Service Quality and Customer Loyalty in a Post-Crisis Context. Prediction-Oriented Modeling to Enhance the Particular Importance of a Social and Sustainable Approach

Research into the influence of service quality on customer loyalty has typically focused on confirming isolated direct causal influences regarding particular dimensions of quality, usually undertaken in the context of positive, firm-customer relations. The present study extends analysis of these factors through a new lens. First, the study was undertaken in a market context following a crisis that has had far-reaching consequences for customers’ relational behaviors. We explore the case of the Spanish banking industry, a sector that accurately reflects these new relational conditions, including a rising demand for more socially responsible banking. Second, we propose a holistic model that combines the effects of four key factors associated with service quality (outcome, personnel, servicescape and social qualities). We also apply an innovative predictive methodological technique using partial least squares (PLS) and qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) that enables us not only to determine the direct causal effects among variables, but also to consider different scenarios in which to predict customer loyalty. The results highlight the role of outcome and social qualities. The novelty of the social qualities factor helps to underscore the importance of social, ethical and sustainable practices to customer loyalty, although personnel and servicescape qualities must also be present to improve the predictive capability of service quality on loyalty

El sistema de gestión de calidad (norma iso 9001:2000) en la Biblioteca de la Universitat Jaume I de Castellón

The library of the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló, Spain, has implemented a quality management system based on ISO 9001:2000. The aim of such system is to improve both the quality of services and users’ satisfaction. As a result ofgood practices, a number of improvements in the service has been achieved. Inthis article we describe the main procedures and methods that have led to a better management and excellence of the services offered by our library.La biblioteca de la Universitat Jaume I de Castellón implanta su sistema de gestión de la calidad en base a las normas ISO 9001:2000 con el propósito de mejorar los servicios prestados y la satisfacción de los usuarios. Los resultados obtenidos son consecuencia de las buenas prácticas consolidadas. Este trabajo describe los principales procedimientos y métodos que han constituido los factores clave para una mejor gestión y excelencia en los servicios de biblioteca

How Does Each ESG Dimension Predict Customer Lifetime Value by Segments? Evidence from U.S. Industrial and Technological Industries

The aim of this study is to analyse the research gap regarding the relationship between environmental, social and governance dimensions (ESG) of corporate sustainability initiatives and customer lifetime value (CLV). We divide an entire data sample (547 U.S. listed firms from the Refinitiv Thomson Reuters Eikon database) of both industrial and technological industries into three segments, using prediction-oriented modelling segmentation to test the hypotheses and evaluate the predictive validity of a partial least squares (PLS) model. As a result, we show that environmental, social and governance dimensions (ESG) encompass ten sustainability initiatives that, in turn, are the precursors of future financial firm performance, represented by CLV. Moreover, we found different poor-to-medium effects of each ESG dimension on CLV in segment 1. However, a stronger effect of the social dimension on CLV in segment 3 is completed with a poor effect, both positive by governance and negative by environmental dimensions, on CLV, while only the environmental dimension had greater effects on CLV in segment 2. The contribution of this research to the body of literature is twofold. First, it deepens the impact of each ESG dimension instead of considering sustainability initiatives as a whole. Second, it evaluates sustainability initiatives with a customer-based corporate firm valuation approach

How do remuneration committees affect corporate social responsibility disclosure? empirical evidence from an international perspective

The main goal of this study is to analyze whether the existence of remuneration committees tend to disclose more corporate social responsibility (CSR) information. In addition, we test the moderating role played by the proportion of independent directors on boards of directors with the relationship between the constitution of remuneration committees and CSR disclosure. Previous research does not appear to have addressed these questions. The research questions proposed are tested using an international sample of 28,610 listed companies, and we took into consideration information on industrial companies from the Middle East, developed Asian and Pacific countries, both emerging and developed European countries, Africa, Latin America and North America. These findings provide evidence that the existence of remuneration committees is more likely to disclose CSR information, and the existence of independent board members positively moderates the association between the existence of remuneration committees and CSR disclosure. We expand on earlier empirical literature concerning corporate governance and CSR issues

Customer equity and CLV in Spanish telecommunication services

Recent studies in various economic sectors in the U.S.A., Brazil, China, South Korea, and Australia provide evidence of the precursors of customer equity (value, brand, and relationship equity) and their influence on behavior intentions and customer lifetime value (CLV). The aim of this study is to measure customer equity through CLV, design a model for CLV drivers and establish its predictive capacity in two samples obtained at different points in time. The sample comprises customers who have contracts with telecommunications operators in Spain, and the study uses a holdout sample to cross-validate the final sample. A predictive model, developed with partial least squares, analyzes the sector, and assesses the comparability of the four main competing companies. The findings support the importance of customer perceived value in building relationship quality and in brand equity, and reveal intentional loyalty as a precursor of future economic results

Engaging in customer citizenship behaviours to predict customer lifetime value

The aim of this study is to analyse the research gap of the relationship between customer citizenship behaviour (CCB) and customer lifetime value (CLV) in the customer engagement framework (CE). We discuss how marketing analytics gains information from the digital environment related to data, metrics, and online aspects to predict business performance through motivational drivers and engagement. We divide an entire data sample (306 observations) of telecom service customers using prediction-oriented segmentation to test the hypothesis and evaluate the predictive quality of our second-order partial least squares (PLS) model. Results show that brand attitude–attachment, social value, and benevolence are precursors of these voluntary, discretionary, and extra-role customer behaviours called CCBs, and that intentional loyalty plays an essential mediating role in achieving future financial firm performance (CLV). This research analyses from a theoretical and empirical perspective the impact of the customer engagement formation from customer citizenship behaviour on customer lifetime value

Relationship quality in business to business: a cross-cultural perspective from universities

Purpose – The objective of this study is to analyse relationship quality in a business-to-business context. Given that the relationship between market orientation and customer-perceived service quality is well known in the area of higher education, this paper draws on its antecedents to examine relationship quality in cultural services. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 68 customers (cultural entities) was obtained from a postal survey (April 2010). Partial least squares (PLS) models were used to test the proposed hypotheses. This is a structural equation (SEM) technique based on variances that is suited to working with small and medium sized samples. Findings – The authors’ results show that satisfaction, trust and commitment are key components of relationship quality. While service quality is a determining factor of satisfaction, relationship quality can be improved by taking into account that customer-perceived market orientation acts as a precursor for service quality, satisfaction and commitment. Originality/value – This article attempts to expand upon the previous relationship quality literature on business-to-business relationships to: study behaviours conducive to lasting relationships between two different sectors (higher education and cultural industry); understand the antecedents of relationship quality; confirm relationship quality dimensions; and compare the hypothesized relationships from the customer's perspectiv