Tanja Dmitrović

The role of ethnic affiliation in consumer ethnocentrism

Purpose – In view of the increasingly dynamic ethnic composition of nation states in Europe and elsewhere, this paper aims to examine the effects of ethnic affiliation on ethnocentrism and domestic purchase bias, and to test a model of consumer ethnocentrism antecedents and outcomes in a multi‐ethnic transitional economy.Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected via personal interviews from 580 urban consumers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was, in the aftermath of violent ethnic conflicts in the Balkans, divided into two major sub‐regions inhabited by three clearly identifiable ethnic groups. A structural model with five first‐order reflective constructs was evaluated to test the hypothesized relationships.Findings – The findings confirm that both national identity and nationalism are significant predictors of consumer ethnocentrism, and that ethnic affiliation has a direct effect on both consumer ethnocentrism and on domestic purchase bias. However, the antecedent nature of cultural ...

Conceptualizing tourist satisfaction at the destination level.

Purpose – The purpose of the research is to conceptualize a model of tourist satisfaction at the destination level which can serve as a background for designing a universal, parsimonious, short and easily applicable measurement instrument.Design/methodology/approach – The conceptual model was developed on the basis of existing theoretical and empirical research in the fields of marketing and tourism.Findings – The model includes eight latent constructs, with tourist satisfaction being the central one. The analysis of the antecedents (quality, image, value, and costs and risks) of customer satisfaction provides insights into the processes underlying the creation of satisfaction, while the outcome constructs (complaint behavior and loyalty) indicate the consequences of (dis)satisfaction.Research limitations/implications – Designing a parsimonious and easily applicable measurement instrument imposes some limitations with respect to the number of constructs and measured variables included. The inclusion of ad...

An examination of cross‐border shopping behaviour in South‐East Europe

Purpose – This paper examines consumer motivations for shopping abroad and explores the role of demographic versus socio‐psychological factors in explaining the phenomenon of cross‐border shopping.Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected via personal interviews from adult consumers living in Croatia and Serbia and Montenegro. The research instrument consisted of construct measures adapted from previous studies and open‐ended questions related to demographics and consumer motives for cross‐border shopping trips.Findings – A discriminant analysis of cross‐border out‐shoppers and domestic in‐shoppers in the two countries confirmed the unstable effect of demographic variables on out‐shopping behaviour and established the significant role of economic patriotism in consumer decision making. Differences in the results across the two countries indicate that a contextual approach should be adopted in international out‐shopping studies.Practical implications – Countries with high level of out‐sho...

Drivers of customer satisfaction and loyalty in service industries

The relationship between customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and their antecedents, service output quality, quality of staff, corporate image, and price perception, is examined in the context of three service industries: use of the highway infrastructure, mobile telephone services, and hairdressing services. The research model was empirically evaluated for a large sample of respondents from a Central European country, using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that the four antecedents affect customer loyalty, and customer satisfaction acts as a mediator in all three service industries. However, the strength of the relationship between the constructs varies markedly across the industries, implying that competitive environment importantly determines the elements of service offering that lead to satisfaction and loyalty in a particular industry. The research findings contribute to a better understanding of which behavioural mechanisms and factors are a viable basis for increasing customer retention in a specific market structure. Managerial implications are discussed, and policy recommendations are offered.

Retailing in Slovenia: Current Landscape and Trends

The Slovenian retail market is one of the most concentrated retail markets in Europe. However, the large market power that large retailers exercised in the past has recently dissipated. Deteriorating macroeconomic conditions and changes in consumer behaviour have profoundly affected retail landscape and forced leading retailers to adjust their business strategies.