Environment Dominant Logic: Concerning for Achieving the Sustainability Marketing

AbstractEnvironmental issues are now at the forefront of global agenda. This is because, the natural resources are depleting in alarming rate. Moreover, environmental pollution, need for future generation as well as quality of life became few more crucial issues for the survival of the human life. In order to attain a sustainable existence of individuals, several researchers have started to point marketers’ role as the catalyst in bringing the change in conventional way of looking of business aspects. Considering the environmental deterioration, a new business philosophy became the necessary. This research addresses this issue by proposing a paradigm shift of the present marketing approach to a more timely, needed and holistic approach which can be called as ‘environment – dominant’ logic. Particularly, this study attempts to answer three basic questions related to this phenomenon: (i) Why the ‘environment-dominant’ logic is in the forefront? (ii) How does E-D logic differ from the conventional views of marketing paradigm? (iii) What is the role of E-D logic in marketing activities

Investigating the Effects of Consumer Innovativeness, Service Quality and Service Switching Costs on Service Loyalty in the Mobile Phone Service Context

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of consumer innovativeness, service quality, service switching costs and service satisfaction on service loyalty among mobile phone service users. A cross sectional survey was employed which yielded 535 responses. Structural equation modelling using the AMOS version 2.0 was utilized to test study the hypotheses. Test results reveal that service satisfaction, service switching costs and service quality are the three antecedents that directly influence service loyalty. However, consumer innovativeness does not have any direct effect on service loyalty. Moreover, service satisfaction is found to be a partial mediator between ‘service quality’ and ‘service loyalty’. Findings from this study will develop insights to enable policy-makers, managers and marketers to better strategize and effectively implement loyalty programs and prevent their customers from switching. This will enhance value creation for both their users and for the industry

Cognitive, affective and conative domains of sustainable consumption: Scale development and validation using confirmatory composite analysis

This study aims to conceptualise, develop, purify and validate a multiple-item scale to measure a sustainable consumption (SC) construct from the perspective of developing countries, particularly Malaysia. Interview, a focus group and survey methods were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data from respondents. Content Analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Composite Analysis (CCA) using Partial Least Square (PLS) were used to explore and predict the data. The EFA output generated three dimensions with 21 items. The dimensions are cognitive SC, affective SC and a conative SC that reflects the notion of sustainable consumption. The result of the CCA confirmed the EFA result. Based on the reliability and validity check results, it is apparent that the scale demonstrates good psychometric properties. This is a pioneer study that developed a new scale to measure sustainable consumption behaviour in a non-Western context. In addition, this study conceptualised sustainable consumption behaviour as a multi-dimensional attitudinal construct determined by the cognitive, affective and conative aspects of the mind

Strategic posturing of Malaysian mobile phone service providers

The Malaysian mobile phone service started with only one service provider in the 1980s, which then increased to seven by mid 1990s due to government liberalization policies. Nonetheless, this number decreased to three in 2004, and this marked the beginning of an intense competition within the industry. Utilizing the case study and content analysis methodologies, we gathered data from the public domain and developed a case that describes strategic actions taken by members within the industry. Based on Miles and Snow's business strategy typology, we analyzed the case data by answering the questions of "How do the industry players compete?", and "What factors are important in shaping their strategies?" The research objective is to provide a conceptualization of strategic posturing by Malaysian mobile phone service providers. Our analysis show that the initial strategic moves of these companies are predominantly prospecting, and, later, analyzing, when the market reaches subscription saturation, and competition begins to intensify. Industry latecomers either arise as challengers or adopt a niche strategy as their strategic option. The adaptive actions of these companies are greatly influenced by institutional elements of the government's policies, market situation, and rivals' actions and responses. These actions are mainly tied to resources and capabilities of their large internationalized parent companies. Taken altogether, the perspective of adaptation, as well as the theories of organizational ecology and institutionalization, provides important theoretical grounds in explaining strategic posturing and factors that influence it

Board Entrepreneurial Orientation, Board Guanxi and Firm Growth of Small Medium Enterprises in Malaysia

This conceptual paper is based on a study that predicts the overall Small Medium Enterprises firm growth based on board entrepreneurial orientation and board guanxi in Malaysia context. Previous studies on board of directors’ attributes’ tend to consider financial performance in its analysis only. The inclusion of the growth indicators including sales figures, employee number, introduction of new product and new market broaden the research scope to fill the previous research gap.This study also aims to examine the relationship between board entrepreneurial and guanxi in relations with SMEs firm growth. One of the most significant theoretical implications is the introduction of a conceptual model on SMEs firm growth, board entrepreneurial orientation and board guanxi based on Malaysia context. From the practitioners’ perspectives, this paper suggests improvement of existing approaches to the governance and growth of SMEs. There is a dearth of exploratory endeavors in the context of SMEs firm growth and board of directors’ attributes for developing nations. Thus, empirical study in this area merits critical attention Keywords: Board entrepreneurial orientation, board guanxi, SMEs firm growt

