1,721,002 research outputs found
Examining the Impact of eWOM-Triggered Customer-to-Customer Interactions on Travelers’ Repurchase and Social Media Engagement
No full textElectronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication on social media has revolutionized how travelers search for and share information and how they interact with one another digitally. This research examines the effects of eWOM-triggered customer-to-customer (C2C) interactions on travelers’ post-eWOM behaviors (i.e., repurchase and customer engagement) in a cross-cultural context. Drawing upon cognitive dissonance theory, a scenario-based experiment was conducted using a sample of 461 African tourists with recent intracontinental travel experience. Our findings suggest that a customer’s repurchase intention and engagement in social media C2C interactions are significantly influenced when their eWOM is challenged by other customers. Compared with individualistic cultures, such a phenomenon is more effective in collectivistic cultures, particularly when a customer shares negative eWOM. Customers in collectivistic cultures are more likely to appreciate consensus with other customers, and they tend to expend more effort toward solving dissonance. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.peerReviewe
The influence of online brand communities on consumers’ choice of banking services
Get PDFM.Com. (Marketing Management)Abstract: The use of online brand communities to enhance customer-to-customer as well as customer-to-business interaction is a recent phenomenon. As such, not much is known about the influence of online brand communities on consumer’s decision making process. This dissertation reports on the findings of a study aimed at understanding the customer-to-customer online brand community related factors that influence consumers’ choice of banking services. The study was conducted in Gauteng, South Africa. A conceptual model guided by the Information Adoption Model (IAM) was developed and used to test the proposed relationships. Variables in the proposed model included perceived human interactivity, perceived argument quality, perceived source credibility, perceived information usefulness, attitude towards the brand community and behavioural intentions. The study was descriptive in nature and made use of the quantitative research method. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Construct items were measured using a 7-point Likert scale. Customers of two banks namely Amalgamated Banks of South Africa (ABSA) and Standard Bank who have made use of the community sites were targeted for data collection, as these banks have active online brand community sites. The quota sampling method was used to select respondents. By the end of the data collection period a total of 200 usable responses were obtained. Of these 100 responses were from male customers and 100 responses were from female customers. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 was used to analyse the data with the assistance of the University of Johannesburg Statistical Consulting Services (STATKON). Descriptive statistics, factor analysis (exploratory), regression analysis and independent sample t-testing were the statistical techniques used to analyse the data. Findings of this study show that customer attitudes towards their banks’ online community sites significantly influence their intention to use information on the site to make choices related to bank services. The findings further reveal that customer-to-customer online related factors of perceived source credibility and perceived human interactivity have a positive influence on perceived information usefulness as well as..
Customer orientation in small business marketing mix strategy formulation and implementation
Get PDFAbstract: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the development of an economy, including that of South Africa. Because of this, many programmes are implemented by governments and other stakeholders to support SMEs. Despite this, the growth and performance of SMEs are often unsatisfactory. Research has attributed this poor performance and high failure rate to, amongst other factors, poor marketing practices. Focusing on SMEs from the public transport industry, this study aims to examine the level of customer orientation in marketing mix strategy formulation and implementation, and the influence thereof on marketing performance. The minibus taxi industry is a significant role player in the public transport market. Statistics show that it accounts for as much as 65% of all public transport commuter trips. Individual businesses within the industry are organised into co-operative arrangements, known as taxi associations. In order to address the research problem, a conceptual framework was developed that linked customer orientation in marketing mix strategy formulation and implementation to performance. The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase involved the collection of qualitative data, using focus group discussions. Four focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 43 minibus taxi owner-managers. The second phase of the study involved the collection of quantitative data, using structured questionnaires administered to a total of 256 owner-managers and 640 minibus taxi customers. The findings show that the strategy formulation process followed by taxi associations was consistent with the demands introduced through adopting a customer orientation. The findings also indicate that inclusive participation in marketing mix strategy formulation as well as appropriate marketing strategy formulation, defined as consideration of internal and external factors, and including the integration of these during marketing strategy formulation, has a significant influence on owner-managers’ level of commitment to formulated strategies. Commitment to strategy was, in turn,..Ph.D. (Marketing Management
Willingness to reciprocate in virtual health communities : the role of social capital, gratitude and indebtedness
Get PDFAbstract: Virtual health communities have become popular social environments where patients and carers are able to receive advice and support from other members of the community. However, not much is known of factors that influence willingness to share personal health information. Using the resource exchange theory and the affect theory of social exchange, this paper examines the role of social capital, gratitude and indebtedness in explaining levels of willingness to reciprocate in virtual health communities. Data was collected from 361 users of virtual health community sites in a cross-sectional survey conducted in Gauteng, South Africa. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. The findings show that willingness to reciprocate is directly influenced by social capital, emotions of gratitude and indebtedness. The results also show that gratitude and indebtedness mediate the influence of social capital on willingness to reciprocate. The findings can be used by managers of virtual health communities to inform strategies aimed at stimulating more knowledge sharing on their sites
Perceived ease of use : examining its influence on personal use of the tax e-filing system
Get PDFThis paper examines the influence of perceived ease of use on personal use of the tax e-filing system in South Africa. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and a structured questionnaire. The findings show that higher levels of perceived ease of use are associated with personal use as well as behavioral intentions to make use of the system. The results also indicate that computer self-efficacy and access to information have positive influence on perceived ease of use. These findings point to the need for equipping people with skills and information that can enable them to make use of the system
