Andreas Fürst

How Organizational Complaint Handling Drives Customer Loyalty: An Analysis of the Mechanistic and the Organic Approach

This article addresses how an organizations complaint management affects customer justice evaluations and, in turn, customer satisfaction and loyalty. In delineating an organizations complaint management, the authors draw a distinction between two fundamental approaches, the mechanistic approach (based on establishing guidelines) and the organic approach (based on creating a favorable internal environment). The empirical analysis is based on a dyadic data set that contains managerial assessments of companies’ complaint management and complaining customers’ assessments with respect to perceived justice, satisfaction, and loyalty. Findings indicate that though both the mechanistic and the organic approach significantly influence complaining customers’ assessments, the mechanistic approach has a stronger total impact. Moreover, the study provides evidence of a primarily complementary relationship between the two approaches. Another key facet of the study is related to the moderating influences of the type of business (business-to-business versus business-to-consumer) and type of industry (service versus manufacturing). The results show that the beneficial effects of the mechanistic approach are stronger in business-to-consumer settings than in business-to-business ones and for service firms than for manufacturing firms.

Organizational Multichannel Differentiation: An Analysis of Its Impact on Channel Relationships and Company Sales Success

This article examines whether and how a companys division of segment- and task-related responsibilities among multiple sales channels affects the relationships in the multichannel (MC) system and, ultimately, the companys sales success. Building on open systems theory, the authors develop an overarching framework of organizational MC differentiation that distinguishes between two generic approaches: segment differentiation and task differentiation. They predict that these two approaches affect key relationship and performance outcomes of an MC system, but do so differently and contingent on key characteristics of the companys customers. Drawing on a multi-informant survey in a business-to-business context as well as on objective performance data, the authors find that segment differentiation tends to mitigate horizontal conflict and inhibit cooperation, while task differentiation reduces primarily vertical conflict and promotes cooperation. Moreover, depending on customer characteristics, segment differentiation may damage channel relationships overall and, in turn, limit company sales success, whereas task differentiation unambiguously promotes channel relationships and thus drives company sales success. These findings offer novel insights into the relationship and performance impact of MC systems’ organizational structure and provide useful guidance on how managers should allocate segment- and task-related responsibilities among multiple sales channels.

Toward a differentiated understanding of the value-creation chain

The conventional view of the value-creation chain suggests offering high-value propositions at the product level (in terms of benefits provided by elements of the product) to attain high-value perceptions at the customer level, which should ultimately result in high-value appropriation at the firm level (i.e. relationship, volume, pricing and financial success). This study challenges this view and provides a differentiated understanding of the value creation chain. With a multi-industry sample of 339 companies and a sample of 626 customers to validate managerial assessments, the authors apply a configurational approach to identify whether and to what extent offering high-value propositions at the product level is necessary or sufficient for achieving superior value perceptions at the customer level and high-value appropriation at the firm level. Taking into account the company-internal and company-external environment of the value-creation chain, the study identifies seven value creation chain constellations.

Removing the Product but Retaining the Customer: How to Manage Customer Reactions to Product Eliminations

Companies across different industries are regularly confronted with the need to streamline their product portfolio. Despite the various benefits of product eliminations, many managers hesitate to take corrective actions as they fear deleterious effects on customer satisfaction and loyalty and lack practical guidelines for an effective implementation towards the customers. Despite the importance of and the problems with product eliminations in business practice, there is little research on this topic in general. The few existing studies almost exclusively adopt a company perspective, addressing issues regarding the decision making process (e.g., evaluation criteria, degree of formalization) or the actual withdrawal of the product from the portfolio (e.g., extent, timing).

Gestaltung des Beschwerdemanagements – Eine integrative Betrachtung

In den letzten Jahren hat sich der Fokus der Marketingforschung und -praxis verstarkt auf den Aufbau und die Pflege langfristiger Kundenbeziehungen gerichtet. Zentrale Triebfeder ist dabei die Erkenntnis, dass die Bindung von Kunden zu einer Erhohung des wirtschaftlichen Erfolges von Unternehmen fuhrt (Zeithaml 2000; Bruhn/Georgi 2005). Eine ernsthafte Gefahrdung fur den Beginn bzw. Fortgang einer Geschaftsbeziehung sind von Kunden wahrgenommene Probleme vor, wahrend oder nach dem Kauf eines Produkts. Anbieter sehen sich daher der Notwendigkeit gegenuber, auf die Unzufriedenheit von Kunden adaquat zu reagieren. Verschiedene Arbeiten weisen darauf hin, dass hierzu das Beschwerdemanagement einen wertvollen Beitrag leisten kann (TARP 1986; Stauss/Seidel 2002; Homburg/Furst 2007a).