The Impact of Dialogue Dynamics in Online Service Resolution

Complaint handling by frontline employees (FLEs) is increasingly occurring in digital channels. Drawing on dialogical interaction analysis, we demonstrate that customer complaints with more negative language are more difficult to solve, but by using dominant language and matching the consumer\u2019s linguistic style, FLEs can improve perceptions the complaint was resolved

Effectiveness of engagement initiatives across engagement platforms: A meta‑analysis

As part of their customer engagement (CE) marketing, firms use different platforms to interact with customers, in ways that go beyond purchases. Task-based CE strategies call for customers’ participation in structured, often incentivized tasks; experiential CE initiatives instead aim to stimulate pleasurable experiences for customers. But the optimal uses of these two strategies, in terms of improving customer engagement to produce more positive marketing outcomes, are unclear. With a meta-analysis and data from 395 samples, pertaining to 434,233 customers, the present study develops and tests a unifying framework of how to optimize investments in both two engagement strategies across different engagement platforms. On average, task-based initiatives are more effective in driving customer engagement, but the effects depend on the platform. If platforms support continuous or lean interactions, task-based initiatives are more effective; on platforms that encourage spot interactions, experiential initiatives are preferable. Three customer engagement dimensions (cognitive, emotional, and behavioral) in turn lead to positive marketing outcomes, though in ways that depend on the platforms’ interaction characteristics (intensity, richness, initiation) and differ across digital versus physical platforms. These results provide clear guidance for managers regarding how to plan their CE marketing activities to benefit both their firms and their customers

Perceived Omnichannel Customer Experience (OCX): concept, measurement, and impact

Efforts to measure customer experiences (CX) in multifaceted, omnichannel, retail contexts are crucial but lacking research guidance. Prior service quality literature has established methods for measuring CX in traditional, single-channel contexts but not adapted such measures to omnichannel contexts. With a mixed method research design and studies in eight phases, the authors propose a comprehensive measurement instrument that incorporates a schema- and categorization-based theoretical conceptualization of how customers assess omnichannel retail experiences; they also integrate means–end chain theory to explain perceived omnichannel customer experience (OCX) as a construct. This construct captures multiple omnichannel evaluation dimensions: social communications, value, personalization, customer service, consistency of both product availability and prices across channels, information safety, delivery, product returns, and loyalty programs. Multiple applications of the measurement model empirically confirm the suitability of this instrument in consumer goods omnichannel retail settings. Its 36 items reflect nine first-order quality dimensions that combine to form the overall, second-order OCX construct. The measurement instrument offers sound psychometric properties, as confirmed by several reliability and validity tests, and predicts customer behavior reliably across studies. Thus, the OCX measurement instrument offers utility for theory, management practice, and further research

Franchise Partnership And International Expansion: A Conceptual Framework And Research Propositions

Although academic research has provided tremendous insights about the organizational form of franchising, considerable work remains with regard to understanding the critical factors that enable international franchise expansion and performance. The authors advance the argument that a franchise relationship is essentially an entrepreneurial partnership, and that this partnership influences the speed, scale, and scope of franchise expansion into international markets. In the proposed conceptual model, the authors detail the links among the franchise partnership, international expansion, and franchise system performance

Customer Perceived Value: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis

Customer perceived value (CPV) is a cornerstone of marketing literature. However, myriad studies have generated contradictory empirical findings. In addition, though some existing literature reviews help clarify the conceptual foundations of CPV, the literature lacks a meta-analysis of empirical evidence about the CPV model and its effects. To consolidate existing research, the current meta-analysis assesses the findings of 687 articles, involving 780 independent samples and 357,247 customers. The most integrative CPV model, which includes benefits, sacrifices, and overall value, performs best. Empirical generalizations also reveal the relative weights of various benefits and sacrifices integrated into this CPV model and causal chains between CPV and different outcomes (satisfaction, word-of-mouth, and repurchase intentions). Finally, this analysis uncovers moderating effects of multiple relational contexts: nonprofit/for-profit, public/private, contractual/non-contractual, online/offline, business-to-business/business-to-consumer, and goods/services. For scholars, this article synthesizes existing findings on CPV; for managers, the results provide suggestions for ways to increase CPV

Osjetljivost na vlagu te optička, mehanička i strukturna svojstva jestivih filmova na bazi proteina sirutke s dodatkom repičinog ulja

