Customer e-Loyalty in Online Retailing: Testing a Measurement Scale

Research aim: In recent years, the interest for the activities aimed to nurture a strong relationship among retailers and their customers have increasingly intensified, especially in digital environments. Recently those activities have seen their relevance increased by the growing positive impact of COVID-19 pandemic on online retailing. Working on existing customers rather than capturing new ones is the new imperative for retailers, even if we refer to online platforms, obviously without underestimating the acquisition attempts of new customers. The aim of this study is to test a conceptual model of measurement for Customers e-Loyalty (CeL) in digital context in order to evaluate its impacts on digital retailers (e-commerce retailers, e-banking retailers, e-service providers). Methodology: it has been adopted a component-based Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) on a sample of Italian digital users, who makes online purchases prevalently on Amazon in order to test the CeL scale of measurement as a conceptual (meta) model. A structured questionnaire has been administered online to the consumers through Google Forms. Findings: The study has permitted to get some counterintuitive evidence related to the process of formation of customer loyalty in digital context. The trust isn’t a determinant of CeL and the affective loyalty doesn’t impact any of the elementary dimension of CeL, nor impacts on conative loyalty. Finally, the model has been able to better capture the impact of the individual dimensions of CeL on its outcomes (price sensitiveness, intentional SOW, e-WOM). Theoretical implication and originality: Propose a reliable customer e-loyalty measurement scale in online retailing. The statistical assessment of this conceptual model will permit, in the middle term, also to measure the CeL in several other retailing industries. Furthermore, in a next step, this investigation, could be extended to other geographical settings. Managerial Implication: the better understanding of the relationships among the latent variables and outcomes in the model might encourage the online retailers to figure out appropriate course of actions to win customers’ commitment and satisfaction and to provide better services in order to create a loyal customer base in a digital context

Triacontanol (long-chain alcohol) positively enhances the microbial ecology of berry peel in <i>Vitis vinifera</i> cv. ‘Glera’ yet promotes the must total soluble sugars content

Grapevine is one of the most important woody perennial crops in Italy, both in terms of cultivated area and economic income. In recent years, the identification of effective and integrated tools for plant nutrition and manipulation to improve plant health status in agriculture has become increasingly important to lead towards environmentally friendly viticulture. In this sense, plant-associated microbiota of berry carposphere structure and function significantly impact vines performance (must fermentation and final wine profile). For this, a recently developed biostimulant rich in triacontanol (TRIA) obtained from Fabaceae tissues has been tested in grapevine cv. Glera. Our study aimed to understand how TRIA application affected the fungal and prokaryotic communities, which is important for fermentation and the final wine olfactory profile. Taxonomical analysis revealed that TRIA application did not lead to significant differences in the number of species among kingdoms, therefore, not reducing the biodiversity of the grapevine carposphere. However, it did modify the ratio of certain species, such as increasing those with biocontrol effects and reducing the number of indigenous yeasts. Finally, the TRIA application resulted in a simple and cost-effective strategy to induce an earlier harvest with higher sugar content, which is important for fermentation. These results suggest the potential of using TRIA to obtain healthier grapes with cleaner sensory profiles during fermentation

Strategic outsourcing, innovation and global supply chains. A case study from the aviation industry

Decision-making on outsourcing new product development (especially innovation projects), such as engaging and managing the supply chain, is far from easy. It may involve addressing strategic and operational risks that might cause longer development times and increase innovation costs. It is, therefore, imperative to select suppliers very carefully and set up an effective management strategy vis-a-vis the supply partners right from the inception phase. Supply chain management is facing enormous challenges, driven by interrelated disruptions that will have a vast and lasting impact. Based on a relevant case study, Boeing 787 Deamliner programme, this volume offers a comprehensive overview of the decision-making models for outsourcing strategic activities. The proposed model suggest a valuable approach to outsourcing the decision-making strategies for new product development when the innovation is driven by technological innovation

Outsourcing of innovation activities in supply chains with high-intensity of research and development

Many companies have redefined own business model working with an extensive use of outsourcing strategies. This phenomenon has, increasingly, involved activities of the value chain with high-intensity of technology innovation (R&D activities) and industries with global and high technology supply chains. In accordance with this trend, the outsourcing is considered to be an important potential source of innovation because it permits to access to specialized technological capabilities of external organizations and sustain more effectively and efficiently - reducing development costs, shortening time to market, improving the flexibility, improving the quality of the innovation - the research and development activities for the new product development. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to analyze the outsourcing decisions relatively to the product innovation (R&D) activities. The theoretical framework of the study is the theory of transaction costs and the evolutionary theories based, in a broad sense, on resources, namely: Resource-based Theory, Competence- based Competitive Theory, Knowledge-based Theory, Dynamic Capability Theory. The theoretical arguments and conceptual framework of the paper are supported by empirical evidences related to aeronautic industry, whose supply chain is globally dispersed and characterized by an high-intensity of research and development activities which are based on a multiple streams of technologies. To understand the outsourcing relationships on innovation activities in the industry the argumentations are related to two business case – Boeing Company and Alenia Aeronautica - which, respectively, as OEM and prime contractor collaborate on the design and manufacturing of the most innovative large commercial aircraft, Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Latent theoretical constructs of service dominant logic

