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The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Customer Satisfaction, Relationship Maintenance and Loyalty in the Shipping Industry
Abstract
This paper aims to examine the impact of perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR), with a focus on ethical and environment questions related to the constructs of customer satisfaction (CS), relationship maintenance (RM) and customer loyalty (CL), on determining the attitudinal and behavioural loyalty and maintenance of customers in the shipping industry. For this purpose, this study enhances its empirical validity by collecting data from 214 respondents in South Korea and testing the hypothesis using structure equation modelling. It was found that (1) CSR is an effective relationship marketing tool that requires further research to investigate its benefits; (2) systemic investigation in CSR activities in the shipping industry finds publishing CSR reports the most preferred tool among major shipping companies; and (3) there is a strong empirical evidence which supports that values have a significant impact on the customers' perception of CSR performance. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
... Accounting scholars [4,12,[28][29][30] have considered the societal dimension in studying the impact of CSR on customer loyalty. ...
... Along with this definition, satisfaction represents a good or bad feeling arising from the distinction between pre-and postconsumption perceptions. Various scholars [2,16,29] have confirmed the positive influence of satisfaction on loyalty. Therefore, this study suggests that customer satisfaction positively influences customer behavioral and attitudinal loyalty. ...
... However, the final hypothesized path linking CSR to customer satisfaction has not yet been confirmed. Indeed, even though satisfaction is considered a significant predictor of loyalty in all marketing literature, the path was inconclusive, as the relationship between CSR and satisfaction was very weak, whereas the majority of researchers [28,29,81] found a direct relationship between CSR and customer satisfaction, which surprisingly contradicts those of previous studies. Moroccan hotels' customers do not seem to be directly satisfied with CSR. ...
This study aims to determine whether and how investing in corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices results in better attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. It seeks to comprehend the path linking CSR and customer loyalty through customer-company identification (C–CI), trust, and satisfaction as mediators. Partial least squares (PLS)-based structural equation modeling was applied to examine the theoretical model using SMART PLS. The data were collected through online questionnaires from 385 customers of Morocco's three-, four- and five-star hotels. The results conclude that CSR practices significantly contribute to customer loyalty through the mediating components of C–CI and trust. Surprisingly, unlike previous studies, the influence of CSR on customer satisfaction is insignificant. CSR influences customer satisfaction only through C–CI and trust. Moreover, the relationships between mediators, rarely explored by previous researchers, revealed that C–CI contributes to trustworthiness and customer satisfaction. Trust can also generate customer satisfaction.
... Furthermore, investors tend to assign less value to firms that do not behave appropriately toward their stakeholders. In 2005, the UN announced the PRI, which emphasized ESG concerns [15] and the capacity of the ESG evaluation system to reward long-term responsible investments to the benefit of companies, the environment, and society. ...
... Prior studies mostly applied statistical methods such as regression and stochastic frontier production function to assess the performance of shipping companies [15,16,[24][25][26][27]. These conventional models rely on assumptions that all factors are independent and of equal importance. ...
... , m). We established the aspiration level and worst level using Equations (14) and (15). Step 2: Normalize the performance matrix and calculate the gap We normalize the performance values of the dimensions and criteria and then calculated the distance between these performance values and the aspiration level. ...
The international shipping industry is the largest transportation system in the world. However, shipping stock prices were highly volatile during the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to identify the causal relationships of the four dimensions (financial performance, bond financing, environmental, social, governance, and COVID-19) and 20 criteria affecting the sustainability of global shipping companies. The research scope includes a sample of nine listed international shipping companies accounting for 49% of the global market share with data collected from 2010 to 2020. Survey responses from 15 investment experts were also obtained. We applied a hybrid multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) method integrating the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), analytic network process, and modified VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno techniques to be the DANP-mV model to identify the causal relationships among the dimensions and criteria, providing ways of narrowing the performance gaps of shipping companies. The results indicate that financial performance is the main cause affecting COVID-19 and ESG practices. The ESG practices influence bond financing. The largest performance gaps across shipping companies include earnings per share (EPS), yield to maturity, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and timely delivery. The findings of this study suggest that shipping companies may focus on gross profit margin to improve EPS, term to maturity to enhance yield to maturity, social distancing policy to meet timely delivery, and the board size to enhance corporate social responsibility (CSR). The outcome of this study aids shipping companies in prioritizing their resources and investors in selecting shipping company stocks in response to COVID-19.
... However, there is a lack of empirical research on university social responsibility (USR) and how it can affect students who are an integral component to the commercial success of HEIs (S anchez-Hern andez and Mainardes, 2016; Fernandes et al., 2013). The need to study the potential impacts of social responsibility in HEIs is warranted because it has yet to find its place as a performance indicator in university ranking system (Shek and Hollister, 2017). Universities are now recognizing the value of both increasing and promoting the ways in which they demonstrate social responsibility (V azquez et al., 2015). ...
... CSR has a significant impact on service quality (Mandhachitara and Poolthong, 2011), customer satisfaction (Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006), trust (Swaen and Chumpitaz, 2008) and loyalty (Maignan et al., 1999). In addition to evaluating the direct impact of CSR on loyalty, existing research has found that service quality, satisfaction, and trust act as important mediators in understanding the impact of CSR on customer loyalty (Chomvilailuk and Butcher, 2014;Shin IJEM and Thai, 2015;Pivato et al., 2008). In other words, CSR influences customer loyalty through its impact on perceived service quality, satisfaction, and trust. ...
... Vlachos et al., 2009). USR initiatives may not, therefore, support the development of loyalty unless they also raise students' perception of service quality, satisfaction, and trust (Shin and Thai, 2015). The results indicate that university administrators should recognize that investing in USR could have a significant interaction with positive student responses (e.g. ...
Purpose
Student loyalty is important if universities are to stay in business by recruiting and retaining satisfied students who provide positive evaluations of their university to others. The current study employed a theoretical framework established by consumer researchers to test the hypothesis that university social responsibility (USR) would predict student loyalty, but that this relation would be mediated by perceived service quality, student satisfaction, and student trust in their university.
Design/methodology/approach
Fee-paying university students in Pakistan ( n = 608) completed a questionnaire to assess their perception of USR and service quality, their satisfaction with and trust in their university, and loyalty toward their university.
Findings
Structural equation modelling with partial least squares software supported the hypotheses that higher perceived USR would be related to higher student loyalty, and that this relation would be mediated by perceived service quality, student satisfaction, and student trust.
Originality/value
This study provides a novel contribution to the limited literature on USR and its relations with student loyalty. Several models have previously examined the relation between corporate social responsibility and general consumer loyalty, but these have limited applicability to the education sector. The data in this study support a model showing that USR supports student loyalty through its positive impact on perceptions of service quality, student satisfaction, and student trust. The findings suggest that USR could be a marketing tool that supports student loyalty, as long as USR initiatives increase students' perceptions of service quality, satisfaction and trust in their university.
... Several studies revealed the positive impact of CSR on customer retention and loyalty (Aurier & N'goala, 2010; Leverin & Liljander, 2006). Apart from aspects related to strategic commercial prospects, CSR can affect loyalty directly or indirectly (De Los B. Choi & La, 2013;Shin & Thai, 2014. Furthermore, signalling theory suggests that accountability can influence customers to perceive a company as trustworthy through its fairness and responsibility signals (Bustamante, 2018). ...
... Thus, a strong relationship exists between customer loyalty and satisfaction (Hallowell, 1996;Hur et al., 2013). Customer satisfaction is the core of loyalty (Bloemer et al., 1998;Shin and Thai, 2014). Moreover, satisfaction has a positive effect on consumer loyalty (J. Lee et al., 2001;Andrea et al., 2011;Fang-Yuan et al., 2012). ...
Corporate social responsibility takes an increasingly important role for businesses and receives the attention of many people. The relationship between Corporate social responsibility and customer loyalty has been tested in many business fields. So, the study aims to determine and estimate the influence of corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty in the jewellery industry. To achieve this objective, the study uses AMOS software that supports confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM) to clarify whether or how Corporate social responsibility impacts customer loyalty. The inputs to the analyses were obtained through answers from 300 respondents, which completed the survey questionnaire with a total of 22 items is utilised to collect data from customers of top jewellery companies in Vietnam. The research results emphasize the corporate social responsibility is not only useful for jewellery companies but also enhances the customers’ perception that relates to some factors trust, satisfaction, and loyalty.
... In addition, an excessive wage gap between management and employees reduces mutual trust, as members of the same organization perceive that limited resources are exploitatively distributed [61,62]. The perception of unfair wage distribution decreases the attachment to the organization of the internal stakeholders of CSR and weakens trust, cohesion, and cooperation among members [63][64][65][66]. Thus, it is expected that less average wage gap between CEO and employees may provide more potential benefits to firms which pursue CSR by strengthening trust and cohesion within organizations. ...
... The rationale behind this is that the wider wage gap between CEOs and employees can attenuate the positive impact of CSR on innovation activities. According to the social exchange perspective, information-sharing and commitment for internal stakeholders can be weakened, resulting in a negative impact on innovation [61,66,78]. We found strong evidence of an interactive relationship between CSR and CEO-employee wage gap, implying a good match between CSR and low CEO-employee wage gap. ...
This study empirically investigated the economic effect of CSR initiatives on innovation by examining Korean firms. Our primary objective of this study was to explore how a CEO compensation system can affect the CSR-innovation relationship. An integrated model of the impact of CSR on innovation activities was developed through analyzing various CEO compensation components such as structure, type, mix, and distribution. We identified the CEO compensation system that more suitably supports CSR in driving innovation performance improvement, and empirically examined a compensation system that enhances corporate innovation by creating a good alignment with CSR. Using a longitudinal data, we empirically tested the interactive effect of a CSR and compensation system of CEO in Korean publicly traded companies. Our empirical findings concerning the interaction between CSR strategies and CEO compensation schemes hold practical implications for establishing and implementing a suitable human resource system to improve organizational competitiveness.
... Recent research confirms that well-established CSR activities can lead to a positive corporate image [22], improved customer satisfaction [16], higher purchase intentions [23], healthier profits, and greater trust by stakeholders [24]. Furthermore, evidence shows that CSR can improve business relationships with communities [25]. ...
