Nelson Oly Ndubisi

Relationship marketing and customer loyalty

Purpose – To examine the impact of relationship marketing strategy on customer loyalty.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire derived from previous studies and the relevant literature was completed by 220 bank customers in Malaysia. Multiple regression analysis assessed the impact on customer loyalty of four key constructs of relationship marketing (trust, commitment, communication and conflict handling).Findings – The four variables have a significant effect and predict a good proportion of the variance in customer loyalty. Moreover, they are significantly related to one another.Research limitations/implications – The relationships investigated in this study deserve further research. Because the data analysed were collected from one sector of the service industry in one country, more studies are required before general conclusions can be drawn.Practical implications – It is reasonable to conclude, on this evidence, that customer loyalty can be created, reinforced and retained by marketing plans ai...

Factorial and discriminant analyses of the underpinnings of relationship marketing and customer satisfaction

Purpose – This research seeks to empirically evaluate the influence of the underpinnings of relationship marketing on the perceived quality of bank‐customer relationship, and on customer satisfaction in the Malaysian banking sector.Design/methodology/approach – A field survey of bank customers in Malaysia was conducted using a questionnaire. The data were factor‐analysed to determine the key dimensions of RM. The resulting dimensions were applied in the subsequent discriminant analyses conducted to determine which factors discriminate between customers on the basis of perceived bank‐customer relationship quality and customer satisfaction.Findings – The results show that five key dimensions, namely: competence, communication, conflict handling, trust, and relationship quality, discriminate between customers in terms of perceived relationship quality and customer satisfaction. Moreover, overall bank‐customer relationship quality discriminates between satisfied customers and those who are not.Research limita...

BORNEO ONLINE BANKING: EVALUATING CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS AND BEHAVIOURAL INTENTION

Purpose – Adopting the technology acceptance model, this research examines the factors that determine intention to use online banking in Malaysia Borneo. Perceived ease of use and perceived usefuln...

Consumer attitudes, system's characteristics and internet banking adoption in Malaysia

Purpose – This paper examines the determinant structure of customers’ attitude systems characteristics on adoption of internet banking (IB) by Malaysian bank customers.Design/methodology/approach – The research framework links attitudinal constructs such as importance of IB to customers’ banking needs, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and risk to internet banking adoption. Moreover, the impact of IB site design characteristics on adoption was also verified. An online questionnaire was used in this research and respondents were approached through extensive personalized email invitations as well as postings to the newsgroups.Findings – The results of the study reveal that the attitudinal factors play a significant role in internet banking adoption. Moreover, utilitarian orientation of the website rather than hedonic orientation has significant influence on adoption. Details of the results, implications of the findings, and conclusions are presented.Research limitations/implications – The reliabilit...

Effect of gender on customer loyalty: a relationship marketing approach

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the role of gender in the association of relationship marketing underpinnings (namely trust, commitment, communication, and conflict handling) with customer loyalty.Design/methodology/approach – Data for the research were collected through a survey of customers of banks in Malaysia. Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis (HMRA) was used to estimate the moderation effect of gender in the RM‐customer loyalty relationship.Findings – The results show that the four underpinnings of relationship marketing are directly associated with customer loyalty. Significant gender difference exists in the trust‐loyalty relationship. Women are significantly more loyal than men at higher levels of trust in the bank. Gender does not moderate the relationship between commitment, communication, conflict handling and loyalty.Research limitations/implications – The research focuses on banking services; further research in other sectors may be necessary before generalization can be made...

Evaluating IS usage in Malaysian small and medium‐sized firms using the technology acceptance model

The current research investigates the impact of persona‐system characteristics, technical backing, and computing skill on information systems (IS) usage by Malaysian small and medium firms (SMF) using the TAM. The study hypothesizes that persona‐system characteristics (such as perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) and usage of systems will be greater when there is greater computing skill and strong technical backing. A total of 177 firms responded to the survey and the results show that there is a positive relationship between computing skill and technical backing on one hand and IS usage directly, and indirectly via perceived usefulness and ease of use on the other. Usage is influenced directly by usefulness and indirectly (via usefulness) by ease of use. These findings are particularly crucial to system designers and vendors targeting SMF, as well as, to information systems management in SMF. Important theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Relationship quality antecedents: the Malaysian retail banking perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of relationship marketing (RM) underpinnings namely, trust, commitment, communication and conflict handling on the quality of firm‐customer relationship as well as the levels of contribution of these underpinnings.Design/methodology/approach – The model of relationship quality based on literature was developed and tested empirically among customers of retail banks in Malaysia. A structured questionnaire was used in the study. Sample selection was based on a systematic random sampling technique. Factor and multivariate analyses techniques were used to process the data.Findings – The findings of the study support most of the hypothesized relationships. There is a significant positive relationship between trust, commitment and conflict handling on relationship quality. The independent variables contribute differentially to relationship quality.Research limitations/implications – The relationship marketing underpinnings can predict relationship q...

Relationship Marketing, Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis From an Asian Perspective

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to theoretically and empirically analyze relationship marketing (RM), customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty from an Asian perspective. A field survey of bank customers in Malaysia was conducted using a questionnaire. The data were factor-analyzed to determine the key dimensions of RM. The resulting dimensions were applied in the subsequent hierarchical multiple regression analysis conducted to determine the relationship between the relationship marketing dimensions (competence, communication and conflict handling), customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty.

Supplier-customer relationship management and customer loyalty: The banking industry perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the relationship marketing underpinnings, namely: commitment; competence; communication and conflict handling on the one hand and customer loyalty on the other, as well as the mediation effects of trust and relationship quality.Design/methodology/approach – Bank customers in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia were surveyed using a questionnaire. Bank intercept technique was used in administering the instrument. A total of 220 customers provided the data for the study. Multiple regression analysis was used to measure the constructs relationship.Findings – The results show that relationship marketing strategies, namely: communication; commitment; competence; and conflict handling are directly and indirectly (through trust and relationship quality) associated with customer loyalty. Moreover, trust and relationship quality are directly associated with loyalty.Research limitations/implications – Although the study focuses on the banking industry in Malaysia...

Malaysian women entrepreneurs: understanding the ICT usage behaviors and drivers

Purpose – This research aims to investigate the extent and pattern of information and communication technology (ICT) usage by women entrepreneurs in Malaysia, as well as the impact of personal traits on usage.Design/methodology/approach – All the members of the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Malaysia (NAWEM) were surveyed, out of which a 62 percent usable response rate was achieved.Findings – The results of the analysis show that slightly above 50 percent of the respondents are using seven out of the eight varieties of systems presented. Seven out of the ten job tasks listed were done using computer technology by more than 60 percent of the respondents. A total of 78 percent of the respondents use basic systems and 48 percent use advanced systems. A total of 92 percent of respondents use systems for administrative purposes, 42 percent for planning, and 52 percent for control purposes. Mean usage differs among racial groups, educational levels, industry type, computer experience, and size o...