Purpose. The paper explores latent theoretical constructs of Service Dominant Logic (SDL). As pointed out by Leroy et al. (2013), there is a risk of premature black-boxization to consider closed the debate on SDL perspective (Vargo and Lusch, 2004; Vargo and Morgan, 2005, Vargo et al., 2006) in marketing and management theory. SDL is acquiring an iconic status thereby precluding any further controversy. This theoretical paper on the debate of SDL in management theory (Vargo and Lusch, 2011; Lusch and Vargo, 2011; Achrol and Kotler, 2006) aims to assess its distinctive contribution, also latent one, and eventual pitfalls. This assessment is carried out identifying, selecting and analyzing the main literature on the topic (conference papers, working papers and management reviews articles). Design/Approach/Methodology. The research design is innovative because it adopts a methodology of text mining on SDL literature base to zooming in its latent theoretical constructs, and authors’ speculative reflections, to zooming out for SDL theory advancement. The literature on SDL - 78 among papers, working papers and management reviews articles - has been examined through a text mining software in order to classify and analyze the literature corpus as unique text corpus by the means of k-means cluster analysis on a multidimensional scaling (MDS) chart. Findings/Originality. Originality is in the research design. Very few are the literature reviews based on statistical text mining techniques. The expected finding is to assess the real scientific contribution at the date of SDL, identifying its latent theoretical constructs. Research Limitations. The research has a descriptive and explorative nature. It hasn’t been explored, at this stage of research study, any empirical validation. Implications. To identify further literature research directions for SDL definitive consolidation. The paper is mainly a theoretical one. Managerial implications might be only incidental

L'analisi della struttura delle relazioni interne ad AMRA attraverso metodologie di analisi multivariata

Nel contributo si analizza, sulla base dei dati di una ricerca empirica, la struttura delle relazioni interne al Cento di competenza AMRA, attvaerso metodologie di analisi multivariata

The outsourcing of innovation activities in suppy chains with high-intensity of research and development

Many companies have redefined own business model working with an extensive use of outsourcing strategies. This phenomenon has, increasingly, involved activities of the value chain with high-intensity of technology innovation (R&D activities) and industries with global and high technology supply chains. In accordance with this trend, the outsourcing is considered to be an important potential source of innovation because it permits to access to specialized technological capabilities of external organizations and sustain more effectively and efficiently - reducing development costs, shortening time to market, improving the flexibility, improving the quality of the innovation - the research and development activities for the new product development. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to analyze the outsourcing decisions relatively to the product innovation (R&D) activities. The theoretical framework of the study is the theory of transaction costs and the evolutionary theories based, in a broad sense, on resources, namely: Resource-based Theory, Competence- based Competitive Theory, Knowledge-based Theory, Dynamic Capability Theory. The theoretical arguments and conceptual framework of the paper are supported by empirical evidences related to aeronautic industry, whose supply chain is globally dispersed and characterized by an high-intensity of research and development activities which are based on a multiple streams of technologies. To understand the outsourcing relationships on innovation activities in the industry the argumentations are related to two business case – Boeing Company and Alenia Aeronautica - which, respectively, as OEM and prime contractor collaborate on the design and manufacturing of the most innovative large commercial aircraft, Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Customer knowledge competence, consumer insight interpretive consumer research and competitive advantage of the firm

When the emotional involvement of the consumer, in the process of purchase and consumption of the products, is very strong, and the product technology is quite homogenous among competing brands, the competence to integrate consumer knowledge within the firm and generate the consumer insight for marketing innovation becomes primary source of competitive advantag

THE OUSOURCINGOFINNOVATIONACTIVITIES. A LONGITUDINAL STUDY IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN OF AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY

Many companies have redefined their own business model implementing an extensive use of outsourcing strategies. This phenomenon has, increasingly, involved activities of the value chain with high-intensity of technology innovation (R&D activities) and industries with global and high technology-based supply chains. In accordance with this trend, today, the outsourcing is considered to be an important potential source of innovativeness, because it permits to leverage on specialized technological resources and capabilities of strategic suppliers’ networks and sustain, more effectively and efficiently, the research and development activities for new product development strategies. Using a longitudinal case study approach, the aim of this study, therefore, is to address the outsourcing decisions relatively to the innovation activities for the new product development (namely, R&D activities) across the global boundaries of aircraft supply chain, one of the industries with highest-intensity of research and development investments

L'italianità come fattore di posizionamento distintivo della marca.

L'articolo presenta i risultati di un'indagine empirica a due stadi sul concetto di italianità in un contesto di interdipendenza dei mercati, standardizzazione globale dei processi produttivi e intensa concorrenza dei paesi low cost. Esso inoltre esplora i concetti di country of origini e ethnocentrism identificando i gap presenti in letteratura nell'analisi dei driver di posizionamento di brand italiani sul concetto di italianità nel settore dei prodotti del lusso