... Moreover, although most CSR-related literature has examined the customer perceptions of CSR activities [14][15][16], the present study considers these activities from the employees' (e.g., flight attendants) perspectives and identifies which have the most influence on their organizational behavior. The study's findings indicate that the public health and safety dimension had the highest average mean score, suggesting that flight attendants perceive that their company has managed its safety-activities (e.g., preventing quarantine accidents) well during the outbreak. ...
This study expands Carroll’s CSR typology with the public health and safety dimension to examine how the airline industry’s CSR and public health and safety activities influence flight attendants’ organizational identification, self-esteem, and commitment to the company during COVID-19. A total of 342 South Korean flight attendants participated in online surveys. Based on social identity theory and using structural equation modeling (SEM), the study reveals that ethical-, economic-, and philanthropic-CSR and public health and safety are positively related to organizational identification and that all are linked to the self-esteem and organizational commitment of flight attendants. However, legal-CSR did not affect their organizational identification. The results suggest that “public health and safety” should be applied when initiatives aim to enhance flight attendants’ organizational behavior. The study’s findings contribute to the literature by extending the original CSR model and providing theoretical and practical implications for academic researchers and airlines during a pandemic.
... Many researchers assert that customer satisfaction positively impacts loyalty [43,44,23,19]. It is believed to be the critical predictor of commitment and loyalty [45]. ...
... In addition, the authors found that CSR is a motivator of satisfaction that increases the market value [53]. A CSR strategy oriented to benefit society makes customers more satisfied with its offerings [44]. In accordance with these studies, we suggest the following hypothesis: ...
This paper seeks to explore the path that links corporate social responsibility (CSR) to customer loyalty as previous studies have confirmed that no direct link seems to exist between the two variables. Considering the literature gap, this research provides future researchers an opportunity to thoroughly understand the road that ties CSR and customer loyalty, especially in the hospitality industry. The research uses a newly proposed CSR conceptualization, customer loyalty dimensions, customer loyalty antecedents, and the relationship between them. In addition to the mediators, this study considers sociodemographic variables (age, gender, and education) as moderators. The new research framework proposed contributes to advance the existing knowledge of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and customer loyalty.
... Within the limited literature on social sustainability in shipping, safety is one of the most frequently addressed dimensions (Hetherington et al., 2006;Celik, 2009), given the multiple requirements imposed on shipping companies through regulations like SOLAS. These studies cover employee-related issues like health and working conditions (Reinhold et al., 2019) and social issues in shipping, including community involvement, transparent and accurate disclosure, employee and consumer interests (Lu et al., 2009), charitable donations, employee training and education (Yuen et al., 2018;Shin and Thai, 2014), and gender equality in shipping (MacNeil and Ghosh, 2017). ...
... Jozef et al. (2019) find that four green shipping dimensions (company policy and procedure, shipping documentation, shipping equipment, and shipping materials) strengthen customer loyalty, which in turn improves performance. Sustainable shipping practices increase both financial and non-financial performance (Lu et al., 2009;Yuen et al., 2017), and customer satisfaction and loyalty (Shin and Thai, 2014) through the mediating role of their perceived value (Yuen et al., 2018). These results indicate that the way shipping firms communicate their sustainability strategies is essential for building customer loyalty and satisfaction, which in turn improves business performance. ...
Brands are steadily seen as offering a critical point of differentiation and a sustainable figure of competitive advantage for business to business marketers. However, brand management in Business to Business (B2B) industries is still at its starting point. Companies can use their brands to promote their sustainabilities to their industrial customers. Social Media may provide a visibility that emphasize the firm's sustainability practices and their impact on stakeholders. Therefore, this study aims to explore how shipping companies position themselves in relation to sustainability strategies. In the first stage of the study, the key drivers of sustainability have been discovered by longitudinal content analysis, afterward the social media analytics has been performed for the Ocean Carrier companies in which are positioning their brands through their sustainabilities. The research findings will be useful for both academics and managers who are interested in understanding and further developing the business use of participatory Social Media analytics to achieve the sustainability. Hence, this may be considered as a distinct way of attaining sustainability.
... In addition, in recent years, this concept has been studied in recent years as linked to the financial performance of companies and nonfinancial, for example, in terms of the attractiveness of companies for job seekers (Jones, Willness, & Madey, 2014), customer satisfaction with the company (Shin & Thai, 2015), the strategic emphasis and industry competition (Jia, 2019), or, for example, it has been stated that CSR affects the performance of companies, exploring how the different dimensions of CSR influence results (Ting & Yin, 2018). ...
... In this sector, some previous studies have obtained relations between the application of the CSR and the results of the main shipyards (Para-González & Mascaraque-Ramírez, 2019), as well as the impact of CSR on customer satisfaction, relationship maintenance, and loyalty in very close sectors, as is the case of the shipping industry (Shin & Thai, 2015), or the recent studies carried out by Lawal, May, and Stahl (2017) about the significance of corporate social disclosure for high-tech manufacturing companies. All of this fosters an interest to go deeper into these researches and go further by means of the study of each of the dimensions that make up the CSR. ...
The objective of this research is to analyse the degree of implementation of the six dimensions of Marketing Promotion in shipbuilding sector and the relationship between this degree and performance. The combined analysis of all Marketing Promotion dimensions identifies an improvement in performance of the companies that have made the greatest effort in terms of Promotion, being this influence mainly notable among Asian competitors. The specific study of each dimension detects similar efforts conducted by shipyards in terms of Personal sale, Sales promotion and Sponsorship, while it reveals differences in the use of Advertising, Public Relations and Direct Marketing techniques.
... Du et al. (2010) suggest that CSR activities can be a way of gaining brand loyalty. Many studies (Balqiah et al., 2022;Cuesta-Valiño et al., 2019;Martínez & Del Bosque, 2014;Pringle & Thompson, 2000;Shin & Thai, 2015) have shown that CSR has an impact on brand loyalty. • H4: CSR and its sub-dimensions create brand loyalty by positively affecting a business's brand image. ...
The aim of this study is to examine the effects of social responsibility practices carried out with the cooperation of businesses and sports clubs on brand image, brand awareness, and brand loyalty, and the mediating role of the sports club’s image in this effect. The questionnaire method was used as a data collection tool for this research. The fans of sponsored sports clubs were asked questions through this form. The research population consists of supporters of four active, business-sponsored sports clubs from among the 16 teams of the Turkish Basketball Super League, operating in the food sector. The research sample was chosen using a stratified sampling method and consists of 1,865 questionnaires that were applied. The survey was collected using the face-to-face technique. The findings can assist in planning effective social responsibility projects, by offering ideas and guidance to those businesses and sports clubs trying to improve the perception of their brand image, comparing the study results with those of previous studies in this field and testing them, and suggesting research opportunities for future studies.
... These three dimensions were subsequently refined to reflect a firm's marketing efforts where the environmental dimension prescribed that firms establish an eco-friendly image and exhibit efforts to ensure environmental protection (Kim et al., 2015;Loebler, 2017), the economic dimension required firms to achieve long-and short-term goals to enhance financial performance by acquiring a competitive edge and by distributing profits fairly (Slawinsk and Bansal, 2015). The social dimension encouraged firms to enhance social and human wellbeing (Kim et al., 2015;Shin and Thai, 2015;Sun et al., 2016). Hence, sustainable marketing encompasses enduring practices adopted by the organizations which include caring for the environment, not only for the current generation but also for future generations and committed to ensuring a better quality of life for all. ...
The purpose of this research is to discover the effect of sustainable marketing of hospitality services on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty. Additionally, this research also aims to discover the mediating effect of brand trust and brand affect on this relationship. A combination of descriptive and causal research was used, for which data was collected from 582 respondents and processed using structural equation modeling to establish multivariate relationships. The process method was used to approximate mediation effects. A reasonably valuable insight that arose is the significant role that brand trust and brand affect play in engendering attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty among consumers, for hospitality organizations adopting sustainable marketing practices. Findings revealed that sustainable marketing practices result in enhanced brand trust, which further translates into higher levels of brand affect, thereby leading to attitudinal brand loyalty and further resulting in behavioral brand loyalty. This study also highlights the importance of brand affect in developing enduring behavioral brand loyalty. Research limitations/implications – Consumers today are changing their consumption habits, preferring to satisfy ideological and symbolic needs rather than just rational needs. So, hospitality marketers practicing sustainable marketing should aim to leverage brand trust and brand affect to ensure lasting behavioral brand loyalty. The examination of the effect of sustainable marketing practices on brand-related variables in hospitality organizations has contributed to a better understanding of the mechanism that underlines the operation of emotion-based enduring loyalty. The vast majority of studies that provided insights about sustainable marketing practices and consumer behavior thereof were dominated by European and American perspectives and very few studies exist with a focus on developing economies such as Uganda.
... This leads to a dilemma for negotiators to find balance between short-term interest and long-term relationship. Too much emphasis on profits causes intense relationships and protracted disputes [42]. However, if negotiators adopt a long-term perspective, negotiators will take the counterpart's satisfaction into account and avoid opportunistic behaviors [43]. ...
Construction 4.0 presents a multitude of opportunities; however, it also increases the chance of disputes. Efficient dispute management contributes to the sustainable production of construction works. Enhancing negotiation management and negotiators’ settlement ability is valuable, given that negotiation is recognized as the most effective dispute resolution method. This study explores negotiation settlement by identifying negotiators’ settlement facilitating elements in construction dispute negotiation (CDN). A purposive literature review identified six key elements, naming preparation, integration, goodwill, continuity, commitment, and self-efficacy. With data collected from experienced construction dispute negotiators, the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) results confirmed the significance of these elements. Accordingly, recommendations for negotiators include (i) technique (i.e., good preparation and applying integrative tactics); (ii) interaction (i.e., showing goodwill and relationship maintenance); and (iii) attitude (i.e., commitment to negotiate and being confident) if the negotiation settlement is desired. Management can implement these recommendations in their training manual to cultivate negotiators’ problem solving and settlement-oriented mindset. Negotiators can also review their behaviors throughout the negotiations and make timely adjustments as deemed necessary. Reaching an amicable negotiated settlement would not only save resources, preserving business relationships is of equal importance for a sustainable construction industry.
