Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role played by corporate social responsibility (CSR) in building relationship quality (RQ) in the context of sports organisations. In turn, the ...link between RQ and customer loyalty is examined. Acknowledging that customers develop a psychological connection with the sports organisation over time, the study also examines whether the link between CSR and RQ is moderated by the psychological continuum model (PCM) stages (awareness, attraction, attachment and allegiance).
Design/methodology/approach
The survey data were drawn from almost 6,000 season ticket holders of a professional sports club. Structural equation modelling and the non-parametric bootstrapping regression technique were used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The results support the direct impact of CSR activities on RQ. RQ, in turn, drives customer loyalty. Importantly, RQ is found to fully mediate the relationship between CSR and customer loyalty. However, as customers move through the psychological connection stages, the effect of CSR on customer loyalty via RQ tends to diminish.
Practical implications
This study provides evidence of a direct impact of CSR activities on RQ, and also attests the role of psychological connection in sports organisations.
Originality/value
The incorporation of a multidimensional RQ construct and the PCM stages allows a deeper understanding of how CSR might be employed to achieve organisational goals.
Marketers have long recognized that, despite calls to protect the environment, we live in a disposable society, in which the adoption of sustainable initiatives is low. Taking a consumer's ...perspective, this study uses an extension of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate the drivers of sustainable behavioral intentions using a cross-section of 511 Australians aged 18 years and older. Two models were tested, one using the 3 original TPB constructs and the other using the extended version of TPB, with the latter model justifying the inclusion of internal ethics and moral intensity. We encourage marketers to work together to encourage sustainable practices that have a long-term benefit to the planet and to increase consumers' knowledge and appeal to their motivations, particularly their internal ethics.
Building on the literature on green consumption, this study investigates consumers’ perceptions of a brand's green benefits (utilitarian environmental and warm glow) and green transparency on their ...green perceived value (GPV). In particular, this study tests the mediating role of GPV and self-brand connection on the relationships between green benefits and green transparency and brand loyalty. We used structural equation modeling to test the research model with a sample of 826 Chinese respondents. Our findings suggest that most of the hypotheses were supported. However, comparison between brands of physical goods and services indicate that the approach to develop consumers’ green value perceptions is different and that the influences of GPV and self-brand connection on brand loyalty are significantly different between these two groups of brands. Hence, it would be more effective for organizations to have diverse green branding strategies between these two groups of brands.
Purpose
This study aims to investigate whether an organization that is entrepreneurial oriented can benefit from having a formal control structure and process in new product development (NPD). This ...study investigates two well-known control mechanisms in NPD, namely, stage-gate system (SGS) and project management (PM), as well as decision-making comprehensiveness (DMC), reflecting the amount of information processing and investigative activities undertaken.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were collected from 238 Australian small and medium enterprises. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
The findings of this study suggest that entrepreneurial orientation (EO) directly impacts new product performance and indirectly does so through DMC. While both control mechanisms positively impact DMC, they affect the EO–DMC relationship differently. While SGS positively moderates the EO–DMC relationship, PM negatively does so. However, the use of SGS and PM enhances the effect of EO on DMC.
Practical implications
This research provides managers with insights into the design of structure and process in NPD to support interfunctional coordination and firm strategy. The findings of this study suggest that managers should be amenable to the application of control mechanisms and DMC. The calibration of the right mix of control systems is required to ensure that EO can contribute to decision-making in the NPD process.
Originality/value
On the surface, the implementation of EO requires flexibility while the control mechanisms and extensive information processing are seen as restricted structures for NPD activities. However, rather than viewing EO and control structure as counterintuitive elements in NPD, the results suggest that appropriate use of control structure can support organizational strategy and decision-making activities, which subsequently enhance NPD outcomes.
Despite proliferated growth in corporate social responsibility partnerships (CSRPs), there is limited understanding of how consumer groups native to an organization respond to partnership ...organizations (direct patrons). To redress this, an integrated theoretical framework incorporating consumer behavior, branding and CSR literature was developed focusing on drivers of consumer awareness leading to subsequent responses in a sports team and not-for-profit organization (NPO) partnership context. Systematic comparisons were also made by adopting the perspective of each native consumer group. The proposed conceptual model was tested with data obtained from sports team fans (n = 504) and NPO patrons (n = 355). Results indicate that consumer attributes and engagement with communication channels activate CSRP awareness, although website visitation does not and in line with associative network theory, each consumer group generally go through an awareness-to-action process. Multi-group results demonstrate a stronger intent to act among NPO patrons than fans, indicative of fans’ lower prioritization of CSRPs.