Embedded values in the service delivery system: developing an integrated framework

This paper presents a conceptual framework that suggests individual and organizational core values as the foundation that shapes the organizations’ value configuration.The framework also elaborates upon service delivery phases and the corresponding functions of values that enable a service organization to deliver values to its customers while also contribute to the societal wellbeing. The study contributes significantly to the development of theory on value configuration as well as providing useful guidance to service managers.Particularly, the conceptual framework acknowledges that delivering better value to its customers does not take place in isolation, rather it requires considering value aspects in each phase of the service delivery system

Venture Sendirian Berhad : The Journey to Excellence

Venture Sendirian Berhad (subsequently known as Venture) was an oil and gas company which was in charge of handling the small and marginal fields that had smaller reservoir in Malaysia.The company was comparatively new. In the middle of 2014, the company encountered an accident while handling one of the projects.The fire was caught in the pump room which caused almost RM 21 million of losses.After investigating the situation, it was revealed that the main reason for this incidence was people's negligence.Considering the seriousness of the issue, Mr Alvin James, The CEO of Venture suggested Mr Abid Rashid the head of Health and Safety department of Venture to bring the pro-active safety culture among the employees on or before December, 2015. Mr Alvin was afraid, if the employees were not alert and aware of the safety culture, such incidence might occur again and again

“Do they mean what they say?” Measuring greenwash in the sustainable property development sector

Purpose: This study aims to measure the greenwash construct in the sustainable property development (GSPD) context. Property development products such as residential homes, which are generally high-priced, require a long-term financial commitment from the consumers. It makes the property development sector unique. Hence, a specific scale is required to measure greenwash activities in this specific context by the marketers. However, the scale available to measure the greenwash construct is general which is not suitable to use in this particular context. The present study is an attempt to fill this gap in the literature. Design/methodology/approach: Three studies were conducted to develop the GSPD measure in different phases. In developing the scale, qualitative interviews (study 1) were conducted to generate the initial pool of items. The preliminary set of questions were then validated (content and face validity) by experts' opinions. Exploratory factor analysis (using SPSS) was conducted to extract the factor structure of the newly developed measure (study 2) which was then again validated to ensure predictive reliability and nomological validity by using the SEM-PLS technique (study 3). Findings: The exploratory factor analysis result revealed that greenwash in sustainable property development (GSPD) is a multi-dimensional construct. The dimensions are namely, false claims and misleading claims. The confirmatory composite analysis confirmed these two dimensions. Practical implications: This newly developed GSPD scale will enable the researchers to measure the greenwash activities practiced by some of the housing developers. Marketers will be conscious to avoid such activities. Moreover, the government agencies may use this scale to monitor measure and deter greenwashing activities by property development companies. Originality/value: This is a pioneer study that develops and validates a new scale to measure greenwash construct in sustainable property development in a developing context i.e. Malaysia. In addition, this study operationalized the greenwash construct in sustainable property development as a multi-dimensional behavioural construct determined by two dimensions i.e. false claims and misleading claims

Personal and environmental factors that influence the ecological behaviour of energy-efficient appliance purchases

This study investigates the effects of personal and environmental factors on ecological beliefs and ecological behaviour and assesses the mediating and moderating influences in this model. This study utilises 592 questionnaire surveys among Malaysian consumers. A partial least squares technique (PLS) was utilised to analyse the data and to test the study hypotheses. The findings show that personal and environmental factors have a positive influence on ecological beliefs and ecological behaviour; ecological beliefs are positively related to ecological behaviour. Additionally, ecological beliefs mediate the relationship between personal factors and ecological behaviour, and the relationship between environmental factors and ecological behaviour. The present study is among the pioneers in including environmental factors and ecological beliefs in pro-environmental studies. In the context of energy-efficient appliance purchases, the findings elaborate on the existing knowledge of personal and environmental factors, and individual’s beliefs

Investigating the Effects of Consumer Innovativeness, Service Quality and Service Switching Costs on Service Loyalty in the Mobile Phone Service Context

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of consumer innovativeness, service quality, service switching costs and service satisfaction on service loyalty among mobile phone service users. A cross sectional survey was employed which yielded 535 responses. Structural equation modelling using the AMOS version 2.0 was utilized to test study the hypotheses. Test results reveal that service satisfaction, service switching costs and service quality are the three antecedents that directly influence service loyalty. However, consumer innovativeness does not have any direct effect on service loyalty. Moreover, service satisfaction is found to be a partial mediator between ‘service quality’ and ‘service loyalty’. Findings from this study will develop insights to enable policy-makers, managers and marketers to better strategize and effectively implement loyalty programs and prevent their customers from switching. This will enhance value creation for both their users and for the industry