... This relation has a limited understanding of the impact mechanism of CSR on customer loyalty (Martínez and Del Bosque, 2013). Besides these aspects related to strategic commercial prospects, CSR can also affect loyalty directly or indirectly (Choi andLa, 2013, Shin andThai, 2015) . Insurance is a business line to share risks and sponsor losses to participants to provide financial support to the insured under challenging circumstances. ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a topic of growing academic and managerial interest (Maon et al., 2010), (Peloza and Shang, 2011), particularly regarding its impacts on consumer behavior variables. This relation has been becoming the focus of sustainable development strategies of enterprises in economic and market fluctuations (Hao and He, 2022). However, the actual relationship between CSR and loyalty from the customer's point of view has yet to be studied and clarified in an integrated framework. In addition, the impact of CSR on loyalty is mainly considered in terms of services such as hotels and banking. Still, studies have yet to be conducted on customers in the insurance sector. Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty in the life insurance sector - Evidence from Vietnam with the simultaneous effects of variables such as satisfaction, word-of-mouth intentions, and beliefs about customer loyalty.
... Some opinions show that despite the additional expenses, CSR generates additional income through improved image and reputation that exceeds the total amount spent on CSR programs [58]. On the other hand, economists of neoclassical origin see CSR only as a burden for the organization, with the amounts spent on CSR not generating marginal profit [59]. ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a progressively significant issue for organizations and governments. To benefit from a good reputation that reflects on organizational performance, organizations must ensure the balance between stakeholders’ needs. This paper studies the direct and indirect effects of CSR on organizational financial performance as perceived by employees of organizations. The investigation used structural equation modeling to evaluate and describe the nature of the relationship between these two variables. The empirical study uses a perceptual approach, evaluating the perceptions of the closest stakeholders (employees). Data on the perceptions of 431 employees in Romanian organizations were collected following a questionnaire-based survey. The results indicate a strong effect of social responsibility on both direct and mediated organizational financial performance. The relationships established with the stakeholders ultimately affect organizational financial performance through variables such as the attraction and retention of employees, the attraction and loyalty of customers, more accessible access to capital, and the organization’s reputation.
... Maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship between an organization and its customers is facilitated by a positive perception of its CSR. Previous studies have indicated that CSR has excellent potential to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty (Lee, 2020;Thao et al., 2019;Asrar et al., 2017;Shin & Thai, 2015). As a result, most businesses include it as an essential component of their business strategy (Kalyar et al., 2021). ...
The world has changed dramatically since the emergence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic. This crisis has put companies under the test for their commitment to moral business conduct and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Facing the challenges for survival as well as financial strains could push firms with difficult choices in their CSR practices. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of CSR activities in building customer trust and company reputation with limited resources in the Covid-19 pandemic context. The paper collected data on latent constructs through a survey of 494 consumers by convenience sample in Vietnam. Confirmatory factor analysis assessed psychometric properties of the constructs, while the SEM technique was used to examine posited hypotheses. The results show that economic responsibility has a positive impact on expertise trust; legal responsibility and ethical responsibility positively impact integrity trust; philanthropic responsibility has a positive effect on social benevolence trust. However, only ethical responsibility and philanthropic responsibility can directly influence corporate reputation. In addition, three dimensions of trust strengthen the link between CSR initiatives and company reputation. Among them, social benevolence trust plays the most critical role in creating a reputation. Based on this finding, some management implications are also discussed regarding how corporations can allocate appropriate resources for different CSR activities so that they could leverage benefits from CSR strategy in their business. Moreover, the results obtained open future lines of comparative research on the impact of CSR practices, mediated by trust in corporate reputation, between countries with different cultures and religious beliefs.
... Few studies have used the variable CSR, but in most of them, it was operationalized by five measurement items. Schreck (2013) and Shin and Thai (2014); whereas Newman et al. (2018) used four items that explain the extent to which firms have a welldeveloped CSR strategy at the management level that goes beyond compliance with existing regulations. ...
This research proposes an internal organizational framework that explains why firms implement corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on the perspective of managers in the mining sector of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), wellbeing of employees and cost reduction were identified as internal driving factors of CSR. This study was carried out on a sample of 103 mining, using a structural equation through LISREL. The findings of the study reveal; first, that firms' pursuit of cost reduction positively influences the implementation of CSR; second, firms are driven by CSR in order to ensure the wellbeing of their employees, fostered by compliance with labor standards in the mining sector. Therefore, CSR compliance was included as a mediating variable. Lastly, the lack of resources remains a barrier to CSR implementation. This research adds to the growing body of literature on CSR antecedents by demonstrating that in the Congolese mining sector, CSR implementation is linked to the wellbeing of employees as well as compliance to labor standards and regulations, cost reduction, and financial resources as well as human resources. This research responds to deficiency in novelty and lack of academic studies on drivers of CSR in the mining sector in Sub-Saharan regions.
... Numerous studies have addressed the effect of different dimensions of CSR on customer satisfaction in service industries (Chubchuwong, 2019;Islam et al., 2021;Mombeuil and Fotiadis, 2017;Park et al., 2016;Lee et al., 2020;Shin and Thai, 2015). In these studies, the perception of CSR dimensions such as philanthropic, environmental, economic and ethical by service industries customers will increase customer satisfaction. ...
Purpose
The present study aims to explore the concepts involved in the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and customer and employee satisfaction in service industries.
Design/methodology/approach
The research literature over the recent decade has been analyzed using a systematic review. Through thematic analysis and coding the findings of the final selected articles, the authors presented an integrative framework of the relationship between CSR and the satisfaction of critical stakeholders of service companies, namely, customers and employees.
Findings
The research framework encompasses six main categories called CSR, satisfaction, moderators, conditional variables, contextual variables and satisfaction outcomes. All categories but CSR are divided into customer and employee sections to make the research framework further comprehensible.
Practical implications
The results show that in service industries, employees need as much attention as customers, and CSR efforts to satisfy customers and employees can lead to several positive outputs for companies.
Social implications
Failure of service companies to commit to their social responsibility may harm the environment, society’s ethics and laws and long-term corporate profitability. On the other hand, adherence to CSR can lead to social development and economic growth.
Originality/value
This study is one of the most comprehensive studies in the field of CSR and satisfaction, which simultaneously considers the two key stakeholders of a service company. In addition, it provides valuable avenues for further studies.
... Close cooperation of top managers with their supply chain partners is critical to implementing green supply chain practices. A number of studies (Hoejmose et al., 2012;Cuerva et al., 2014;Shin & Thai, 2015;Wu, 2017;Kim & Wemmerlöv, 2015) identify customer cooperation, environmental awareness, and environmental innovation as factors that yield improved economic and environmental performance. Customer pressure and top management commitment positively affect green practices and buyer-seller collaboration (Yen, 2018). ...
This study reviews the role of top management commitment in realizing sustainability goals in interfirm and supply chain relationships. Next, the study employs the resource-based view of the firm to implicate top management commitment as a moderator of influences of green innovation practices on customer cooperation. Using survey design methodology, we collected data from different 181 ISO 14001 certified Turkish manufacturing firms. We tested the proposed hypotheses by using the hierarchical multivariate regression approach. The direct effect of top management commitment on green process innovation is significant, while its effect on green managerial innovation is insignificant. However, the results show that manufacturer-customer relationships support top management commitment as a positive moderator of the relationship between green innovation practices and customer cooperation. Our results underscore the vital role played by top management in the firm’s efforts to accomplish sustainability objectives and enhance interfirm cooperation. Further, the study contributes to the literature by revising the available literature on the different roles of top management commitment in green supply chains and business relationships.
... In the literature, there has been a call to examine the impact of CSR on consumer behaviour. Only a few studies have looked into the effect of CSR in improving consumer behavioural outcomes, including customer satisfaction, retention and loyalty (Ali et al., 2010;Choi and La, 2013;Blut et al., 2014;Galbreath, 2010;Luo and Bhattacharya, 2006;Shin and Thai, 2015). However, there have been few attempts in the literature to investigate the links between CSR and consumer behaviour in emerging markets (Pratihari and Uzma, 2018). ...
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the complex relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) dimensions and customer loyalty. In particular, this study suggested an intervening process through customer perceived value, which makes banking customers more loyal.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a randomised sample of 261 respondents from the Northern Province of Sri Lanka, this study empirically investigates the role of CSR in enhancing customer value and loyalty. The collected data, the study model and hypotheses were assessed by partial least squares structural equation modelling.
Findings
According to the results, CSR practices that are both strategic and stakeholder-driven have a positive effect on customer loyalty in the banking industry. Further, customer perceived-value positively impacts customer loyalty. Besides, customer perceived-value mediates the association between CSR practices and customer loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to the banking industry. Thus, future studies can replicate the same research in different sectors like retail, tourism and hospitality, insurance and microcredit institutions, garments, textiles, etc.
Practical implications
This study suggests specific dimensions of CSR that need to be emphasised while the banking industry designs its loyalty programs.
Originality/value
The notion of customer value has been suggested as a mediating mechanism between diversified CSR perspectives and customer loyalty. Thus, this study proposes a comprehensive framework for enhancing customer loyalty to banks via CSR practices and customer value creation.
... The trend is believed to be led by large shipowners with substantial potential. Leading shipping companies (e.g., Mearsk Line) have integrated the concept of CSR into the core of their corporate strategies [8] and adopted a common practice of publishing CSR reports. The underlying concept of CSR, which provides guidelines for business operations and business strategies, has become a field of exploration by scientists, requiring new approaches and research methods. ...
Corporate sustainability is understood as the integration of economic, environmental, and social considerations into the company's mission. In the shipping market, it allows for a wide spectrum of integration of corporate management areas: shipowners' financial condition, environmental protection, work safety, seafarers' health, and stable cooperation with shippers. The aim of this paper is to create a deeper understanding of how and which emerging technologies accelerate sustainability strategy of shipping companies. Three research perspectives have been adopted. The first one is aimed to examine shipowners' approach to emerging technologies as a tool to improve their corporate sustainability performance. The second perspective gives a view of trends in the development of emerging technologies in shipping and how they related to sustainability. Taking the third perspective, we examine how effective, in the opinion of future seafarers, the use of emerging technologies is in improving corporate sustainability of shipping companies. The research methods for each of the perspectives are, respectively, a sustainability reports and ships' registry data analysis, a patent analysis, and a questionnaire survey analysis. The results prove that shipowners use not only certain management practices, but also new technologies to enhance corporate sustainability. The transition to sustainable shipping will continue for many years to come and all shipping companies will have to become part of it.
