Liliana L. Bove

Linking Service-Dominant Logic and Strategic Business Practice A Conceptual Model of a Service-Dominant Orientation

Service-dominant (S-D) logic can function as a strategic business logic that portrays creating superior value in conjunction with—rather than for—customers as a source of competitive advantage for organizations. From this perspective, strategy is about making choices in terms of how to best facilitate and enhance value cocreation for mutual and long-term betterment. While the literature has pointed out the managerial merits of cocreating value, less is known about the organizational capabilities necessary to execute S-D logic in practice. This article devises an S-D orientation, specified as a portfolio of six strategic capabilities, namely individuated, relational, ethical, empowered, developmental, and concerted interaction capability. In combination, these six strategic capabilities constitute a cocreation capability. The authors develop the conceptual model of S-D orientation through (a) an in-depth literature review and (b) input from 21 expert academics. Conceptualizing S-D orientation provides a foundation for bridging S-D logic and strategy research with a more general framework, and for guiding much-needed empirical research that will inform managers. From a managerial point of view, S-D orientation provides a holistic approach to align the organization with its value network partners. The article also sets out an agenda for future research.

A customer‐service worker relationship model

True loyalty, defined by a high relative attitude in addition to high repeat purchase, is an extremely valuable asset to the service firm – as the customer’s search motivation for competitive alternatives is reduced, he/she shows an immunity to the pull of competition and provides favourable word of mouth. A conceptual model presents the likely influence of customer relationships with service workers on the development of true customer loyalty to the service firm. It is suggested that strong customer relationships with a firm’s service personnel lead to true customer loyalty to the service firm, as positive attitudes towards service staff are transferred directly to the firm. In situations where a strong relationship develops between the customer and only one particular service worker, true loyalty to the service firm will be an outcome of high personal loyalty and therefore be dependent on the continued availability of the service worker. To assist managers in encouraging relationship development between...

Customer relationships with service personnel: do we measure closeness, quality or strength?

Abstract The magnitude, degree or extent of a customer relationship with a service worker or provider/firm has variously been referred to in the services literature as relationship closeness, relationship quality, or relationship strength. This has led to inconsistency in both the terminology and measures used. We summarize this literature and proceed to provide clear guidelines as to when each of these terms is appropriate.

Personality traits and the process of store loyalty in a transactional prone context

Purpose – This study sets out to replicate Garbarino and Johnsons paper, where the effects of trust, commitment and satisfaction towards service provider loyalty were examined. However, whereby Garbarino and Johnson tested their model in a relationship prone environment, i.e. a theatre company, this study was set in a retail context where transactional customers are more likely. Personality traits as a means to identify customers who are prone to forming relationships with their service providers were also investigated.Design/methodology/approach – In total, customers of two fast food independent stores in Melbourne, Australia completed 202 questionnaires.Findings – The findings in the paper showed that in this transactional context, only trust and commitment had a significant direct effect on store behavioral loyalty. Satisfaction did not offer any unique explanatory power but was a significant predictor of both trust and commitment. Further, trust, commitment and satisfaction all had significant direct...

Does 'true' personal or service loyalty last? A longitudinal study

Purpose – The paper aims to use Dick and Basus two‐dimensional matrix that identifies four types of customer loyalty: true, spurious, latent and non‐loyal. It seeks to investigate if these four distinct clusters of loyalty existed both in terms of loyalty to the individual service worker (personal loyalty) and loyalty to the firm (service loyalty). The paper also aims to examine the stability of the loyalty clusters.Design/methodology/approach – Using self‐completion mail questionnaires, females over 18 who frequently used the service were surveyed at two time periods, 18 months apart. Of the original 341 respondents at time 1, only 137 (40 per cent) of these successfully completed the questionnaire at time 2.Findings – Even though the service context is such that the customer has the freedom of choice in selecting the service, the four loyalty clusters were found for both personal loyalty and service loyalty. Those customers who were originally classified as “true” loyals were the most stable group. Per...

A Case Study of Teaching Marketing Research Using Client-Sponsored Projects: Method, Challenges, and Benefits.

This case study outlines the use of client-sponsored research projects in a quantitative postgraduate marketing research subject conducted in a 12-week semester in a research-intensive Australian university. The case study attempts to address the dearth of recent literature on client-sponsored research projects in the discipline of marketing. Evaluation results provided from students in a 3-year period indicate support for the use of client-sponsored projects because they provide a number of benefits. In particular, students feel that such projects give invaluable opportunities to develop consulting and research skills that are highly sought after by industry. However, despite the advantages of the client-sponsored research projects, the quantitative nature of the marketing research subject is still an impediment to attaining high student quality teaching scores. Furthermore, there can be problems if students lack basic statistical knowledge, do not practice SPSS outside of class, and segment project tasks within the team. Finally, although client-sponsored marketing research projects can improve the profile of marketing research courses, they demand high levels of energy by the lecturer, a small class size (up to 35 students), and are dependent on a strong degree of client commitment.

Perceived deterrents to being a plasmapheresis donor in a voluntary, nonremunerated environment

BACKGROUND: As demand for plasma‐derived products increases internationally, maintaining a committed plasmapheresis panel membership is critical for blood collection agencies. This study addresses the current lack of knowledge regarding deterrents to the recruitment and retention of plasmapheresis donors in a voluntary nonremunerated environment.

Predicting Personal Loyalty to a Service Worker

Abstract The role of trust and commitment in the prediction of a customers personal loyalty to an individual service worker was investigated. Personal loyalty was defined as a customers level of attachment to and exclusive use of a service individual. It was measured by the customers attitude or relative attitude towards the service worker (relative to other service workers he/she is aware of, or has experienced in the service delivery), and the customers level of exclusive use of the service worker over a defined period of time. The hairdressing context provided a research setting in which personal loyalty could exist. Multiple linear regression found that customer commitment to the hair stylist and the dimensions of trust (perceived credibility and benevolence of the hair stylist) were significant indicators of personal loyalty when attitude was used to derive the personal loyalty index. In contrast, when relative attitude was used to construct the personal loyalty index, only commitment and the credibility dimension of trust were significant indicators. The two personal loyalty indices were found to be significantly different from each other. Both personal loyalty indices were effective in predicting customer loss in the event that the hair stylist was to move to another nearby salon

Asking for something different from our donors: factors influencing persuasion success

Demand for plasma‐derived products, and consequently plasmapheresis donors, continues to increase. This study aims to identify the factors that facilitate the persuasion success of conversations with whole blood (WB) donors to convert to plasmapheresis donation within a voluntary nonremunerated context.

Contributing to well-being: customer citizenship behaviors directed to service personnel

The well-being of service personnel is an important issue to businesses given the crucial role they play as the interface between customers and the organization. Various life events and positive interaction with others contribute to an individuals level of well-being. This research focuses on helpful, discretionary behaviors of customers directed to service personnel. Open-ended elicitation procedures with hospitality and retail service personnel identified six categories of customer citizenship behaviors directed to service personnel that were perceived as helpful and not expected for successful service delivery. These were: assumed employee behavior; advocacy; consultancy; sportsmanship; social support and courtesy. Applying Social Production Function (SPF) theory our findings suggest that customer citizenship behaviors may assist service personnel to attain the instrumental goals of: comfort; stimulation; status; behavioral confirmation; and affection and thus subjective well-being.