Scott R. Swanson

A model of fan identification: antecedents and sponsorship outcomes

This study examines the impact of fan identification on four distinct sponsorship outcomes: sponsor recognition, attitude toward the sponsor, sponsor patronage, and satisfaction with the sponsor. In addition, consistent with the identification literature we investigate the antecedents of prestige, domain involvement, and fan associations for predicting fan identification among sports spectators. Utilizing structural equation modeling the findings support the premise that highly identified fans are more likely to exhibit the investigated sponsorship outcomes. In addition, we found that the investigated antecedents may aid in predicting fan identification. Our findings are discussed, managerial implications presented, and future research directions provided.

Service recovery attributions and word‐of‐mouth intentions

The impact of service recovery attributions in determining consumers’ intentions of engaging in post‐recovery word‐of‐mouth behaviors is examined. Research questions are investigated utilizing satisfactory service recovery scenarios that vary in their perceived likelihood of reoccurrence (i.e. stability) and responsibility for the recovery (i.e. locus) in three service industries. Results indicate that consumers who have service failures satisfactorily corrected demonstrate a strong propensity to share positive information about their experience. As a person’s social network extends outward, stability and locus interact to influence intentions to discuss a service failure/recovery. A greater propensity to share information and higher levels of customer praise and recommendations were found for shorter service recovery times. Recommendations for customer service managers are provided.

What makes mavens tick? Exploring the motives of market mavens’ initiation of information diffusion

With growing competition and the increasing complexity of commercial information, interpersonal communication continues to be important to marketers. Market mavens, those consumers with general product knowledge that act as disseminators of product information, play a central role in influencing others’ purchase decisions. Previous research, which has focused on mavens’ demographics and media consumption, has neglected the motives that drive these consumer communicators. From a survey of 326 consumers, we explore how those respondents ranked high on the maven scale differ in terms of their motivations to engage in word‐of‐mouth behavior from those scoring lower on the maven scale. Our results indicate that market mavens, compared with moderate and non‐mavens, are motivated to a greater extent by a sense of obligation to share information, a desire to help others, and feelings of pleasure associated with informing others about products. The relationship between initial information diffusion, maven group, and the investigated motivations are also explored. Implications for marketers targeting mavens are offered.

Attributions and Outcomes of the Service Recovery Process

Drawing on attribution theory and the services marketing literature, the authors examine how the allocation of causality and length of the service recovery process impact post-recovery consumer perceptions of service quality, customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions for word-of-mouth and repurchase. Results of a scenario-based repeated measures design suggest that 1) customer behavioral intentions are more favorable in stable service recoveries, 2) an employee based service recovery results in more favorable evaluations and word-of-mouth intentions, and 3) customer evaluations and behavioral intentions will be more positive for service failures remedied by expeditious and less complicated recovery processes. Managerial implications and future research directions are presented.

CRITICAL INCIDENTS IN TOURISM: FAILURE, RECOVERY, CUSTOMER SWITCHING, AND WORD‐OF‐MOUTH BEHAVIORS

As an evolving area of academic investigation, service failure and recovery research is particularly relevant in the tourism field but research is still lacking. This study identifies and classifies commonly experienced service failures and recovery strategies as perceived by tourism customers that result in overall (dis)satisfying encounters. The effectiveness of service recovery strategies is assessed via behavioral responses. Specifically, switching behaviors of (dis)satisfied consumers, the extent of word‐of‐mouth engaged in, and its valence are investigated.

Art for Art's Sake? An Examination of Motives for Arts Performance Attendance:

Given finite amounts of time for leisure activities and a consuming public that continues to feel time pressured, what drives attendance at arts performances? This study builds on existing arts research and its use of demographic characteristics by considering the psychological motives of theater patrons. Six potential motives of performing arts attendees are identified, and their relationship with demographic characteristics and behavioral outcomes are assessed. Data were obtained from a midwestern U.S. performing arts center; the sample was drawn from spectators at three different performances. Analysis of variance and t-test results indicate significant relationships between certain motivations and patronage variables such as years of attendance, number of performances attended, and time frame for planning to attend future events. Similarly, significant differences in motivation were found by gender, age, income, and education level, suggesting that attendance could be enhanced by tailoring motive specific messages to each of these groups.

Grocery store image, travel distance, satisfaction and behavioral intentions: Evidence from a Midwest college town

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the interrelationships among grocery store image, travel distance (TD), customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions (BI) in a college town setting.Design/methodology/approach – Surveys are given to undergraduate college student grocery shoppers in a Midwest college town. The 400 usable questionnaires are randomly divided into two parts: one subsample was used for exploratory factor analysis while the other (larger) subsample was used for confirmatory factor analysis and subsequently the structural path analysis.Findings – Grocery store image is identified as a second‐order construct reflected by the three key components of merchandise attributes (MEA), store ambience and service (SAS), and marketing attractiveness (MGA). Although store image is an important driver of BI, its indirect effect through customer satisfaction is found to be substantially greater than its direct effect on BI. Interestingly, TD is positively related to satisfaction, which highl...

The Effect of Recovery Locus Attributions and Service Failure Severity on Word-of-Mouth and Repurchase Behaviors in the Hospitality Industry

Based on a survey of 377 American hospitality customers, this study examines the effect of recovery locus attributions and service failure severity on customer word-of-mouth and repurchase behaviors. Findings indicate that for satisfactory recoveries attributed to a hospitality firm, relative to employee or customer attributions, the customer is more likely to discuss the encounter, share information with a wider social network, and both convince others to use the service provider and to have repatronized the firm. The results also suggest that the more severe the initial failure, the greater the likelihood that a critical incident had been discussed with a wider social network and the greater the likelihood of warning and convincing others to not patronize the hospitality organization. For unsuccessful (i.e., dissatisfactory) hospitality-based recovery attempts, the recovery locus attribution was not significantly associated with the word-of-mouth and repurchase behaviors investigated in this study.

The relationship of differential loci with perceived quality and behavioral intentions

This paper suggests that he/she whom the customer holds most responsible for a service experience may influence which service quality dimensions take precedence in customer satisfaction, word‐of‐mouth intentions, and repurchase intentions. Results indicate that, when consumers find the contact employee more responsible for the experience, what is delivered is most important to evaluations of service quality, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions. When management is thought to be more responsible, how the service is delivered is essential to consumers’ evaluations. When responsibility is perceived as shared between the contact employee and management, the physical environment may play a larger role in influencing consumers’ satisfaction with the service experience.

Motivations and Relationship Outcomes: The Mediating Role of Trust and Satisfaction

ABSTRACT This research explores the relationship of four individual psychological motivations (i.e., aesthetics, eustress, recreation, and self-esteem enhancement) with important relationship marketing outcomes, word-of-mouth and supportive behaviors. Trust and satisfaction are hypothesized to mediate this relationship. The findings provide support for the model and indicate that the investigated relationship benefits are mediated by satisfaction; however, for patrons motivated by self-esteem enhancement there is also an indirect relationship through trust. The relationship of trust to word-of-mouth is both direct and indirect through satisfaction, while the relationship of trust to supportive behavioral intentions is only indirect, through satisfaction. The paper concludes with a discussion of the results and directions for future research.