Paramaporn Thaichon

An empirical model of home internet services quality in Thailand

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the antecedents to service quality and their relationship with affective evaluations of customers of internet service providers (ISPs) in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach – In order to achieve the research objectives, a model is proposed. The literature review and formulation of hypotheses related to each construct are then discussed. Findings – The findings reveal that service quality is influenced by network quality, customer service, information support, privacy and security. Service quality in turn also impacts customer loyalty attributes, including satisfaction, value, trust and commitment. Satisfaction is a determinant of customer trust, whereas the direct relationship between value and customer commitment is not supported. Research limitations/implications – The model in this study was tested in the Thai ISP context which may be different in other service industries as well as in other countries. Practical implications – By enhancing service quality, fi...

The effects of service quality on internet service provider customers’ behaviour: A mixed methods study

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to identify the dimensions for evaluating the service quality of internet service providers (ISPs); second, to investigate the relationship between service quality and customers’ behavioural intentions; and third, to investigate the influence of ISP customers’ usage patterns on their perceptions of ISP’s service quality dimensions. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a sequential exploratory mixed method design incorporating quantitative and qualitative elements. Data in Study 1 was obtained from 2,059 internet users using an online survey. The relationships between the constructs of the proposed conceptual model were tested using structural equation modelling and the bias corrected bootstrapping technique. Also, the moderating effect of internet usage was examined. Study 2 featured 30 in-depth interviews with internet users. Findings – The findings reveal that dominant service quality dimensions for ISPs were network quality, customer s...

Achieving customer loyalty through service excellence in internet industry

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the antecedents to attitudinal and behavioural loyalty of customers of Internet service providers (ISPs). In addition, this study endeavours to identify the relationship between overall service quality and cognitive as well as affective evaluations of customers. An assessment of service quality dimensions is also included to fill the void of research on modelling service quality in high tech services. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the most cited articles on the topic published in academic journals with a view to identify dimensions that customers use to evaluate the quality of a service providers, and to determine loyalty formation through customer cognitive and affective evaluations in Internet industry. Findings – The exogenous constructs of the conceptual model include influential factors such as network quality, customer service, information support and security which make up the perception of overall service quality. The endogenous constructs...

Enhancing corporate social responsibility through market orientation practices in bottom of pyramid markets: with special reference to microcredit institutions

Market-oriented organizations are committed to understanding and serving customer needs. Customers become socially conscious, so market-oriented firms need to carry out ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) initiatives. The main aim of this study was to investigate the influence of market orientation on CSR among microcredit institutions. The findings of this study are useful for microcredit institutions and marketers operating in bottom of pyramid (BOP) market to enhance their CSR through market orientation practices. The sample comprised 250 managers of microcredit institutions operating in the rural areas of Sri Lanka. The surveys were administered for data collection. All the three components of market orientation, that is, customer orientation, competitor orientation, and inter-functional coordination significantly and positively influenced the CSR involvement. Adaptation to BOP Market Culture enhanced the positive influences of both customer orientation and inter-functional coordination, on CSR. From these findings, implications for theory and practice have been discussed.

An analysis of product-place co-branding: the case of Ceylon Tea

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the applicability of the strategic place brand-management model (SPBM) for a product-place co-branding context, focussing on Sri Lanka’s tea industry. Design/methodology/approach Conducted as an exploratory case study, pattern matching and explanation building methods are employed to analyse data from secondary sources such as archival data and documentation. Findings Strategic components of place branding in SPBM are applicable for product-place co-branding, as evidenced in Sri Lanka’s tea industry, although key strategies appear to be reactive rather than proactive in this context. Practical implications The findings provide reassuring guidance to practitioners on applying strategic place branding models in product-place co-branding settings, given the unique risks associated with product-place co-branding. Originality/value Given the novelty of and the need to advance knowledge on product-place co-branding as a component of place branding, this study extends extant literature on the use of SPBM in a successful product-place co-branding setting. Additionally, it extends the value of place branding concepts for industries other than popularly studied tourism.

