María-Eugenia Ruiz-Molina

Relational benefits and loyalty in retailing: an inter‐sector comparison

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to empirically a model that reflects the different types of relational benefits perceived by customers, as well as the benefits obtained by the organization in terms of customer loyalty.Design/methodology/approach – In order to achieve the aim of this paper, a quantitative analysis through a personal survey to consumers for four types of retailing activities is performed. Data are analyzed through factor analysis and a structural equation model is estimated.Findings – Confidence benefits and special treatment benefits have major influence on customer loyalty towards the retailer. These results are consistent across retail activities.Research limitations/implications – The present study is limited in its scope and a first approach is considered that it might inspire further research adding new constructs into the model in order to deepen into the analysis of the relationship between customer and retailer relational benefits.Practical implications – Since the benefits ...

The role of information technology in relationships between travel agencies and their suppliers

Purpose – In the context of relationship marketing, it is highly important for providers to identify the main buyer relational benefits influencing satisfaction and loyalty so that a continuous and satisfactory business relationship is guaranteed. Since it has been reported that information technology (IT) might constitute a source of satisfaction or dissatisfaction, this paper aims to test the moderating role of IT in the relationships between perceived benefits, satisfaction and loyalty in a business‐to‐business (B2B) setting.Design/methodology/approach – A structural equations model was empirically tested. Additionally, the moderating role of IT in the relationships between perceived relational benefits, buyer satisfaction and loyalty towards the main supplier was tested through a multi‐sample analysis.Findings – The results show that IT contributes to strengthen the link between satisfaction and loyalty. In contrast, the relationship between social benefits and buyer satisfaction is only observed for ...

Good environmental practices for hospitality and tourism: The role of information and communication technologies

Purpose – There is a consensus about the negative effects of transportation and some activities related to hospitality on the environment. In this sense, several proposals have been pointed out to pursue environmental sustainability of tourism activities and minimize their impact on climate change. In particular, some applications of information and communication technologies (ICT) have a direct contribution to the reduction of the demand of supplies and energy by the hospitality industry. The present paper has a double aim: first, to focus on evaluating the potential of several ICT applications to reduce the environmental impact of hospitality and tourism activities. Second, considering the Spanish tourism industry, the paper aims to analyze the level of development of the environmentally sustainable technologies and the difficulties experienced in their implementation as well as the future challenges.Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis was conducted based on the literature in hospitality.Fi...

Internationalization patterns in fashion retail distribution: implications for firm results

Fashion retailers have been intensively involved in internationalization processes, leading to an upsurge of some global fashion brands. Notwithstanding, internationalization processes may differ across retailers and also their results in their overseas ventures. This paper aims at shedding additional light on fashion retail internationalization, proposing two objectives: first, it aims at identifying several internationalization patterns in fashion retailing. Second, after identifying several retailer profiles, we test for significant differences in their financial results. With chi-square automatic interaction detection analysis, we identify four groups of retailers whose internationalization patterns, as well as their profits, cash flows and solvency ratios differ significantly. Therefore, internationalization does not always guarantee a good performance for fashion retailers.

Relationship and Market Conditions: Outcomes in Marketing Channels

Purpose: In todays highly competitive business environment, many organizations are tending to reduce the number of suppliers to focus on establishing stable and close relationships with a small number of them. The study here analyzes the influence of both market and relationship conditions on trust, commitment, and customer loyalty. Methodology/Approach: Empirical research was conducted by collecting information from a sample of 304 retailers. A structural equations model is estimated. Findings: Results support a positive influence of relationship value on trust and, in turn, on long-term orientation and commitment, with the latter as a strong antecedent of customer loyalty. In contrast, dependence on the main supplier does not seem to exert a significant effect on long-term orientation and commitment. Originality/Value/Contribution: The evidence suggests that relationship conditions are important for creating value in B2B settings. Results shed additional light on the process of calculating, creating and claiming value.

Information and communication technologies in rural hotels

There is a consensus about the beneficial effects of the applications of information and communication technologies (ICT) in several business contexts. Rural tourism companies have embraced these technological advances that have made a positive contribution to their quick expansion in recent years. Nevertheless, some technologies have received scarce attention from rural accommodation managers. The aim of this paper is to generate a conceptual framework on ICT development in the tourism market and, in particular, in rural accommodations. Thus, we aim at providing an overview of the main technological developments applied in this sector, analysing the level of ICT implementation in Spanish rural accommodation and identifying the opportunities and challenges for the sector regarding the use of these technologies.

Satisfaction with service recovery: moderating effect of age in word-of-mouth

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is, first, to analyze the direct effects of the relationship chain “causal attributions and recovery efforts → satisfaction with service recovery → conventional and online word-of-mouth intentions” and, second, to study the moderating role of age in the relationship between satisfaction and subsequent word-of-mouth. Consumer assessment and behavior associated with service recovery is a topic of considerable interest for both academics and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach – From an empirical perspective, this paper uses a sample of 336 individuals who experienced service failure at a retail store to estimate a structural equation model. Additionally, a multigroup analysis allows testing the existence of a moderating effect of age on the hypothesized relations. Findings – Results allow to confirm the direct effects of causal attributions and recovery efforts on satisfaction with service recovery, and the impact of the latter, in turn, on conventional and online ...

Value, supplier dependence and long‐term orientation

Purpose – In organizational markets, many companies tend to reduce the number of providers to focus on establishing relationships with few of them. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of relationship value and dependence of supplier on long‐term orientation and customer loyalty in the setting of relationships between travel agencies and their main providers.Design/methodology/approach – A partial least square regression is performed to test a proposed model that links several relational variables with outcomes in terms of customer loyalty.Findings – Results provide support for the positive indirect influence of relationship value on long‐term orientation, while customer dependence of the main provider does not seem to exert a significant effect. These findings support the importance of value creation for providers in their relationships with their customers.Practical implications – This study allows us to suggest that service companies, such as travel agents, should concentrate on invest...

E‐learning in a university interdisciplinary and bilingual context: Analysis of students' participation, motivation and performance

Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of virtual learning environments in multicultural higher education of two different subjects: foreign language and marketing. Design/methodology/approach ‐ The paper describes the aims, development and results of an interdisciplinary collaboration project was held between two European universities through a webCT system, where students had to work on linguistic aspects and economic and management topics. Findings ‐ Univariate analysis shows students to have a great interest in the project. Different multivariate techniques determine a strong positive relationship between students’ participation, implication and motivation in the project and their individual final grades in the course. Regression also proved that the more exciting and challenging the class activities, and the higher the student’s active participation, the better the results obtained by the student. Research limitations/implications ‐ Even if it is an exploratory research that should be replicated in other contexts, both the qualitative and quantitative results seem to confirm the positive contribution of this interdisciplinary e-learning activity to the multicultural teaching-learning process. Originality/value ‐ Results support the positive influence of interdisciplinary activities in the students’ performance and the use of learning methods that facilitate active and cooperative learning through audiovisual pedagogical resources in multicultural contexts.

Information and Communication Technology as a Differentiation Tool in Restaurants

Hospitality companies implement various communication and information technologies to improve efficiency and customer service, among other aspects. However, the literature has paid little attention to investment in technology by restaurants. Therefore, this article aims at testing the use of technology as a differentiation instrument by restaurants. As a result of this analysis for a sample of 150 restaurant owners or managers, these findings allow the identification of the specific technology solutions that make the difference across restaurants and, thus, to infer the information and communication technologies that should be prioritized by restaurant owners/managers depending on their restaurant profile.