Julie Tinson

An exploratory study on the use of banking technology in the UK: A ranking of importance of selected technology on consumer perception of service delivery performance

Purpose – The current exploratory study is an attempt to discover the underlying areas of dissatisfaction associated with the banking experience in the UK, particularly as it relates to the implementation of new service delivery technology in the banking industry. Design/methodology/approach – The data for this study was collected in two stages. In stage one, three focus groups were conducted using bank customers from the southern part of the USA to generate items important to users of financial services in the USA. These items were then considered by a number of bank customers in the UK (Bristol and Bournemouth area) to insure equivalence of constructs and measurements. Stage two involved distributing 300 surveys to a convenience sample of electronic banking customers from the sampling area of interest in the UK. In order to qualify, respondents had to have used one of the available electronic banking services offered by the bank at least once during the previous month. Findings – The importance‐performance grid demonstrates that two of the factors and their underlying attributes fall into the “Keep up the good work” quadrant and the other two factors fall into the “Low priority” quadrant. The first two are areas the organization needs to allocate resources in order to maintain the level of service they provide their clients. From a strategic point of view, this grid provides a tool for strategy development as it gives a clear picture of the factors that are critical for resource allocation. Research limitations/implications – The primary limitation of this study is the scope and size of its sample. Nonetheless, the study does provide evidence for the development and use of the I‐P grid for preliminary identification and assessment of customer measures of service quality. Originality/value – By demonstrating the feasibility of the approach taken by the study, it should be possible for financial institutions to utilize similar procedures when evaluating the overall satisfaction levels of their customers’ banking experience. It also allows service providers to consider the changing needs and wants of customers’ in the financial sector.

Purchase decision making and the increasing significance of family types

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to note the growing significance of different family types in the west and explore the relationship between the complexity of family relationships typified in single parent, blended and intact families and the involvement of children in purchase decisions.Design/methodology/approach – The quantitative research is a development based on earlier qualitative research on the three family types and large‐scale piloting of the questionnaire. A random sample of mothers with children aged 10‐16 were contacted from the TNS Postal Access Panel. Questionnaires were only used where there were responses from both the mother and child. A total of 524 fully completed questionnaires were used for the analysis.Findings – The analysis supports the idea that where familial relationships are simpler such as in single parent homes (fewer relationships) then the involvement of the child is greater and in more complex relationships such as in blended homes (where there are step‐parents and...

Consumer vulnerability and the transformative potential of Internet shopping: An exploratory case study

Abstract Ten million individuals in the UK who suffer from long-term illness, impairments, or disability can be considered as vulnerable consumers (Office for Disability Issues, 2010). Despite this, there are few studies on the use of the Internet for grocery shopping by the disabled and none which offers an understanding of the multiple facets of consumer vulnerability. The purpose of this study is to contextualise the use of the Internet for grocery shopping using an exploratory case to provide fresh insights into the ‘actual’ vulnerability of ‘Danni’ – a disabled housewife and mother. The consumer-focussed methods used here were combined multiple complementary approaches. The findings illustrate that whilst the use of the Internet reduces the impracticalities of shopping in-store, the normalcy afforded to Danni through shopping in-store (including her sense of self) was not met by the technological offerings. The paradoxes associated with using online provision and the strategies adopted to manage these by Danni demonstrate engagement/disengagement and assimilation/isolation. Policy implications and insights for retailers are provided.

Importance-performance analysis of UK and US bank customer perceptions of service delivery technologies

Importance-performance analysis is utilised to compare the perceptions held by bank customers regarding selected service delivery technologies (SDTs) such as automated teller machines (ATMs), telephone banking and internet banking. Bank patrons in the United Kingdom and the United States are surveyed to examine which service delivery factors they consider to be most important toward assessing the performance of SDTs offered by banking institutions. Customer views are plotted onto importance-performance grids which offer banking strategists a straightforward, graphic illustration of service factors that patrons consider to be salient and well-addressed by current installations of bank SDTs in each respective nation. The grids also offer heuristic decision guides for translating customer perceptions into strategic allocations of organisational investments toward SDTs.