... Studies have shown that consumers have developed favourable attitudes towards ethical products and companies with socially responsible practices (Abdul and Ibrahim, 2002;Shin and Thai, 2015). It has also been demonstrated that some consumers, in some situations, are willing to pay a price premium to buy ethical products (Vecchio and Annunziata, 2015). ...
Purpose – The purpose of the study is to probe millennials on their perceptions towards consumer ethics and to generate new insights in the realm of consumer behaviour. Millennials constitute a big fraction of the total consumer base with immense buying power. Therefore, the exploration of the ethical perspective of millennials is of vital importance for organizations.
Design/methodology/approach – The study applies a grounded theory approach to explore the subjective experiences of consumers and draws insights from the data following an interpretivist epistemology.
Findings – The findings revealed five prominent themes that throw light on the consumer’s ethical orientations. The findings extend Hunt Vettel’s theoretical framework and ethical relativism.
... These three dimensions were subsequently refined to reflect a firm's marketing efforts where the environmental dimension prescribed that firms establish an eco-friendly image and exhibit efforts to ensure environmental protection (Kim et al., 2015;Loebler, 2017), the economic dimension required firms to achieve long-and short-term goals to enhance financial performance by acquiring a competitive edge and by distributing profits fairly (Slawinsk and Bansal, 2015). The social dimension encouraged firms to enhance social and human well-being (Kim et al., 2015;Shin and Thai, 2015;Sun et al., 2016). Hence, sustainable marketing encompasses enduring practices adopted by the firm which include caring for the environment, not only for the current generation but also for future generations and committed to ensuring a better quality of life for all (Quoquab et al., 2019). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of sustainable marketing practices of firms on consumers’ attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty. In addition, this study also aims to explore the mediating effect of brand trust and brand affect on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
A combination of descriptive and causal research has been used, for which data was collected from 582 respondents and processed using structural equation modeling to establish multivariate relationships. The PROCESS method was used to estimate mediation effects.
Findings
A rather valuable insight that emerged is the significant role that brand trust and brand affect play in engendering attitudinal and behavioral brand loyalty among consumers, for firms adopting sustainable marketing practices. Findings revealed that sustainable marketing practices result in enhanced brand trust, which further translates into higher levels of brand affect, thereby leading to attitudinal brand loyalty and further resulting in behavioral brand loyalty. This study also highlights the importance of brand affect in developing enduring behavioral brand loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
Consumers today are changing their consumption habits, preferring to satisfy ideological and symbolic needs rather than just rational needs. So, marketers practising sustainable marketing should aim to leverage brand trust and brand affect to ensure lasting behavioral brand loyalty.
Originality/value
The examination of the effect of sustainable marketing practices on brand-related variables has contributed to a better understanding of the mechanism that underlines the operation of emotion-based enduring loyalty. The vast majority of studies that provided insights about sustainable marketing practices and consumer behavior thereof were dominated by European and American perspectives and very few studies exist with a focus on developing economies. This study attempts to fill this void by exploring the personal care market in India.
... Previous studies in responsibility marketing suggested that the CSR activities have positive impacts on consumer purchase intentions via positive effects on consumer identification and company image (Cuesta-Valiño et al., 2019;Sen and Bhattacharya, 2001). Companies acting in a socially responsible manner may enhance customers' trust and loyalty (Shin and Thai, 2015). SEs differentiate themselves from for-profit companies in the marketplace via their social mission and profit orientation. ...
Purpose
With the rapid increase in corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in many firms and the development of social enterprises (SE), questions regarding the ways in which CSR affects consumers’ attitudes and behaviours have become crucial. This study aims to investigate how consumers’ CSR expectations and knowledge relate to their attitudes and purchase intentions regarding SE products.
Design/methodology/approach
This study investigates how consumer expectations of CSR and their own social responsibility affects purchase intention of SE products. The hypotheses are tested on a sample of 397 individuals recruited through snowball sampling online. The research hypotheses are tested by structural equation modelling. Most of the hypotheses are supported by the data analysis.
Findings
The results show that consumers’ CSR expectations, subjective knowledge and consumer’s perceived social responsibility (CPSR) have positive effects on their attitudes and purchase intentions concerning SE products. The results contribute to the literature on marketing of SE products and demonstrate that consumer CSR expectation and their CPSR are important antecedents of intention to purchase SE products.
Originality/value
There is limited empirical study on the purchase intention of SE products. The findings provide the empirical evidence that individual-level antecedents, including consumer’s CSR expectations, perceived social responsibility and subjective knowledge, have a significant relationship to their intentions to SE products. This study also supports the view that the general rise in CSR expectations and CPSR creates a favourable context for the marketing of SE products.
... Corporate social responsibility(CSR) refers to the organization's policies and actions to advance or promote some social good and stakeholders' expectations beyond the organization' and shareholders' immediate interests and the mandatory law [1,2]. CSR has become a part of the core business approach that aims for sustainable development by providing economic, social, and environmental benefits to all stakeholders [3]. ...
Based on the social identity theory, this study investigates the mediation and moderation mechanism of CSR on job applicant attraction. A total of 395 job seekers are recruited to join in the experiment survey. The results indicate that job seekers’ perceptions of CSR positively relate to job applicant attraction, employer reputation and expected pride mediate this relationship, respectively, and the serial mediating role of employer reputation and then expected pride in the relationship between CSR and job applicant attraction. Additionally, the findings show that job applicants’ materialism orientation plays a moderating role in the indirect effect of CSR on job applicant attraction via expected pride, but the moderating effect of job seekers’ materialism orientation in the indirect effect of CSR on job applicant attraction via employer reputation is not statistically significant. These findings enrich the new culture-driven evidence on the impacting mechanism of CSR on job applicant’s attitude and provide valuable insight into how CSR motivates job applicant attraction.
... We witness the interplay between CSR and relationship marketing in business practice, but there is an evident lack of empirical studies incorporating both theories' dimensions (e.g., economic, social or environmental component of CSR relation to trust or commitment as relationship marketing dimensions). Recent literature has shown that CSR improves customers' satisfaction (Shin & Thai, 2015), loyalty (Hwang & Kandampully, 2015), value co-creation (Luu, 2019), and long-term orientation (Kim, Yin, & Lee, 2020); with a conceptual overlap between a firm's CSR orientation of and its relationship marketing efforts towards its stakeholders (Singh & Agarwal, 2013). ...
Despite extensive corporate social responsibility (CSR) literature most of research has examined corporate performance as its only outcome. We aim to fill this gap by assessing companies' perceptions of their CSR activities’ benefits for society and specific stakeholders. We discuss societal trends such as diversity and inclusion embedded in employee-focused CSR conceptualization as a prerequisite for the perception of CSR’s societal impact. We bring together CSR and relationship marketing theories to test a conceptual model on a sample of 411 business-to-business (B2B) companies. The results confirm a positive relationship between employee-oriented CSR and the perceived usefulness of CSR actions for society, customers and employees (but not suppliers). In order to maximize relationship quality, CSR activities should be targeted at specific stakeholders (customers and employees) and not at society at large. Finally, differences are observed between SMEs and large B2B firms with opposite perceptions of antecedents and outcomes of relationship quality.
... These and other studies present inconclusive results with three different opinions. As in one study, the social obligation of a firm could improve the performance financially (Shin and Thai, 2015); second, in other study, CSRP bring negative impact on financial performance (Chen et al., 2015;Mallin et al., 2014) and in the third category of studies, literature presents that CSR has no impact on financial performance (Lu et al., 2014). ...
Purpose
The study aims to examine the relationship between retailer's performance and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in Indian context. The article introduces a new conceptual model considering the parameters as per the stakeholder theory perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted empirical research with CSR practices (CSRP) and other parameters to evaluate the retailers' performance using stakeholder theory. The authors present the results from 292 valid responses from the Indian retailers. The study used structured equation modeling (SEM) to present the analysis and the results.
Findings
Findings indicate that CSRP along with additional constructs loyalty (L), reputation (R), customer satisfaction (CS) and competitive advantage (CA) have positive and significant impact on organizational performance (OP).
Practical implications
The framework will serve as a guiding tool to the management of the retail outlets to examine carefully the link among CSRP with other variables presented in the study and subsequently to the retail outlet performance. The retailers must be more focused on the expectations and demands of the customers concerning products and services for better growth of the firms.
Originality/value
The uniqueness of the study lies in “CSR practices enabled integrated model” to examine the performance of the organizations. The proposed theoretical model would add value to the existing literature to help the retailers in process of their performance improvement.
... According to Crane et al. (2008), "corporate social responsibility should be considering as a strategic investment form that viewed in establishing or maintaining the corporate reputation, " and this suggests that direct and indirect execution of CSR are viewed via resource-based view (RBV) of a company when these types of leads executions and exercises impact the advantages of the firms. The manageable upper hand can be collected from these immaterial resources on the off chance that they are uncommon, important, and supreme (Shin and Thai, 2015). To comprehend why firms participate in socially mindful exercises, RBV fills in as a valuable apparatus . ...
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate reputation (CR), and brand equity (BE). Building on the resource-based theory of the firm, this study proposes a theoretical framework. In this framework, CSR is theorized to strengthen CR and brand equity, directly and indirectly, through consumer trust. We used a questionnaire survey approach. In the questionnaire, 17 items were used with a 5-point Likert-Scale (1 stands for “strongly disagree,” and 5 stands for “strongly agree”). Data were collected from the consumers of the banking sector in the vicinity of Lahore, Pakistan. To estimate the proposed relationships in the conceptual model, we use structural equation modeling (SEM) through Smart PLS 3.2. The outcomes of this study confirm that CSR significantly impacts CR and brand equity. It is also demonstrated that trust mediates positively and significantly in the relationship between CSR, CR, and BE. Results of the present study have several implications for the senior management, marketing expert, administrators, and policymakers. This study expresses how CSR boosts BE and CR. Moreover, this study also indicates that trust is an important factor that enhances BE and CR.
