Stephen W. Wang

Trust disposition, trust antecedents, trust, and behavioral intention

Trust is important for fostering successful relationships, reducing uncertainty and risk, and increasing willingness to purchase. This study tests the replications in the mobile banking (m-banking) industry and the influence of trust on purchase intention via investigating the relationships between disposition to trust, and trust antecedents to trust in forming trust in m-banking services, which in turn leads to behavioral intention to adopt those services. In spite of numerous studies being focused on the critical role of trust in recent decades, the topic of multidimensional trust antecedents in m-banking, as well as the effects of disposition to trust on m-banking adoption intention has been relatively neglected. Based on the data collected in Taiwan, the results reveal significant positive relationships between disposition to trust, trust antecedents, and trust. Meanwhile, the relationship between trust and behavioral intention are positively significant. Contributions and managerial implications are discussed.

Virtually Compatible or Risky Business? Investigating Consumers’ Proclivity Toward Online Banking Services

The present research examines online banking services, and it challenges the prevailing assumptions underlying the nomological validity of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Results from 594 Taiwan respondents support a negative relationship between sub-constructs of consumers’ risk propensity and ensuing online banking services (OBS) engagement. The most important contribution is the strong empirical support that both consumers’ positive impact of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness are positively related to the adoption of OBS. Furthermore, the results reveal that the assumptive impact of perceived risk construct is negatively associated with OBS adoption. The diminished impact of perceived risk explicitly challenges the predominant underpinnings of the TAM framework. In addition, findings reveal that the perceived risk factor consists of five underlying dimensions: financial risk, performance risk, time risk, psychological risk, and privacy risk.

Key account relationship management: the moderating effects of relationship duration and transaction volume

ABSTRACT This study investigates the impact of three relational benefits (i.e. financial benefits, human interaction benefits, preferential treatment benefits) on switching barriers, customer satisfaction, and behavioral loyalty for key accounts in the context of the air express delivery industry in Taiwan. Empirical results indicate that relational benefits impact switching barriers, switching barriers influence customer satisfaction and loyalty, and customer satisfaction effects loyalty. Findings also confirm most of the hypothesized moderating effects for relationship duration and transactional volume on the relationship between relational benefits and switching barriers. Specifically, long-term key accounts place greater emphasis on the human interaction and preferential treatment benefits. Key accounts that have less established relationships based on the length of business relationship place more importance on financial benefits. Financial benefits were found to have a positive influence on switching barriers only for low annual transactional volume clients, while both human interaction benefits and preferential treatment benefits have positive effects for both low and high transactional volume key accounts.

Hello Kitty livery is just a glimpse of Hello Kitty experiential package: The effects of celebrity-themed aircraft on purchase intention

Purpose – Celebrity-themed aircraft campaigns have become a popular tactic that airlines adopt as part of their experiential marketing efforts. The campaign aims at differentiating their airline from competitors through delivering and/or reforming consumers’ flying experience. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Based on data collected from Taiwan, this study investigated the influence of four antecedents – attitude toward celebrity-themed aircrafts, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and celebrity worship − on purchase intention. Findings – The results revealed significant positive relationships between all four antecedents and purchase intention. Furthermore, celebrity worship changed the relationships between attitude, subjective norms, as well as perceived behavioral control and intentions. Originality/value – This study investigates the potential role of marketing program of airlines with a fictional celebrity-themed aircraft that offer immersive flying exp...

Risky Business? Consumers’ Propensity to Engage in Online Banking Services

The Internet is an innovative and increasingly popular medium with unique characteristics and features not to be observed in the traditional off-line channels. The use of the Internet is gaining importance across a variety of industries. In the retail banking industry, the appearance of online banking is one of the most influential information and communication technology. Consumers can now conduct financial transactions, automate tedious tasks (e.g., e-payment), access their account information online anytime (Rotchanakitumnuai and Speece, 2004), and keep important account records in an easy-to-track digital format. The term “Internet banking” and “online banking” have been used interchangeably, and they often refer to the instances in which customers engage in an exchange of information and transactions with a bank via the Internet. In general, this new self-service technology may widely imply usage of computers, mobile phones, digital TVs, etc. for accessing Internet branches (Curran and Meuter, 2005; Lawrence et al., 2009; Sayar and Wolfe, 2007).

Analysis of consumers’ attitudinal and emotional factors on luxury apparel brand purchase intentions

ABSTRACT This study advances both descriptive and managerial research addressing foreign consumers’ attitudinal, attributional and emotional valuations of brand equity for a U.S.-based global luxury brand. Taiwan was selected as the focal population of interest because this foreign market is distinguished by high market penetration and consumer awareness of global apparel brands. Consistent with a call for additional research on this topic, the present study employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods to empirically assess the relationship of foreign consumers’ brand awareness, attitudinal and emotional factors with the ensuing purchase intentions. Notably, customers’ level of price sensitivity is also included in the model, and the empirical findings reveal that price sensitivity negatively influences purchase intentions. The results also suggest that consumers’ susceptibility for perceived quality has a positive influence on purchase intentions for the U.S. apparel brand through emotional value. The takeaway for marketers in the luxury apparel industry is to increase the brand value in the customers’ mind to offset the likely negative effect of consumer price sensitivity. In addition, fashion brand managers could consider penetrating the brand-sensitive buyer’s market with a popular name brand and try to exploit the brand-insensitive buyer market with a generic apparel brand.

The Effects of Customer Orientation and Relationship Marketing on the Performance of Logistics Firms in Taiwan

Consistent with the research attention afforded to market orientation’s impact on logistics firm performance, the present study empirically investigates three seminal constructs underlying market orientation. Specifically, the research explores the relationship between customer orientation, customer trust, and customer commitment on logistics firm performance. More than 500 logistics employees and managers in one of the world’s most vital supply chain hubs, Taiwan, participated in the study. The posited measurement model was estimated using structural equation modeling. The data analysis revealed support for a customer orientation, customer trust/customer commitment, and firm performance causal chain. This causal chain suggests that the customer relationship management paradigm aligned with a market orientation approach is paramount to logistics firm performance.

Celebrity Endorsement in the Airline Sector

As the demand for air transport services has risen much faster than that of other goods and services in the world economy, it is extremely important that airlines retain their passengers to remain profitable (Wang 2014a) by differentiating themselves to increase their perceived value (Woodruff 1997). Among various marketing strategies, celebrity-themed aircraft campaigns (Budd 2012; Wang and Ngamsiriudom 2014a, b) and celebrity endorsements are arguably very effective ones. Celebrity endorsement in airlines is not a new phenomenon (Basusta 2009; Virgin Atlantic 2013; Air New Zealand 2013; Emirates 2014; China Airlines 2006a, b; Ricki 2013). Through these campaigns, airlines hope to gain more brand awareness, model a better corporate image, expand the market share, and increase its profit margin.