“GROw”ing up: tweenagers' involvement in family decision making

Purpose – Practitioners in particular have noted that kids are growing older younger (KGOY) and academic research has in parallel shown that children are becoming more involved in the final stages of purchase decisions, albeit in a limited number of product categories studied. This paper aims to investigate this market.Design/methodology/approach – This quantitative and qualitative study examines the relatively under‐researched, but increasingly important, tweenager market across a number of product categories and the extent to which ten to 12 year olds are involved in the final stages of purchase decision making. Further to this, the paper considers whether a liberal versus traditional approach to decisions made within the family (gender role orientation (GRO)) affects the degree of involvement.Findings – The findings suggest that GRO is indeed a factor in family decision making but that the relationship is far from a simple one. The authors posit why perceptions of involvement are sometimes inconsistent...

Exploring the role of dark tourism in the creation of national identity of young Americans

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of dark tourism in constructing narratives and stories which co-create and reinforce national identity. By focusing on the voice of the tourist and their consumer experience, we develop an understanding of youth behaviours and motivations associated with dark tourism and the effect of social influences in forming narratives. This empirical study comprises 20 interviews with young American dark tourist site visitors, 11 of whom were re-interviewed. The emic insights suggest dark tourism experiences can be used to (re)affirm individual roles, enhance feelings of national identity and co-create a self as well as a national identity. An etic conceptual model is proposed that is specifically designed for dark tourism sites. It provides a novel explanation of national identity co-creation and recognises the relationship between tourist motivation, experience and co-creation.

Exploring appropriation of global cultural rituals

Abstract Adolescents, as a consequence of identification with popular culture, have been described as having homogenous consumption patterns. More recently, however, it has been recognised that ‘glocalisation’ (global practices reworked to fit local contexts) affords an opportunity for differentiation. This paper considers a recent UK phenomenon, namely that of the US high-school prom, and seeks to explore the ways in which this ritual has been adopted or adapted as part of youth culture. The method employed here was mixed methods, and included in-depth interviews with those who attended a prom in the last three years, as well as a questionnaire distributed amongst high-school pupils who were anticipating a high-school prom. The findings illustrate that the high-school prom in the UK is becoming increasingly integrated into the fabric of youth culture, although, depending on the agentic abilities employed by the emerging adults in the sample, there is differing appropriation of this ritual event, particularly in relation to attitudes towards and motivations for attending the prom. A typology of prom attendees is posited. This paper contributes to our understanding of this practice in a local context.

Roots marketing: the marketing research opportunity

Given the past and current migration of many populations, a significant and growing global marketing opportunity exists for products where the national identity or country of origin can be used as positive sub-branding. Two important questions for marketing researchers are discussed: first, how to ‘reach’ these consumers psychologically and, second, how to ‘physically’ reach them. To appreciate how to reach them psychologically the emotional significance and key dimensions of national, cultural or regional origins are examined using both the literature and a qualitative research study. As regards how ‘physically’ to reach and make contact both in marketing research and marketing terms with such a geographically dispersed target market, the authors examine marketing research and database research questions to establish a person’s perceived roots, and report on an innovation in the use of personal and family names as indicators of origins or affiliations. Focusing on Scottish migrants and their descendants as a case study, the paper reports on a programme of research in which the strength of the link between Scottish identity and the consumption of Scottish goods is determined. The findings indicate a significant marketing opportunity given the above average level of purchasing of Scottish products by migrants and their descendants, particularly as such people represent ambassadors for goods from their country of origin. The implications for other migrant groups across the world are noted.

Resistance to ritual practice: exploring perceptions of others

Purpose – This paper aims to contribute to the special issue theme by exploring the perceptions of anti‐consumption and resistant practices of adolescents by their peer group in the context of high school prom attendance.Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs a mixed methods approach involving 12 in‐depth interviews with those who had attended a high school prom in the last three years and open questions on a survey to adolescents.Findings – Four main perceptions of non‐attendance were identified: non‐choice, risk aversion, passive disengagement and intentional disengagement. Perceptions of anti‐consumption and resistance will have social implications for the non‐attendee/s but the extent to which non‐attendance is viewed negatively will also be moderated by existing social status of the non‐attendee/s.Originality/value – Possible causes for avoiding consumption have been previously considered, however, as yet unexplored are how those who do not consume are perceived by their peers and how this ...

Customer Perceptions of Bank Service Delivery Technologies in the United States and England

This study compares bank customer perceptions within the United Kingdom and the United States regarding selected bank service delivery technologies (including automated teller machines, automated menu-driven telephone answering services and Internet banking services). In particular, an important-performance analysis identifies service factors that customers consider to be salient and well-performed through current service delivery technologies offered by banking industries in each respective nation. Also discussed are selected service factors that customers indicate may require relatively less attention or more strategic investments by bank organizations.