An examination into the nature of satisfaction formation in a continually delivered business service context.

The next two papers are empirical pieces that test different portions of the conceptual framework. Data for both papers were collected from the customers of third-party logistics (3PL) service providers via an online survey instrument. The first empirical piece re-examines the relationship between global satisfaction and loyalty in light of the conceptual framework using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings suggest that the positive relationship commonly observed between satisfaction and loyalty is more complex in CDBS contexts than has previously been acknowledged. The second empirical piece tests for the importance of velocity performance---i.e. the rate at which performance is changing (Hsee and Abelson 1991)---to satisfaction formation using regression analyses. The findings confirm the importance of velocity performance and illustrate how environmental conditions moderate its influence.The dissertation follows a three paper format. The first paper is a conceptual piece that offers a framework for global satisfaction formation in CDBS contexts. Customer satisfaction is one of the fundamental concepts in the marketing discipline, but existing theoretical frameworks have been constructed based primarily on research in discrete contexts involving consumers. Theoretical insights are drawn from expectancy disconfirmation and social exchange theory.This research examines the process of customer satisfaction formation in a business-to-business services context where delivery occurs on an ongoing or continual basis. The setting is referred to as a continually delivered services (CDBS) context. It is expected that more and more exchanges in marketing will resemble those currently occurring in CDBS contexts in upcoming years (Rust 2004)

Perceived barriers to career advancement and organizational commitment in sales

This paper identifies three potential barriers to career advancement in sales: being excluded from informal networks, a lack of cultural fit, and a lack of mentoring. Using a sample of 241 account executives and managers from an organization in the television broadcasting industry, study results suggest that perceived barriers to career advancement (PBCA) have a significant negative impact on the organizational commitment (OC) of these sales employees. Effects are estimated with path analysis, and the effects of common method bias and job satisfaction are considered. Demographic variables (age, gender, company tenure, job level) are also hypothesized to moderate the relationship between PBCA and OC. The negative influence of PBCA on OC is found to become stronger as company tenure increases. Data also suggest that the negative relationship between PBCA and OC is more powerful among account executives than sales managers/directors. Managerial and research implications are discussed

Marketing Actions and the Value of Customer Assets: A Framework for Customer Asset Management

This article develops a framework for assessing how marketing actions affect customers’lifetime value to the firm. The framework is organized around four critical actions that firms must take to effectively manage the asset value of the customer base: database creation, market segmentation, forecasting customer purchase behavior, and resource allocation. In this framework, customer lifetime value is treated as a dynamic construct, that is, it influences the eventual allocation of marketing resources but is also influenced by that allocation. By viewing customers as assets and systematically managing these assets, a firm can identify the most appropriate marketing actions to acquire, maintain, and enhance customer assets and thereby maximize financial returns. The article discusses in detail how to assess customer lifetime value and manage customers as assets. Then, it identifies key research challenges in studying customer asset management and the managerial challenges associated with implementing effective customer asset management practices.Yeshttps://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/manuscript-submission-guideline

Engagement With Social Media Content: A Qualitative Exploration

A lack of a consensus regarding what constitutes engagement in the context of social media has made it difficult for scholars to generate theory in this area and has created challenges for managers attempting to demonstrate positive outcomes stemming from social media marketing. To address this issue, qualitative studies are undertaken with marketing practitioners and consumers to provide clarification and to formulate a formal definition of engagement in this context. The studies reveal it to be a psychological state of mind operating independently from interactive behaviors such as “liking” and sharing content. The findings offer new insight into consumer consumption of social media content and sow the seeds for future exploration

Exploring the Synergistic Role of Ethical Leadership and Sales Control Systems on Salesperson Social Media Use and Sales Performance

Research suggests that ethical leadership can motivate favorable employee behaviors. In the current study, we explore the influence of ethical leadership on salesperson social media use for work and its downstream effects on empathy and salesperson performance. Leveraging self-determination theory, analysis confirms the positive relationship between ethical leadership and salesperson social media use and tests the hypothesized moderating influence of activity, outcome, and capability control systems. Results also reveal that the positive association between ethical leadership and social media use is stronger when activity or outcome controls are in place, and weaker when capability controls are in place. Furthermore, the tests support positive relationships between salesperson social media use, empathetic behavior, and sales performance. An indirect effect of social media use on salesperson performance through empathetic behaviors was also uncovered