Extant research on brand competitiveness concentrates on the B2C contexts, yet it remains poorly understood in the B2B contexts, especially for industrial brands. This current research aims to ...investigate how seller credibility potentially drives organizational buyers' willingness to pay price premiums (WTPP) through customer-company identification and buyer long-term orientation. In particular, we argue that buyer WTPP represents the industrial brands' competitiveness since buying firms express such strong preferences for the industrial sellers’ products and services compared to competitors that they are willing to pay price premiums. Based on data from 454 US-based industrial buyers, our findings generally support the proposed hypotheses. Our research sheds light on how industrial sellers can build their brand competitiveness. Actionable insights for research and managerial practice are provided.
Building on arguments relating to the differences between innovation and innovativeness and their influences on brand loyalty, this study investigates how green brand innovativeness and value ...perception influence green brand loyalty. In addition, the influences of a mediating variable green perceived value (GPV) and a moderating variable (consumer green knowledge) on the development process of green brand loyalty are examined. Data were collected using an online survey administered to a consumer panel in China, and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test the conceptual model with a sample of 826 Chinese respondents. The results demonstrate that green brand innovativeness was directly associated with brand loyalty and indirectly influenced brand loyalty via GPV. Moreover, green knowledge significantly moderated the relationship between green brand innovativeness and GPV. Therefore, to promote green brand loyalty, organizations must allocate resources into enhancing consumers' perceptions of green brand innovativeness and green value, and improving their environmental knowledge.
Literature on consumer engagement is growing significantly, yet there is limited empirical research on its drivers and outcomes. This study examines the key drivers and outcomes of consumer brand ...engagement (CBE) in the context of Australian mobile phone service providers. The results reveal that consumer involvement, consumer participation and self-expressive brand have differing effects on the CBE dimensions (cognitive processing, affection and activation) and brand loyalty. Specifically, involvement, participation and self-expressive brand are all found to positively impact cognitive processing. Also, involvement and self-expressive brand positively influence affection. While, a positive relationship is established between involvement and activation, self-expressive brand emerges as a negative driver of activation. Further, the results show that affection and activation positively influence brand loyalty. Surprisingly, cognitive processing negatively impacts brand loyalty, whilst involvement (unlike participation and self-expressive brand) has a positive direct effect on brand loyalty. Managerial and academic implications, as well as areas for future research are discussed.
PurposeThis study empirically examines a set of drivers (i.e. social media involvement, self-brand congruence, firm image and relationship age) of consumers’ social media brand engagement (SMBE), ...which subsequently influences consumer outcomes (i.e. consumer satisfaction, brand trust and perceived value).Design/methodology/approachData were collected using a self-administered online survey of 340 social media users. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the conceptual model.FindingsFindings indicate that social media involvement, self-brand congruence and firm image are significant drivers of SMBE, while relationship age is not. SMBE subsequently impacts consumer satisfaction, brand trust and perceived value.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contains some limitations associated with cross-sectional research. It does not investigate consumer engagement with other entities (e.g. other commercial brands) through the use of social media.Practical implicationsThese findings call for marketing managers and social media brand managers to pay attention and invest resources in the significant drivers of SMBE. They also provide insights on enhancing SMBE to strengthen consumer–brand relationships.Originality/valueBased on consumer–brand relationship marketing and consumer psychology of brands, this study investigates brand-related relational drivers and outcomes of SMBE, thereby deepening understanding of consumer engagement in digital environments.
Purpose
This study aims to empirically investigate how green transparency and green competence enhancement can promote consumer behavioral outcomes (i.e. green brand loyalty and resistance to ...negative information regarding green brands) through green brand attachment (i.e., self–green brand connection and green brand prominence). It further explores these hypothesized relationships across brands of physical products and services.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using an online survey from 826 Chinese consumers. Structural equation modeling is used to test the proposed conceptual model.
Findings
Our results demonstrate that green transparency and green competence enhancement positively affect consumer green brand attachment (i.e. self–green brand connection and green brand prominence) which subsequently influence consumers’ loyalty toward green brands and their resistance to negative information. Finally, the development of green brand attachment across brands of products and services is found to be different.
Research limitations/implications
Extending the conceptual model to other cultural contexts is suggested. Using the experimental design to examine other boundary conditions is recommended.
Practical implications
This study provides recommendations for marketers, especially brand managers, to facilitate green brand communications to strengthen consumer–brand relationships.
Originality/value
This study extends past research by examining two types of green brand attachment via a cognitive schema lens. Also, it shows the internal cognitive process by which green brand communications potentially promote consumer behavioral outcomes through green brand attachment. Lastly, it highlights differences in the development of green brand loyalty and consumer resistance to negative information across brands of products and services.
