conspicuous paradox is evident in the statistics concerning purchases over the internet. While a majority of the US population uses the internet to seek product information for purchasing decisions, less than two percent of actual retail sales occur on the Internet. To explain this small ratio of e-channel choice for purchase, a comprehensive model that extends DeLone and McLean\u27s (2004) e-commerce success model was developed. The model centers on the importance of perceived information quality and its relationship to e-channel choice as a purchasing channel. Using the overarching theoretical frame of motivation, two questions were examined: (a) what influences consumers\u27 perception of the quality of information in e-channels, and (b) how information quality influences the consumers\u27 choice of e-channels in purchasing products. Four constructs, based on dimensions of communication theories, are put forward to be important determinants in consumers\u27 perception of information quality in e-channels, which ultimately shape their decision to purchase over the internet. Telepresence and screening capability in the message dimension, and channel trust in receiver dimension are theorized to positively affect perceived information quality. It is also hypothesized that as consumers experience higher levels of cognitive overhead as they use the internet, this will negatively impact perceived information quality in e-channels. Since telepresence is potentially the most manipulative among these factors through current web technologies, this study further investigates its antecedents. Based on human information processing styles, standardization of specification, sensory descriptiveness, feedback quality, and interactivity are presented as technological design elements to increase telepresence. The methodology used combined survey and a quasi-experiment, where several important parameters of the experiment were controlled to measure the research model. Several pilot studies were conducted to validate the quasi-experimental design and construct measurement. Analysis using structured equation modeling on a useable sample frame of 309 students provided support that perceived information quality has a positive effect on consumers\u27 choice of e-channels over physical channels for product purchase. Support was found for all factors to information quality and telepresence except feedback quality\u27s effect on telepresence. Overall, this study presents a framework of e-channel choice that combines motivation theory with the e-commerce success model, and enables better understanding of online consumer behavior. A common belief about the inadequacy of experience goods for electronic transaction is challenged. The results of this study provide insight into the pivotal role of information quality in addressing performance risk, thereby shedding a light on what makes consumers to use e-channels mostly as an information source rather than a purchasing point. Information quality is revealed as a key link between the evaluation aspects of the information search stage and the purchasing aspects of the choice stage. Four effective levers to increase information quality are identified, and telepresence is identified as the most promising tool to increase perceived information quality

Multiformat Communication Strategies: A Conceptual Framework and Empirical Investigation of Video Formats

Essay One was conducted to build a more complete view of bilateral, multiformat customer–firm communication. A review of communication theory builds a foundation for effective multiformat strategies across different exchange contexts (e.g., message complexity) and timing factors (e.g., relationship duration), while accounting for both positive and negative aspects of communication richness. Four perspectives on multiformat communication during exchange events suggest pertinent propositions and produce three parsimonious tenets. First, the authors propose a communication theory foundation for relationship marketing; second, they compile and synthesize extant research. Third, they identify six fundamental communication characteristics associated with different formats. Finally, they integrate insights from the previous perspectives into a single conceptual model to provide a more comprehensive view of multiformat communication. This conceptual framework can serve as a platform that academics and managers can use to develop effective communication strategies and thereby optimize customer experiences while simultaneously reducing firm costs and enhancing customer profitability and relationships. Essays Two and Three apply the characteristic-level insights derived in Essay One to a unilateral communication context, investigating whether, when and how the video format impacts performance, with four experimental studies. Consumers are increasingly watching online product videos without sound (no audio narration). Yet, managers have few insights into developing effective video marketing strategies, in the presence of this trend. In Essay Two, the authors first identify two distinct advantages of a video watched with sound, richness (greater message understanding) and vividness (greater message visualization), both of which have a positive impact on performance (Study 1). Next, the authors uncover that the vividness effect is important for consumers with hedonic shopping goals but not for those with utilitarian shopping goals (Studies 2a and 2b). In Essay Three, the authors find the richness effect is important for consumers with utilitarian shopping goals when they are visually distracted (Study 3). Finally, the authors find that adding text captions to the video, a frequently employed strategy, can backfire (Study 4). Adding text captions to a product video lowers message understanding and purchase intentions, when the video is still watched with sound. These findings have important theoretical and managerial implications

