Sonia San Martín Gutiérrez

Product and channel-related risk and involvement in online contexts

Activities aimed at reducing risk perception, strengthening consumer involvement and winning consumer loyalty are perhaps more difficult in an online context than in an off-line context due to the peculiar characteristics of online purchasing. This paper sets out to model the effect that certain consumer profile characteristics and three types of risk - social risk, channel risk and transaction risk - have on determining the buyer involvement toward the channel and toward the products or services, as well as their effects on purchase intention. Our results confirm that risk dimensions are interrelated, as are involvement dimensions, that social risk is closely related to involvement, and that frequency of purchase and buyer profiles affect involvement toward the online channel. They also give rise to a set of recommendations on the promotion of Internet commerce.

Developing relationships within the framework of local economic development in Spain

This study is aimed at analysing the relationships between local development agencies and various actors from within their environments. The authors explore the applicability of a relationship marketing approach to local development and propose the influence of economic development objectives on the relational orientation of partnerships, as well as the correspondence between the relational orientation, the results obtained and the expectations of continuity. The empirical study focuses on particular cases of Spanish development agencies operating at local and regional level. A structural equations analysis in a sample of 174 relationships of 18 local development agencies evidences that while the relational orientation of internal relationships and lateral relationships with other development agents is hardly influenced by the objectives of economic development, the closeness of vertical relationships (residents, firms, tourists and local entrepreneurs) depends to a large extent on these objectives. Moreover, it has been confirmed the that effect of relational orientation on competitiveness, on efficient management, and on satisfaction, whereas the creation of infrastructures seems not to be a direct result. The authors conclude that managing relationships with suppliers and target groups as alliances, working together, sharing information, resolving conflicts satisfactorily, and sharing common values, will guarantee performance and resources management efficiency, and will ensure the continuity of fruitful relationships.

Consumer-Retailer Relationships from a Multi-Level Perspective

Abstract Consumers get an image of stores after evaluating its brands, personnel and other general elements. However, literature on consumer-retailer relationships from a multi-level perspective is scarce. This paper proposes a model that comprises three interrelated levels of trust and satisfaction-with store brands, the personnel and the firm-and also shows the influence of trust and satisfaction on affective and temporal commitment to the store. Results confirm there is a transference process between trust levels and between satisfaction levels, support the relationship between trust and satisfaction in each level and stress the interpersonal level as the one that will more probably engender affective and temporal commitment.

La confianza, la satisfacción, las normas relacionales, el oportunismo y la dependencia como antecedentes del compromiso organizacional del trabajador

The objective of this study is to research the most important antecedents of the affective, normative and continuance of employee’s commitment in his/her relation with the firm. The proposal includes both relational or interpersonal antecedents (trust, satisfaction and relational norms) and economic antecedents (dependence and firm opportunism). The testing of the proposed hypotheses with a sample of Mexican employees shows that both affective and normative commitment influence continuance commitment; satisfaction, relational norms and perception of opportunism are the main antecedents of affective commitment; and trust and dependence are the main antecedents of normative commitment. Besides, trust and relational norms contribute to enhance labor satisfaction as well as the antecedents of affective commitment are also, indirectly, antecedents of normative commitment. These results show interesting implications for both the academic and the professional world.

Determinants of Clothing Repurchase Through Mobile Devices

Purchasing clothes via mobile devices is a growing sector. This paper analyzed the cognitive (reputation, guarantee and security & privacy policies) and experiential aspects (aesthetics, interactivity, enjoyment and personalization) that increase customer satisfaction and trust of the mobile buying process as well as customer intention to repeat buying using this same channel. Our analysis used a sample of mobile purchasers a clothing company’s mobile website. The results indicate that the cognitive signals show greater influence than the experiential in relational variables. Satisfaction, meanwhile, is enhanced by the attractiveness of the mobile website and buyer trust. Finally, both satisfaction and trust are key factors in the customer’s intention to repeat buying clothes via mobile devices.

Múltiples formas para segmentar el mercado de compradores online y móvil

Given the current growth of mobile and online commerce, this research attempts to review and classify the variables that can be used to characterize the profiles of the buyers and compare them in the context of online and mobile purchasing. To achieve this goal, we will use demographic, socioeconomic, psychographic, behavioral and motivational characteristics of the buyers and thus enhance the literature about the analysis of these variables.