Integrated Marketing Communications and Their Effects on Customer Switching Intention

ABSTRACT This research investigates the path from integrated marketing communications to switching cost, satisfaction, commitment, and switching intention among mobile telecommunications customers. This research is based on extant literature that brand awareness, image, and personality created by company integrated marketing communications influence consumer expectations. Exploratory research finds that consumers will be satisfied if the provider can fulfil its promises and meet customer expectations. Sales promotion has a direct relationship with switching costs. In turn, switching costs affects the level of commitment, which can be augmented by high consumer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction, commitment, and switching cost are direct antecedents of switching intention.

The impact of creative competence and project management on longevity of the client-advertising agency relationship

Purpose – The study aims to consider the overall impact of the service encounters and projects undertaken on the long-term relationship between the agency and its clients. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a parallel mixed-method design incorporating quantitative and qualitative elements in the client–advertising agency context. Data obtain via an online survey in Study 1 were analysed using structural equation modelling and bias-corrected bootstrapping technique. Study 2 featured 15 in-depth interviews with marketing managers and project leaders. Findings – The findings revealed that advertising agencies deliver value and create trust through creativity aspects as well as project management processes. In addition, both perceived value and trust have crucial roles in fostering client–agency relationships and the continuance of business relationships. Value has a stronger direct effect on loyalty when compared with trust, confirmed by the results of Study 2. Several respondents pointed out the i...

From marketing communications to brand management: factors influencing relationship quality and customer retention

The research aims to investigate how to improve relationship quality and retain customers through marketing communications. The article presents an extensive review of the marketing literature relating to branding, relationship marketing, and marketing communications with a view to identifying effective ways to enhance brand personality, brand image, and brand awareness as well as relationship quality and, ultimately, customer retention. The exogenous constructs of the conceptual model include influential factors such as marketing communications, brand personality, brand image, and brand awareness. The endogenous constructs include cognitive and affective customer evaluations such as customers’ trust, satisfaction, value, and the resultant brand loyalty (retention). It is found that brand equity is important in determining customer expectations, which is an antecedent of customer satisfaction. Consumers will be satisfied with the brand if the initial expectations of the brand are nearly or entirely met. In return, high consumer satisfaction will augment the level of brand trust and brand value, eventually affecting repurchase intention. The study proposes that by enhancing marketing communications, firms can influence customers’ satisfaction, trust, and value and ultimately customer retention, which are critical for a companys success and long-term sustainability.

Evaluating specific service quality aspects which impact on customers’ behavioural loyalty in high-tech internet services

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of quality perception on customers’ repurchase behaviour in home internet services. Specifically, it was found that information quality, and privacy affected customers’ commitment and perceived value which were directly related to customer behavioural loyalty. Design/methodology/approach – In order to achieve the research objectives, a model is proposed. The literature review and formulation of hypotheses related to each construct are then discussed. An online survey was conducted. The final usable sample size was 2,059. Findings – Information quality was a stronger determinant of commitment and value when compared with privacy. The positive indirect effects of information quality and privacy on behavioural loyalty were also confirmed. Originality/value – The research provides practical implications which can be used to design effective marketing strategies to retain customers in the residential internet market. Moreover, current issues of hi...

Are You a Chocolate Lover? An Investigation of the Repurchase Behavior of Chocolate Consumers

ABSTRACT This study aimed to understand the factors affecting repurchase behavior of chocolate brands and, consequently, customer retention and acquisition. The study adopted a qualitative, inductive approach using in-depth interviews with 31 Australian consumers. The factors identified in the extant literature as antecedents of customers’ repurchase intention in the chocolate industry, including brand recognition, sales promotion, product price value, variety, taste, texture, size, packaging, and customer satisfaction, were confirmed. The results also indicated that functional value, product selection value, self-gratification value, socialization value, and transactional value were also considered during the consumer decision-making process. Implications for practitioners are provided.