Critical review of the e-loyalty literature: a purchase-centred framework

Over the last few years, the concept of online loyalty has been examined extensively in the literature, and it remains a topic of constant inquiry for both academics and marketing managers. The tremendous development of the Internet for both marketing and e-commerce settings, in conjunction with the growing desire of consumers to purchase online, has promoted two main outcomes: (a) increasing numbers of Business-to-Customer companies running businesses online and (b) the development of a variety of different e-loyalty research models. However, current research lacks a systematic review of the literature that provides a general conceptual framework on e-loyalty, which would help managers to understand their customers better, to take advantage of industry-related factors, and to improve their service quality. The present study is an attempt to critically synthesize results from multiple empirical studies on e-loyalty. Our findings illustrate that 62 instruments for measuring e-loyalty are currently in use, influenced predominantly by Zeithaml et al. (J Marketing. 1996;60(2):31-46) and Oliver (1997; Satisfaction: a behavioral perspective on the consumer. New York: McGraw Hill). Additionally, we propose a new general conceptual framework, which leads to antecedents dividing e-loyalty on the basis of the action of purchase into pre-purchase, during-purchase and after-purchase factors. To conclude, a number of managerial implementations are suggested in order to help marketing managers increase their customers’ e-loyalty by making crucial changes in each purchase stage

Communication Richness: Why Some Guest Complaints Go Right to the Top - and Others Do Not

Despite everyone’s best efforts, restaurant service falls short at times. In those situations, guests perceive a service failure, and many complain. This study of 513 guests in three U.S. markets examines the guest characteristics that seem to drive the channel used for those complaints. Using a framework of media richness theory, the study found that guests who are more educated, more likely to complain, more frustrated, and in need of greater information about the service failure will typically take their complaint directly to management, either face-to-face or via written communication. On the other hand, those who are less educated or less frustrated will instead complain to line staff or use corporate guest-comment cards. Some of these findings appear not to support media richness theory, as face-to-face complaints are the richest channel (whether to line staff or management). However, it appears that for this sample of restaurant guests, the idea of taking it to the top (both in person or in writing) is important, particularly for frustrated, educated guests

Assessing the effect of mobile word-of-mouth on consumers : the physical, psychological and social influences

Mobile technologies enable users to discover and research products anytime, anywhere. Mobile devices allow consumers to create and share content based on physical location, facilitate seamless interactions, and provide context-relevant information that can better satisfy users’ needs and enhance their shopping experience. As consumers increasingly rely on mobile devices to search information and purchase products, they need immediate, updated, informative and credible opinions in concise forms. Meanwhile, marketers face unprecedented opportunities for mobile marketing, making ever important for them to understand the mobile word-of-mouth and its effect on the purchase behaviors of consumers on the mobile platform vs. those on other devices. Drawing from the media richness theory and the principle of compensatory adaptation, study one performs sentiment analysis of online product reviews from both mobile and desktop devices by analyzing over one million customer reviews from Dianping.com. We find that mobile reviews are naturally shorter, contain more adverbs and adjectives, and have smaller readership and less votes of helpfulness. The product ratings from mobile reviews are more polarized yet the average valence of mobile reviews is higher. By comparison, desktop reviews contain more pictures and are rated more helpful. Lastly, pricy products receive more desktop reviews than mobile ones. Study two draws from the construal level theory and posit that WOM from mobile devices reflects closer psychological distances (temporal and social), thus constitutes a lower construal level than that from desktop computers. Using a dataset of over one million product reviews from Dianping.com, we assess the value of online product reviews from mobile devices in comparison with those from the desktop computers. Our findings show that WOM is more helpful when it is socially and temporally closer to the users and this effect is amplified when using mobile devices, which bring the mental construal to a low level and make others’ opinions more relevant. Further, we show that product type moderates the effect of online reviews in that m-WOM is more influential for hedonic products and its value for the utilitarian consumption is the lowest. Study three deploys the observational learning theory to examine the effect of WOM across the mobile and desktop devices on the purchase behavior of online promotional offers. The findings suggest that the effect of WOM on the purchase of promotion offers varies significantly across the platforms, product categories, and discount rates. These findings help better understand the strengths, limitations and the effect of m-WOM as marketers attempt to offer consumers context-sensitive and time-critical promotions through mobile devices and make a significant contribution to the literature on interactive marketing. These studies render meaningful implications for theory development about the role of mobile technologies in marketing and can assist practitioners formulating effective promotional strategies through the electronic channels via mobile and desktop devices