The objective of this work is to study the effect of the rapeseed oil content on the physical properties of whey protein emulsion films. For this purpose, whey protein films with the addition of 0, 1, 2 and 3 % of rapeseed oil, and glycerol as a plasticizer were obtained by the casting method. Film-forming emulsions were evaluated and compared using light scattering granulometry. The Sauter mean diameters (d32) of lipid droplets in film-forming solutions showed an increasing trend when increasing the oil volume fractions. The inclusion of rapeseed oil enhanced the hydrophobic character of whey protein films, reducing moisture content and film solubility in water. All emulsified films showed high lightness (L*≈90). Parameter a* decreased and parameter b* and total colour difference (ΔE) increased with the increase of the volume fractions of oil. These results were consistent with visual observations; control films were transparent and those containing oil opaque. Water vapour sorption experimental data at the full range of water activity values from 0.11 to 0.93 were well described with Peleg’s equation (R2≥0.99). The tensile strength, Young’s modulus and elongation at break increased with the increase of rapeseed oil volume fraction, which could be explained by interactions between lipids and the protein matrix. These results revealed that rapeseed oil has enormous potential to be incorporated into whey protein to make edible film or coating for some food products. The mechanical resistance decreased with the addition of the lipids, and the opacity and soluble matter content increased.Svrha je ovoga rada bila ispitati utjecaj dodatka repičinog ulja u različitim volumnim udjelima na fizikalna svojstva filmova izrađenih od proteina sirutke. Filmovi su pripremljeni u kalupima lijevanjem emulzija dobivenih od proteina sirutke s dodatkom 0, 1, 2 ili 3 % repičinog ulja te glicerola kao plastifikatora. Raspodjela veličine čestica emulzije određena je metodom laserske difrakcije, te je utvrđeno da se s povećanjem volumnog udjela ulja povećao srednji Sauterov promjer (d32) lipidnih kapljica. Dodatkom repičinog ulja povećala se hidrofobnost, a smanjio udjel vlage u filmovima te njihova topljivost u vodi. Sve su emulzije bile vrlo svijetle (L*≈90), a pri većim volumnim udjelima ulja smanjila se vrijednost parametra a*, a povećali vrijednost parametra b* i ukupna razlika u boji (ΔE). Rezultati su bili u skladu s onima dobivenim vizualnim pregledom: kontrolni uzorci filmova bili su prozirni, dok su oni s dodatkom ulja bili mutni. Ispitana je sposobnost upijanja vode filmova, a dobiveni su podaci u rasponu aktiviteta vode od 0,11 do 0,93 dobro opisani pomoću Pelegove jednadžbe (R2≥0,99). Povećanjem volumnog udjela repičinog ulja povećali su se vlačna čvrstoća, Youngov modul elastičnosti i istezljivost filmova, vjerojatno uslijed povezivanja lipida s proteinima. Rezultati pokazuju da se dodavanjem repičinog ulja emulzijama dobivenim od proteina sirutke može proizvesti jestivi film ili omotač za koje postoji velika mogućnost primjene u prehrambenoj industriji. Dodatkom lipida smanjili su se mehanički otpor i prozirnost filmova, a povećao udjel topljivih tvari

The Effect of Image Content and Text Similarity on Brand Narratives Sharing

Although images are increasingly used in social media brand posts, it remains still unknown what type of images generate the most compelling narratives. The present research analyzes if and how the image content, and text similarity in the social media post affects consumer sharing of brand narratives

Service Robots Rising:How Humanoid Robots Influence Service Experiences and Elicit Compensatory Consumer Responses

Interactions between consumers and humanoid service robots (HSRs; i.e., robots with a human-like morphology such as a face, arms, and legs) will soon be part of routine marketplace experiences. It is unclear, however, whether these humanoid robots (compared with human employees) will trigger positive or negative consequences for consumers and companies. Seven experimental studies reveal that consumers display compensatory responses when they interact with an HSR rather than a human employee (e.g., they favor purchasing status goods, seek social affiliation, and order and eat more food). The authors investigate the underlying process driving these effects, and they find that HSRs elicit greater consumer discomfort (i.e., eeriness and a threat to human identity), which in turn results in the enhancement of compensatory consumption. Moreover, this research identifies boundary conditions of the effects such that the compensatory responses that HSRs elicit are (1) mitigated when consumer-perceived social belongingness is high, (2) attenuated when food is perceived as more healthful, and (3) buffered when the robot is machinized (rather than anthropomorphized)