... Choi and La [4] detected that CSR efforts may enhance consumer loyalty directly and indirectly. Shin and Thai expressed that CSR activities might improve client satisfaction [6]. ...
In today’s era there are speed economic developments, the corporate Social responsibility has become the main focus. In corporate world marketing through advertisement and Corporate Social Responsibility has become a major factor. Generally, the corporate gains profit via marketing, advertisements, QoS and corporate Social responsibility (CSR). There are more possibilities of raise in corporate share market when they collaborate with government social responsibility. The paper investigates a novel algorithm named as “Branding and developing business (BDB) algorithm via CSR. The proposed system handles both the economy of Government and Corporate mutually. The corporate profit chances tax Benefits and share rate increase are checked continuously. Moreover, when the government subsidizes the corporate and the retailer simultaneously, only the retailer's profit increases in the corporate CSR effort. Further in this paper, the profit perspectives of corporate and Government through CSR are also proposed. Keywords: corporate social responsibility (CSR), BDB, Government, Share Market.
... When customers are satisfied with the products or services they have purchased and used, the customers will be loyal to the company's products and services therefore they will be loyal to the company. This is proven by previous researzch in the following industries: banking [2][3][4][5][6][7][8], airlines [9], education [10], entertainment [11], food [12][13][14], hospital [15], hotel [16], manufacture [17], retail [18][19][20][21], shipping [22][23], telecommunication [24][25][26][27]. Those research conclude that customer satisfaction has a significant positive effect on customer loyalty. ...
Environmental success can only become a reality when the financial goals of firms are not compromised. Based on this proposition, the study aimed to investigate four relationships, including the effect of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on financial performance, the mediation of green dynamic capabilities (GDCs) between CSR and green innovation (GI), the mediation of GI between CSR and financial performance, and the moderation of perceived environmental volatility in the GI and financial performance nexus. A sample of 655 manufacturing firms was collected from Pakistan to test the proposed hypotheses, and structural equation modeling was conducted. The results demonstrate a significant positive influence of CSR on financial performance. In addition, the mediation of GDCs and GI has also been confirmed. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that high environmental volatility weakens the GI and financial performance nexus. The study results offer unique contributions to the literature and interesting suggestions for practicing emerging economy managers.
Nghiên cứu này xem xét ảnh hưởng của yếu tố trách nhiệm xã hội đối với hiệu quả hoạt động của các doanh nghiệp vừa và nhỏ (SMEs) tại Việt Nam. Bên cạnh đó, vai trò trung gian của hình ảnh doanh nghiệp (HA), danh tiếng doanh nghiệp (DT) và lòng trung thành với thương hiệu (TT) được nhấn mạnh trong mối quan hệ này. Mô hình sử dụng lý thuyết quan điểm dựa trên nguồn lực (RBV), lý thuyết các bên liên quan và lý thuyết bản sắc xã hội nhằm cung cấp sự hiểu biết toàn diện về các hiện tượng đang được nghiên cứu. Dữ liệu nghiên cứu được thu thập từ 386 giám đốc điều hành, quản lý cấp trung từ doanh nghiệp vừa và nhỏ (SME). Từ kết quả nghiên cứu, một số hàm ý được đề xuất có thể giúp các nhà quản lý doanh nghiệp có cái nhìn rõ nét về ảnh hưởng của trách nhiệm xã hội đến hiệu suất hoạt động của các doanh nghiệp thông qua vai trò trung gian của hình ảnh công ty, danh tiếng công ty và lòng trung thành với thương hiệu.
Our research examines the effect of cognitive ability on corporate social responsibility (CSR) based on the data of listed companies in China's A‐share market. As an informal system, cognitive ability plays an important governance role in CSR performance. The channel analysis shows that cognitive ability stimulates CSR through three mechanisms: improving external supervision, strengthening internal control, and promoting external supervision to boost internal control. In addition, the effect of cognitive ability on CSR performance is heterogeneous according to the different ownership of enterprises. Furthermore, we find that cognitive ability has an important supervisory effect on the CSR of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) with greater financing constraints. Mitigating the financing constraints and the operating risks of non‐SOEs can better improve governance effect of cognitive ability on them, reducing their practices of CSR motivated by rent‐seeking.
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how the association between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm performance, documented in prior research, is affected by the joint effects of managerial ability and attributes of the firm's governance structure.
Design/methodology/approach
Unbalanced panel contains the essence of cross-sectional time-series data. A significant F -test proves the inappropriateness of pooled OLS regression to the sample. Further, the rejection of the Hausman test null favors fixed-effects over random-effects. However, statistically significant results from Shapiro–Wilk test, Breusch–Pagan test and Wooldridge test reveal non-normal distribution of the dependent variable, the presence of heteroscedasticity and the existence of first-order autocorrelation, respectively. Thus, this study applies feasible generalized least squares with panel-specific autocorrelation structure (hence, a slightly smaller sample) controlling for heteroskedasticity to all models after lagging all the explanatory variables by a year.
Findings
This study finds that higher levels of managerial ability enable firms to benefit more/less from their CSR investments depending on the presence/absence of appropriate governance devices. While CEO ability may be seen as an indicator of how well the CEO might serve the firm in the market-domain strategies, the results suggest that this may not be the case in the non-market domain in the absence of appropriate governance mechanisms.
Originality/value
The arguments and analyses in this study support two important contributions to the growing literature on CSR. First, the current study is one of the few to identify CEO ability as an important factor that may influence the dynamics of the firm's CSR (see also Garcì-Sànchez et al ., 2019 and Yuan et al. , 2019). Second, this study examines whether governance robustness minimizes the potential for opportunistic behavior of more able CEOs or constraints the effectiveness of more able CEOs in decisions pertaining to CSR.
Purpose
The goal of this paper is twofold: (1) to investigate how relatedness-supportive corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives influence brand happiness among retail bank customers through a mediating mechanism of customer participation in brand CSR movements; and (2) to analyze how relatedness-supportive CSR initiatives’ effect may be moderated by cause choice and customer-brand goal congruence.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 379 retail bank customers via a paper-and-pencil survey. The hypothesized moderated-mediation effects were tested using Hayes’ (2013) PROCESS (Model 3, Model 4 and Model 7).
Findings
Results show that relatedness-supportive CSR initiatives increase brand happiness among retail bank customers through increasing their participation in brand CSR movements. Furthermore, the use of customer determination in the choice of cause enhances the positive effect of relatedness-supportive CSR initiatives on customer participation in brand CSR movements. Similarly, when customers choose the cause and the customer-brand goal is congruent, the effect of relatedness-supportive CSR initiatives on brand happiness is stronger than when the customer-brand goal is incongruent and cause choice is not aligned.
Originality/value
This research is grounded on the relationship motivation theory (RMT), basic psychological needs theory and self-congruity theory to unpack the relationship between relatedness-supportive CSR programs on brand happiness. Integrating three research streams (i.e. CSR, brand management and retail banking), this study proposes customer participation in brand CSR movements as a novel mechanism and sheds light on how relatedness-supportive CSR interplays with cause choice/customer-brand goal congruence to affect brand happiness among retail bank customers in emerging markets.
While previous studies have discussed how much should be given by firms, less is known about how firms would spend these investments, such as strategically allocating these philanthropy activities across geographic markets. This study examines the impact of multimarket contact on corporate philanthropy in different geographic markets. Using Chinese property insurance firms from 2007 to 2015 as samples, the results show that firms are less likely to initiate philanthropy activities in geographic markets with high multimarket contact. We also found that the negative impact of multimarket competition on corporate philanthropy is stronger in highly concentrated markets. Moreover, this negative relationship is stronger when institutional distance at a firm level is low. Our study contributes to the literature on corporate philanthropy and multimarket contact.
Purpose
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a positive impact on consumer behavior; however, how CSR affects consumer perceived value (CPV) has been neglected. The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of CSR on CPV. More specifically, this paper investigates how the dimensions of CSR can generate the three types of CPV.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is confirmatory and therefore quantitative. Thus, the choice fell on the questionnaire survey of 108 customers of conventional banks in Morocco. The partial least square method was chosen for the data analysis.
Findings
The results show that the link between CSR and customer perceived value can vary according to the CSR dimension. This study finds that the economic dimension is the only one to contribute the three types of CPV (functional value, emotional value and social value). The environmental dimension affects only the functional value. The social dimension does not generate any value.
Research limitations/implications
CSR is not the only variable that generates CPV. The consideration of other constructs seems to be considered. Restricting this study to a single category of banking customers and to a single sector is another limitation. Future research might replicate this study on a sample of clients from participatory banks as well as from other sectors.
Practical implications
The results can help Moroccan banks identify the dimensions of CSR that can meaningfully generate CPV. This will help them to increase customer loyalty, develop a competitive advantage and improve their performance by prioritizing CSR initiatives capable of creating value for consumers.
Originality/value
No previous research in Morocco, to the best of the author’s knowledge, has explored the effect of CSR on CPV. This paper therefore provides the first empirical evidence in North Africa on the link between CSR and CPV in Morocco. This study also extends previous studies by considering CSR as a multidimensional construct covering three dimensions (social, environmental and economic).
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become a key factor for businesses to compete in the market and maintain sustainable growth. Although there is abundant literature on the relationship between CSR and customer satisfaction, only a few papers have dealt with the transportation sector. This study fills this gap by analyzing the outcome of engaging in environmental, social, economic, and ethical initiatives in the rail sector. To this aim, we surveyed 2713 customers of Trenitalia, the leading railway operator in Italy. Estimating hybrid discrete choice models, we found that investing in initiatives aimed at creating new jobs, contributing to national economic development, safeguarding the environment, and protecting passengers' safety significantly affects customers' level of satisfaction which is positively related to passengers' loyalty, intention to recommend the service to others, and willingness to pay higher fares.