Determinants of mobile marketing adoption among SMEs in South Africa
Get PDFAbstract: SMEs are widely regarded as important building blocks for economic prosperity and broader social well-being for both developed and developing nations. However, SMEs face a number of challenges that impede their ability to fully provide the much-needed boost to the socio-economic development of countries. Besides financial constraints, the lack of marketing skills and capability is often cited as one of the key challenges of most SMEs. Mobile technology innovation has become the cutting edge for socio-economic development for most developing economies. Significant competitive advantage is exploited when businesses use mobile technology to streamline their operations and to initiate interactive communication with their target market through the use of mobile marketing. Thus, it is widely believed that mobile marketing applications hold a great deal of business value, particularly for SMEs that have limited financial resources to invest in costly traditional marketing practices to overcome their marketing challenges. However, SMEs have been slow to adjust and rebalance their marketing media mix to reflect the unprecedented mobile-centric world of consumers. It is therefore important to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of mobile marketing among SMEs. It is against this background that this study uses an integrated conceptual model that combines theories used to understand innovation adoption at the individual level of adoption (theory of planned behaviour) and the organisational level of adoption (Technology Organisation Environment framework). Considering that models of innovation adoption at the individual and organisational levels have been tested with samples drawn from large firms and in developed countries, this study tested the integrated conceptual model with SMEs in South Africa. This was important, because SMEs have peculiar characteristics that distinguish from large firms. More so, findings from developed countries cannot be generalised to a cultural, socio-economically diverse and developing country, such as South Africa. Following a quantitative approach, data were sourced randomly from 511 SMEs in the manufacturing, tourism, and wholesale/retail sectors of the South African economy. Structural equation modelling was the main statistical technique employed to analyse the data and test the hypotheses.D.Phil. (Marketing Management
Factors affecting adoption of e-government services : a conceptual model
Get PDFMany African governments have invested significant amounts of capital in e-government initiatives. This is mainly due to recognised potentials of e-government to help improve public service delivery and accountability. While the majority of e-government services in the continent are targeted at citizens in general, not many studies have been done to help understand factors that impact on citizen’s willingness to adopt e-government services. The objective of this paper is to explore factors that can help explain adoption of e-government services in general and using the findings to develop a conceptual model that shows how the various factors work together to influence adoption of egovernment services. The proposed model builds on the constructs of the Technology acceptance model (TAM) as proposed by Davis in 1986. The proposed model will assist governments to understand factors that need to be managed in order to ensure adoption of e-government services by ordinary citizens
Precursors of trust in virtual health communities : a hierarchical investigation
Get PDFAbstract: Lack of trust can negatively affect consumers’ willingness to share and adopt information in virtual health communities. However not much is known about factors that influence the development of trust in such communities. This paper examined precursors of trust in virtual health communities. Data was collected from 361 users of virtual health community sites in South Africa. Structural equation modelling using version 23 of AMOS was used to analyse the data. The findings show that information usefulness, community responsiveness and shared vision have significant influence on consumers’ overall trust in health related virtual communities. The findings however show differences in the extent to which precursor variables influence different dimensions of overall trust. The study provides insights that can help managers of such sites to effectively foster the development of trust in their communities
Cognitive absorption and behavioural intentions in virtual health communities : a focus on posters
Get PDFAbstract: Purpose - This paper aims at providing a conceptual model that elucidates the role of cognitive absorption in explaining behavioural intentions in virtual health communities. Design/methodology/approach - Data was collected from 361 contributing members of virtual health communities from Gauteng, South Africa using a structured questionnaire. Structural equation modelling using AMOS software was used to analyse the data. Findings - The findings show that cognitive absorption has significant direct positive influence on members’ intentions to continue participating on virtual health community platforms. Cognitive absorption was also found to have indirect influence on behavioural intentions through its influence on members’ attitude. It was also found to play a mediating role on the influence of perceived usefulness and behavioural intention. Research limitations/implications - The study shows the value of linking the flow theory and the technology acceptance model to provide a comprehensive understanding of behavioural intentions in virtual health community forums. Practical Implications - Managers of virtual health communities need to pay attention to experiential aspects of their sites. Success in ensuring that community members are cognitively absorbed is key to the development of positive attitude and intentions towards virtual health community forums. Originality/value - Virtual health communities play a new and growing role in the way health-related information and support is offered and accessed by those in need. Despite their importance, not much research has been done to explain the role of consumer experience on member behaviour on such forums. The study contributes to this understanding by demonstrating the value of cognitive absorption..
An Investigation Of Perceived Service Quality In Online Shopping: A Hierarchical Approach
Get PDFOnline retailing is a new but fast growing phenomenon in many countries around the world. The fast pace at which it is growing is resulting in stiff competition on the online market space. Many firms now realise that they cannot only rely on low prices as a source of competitive advantage and are looking for other effective ways of differentiating themselves so as to attract more customers and enhance their satisfaction with their online stores. This paper investigates online store service quality as a source of competitive advantage for online stores. Data was collected from a total of 201 online shoppers from Gauteng South Africa using a structured questionnaire. The findings show that online store service quality as reflected by platform quality, interaction quality and outcome quality has significant influence on customers’ attitude towards online stores as well as their behavioural response in terms of engagement in positive word of mouth. The findings also show that attitude is not a significant mediator of the relationship between online store service quality and customers behavioural response of positive word of mouth. The findings have wide implications of management of online retail stores and these have been highlighted in the paper
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