Contrasting Effects of Salespeople’s Emotion Appraisal Ability in a Transaction-Oriented Environment

Purpose: Although the role of emotions in buyer–seller exchanges is important, it remains understudied, especially in the business-to-business selling context. This paper aims to provide insights into the role of the salespeople’s ability to appraise emotions (EA ability) and its effects on job-related outcomes in a transaction-oriented environment. Design/methodology/approach: Multi-source data were gathered from 152 salespeople working for a financial service firm. Customer service and sales performance ratings were reported by supervisors. Hypotheses were tested through structural equation modeling using AMOS. Findings: The study finds contrasting effects of EA ability on sales performance in the firm’s transaction-oriented environment. On the one hand, EA ability motivates better salesperson customer service, which then increases their sales performance. On the other hand, EA ability enhances emotional exhaustion, which detracts from sales performance. Practical implications: Sales managers should consider the ability of new hires to appraise emotions when determining their fit with the job and the organization. Training programs that develop salesperson emotional abilities should be comprehensive as it may be detrimental to be high in EA ability without the skills to regulate or use emotions. Originality value: The study is one of the first to consider the effects of emotional abilities in the context of a transaction-oriented environment. By focusing specifically on EA ability, the study provides greater understanding of the influences of the individual components of emotional intelligence, rather than salesperson’s overall capacity for emotional intelligence

The Role of Frontline Employees’ Competitive Intelligence and Intraorganizational Social Capital in Driving Customer Outcomes

Grounded in social capital theory, this study explores the influence of intraorganizational social capital on frontline employees’ (FLEs) competitive intelligence activities and the subsequent effects of engaging in competitive intelligence on their information communication behavior and relational customer outcomes. We empirically test the hypothesized relationships using multisource, multi-industry data collected from business-to-business (B2B) FLEs and their customers. The results indicate that bridging social capital directly relates to FLEs’ competitive intelligence activities, while bonding social capital functions as a positive moderator of this relationship. Job autonomy also positively moderates the relationship between bridging social capital and competitive intelligence. Results further indicate that FLEs’ competitive intelligence directly and positively relates to customers’ perception of information communication, which positively influences customer loyalty and engagement behavior. These results indicate that the firms’ cultivation of social capital can improve the capability of their FLEs to provide information-based service to industrial customers

Patronage in continually delivered business service contexts

A conceptual model of customer evaluations of service provision in continually delivered business service contexts (CDBS) is presented and empirically tested in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry. The study demonstrates the importance of considering specific aspects of service provision, rather than relying solely upon global evaluations of service provision, when seeking to understand how customers evaluate and react to services. Assessments of service performance, economic outcomes, and social interaction quality are found to have differing influences on global evaluations of service provision. Importantly, the assessments are shown to also have differing effects on patronage intentions--an outcome often linked directly to more generalized evaluations of service provision. Implications for theory and practice are derived.Service provision Patronage Third-party logistics Social exchange theory Continually delivered services

Tell me a story: The role of narrative transportation and the C-suite in B2B advertising

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. This research investigates stories about buyer-seller experiences in B2B advertising. In two studies, the authors explore the impact of stories and narrative transportation in advertising on decision makers’ attitudinal responses. In Study 1, findings from a Fortune 100 company\u27s buyer panel indicate that stories told using narrative advertising were positively related to the decision maker\u27s trust in the supplier, ability to form personal connections with the supplier and the tendency to advocate for the supplier. Moreover, the organizational status of the decision maker (C-suite versus non-C-suite executives) was examined. Results demonstrate that the effect of these relationships were stronger for C-level decision makers than non-C-level decision makers. In Study 2, depth interviews were conducted with C-level decision makers. Findings reinforce results from Study 1 and provide additional insight into C-level decision makers’ perspectives on stories and narrative transportation. Implications for how stories about buyer-seller relationships can benefit organizational decision making are discussed