İşletmelerin hizmetlerini sunarken sorumlu davranışları müşterileri etkileyebilir ve uzun süreli müşteri ilişkileri sağlayabilir. Bu nedenle kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk işletmelerin sürdürebilirliği için kritik bir pazarlama stratejisi olarak görülmektedir. Kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk çalışanlara, müşterilere ve topluma göre sınıflandırılabilmektedir. Bu çalışma, müşterilerin bakış açısından kurumsal sosyal sorumluluğun davranışsal niyetler üzerindeki etkisini paydaş teorisi ile destekleyen ve ağızdan ağıza iletişim ile sonuçlanan bir model temelinde araştırmıştır. Dolayısıyla çalışma, denizcilik sektöründe müşterilerin kurumsal sosyal sorumluk algıları ile kurumsal imaj, memnuniyet, sadakat ve ağızdan ağıza iletişim arasındaki ilişkileri belirlemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma verileri bir Türk armatör şirketinin 353 müşterisinden anket yoluyla elde edilmiştir. Verilere SPSS 24.0 ve AMOS 21.0 kullanılarak güvenilirlik ve geçerlilik analizi uygulanmış ve hipotezler test edilmiştir. Bulgular firmanın müşteriler için kurumsal sosyal sorumluluk faaliyetlerinin müşteri memnuniyeti ve kurum imajı üzerinde pozitif yönde güçlü bir etkiye sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Ayrıca kurum imajının müşteri memnuniyeti ve sadakati, müşteri memnuniyeti ve sadakatin ise ağızdan ağıza iletişim üzerinde pozitif yönde etkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir.
Although previous research has shown the benefits of corporate reputation, few studies have directly investigated the effects of environmental reputation in the context of branding. Using insights from signaling and resource-based view theories, we investigate the impact of environmental reputation on brand performance through the mediating mechanism of brand satisfaction. In addition, we examine the moderating impact of ethical behavior on this relationship. Using time-lagged data from 211 industrial buyers from pharmaceutical firms in Ghana, the empirical results show that (1) environmental reputation significantly influences brand satisfaction, (2) ethical behavior moderates the relationship between environmental reputation and brand satisfaction, and (3) brand satisfaction mediates the relationship between environmental reputation and brand performance. The findings contribute to our understanding of environmental reputation’s role in B2B branding. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Although the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance has been concerned by academia, little is known about how to fulfill CSR. Using a sample of 2111 A‐share public firms in China, this research examines the effects of the way of fulfilling CSR on corporate financial performance and the moderating effects of market competition environments. The results show that firms' CSR behavior of preferred primary stakeholders has a positive effect on corporate financial performance whereas that of preferred secondary stakeholders harms corporate financial performance. Furthermore, this research finds that the stronger the market competition faced by the firm, the more obvious the effect will be, whether it is positive or negative. The findings are helpful to guide the managers on how to better fulfill their CSR, which is of great significance for the sustainable development of CSR.
In today's global business, customers, governments, and international organizations are more sensitive to environmental (such as oil spills, explosions) and ethical (such as sexual harassment at office, child labor, labor safety) issues caused by business activities. The shipping industry seems to be a “usual suspect” because of comparatively big potential environmental risk taken. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), which is simply defined as adopting continuously responsible business activities to customers, public, and environment, is a helpful tool to achieve many business outcomes such as increased revenue, sales, or firm reputation. This chapter explores CSR in the maritime and shipping industries.
The success of any organization is settled on its ability of initiating, sustaining, and retaining a good customer relationship based on loyalty. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) turned out to be considered as an efficient marketing tool. However, the impact of CSR on loyalty is still uncultivated. The present paper investigates the influence of CSR activities on both loyalty constructs: attitudinal loyalty as well as behavioral loyalty. Based on a sample of 203 Lebanese students, results revealed a considerable effect of ethical, legal and philanthropy social responsibility on both attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. Conversely, the effect of economic responsibility on attitudinal and behavioral loyalty was insignificant.
The transportation industry is recognized as a central pillar of the global economy, setting the foundations for the successful development of world trade. Sustainable transportation is one of the most difficult challenges of our era. This paper attempts to shed light on the maritime sector's CSR agenda, both short and long term, by mapping its most significant operational aspects by conducting a deep content analysis of 90 sustainability reports and surveying experts of varied experience a and perspectives. 544 material issues of economic, environmental, and societal nature were reviewed and assessed. Findings highlighted occupational health and safety, air emissions, energy management, innovative technologies and security systems as the most material aspects of the maritime industry.
Like many other non-tech industries, container shipping services and operations have recently started being digitalized through various digital products and technologies. Despite several proven and projected benefits of digitalization, the impact of digitalization on customer loyalty in non-tech industries has not been fully investigated. Following the recent digitization trend, this research paper examines the relationship between perception and satisfaction on recently implemented digital products and overall customer loyalty in container shipping. Anchored on the technology acceptance model (TAM), a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is applied based on the survey conducted on freight forwarders who are major customers of container lines. Results indicate that digital satisfaction and digital trust positively affect overall customer loyalty, while perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and digital trust positively influence digital satisfaction. Results of the study show that those digitalized services and operations of container lines have already started to influence overall customer loyalty. This paper provides important theoretical and managerial implications regarding digitalization in container shipping and other non-tech industries.
Purpose
In weaker institutions, lack of corporate social responsibility (CSR) constituencies causes organizations to naturally incline toward corporate socially irresponsible actions. Grounded in the institutional theory, this paper aims to explore the nature of corporate social irresponsibility (CSIR) in the weaker institution and its effect on legitimacy and reputation. The presence of corporate ability moderates the impact of CSIR on legitimacy and reputation.
Design/methodology/approach
A list of manager’s contact information was generated from an online database. In total, 1,500 employees in 560 Pakistani organizations received the self-reported survey. In total, 203 managers working in 110 Pakistani organizations responded with the completed questionnaire that provided empirical support to the hypotheses.
Findings
Institutional drivers were positively significant to CSIR and negatively associated with the manager’s CSR attitudes. CSIR was negatively significant to legitimacy and reputation. Group differences between high and low corporate ability indicated that corporate ability played a vital role between CSIR and reputation.
Practical implications
These results have important implications for leaders, business-to-business and human resource (HR) managers in weaker institutions highlighting that organization’s supply chain partners consider adopting CSR practices. This can help the organization avoid undesirable and detrimental impact on its legitimacy and reputation, which are linked to irresponsible behaviors. HR managers should build CSR cognition in employees to bring effective change in the organization.
Originality/value
Lack of investigation into corporate ability and CSIR has raised questions about the organization’s efforts in the weaker institution that are sensitive to institutionalized corruption. This research adds to the literature by exploring how the organizations develop legitimacy and reputation while still acting irresponsibly in a weaker institution, presenting a paradox.
One of the serious inquiries for industry experts and academics is whether and how corporate social responsibility (CSR) can help create better workplace environments. However, this has not been studied enough so far from employees’ perspective. To fill this gap, this study aims to examine the relationship between employees’ perception on corporate social responsibility (CSR), their job satisfaction, organisational trust and ultimately, organisational commitment to suggest academic and practical implications on sustainable management for international freight forwarders in Korea. For this study, 166 global logistics companies in Busan, one of the world’s leading maritime cities, were targeted, and questionnaires were surveyed from 10 April to 30 May 2019. A total of 265 questionnaires were analysed to verify the relevance of individual hypothesis in the research model through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model analysis using AMOS 18.0. The results of five hypotheses testing demonstrated a positive and significant effect except that Hypothesis 4 on ‘job satisfaction will have a significant effect on organisational commitment’ was rejected. Overall, this paper provides important insights into the significance of CSR in global freight forwarding companies with theoretical development and the empirical test of CSR model, highlighting the trust to increase the organisational commitment of employees.
A firm's financial performance is closely related to its environmental behavior. This result is valid especially in the case of socially responsible firms. In the present study a data econometric analysis is conducted based on a GARCH model for socially responsible and conventional firms. According to our findings, the performance of socially responsible firms is negatively related to an increase of global CO2 emissions. The firms' costs for implementing environmental policies and the investors' attitude towards the aforementioned firms may account for our results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
To promote an understanding of green consumption behavior, this paper investigates how consumer value relates to loyalty and price consciousness through consumer satisfaction. The proposed model of the variables underwent empirical validation through data collected from a cross-sectional survey of 517 consumers in the USA who had bought and possessed a hybrid car – a representative green product. The results indicate that perceived social, emotional, and functional values have a significant positive effect on customer satisfaction with respect to green innovation. Further, customer satisfaction leads to customer loyalty, while lowering price consciousness. This study demonstrates the importance of consumer value and satisfaction in facilitating the diffusion of green innovation, with resulting implications for marketing strategy and public policy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Purpose
– This study seeks to examine perceived corporate social responsibility (CSR) with a focus on ethical and legal questions, related to the constructs such as recovery satisfaction, customer trust, and loyalty after a service failure.
Design/methodology/approach
– An empirical test was conducted on this relationship in the context of service failure and recovery. A structural equation model was employed to test the hypotheses.
Findings
– Results indicate that perceived CSR has a significant impact on customer trust and loyalty and that customer trust serves as a key mediating variable in service recovery.
Research limitations/implications
– This study provides a theoretical implication for the relationship between perceived CSR and the relationship constructs such as service recovery satisfaction, customer trust, and loyalty.
Practical implications
– The results suggest that managers may need to be aware of perceived CSR as a key variable in restoring customer loyalty. The results further suggest that perceived CSR has a direct and indirect positive effect on loyalty; perceived CSR has a direct impact on loyalty, but it also has an indirect influence on loyalty through customer trust.
Originality/value
– In an attempt to deepen the understanding of how customer perceptions of firm CSR are connected with other customer-related outcomes during service recovery, the present research proposes a comprehensive model which encompasses CSR and other key relationship constructs after a service failure and recovery.