Predominantly Electronic or Personal Service Delivery? A Case in the Wealth Management Context

Financial services have been a recurrent subject of a multichannel inquiry but investigation into the wealth management area is scarce. This paper intends to fill the gap and presents the results of a questionnaire directed at customers of a financial conglomerate. The objective of this research is to examine which variables influence consumers’ channel preferences in the wealth management context,and to find out possible differences between the customers who prefer predominantly electronic service or personal service delivery. Logistic regression and t-tests are used in the analysis. The perceived channel attributes of personalization, convenience and safety, relationship strength, and the internet and wealth management knowledge influence the channel preferences. Typical wealth management customers prefer multichannel service delivery; only 4 % of customers prefer pure electronic service, and 14 % of customers prefer pure personal service. There are several aspects that differentiate those customers who prefer predominantly electronic or personal service. The preference for the electronic channel indicated investments in shares, independent decision making style in wealth management tasks and reliance on electronic information channels. In addition, the customers who perceive relationship strength with the service provider as weaker prefer predominantly eservices, which should give impetus for action among the management in the financial service companies

Evaluating E-Relationship Marketing Features on Hotel Mobile Apps

The advent of technology has changed the course of marketing in both the academic and the business field. Given the increasing number of mobile transactions, hotel companies have launched mobile applications (apps) as an alternative e-relationship marketing (e-RM) channel. This study modified a progressive five-level e-relationship building model. The model was employed to evaluate e-RM features of the top 10 hotel companies’ mobile apps. The results indicated that these hotel companies maintained e-RM feature sophistication at the lower levels (Basic and Reactive), but relatively speaking, they did not utilize e-RM features extensively at the higher levels (Accountable, Proactive and Partnership). The findings implied that hotel companies employed mobile apps as a communication channel to provide basic information and allow for transaction rather than to deliver better customer values and strengthen long-term relationships

Face Challenging Perception and Media Feature Preference for The Task of Delivering Bad News: A Cross-Cultural Comparison

Delivering bad news is a frequently occurring, unpleasant and challenging communication task. Literature on bad news communication attributes the challenge of delivering bad news to individuals’ concern about hurting other’s face, a concept originated and dominant in China but applicable to other cultures. As the interactions at the workplace become increasingly computer-mediated, communication media may be leveraged to deliver bad news. The existing literature offered some insights on technology (including communication media) preference as well as cultural differences in it. However, existing research focused on the technology aspect. This study examines cultural differences in technology preference due to the task aspect. Specifically, focusing on the task of delivering bad news, this study distinguishes between the two mechanisms via which cultural differences may emerge, i.e., task perception (i.e., face challenging perception) and task response (in terms of media feature preference). Data is collected using surveys from clients of a multinational public relations company. Results show that there is no cultural difference (China versus non-China) in face challenging perception, that individuals’ face challenging perception increases their preference for high rehearsability and for less natural symbol sets, and that, holding face challenging perception constant, there is marginally supported cultural difference in the preferences for rehearsability but no difference in the preference for symbol sets. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol10/iss2/2

Online, set, go - Design and empirical test of an IT-based physical activity intervention

Financial services have been a recurrent subject of a multichannel inquiry but investigation into the wealth management area is scarce. This paper intends to fill the gap and presents the results of a questionnaire directed at customers of a financial conglomerate. The objective of this research is to examine which variables influence consumers’ channel preferences in the wealth management context, and to find out possible differences between the customers who prefer predominantly electronic service or personal service delivery. Logistic regression and t-tests are used in the analysis. The perceived channel attributes of personalization, convenience and safety, relationship strength, and the internet and wealth management knowledge influence the channel preferences. Typical wealth management customers prefer multichannel service delivery; only 4 % of customers prefer pure electronic service, and 14 % of customers prefer pure personal service. There are several aspects that differentiate those customers who prefer predominantly electronic or personal service. The preference for the electronic channel indicated investments in shares, independent decision making style in wealth management tasks and reliance on electronic information channels. In addition, the customers who perceive relationship strength with the service provider as weaker prefer predominantly eservices, which should give impetus for action among the management in the financial service companies