Josée Bloemer

On the relationship between store image, store satisfaction and store loyalty

In this article the relationship between store image, store satisfaction and store loyalty is examined. A distinction is made between true store loyalty and spurious store loyalty and manifest and latent satisfaction with the store. We hypothesise that the positive relationship between manifest store satisfaction and store loyalty is stronger than the positive relationship between latent store satisfaction and store loyalty. Furthermore, we hypothesise a direct as well as an indirect effect through satisfaction of store image on store loyalty. Second, the relationship between store image and store loyalty is mediated by store satisfaction. We do not find evidence for a direct effect of store image on store loyalty.

Investigating drivers of bank loyalty : the complex relationship between image, service quality and satisfaction

This article investigates how image, perceived service quality and satisfaction determine loyalty in a retail bank setting at the global construct level, as well as the level of construct dimensions. At the global level the results of a large‐scale empirical study reveal that image is indirectly related to bank loyalty via perceived quality. In turn, service quality is both directly and indirectly related to bank loyalty via satisfaction. The latter has a direct effect on bank loyalty. At the level of the dimensions underlying aforementioned constructs, it becomes clear that reliability (a quality dimension) and position in the market (an image dimension) are relatively important drivers of retail bank loyalty.

Managing brands and customer engagement in online brand communities

Purpose – Given the dramatic technology‐led changes that continue to take place in the marketplace, researchers and practitioners alike are keen to understand the emergence and implications of online brand communities (OBCs). The purpose of this paper is to explore OBCs from both consumer and company perspectives.Design/methodology/approach – The study provides a synthesis of the extant OBC literature to further our understanding of OBCs, and also puts forth future priorities for OBC research.Findings – A conceptual framework is provided that extends our understanding of OBCs and consumer engagement. Four key OBC dimensions (brand orientation, internet‐use, funding and governance) are identified and three antecedents (brand‐related, social and functional) are proposed of consumer‐OBC engagement.Originality/value – This study is the first to explore key dimensions of OBCs, and the differing but related perspectives of the consumers and organizations involved.

Customer loyalty in extended service settings: The interaction between satisfaction, value attainment and positive mood

In research on customer loyalty in services, satisfaction has often been mentioned as an important determinant. However, empirical evidence concerning the relationship between loyalty and satisfaction has remained equivocal. This may be even more so for services that are delivered over an extended period of time in which consumers actively take part. We propose that for the extended service experience consumers are motivated by the realisation of values and that attainment of these values affects patronage decisions. Moreover, as the service delivery process is extensive we argue that consumer mood during the service delivery is another important factor that may have an impact on loyalty deliberations. Therefore, in this paper we examine the simultaneous effect of satisfaction, value attainment and positive mood in an extended service setting. The results reveal that the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty with respect to extended services is moderated by value attainment and positive mood. More specifically, the satisfaction‐loyalty association is strongest when consumers perceive that the service does not help them in the attainment of instrumental values and when low positive moods are experienced. In contrast, the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty is weakest when the service helps consumers in attaining their values and when they experience a positive mood. This signifies that value attainment and positive mood do indeed play an additional role in explaining customer loyalty. An important implication is that value attainment and positive mood may function as a buffer for diminishing loyalty as a result of lower levels of service satisfaction.

The Impact of Value Congruence on Consumer-Service Brand Relationships

By integrating results from literature pertaining to social psychology, organizational behavior, and relationship marketing, the authors develop and test a model that explains how value congruence affects the key components of consumer-brand relationship quality and outcomes, including satisfaction, trust, affective commitment, and loyalty. Using structural equation modeling, they test the model with data from a survey of 1,037 consumers of clothing stores and banks in the Netherlands. The results show that value congruence has significant direct, positive effects on satisfaction, trust, affective commitment, and loyalty. Furthermore, value congruence indirectly influences loyalty through satisfaction, trust, and affective commitment. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for marketing theory and practice.

The CoO‐ELM model: A theoretical framework for the cognitive processes underlying country of origin‐effects

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an extended version of the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM‐model) to explain and predict which of the four cognitive processes that are distinguished in the literature, with respect to Country of Origin (CoO), can be expected to occur: the halo‐effect, the summary construct‐effect, the product attribute‐effect or the default heuristic‐effect.Design/methodology/approach – Contrary to most of the previous theoretically‐oriented work on cognitive CoO‐effects, the epistemological background of the CoO‐ELM model proposed in this paper is of an inductive nature with theoretical propositions being derived from empirical data already gathered in the existing studies.Findings – The outcome of this paper is a flow chart model leading to a set of theoretical propositions on which cognitive CoO‐effects can be expected to occur under different situational contexts.Research limitations/implications – This paper only focuses on the explanation of cognitive CoO‐effects,...

The impact of need for social affiliation and consumer relationship proneness on behavioural intentions: an empirical study in a hairdresser's context

This study investigates whether a consumers need for social affiliation and a consumers relationship proneness impact behavioural intentions (word-of-mouth communication, price sensitivity, repeat purchasing) towards a hairdressers. Data were collected from a systematic sample of a hairdressers consumers in Belgium. LISREL results revealed that need for social affiliation is a strong determinant of word-of-mouth communication and price sensitivity, while consumer relationship proneness has an indirect effect on price sensitivity via commitment. Important implications of the salient role of both constructs in determining behavioural intentions in a hairdressers context are provided.

The role of employee relationship proneness in creating employee loyalty

Purpose – The paper aims to investigate the impact of employee relationship proneness (RP) on the three different types of attitudinal loyalty (affective, calculative, and normative commitment (NC)) and relate these different types of attitudinal loyalty to employee loyalty behaviours in terms of word‐of‐mouth, intention to stay (ITS), benefit insensitivity (BI), and complaining (COM).Design/methodology/approach – An empirical research among 199 employees of a bank was conducted to test the hypothesized model.Findings – Structural equation modelling results reveal that employee RP is a strong antecedent of affective and NC. Affective commitment plays a pivotal role in creating all positive loyalty behaviours of employees, whereas NC only supports ITS and BI while it has a negative impact on COM. Calculative commitment has a negative impact on BI and COM.Research limitations/implications – As a result of the single industry, cross sectional design the external validity of the findings is somewhat limited.P...

Antecedents and Consequences of Affective Commitment

The primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of three psychological antecedents (position involvement, volitional choice and informational complexity) on affective commitment in a financial service setting. Furthermore, this study addresses the consequences of affective commitment on loyalty in terms of word of mouth, purchase intention, price insensitivity and complaining. An empirical research among 439 customers of a financial service was conducted to test our hypothesized model and compare it to a rival model. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) results reveal that affective commitment can best be explained by position involvement. Moreover, affective commitment is a key determinant of word of mouth, purchase intention and price sensitivity. Managerial implications, limitations and directions for future research are provided.

The Psychological Antecedents of Enduring Customer Relationships

Abstract Despite the extant literature on customer relationships, it is recognized that the psychological processes behind commitment and customer loyalty are still ill understood. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of three psychological antecedents (position involvement, volitional choice and informational complexity) on affective, calculative and normative commitment to a bank. In turn, we assess the impact of an individual difference variable (consumer relationship proneness) on these three psychological antecedents. And finally, this research project addresses the consequences of affective, calculative and normative commitment on loyalty in terms of word of mouth, purchase intention, price insensitivity and complaining. An empirical research among 439 bank customers was conducted to test our conceptual model. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) results reveal the pivotal role of affective commitment as an antecedent of customer loyalty. In turn, affective commitment can best be explained by position involvement. Moreover, relationship proneness seems to be most strongly related to position involvement. Managerial implications, limitations and directions for future research are provided.