This study focuses on the effect of the sustainable marketing of three types of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives – sponsorship, cause‐related marketing, and philanthropy – on consumer evaluations with the moderating effect of psychological distance (social distance and spatial distance). Four hundred and eighty subjects participated in a 3x2x2 between‐subjects factorial design experiment. The results of the analyses were significant and in the direction hypothesized. Philanthropy was found to have a stronger effect on consumer evaluations, followed by sponsorship and cause‐related marketing. However, the relationship between CSR initiatives and consumer evaluations was significantly stronger when consumers perceived the focal brand with low social distance as well as the cause with low spatial distance. The findings thus provide support for the importance of psychological distance in moderating CSR initiatives. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
This study will identify the factors that may influence companies' success in attaining environmental awards. Based on existing literature, several variables that are expected to have an influence on the receipt of an environmental award were selected and their levels of disclosure were tested empirically using a sample of UK FTSE 100 companies. The selected variables considered were industry membership; stakeholder engagement; external (formal) assurance; the presence of an environmental management system (EMS); and specific environmental activities in the areas of packaging, waste management, recycling, climate change risk, climate change activities, and carbon footprint. The results reveal that the influencing factors for receipt of an environmental award are the presence of an environmental management system (EMS); stakeholder engagement; and disclosure on specific environmental activities (waste management, climate change risk, and climate change activities). The results also show that the level of environmental disclosure and the consequent possibility of receiving an award, are influenced by industry membership; the extent of environmental information disclosure are not the same in all industries. Companies belonging to carbon-intensive industries were found to be more likely to receive an award than companies from non carbon-intensive industries. Contrary to expectations, no evidence was found to support the influence of disclosure on formal or external assurance and some specific environmental activities (packaging, recycling). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
In this article, we provide guidance for substantive researchers on the use of structural equation modeling in practice for theory testing and development. We present a comprehensive, two-step modeling approach that employs a series of nested models and sequential chi-square difference tests. We discuss the comparative advantages of this approach over a one-step approach. Considerations in specification, assessment of fit, and respecification of measurement models using confirmatory factor analysis are reviewed. As background to the two-step approach, the distinction between exploratory and confirmatory analysis, the distinction between complementary approaches for theory testing versus predictive application, and some developments in estimation methods also are discussed.
Most research in customer asset management has focused on specific aspects of the value of the customer to the company. The
purpose of this article is to propose an integrated framework, called CUSAMS (customer asset management of services), that
enables service organizations (1) to make a comprehensive assessment of the value of their customer assets and (2) to understand
the influence of marketing instruments on them. The foundation of the CUSAMS framework is a careful specification of key customer
behaviors that reflect the length, depth, and breadth of the customer-service organization relationship: duration, usage,
and cross-buying. This framework is the starting point for a set of propositions regarding how marketing instruments influence
customer behavior within the relationship, thereby influencing the value of the customer asset. The framework and propositions
provide the impetus for a research agenda that identifies critical issues in customer asset management.
This research, investigating retailer-consumer relationships, has three distinct intended contributions: (1) It shows that different relationship marketing tactics have a differential impact on consumer perceptions of a retailer's relationship investment; (2) it demonstrates that perceived relationship investment affects relationship quality, ultimately leading to behavioral loyalty; and (3) it reveals that the effect of perceived relationship investment on relationship quality is contingent on a consumer's product category involvement and proneness to engage in retail relationships. The authors empirically cross-validate the underlying conceptual model by studying six consumer samples in a three-country, transatlantic, comparative survey that investigates two industries.
Relationship marketing (RM) has been widely accepted as an important determinant of long-term business success and is believed to be especially well suited for services because of the personal contact between customers and service providers. Past research has focused mainly on the advantages of RM for companies, while less attention has been paid to relationships from the customer’s point of view. We suggest that relationships may be described as ranging from spurious to true, depending on customer-perceived relationship benefits, trust and commitment. A qualitative study of customer relationships was conducted in a car dealership, where profitability depends on customer commitment to both after-sales services and the car brand. Customer relationships were found to be more spurious than true. The study revealed that behavioural commitment to after-sales services was high, but that affective commitment was low to moderate. Customers were satisfied but did not perceive the services to be superior to the competitors’ service offerings. They trusted authorised repair in general and did not feel that after-sales service would have more than a minor influence on their future car purchases.
Investigates the behavioural consequences of customer satisfaction. More specifically, the authors examine the impact of customer satisfaction on customers’ behavioural responses. The results support the notion of direct effects of customer satisfaction on three criterion variables (decision to stay with the existing service provider, engagement in word-of-mouth communications, and intentions to switch service providers). Implications for practice, study limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Scholars have questioned the effectiveness of several customer relationship management strategies. The author investigates the differential effects of customer relationship perceptions and relationship marketing instruments on customer retention and customer share development over time. Customer relationship perceptions are considered evaluations of relationship strength and a supplier's offerings, and customer share development is the change in customer share between two periods. The results show that affective commitment and loyalty programs that pro- vide economic incentives positively affect both customer retention and customer share development, whereas direct mailings influence customer share development. However, the effect of these variables is rather small. The results also indicate that firms can use the same strategies to affect both customer retention and customer share development.
Loyalty has, over the past decade, become a crucial construct in marketing, and particularly in the burgeoning field of customer relationship management. This paper shows that customer loyalty can be explained to a substantial degree by customer satisfaction, trust, and communication, and shows the direct and indirect effects among those constructs and other constructs in an extension of the European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) model. Both ECSI model and the extended model are estimated with data from a survey carried out among customers of the banking sector. Within the limitations of the study, the theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.
Purpose
– This research paper seeks to investigate the different types of attachment that customers develop towards retail banks.
Design/methodology/approach
– The approach blends literature reviews, in addition to qualitative and quantitative methods. The primary research programme analyses data from seven focus groups, 39 one‐on‐one interviews and 1,058 individual consumer questionnaires.
Findings
– Identifies three forms of positive attachment, based on three different foundations: the credibility of the organisation, compatibility between the values of the organisation and those of the consumer, and interpersonal or relational considerations. Presents a statistically valid and reliable scale that can be used to measure these three forms of attachment. Also identifies other forms of customer‐bank attachment grounded on less positive associations, including inertia and alienation.
Originality/value
– The scale can be used to identify customer‐organisational attachment profiles that transcend or complement customer satisfaction, and provide a basis for relationship longevity.
In a study of telecommunications services, the authors examine the effects of customer satisfaction, affective com- mitment, and calculative commitment on retention. The study further examines the potential for situational and reactional trigger conditions to moderate the satisfaction-retention relationship. The results support consistent effects of customer satisfaction, calculative commitment, and prior churn on retention. Prior churn also moderates the satisfaction-retention relationship. The results have implications for both customer relationship managers and researchers who use satisfaction surveys to predict behavior.
Companies that offer loyalty reward programs believe that their programs have a long-run positive effect on customer evaluations and behavior. However, if loyalty rewards pro- grams increase relationship durations and usage levels, customers will be increasingly exposed to the complete spectrum of service experiences, including experiences that may cause customers to switch to another service pro- vider. Using cross-sectional, time-series data from a worldwide financial services company that offers a loyalty reward program, this article investigates the conditions under which a loyalty rewards program will have a posi - tive effect on customer evaluations, behavior, and repeat purchase intentions. The results show that members in the loyalty reward program overlook or discount negative evaluations of the company vis-à-vis competition. One possible reason could be that members of the loyalty re - wards program perceive that they are getting better quality and service for their price or, in other words, "good value."
In two experiments, the authors show that corporate image associations with innovation and trustworthiness (but not social responsibility) influence product evaluations more when consumers perceive high (versus low) risk in the product purchase. Their findings extend previous research by identifying perceived risk as a moderator of the effects of corporate image on product evaluations. The authors discuss implications for the conditions governing the "flow-through" of corporate image to individual product evaluations.
The value concept is a basic constituent of relationship marketing. The ability to provide superior value to customers is a prerequisite when trying to establish and maintain long-term customer relationships. Stresses the fact that the underlying construct of customer satisfaction is more than a perception of the quality received. What must be taken into account as well is the customer’s need of quality improvements and his willingness to pay for it. From a relationship perspective these aspects are fundamental, since they are both related to the costs of the parties involved. Suggests that a reduction in customer-perceived costs may be a most recommendable method of providing value to the customer, since, done properly, it can improve the internal cost efficiency as well. It is then possible to establish and maintain mutually profitable customer relationships, which is of prime concern in relationship marketing.
Companies are facing increasing pressure to both maintain profitability and behave in socially responsible ways, yet researchers have provided little information on how corporate social responsibility impacts profitability. This paper reports the findings from in-depth interviews of consumers to determine their views concerning the social responsibilities of companies. A typology of consumers whose purchasing behavior ranges from unresponsive to highly responsive to corporate social responsibility was developed from the analysis.
In today's increasingly competitive markets, greater emphasis is being placed on customer service as a means of achieving competitive advantage. Many organizations believe that e-business can provide opportunities to improve customer service operations by enabling them to get closer to the customer and enhance the organization-to-customer contact experience. However, use of the Internet fundamentally changes the nature of the customer contact experience. This article investigates this phenomenon from an operations management perspective, by examining the customer service encounter during the business processes of ordering and delivering in e-business. Empirical results from case research investigating eight companies that use e-business in their customer service operations are reported and discussed. The article concludes that unless the emotional aspects of customer service are considered alongside the functional, then barriers to enhanced customer service in e-business will not be overcome.
As businesses increasingly stress the importance of cooperation and collaboration with suppliers and customers, relationship marketing is emerging as the "core" of all marketing activity. In recent years, there has been an explosive growth in business and academic interest in relationship marketing, yet no comprehensive book has been available to present key concepts, theories, and applications. The editors have assembled an authoritative and global cast of chapter contributors and crafted a volume that will become the seminal, founding work in this growing field. Their approach is eclectic, including a broad coverage of topics, diverse theoretical and conceptual paradigms, and global viewpoints.
The Handbook of Relationship Marketing covers the entire scope of relationship marketing, including:
* The domain, evolution, and growth of relationship marketing
* The conceptual and theoretical foundations of relationship marketing
* Partnership issues that firms must face to enable relationship marketing
* New ways of teaching and learning relationship marketing
https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/handbook-of-relationship-marketing/book9174
http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Relationship-Marketing-Atul-Parvatiyar/dp/0761918108
In this article, we provide guidance for substantive researchers on the use of structural equation modeling in practice for theory testing and development. We present a comprehensive, two-step modeling approach that employs a series of nested models and sequential chi-square difference tests. We discuss the comparative advantages of this approach over a one-step approach. Considerations in specification, assessment of fit, and respecification of measurement models using confirmatory factor analysis are reviewed. As background to the two-step approach, the distinction between exploratory and confirmatory analysis, the distinction between complementary approaches for theory testing versus predictive application, and some developments in estimation methods also are discussed.
In today’s increasingly competitive markets, greater emphasis is being placed on customer service as a means of achieving competitive advantage. Many organizations believe that e-business can provide opportunities to improve customer service operations by enabling them to get closer to the customer and enhance the organization-to-customer contact experience. However, use of the Internet fundamentally changes the nature of the customer contact experience. This article investigates this phenomenon from an operations management perspective, by examining the customer service encounter during the business processes of ordering and delivering in e-business. Empirical results from case research investigating eight companies that use e-business in their customer service operations are reported and discussed. The article concludes that unless the emotional aspects of customer service are considered alongside the functional, then barriers to enhanced customer service in e-business will not be overcome. Purchase this article to continue reading all 16 pages >
The interaction between marketing actions with a social dimension and marketing actions with an economic orientation is at the heart of this study. The authors introduce institutional theory as the theoretical lens used to inform this research. Results from an experiment in a retail context show that there is a minimum acceptable level of marketing actions with a social dimension, below which the effectiveness of a firm's economic-oriented actions is hindered significantly.
Globalisation has heralded burgeoning ship movements and maritime operations in ports alongside increased international concerns regarding potential environmental impacts. In particular, smaller ports require accessible tools to manage them. A framework to facilitate environmental management applies business process principles to identify relevant inputs, processes and outputs. A case study of Falmouth Harbour Commissioners compares functional units and flows that define input–output processes for anchoring and bunkering operations. Strategic-level processes affect present and future operations while tactical service processes guarantee service level and quality through their integrity. Operational processes occur at the output level. An accessible generic framework supports planning of more sustainable maritime operations, facilitates mitigation of potential risks and encourages authorities to engage with sustainability agendas and manage development proposals proactively. Ongoing interlocution with business strategists will refocus port managers on educational and commercial missions and increase stakeholder engagement. Simplification and optimisation phases of business process re-engineering remain untapped by business strategists. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
There is a gap in the literature concerning the effects of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on corporate strategy. This study analyses the influence of CSR on competitiveness as a strategic dimension of companies. It addresses the conditions under which CSR has a positive influence on competitiveness through testing the moderator effect of corporate strategy, size, and industry. Based on an empirical study of 144 companies, the results show a positive effect of CSR on competitiveness, which is stronger for large companies and for companies that follow a proactive (vs reactive) strategy, while no differences appear between service and manufacturing industries. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Emerging thoughts on quality suggest that three principal sources of customer-based value creation exist for firms operating in the online marketplace. These include a focus on delivering (1) service quality, (2) product quality, and (3) eBusiness quality. Drawing on strategic choice theory coupled with configuration theory, we conducted a profile deviation analysis among customers of online grocery firms using the “ideal” quality profile for four operational logistics strategies as the benchmark (semi extended strategy, fully extended strategy, de-coupled strategy, and centralized extended strategy). The findings suggest that service, product, and eBusiness quality-based fit with operational logistics strategy type are associated with customers' behavioral (repurchase) intentions. This lends support to the notion that capitalizing on the appropriately weighted quality-focus represents a strategic vehicle to create superior outcomes in online businesses. The makeup of these ideal quality profiles that represent the strongest repurchase intentions of customers is also provided.
This paper looks at the implications of various maritime emissions reductions policies for maritime logistics. There can be important trade-offs that have to be made between the environmental benefits associated with such measures as reduction in steaming speed and change in the number of vessels in the fleet, and more conventional logistics attributes such as in-transit inventory holdings.
Customer loyalty is viewed as the strength of the relationship between an individual’s relative attitude and repeat patronage.
The relationship is seen as mediated by social norms and situational factors. Cognitive, affective, and conative antecedents
of relative attitude are identified as contributing to loyalty, along with motivational, perceptual, and behavioral consequences.
Implications for research and for the management of loyalty are derived.
In this article, the authors try to determine why and under what conditions consumers enter into strong, committed, and meaningful relationships with certain companies, becoming champions of these companies and their products. Drawing on theories of social identity and organizational identification, the authors propose that strong consumer-company relationships often result from consumers' identification with those companies, which helps them satisfy one or more important self-definitional needs. The authors elaborate on the nature of consumer-company identification, including the company identity, and articulate a consumer-level conceptual framework that offers propositions regarding the key determinants and consequences of such identification in the marketplace.
Purpose
This paper seeks to examine the central role that commitment plays in driving customer loyalty and to identify the effect that confidence, social and special treatment benefits as well as relationship investment, communication and management have on the development of commitment, and ultimately customer loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports the results of a national mail survey of 591 consumers across nine different service industries.
Findings
The findings of the study suggest that relationship commitment drives customer loyalty and that confidence, social and special treatment benefits affect commitment to the service, as does relationship investment and management. Surprisingly, relationship communication was found to have a negative effect on commitment to the service.
Practical implications
This paper provides managers with insight as to how they can better create and sustain loyal relationships through the creation of customer commitment.
Originality/value
The paper empirically demonstrates the importance of commitment in developing and sustaining loyal relationships while also providing a detailed assessment of the role of relationship benefits and maintenance in creating committed customers.
Presents the findings of a study performed on data from a large bank’s retail-banking operations. Illustrates the relationship of customer satisfaction to customer loyalty, and customer loyalty to profitability, using multiple measures of satisfaction, loyalty, and profitability. An estimate of the effects of increased customer satisfaction on profitability (assuming hypothesized causality) suggests that attainable increases in satisfaction could dramatically improve profitability.
Both theory and recent research evidence suggest that a corporation's socially responsible behavior can positively affect consumers' attitudes toward the corporation. The effect occurs both directly and indirectly through the behavior's effect on customer-corporation identification. The authors report the results of four studies designed to replicate and extend these findings. Using a field survey design, Study 1 provides evidence that perceived corporate social responsibility affects not only customer purchase behavior through customer-corporate identification but also customer donations to corporate-supported nonprofit organizations. Using experimental designs, Studies 2 and 3 replicate and extend the Study 1 findings by providing additional evidence for the mediating role of customer-corporate identification on the relationship between corporate social responsibility and customer donations. However, the combined results of Studies 2 and 3 also show that because of a "perceived opportunity to do good" by supporting a company that is changing its ways, consumers are more likely to donate to a corporate-supported nonprofit when the corporation has a weaker historical record of socially responsible behavior. Finally, Study 4 tests the relationship between the nonprofit domain and the domain of the corporation's socially responsible behavior as a boundary condition for this effect.
Although prior research has addressed the influence of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on perceived customer responses, it is not clear whether CSR affects market value of the firm. This study develops and tests a conceptual framework, which predicts that (1) customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between CSR and firm market value (i.e., Tobin’s q and stock return), (2) corporate abilities (innovativeness capability and product quality) moderate the financial returns to CSR, and (3) these moderated relationships are mediated by customer satisfaction. Based on a large-scale secondary data set, the results show support for this framework. Notably, the authors find that in firms with low innovativeness capability, CSR actually reduces customer satisfaction levels and, through the lowered satisfaction, harms market value. The uncovered mediated and asymmetrically moderated results offer important implications for marketing theory and practice.
Three experiments examined the manner in which consumers are influenced by information about firms’ ethical behaviors and product attribute information when forming attitudes toward the firm. Confirming principles drawn from evaluations of individuals, results showed that a superior product attribute enhances attitudes toward ethically behaving firms more than toward unethically behaving firms. Furthermore, consumers’ attitudes toward superior products differed depending on the type of ethical behavior enacted by the firm—whether refraining from unethical behavior or acting prosocially. However, when a product attribute was inferior, firms’ ethics had less impact.
The statistical tests used in the analysis of structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error are examined. A drawback of the commonly applied chi square test, in addition to the known problems related to sample size and power, is that it may indicate an increasing correspondence between the hypothesized model and the observed data as both the measurement properties and the relationship between constructs decline. Further, and contrary to common assertion, the risk of making a Type II error can be substantial even when the sample size is large. Moreover, the present testing methods are unable to assess a model's explanatory power. To overcome these problems, the authors develop and apply a testing system based on measures of shared variance within the structural model, measurement model, and overall model.
Both practitioners and academics understand that consumer loyalty and satisfaction are linked inextricably. They also understand that this relation is asymmetric. Although loyal consumers are most typically satisfied, satisfaction does not universally translate into loyalty. To explain the satisfaction-loyalty conundrum, the author investigates what aspect of the consumer satisfaction response has implications for loyalty and what portion of the loyalty response is due to this satisfaction component. The analysis concludes that satisfaction is a necessary step in loyalty formation but becomes less significant as loyalty begins to set through other mechanisms. These mechanisms, omitted from consideration in current models, include the roles of personal determinism ("fortitude") and social bonding at the institutional and personal level. When these additional factors are brought into account, ultimate loyalty emerges as a combination of perceived product superiority, personal fortitude, social bonding, and their synergistic effects. As each fails to be attained or is unattainable by individual firms that serve consumer markets, the potential for loyalty erodes. A disquieting conclusion from this analysis is that loyalty cannot be achieved or pursued as a reasonable goal by many providers because of the nature of the product category or consumer disinterest. For some firms, satisfaction is the only feasible float for which they should strive; thus, satisfaction remains a worthy pursuit among the consumer marketing community. The disparity between the pursuit of satisfaction versus loyalty, as well as the fundamental content of the loyalty response, poses several investigative directions for the next wave of postconsumption research.
Previous study of exchange by marketing scholars has emphasized events and conditions leading to and the outcomes of exchange interaction. However, limited attention has been directed toward the role of ethics and law in exchange. The emerging perspective of relational exchange suggests the importance of these foundations. The authors examine the interrelationship of contract law and ethics for building and sustaining marketing exchanges. They explore dimensions of ethical exchange and offer managerial and research implications.
Confronted with increasing pressures to limit government spending on social welfare, more and more public policy makers welcome the growing social involvement of corporations. Yet, inasmuch as corporate citizenship may be desirable for society as a whole, it is unlikely to be embraced by a large number of organizations unless it is associated with concrete business benefits. This paper presents past findings and proposes future research directions useful for understanding the potential value of corporate citizenship as a marketing tool. Specifically, after examining the nature of corporate citizenship, the paper discusses its potential impact, first on consumers, then on employees. Two conceptual frameworks are introduced to guide research on the value of corporate citizenship in terms of external and internal marketing respectively.