Customer Engagement Behavior Research Articles

Online Retail Service Quality: What Matters Most for Customer Satisfaction?

With technological advancements, the availability of low-cost smartphones and internet connectivity, the online retail industry has gained traction. A pandemic-related lockdown has fuelled the fire. Consequently, it becomes important to identify the factors defining online retail service quality (ORSQ), which affect customer satisfaction and customer engagement behaviour. First, a qualitative study was conducted to identify ORSQ factors and reliability, ease of use, customer-friendly policies, problem handling and security were found to be the most vital ones for Indian consumers. Further, a quantitative study was attempted to determine the impact of ORSQ factors on consumer satisfaction and customer engagement behaviour. While testing these relationships, website familiarity was considered as a moderating variable between ORSQ factors and customer satisfaction. The findings of the study suggest that the identified ORSQ factors influence customer satisfaction and customer engagement behaviour in turn. The moderating effect of website familiarity was also established on customer satisfaction. For the analysis, Smart PLS 3.0 was used.

Understanding the role of streamers in livestreaming commerce: a vocal–visual perspective

Despite streamers having earned widespread attention, no studies have explored the relationship between streamers and customer engagement from a vocal–visual perspective in the livestreaming commerce context. Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model, we examine how streamers’ speech rate and facial attractiveness influence customer engagement using 434 pieces of unstructured livestreaming video data extracted from Taobao. The findings show that speech rate is positively related to customer engagement behaviors. Facial attractiveness has a significant positive effect on the number of comments and viewers obtained, but it has no impact on the number of likes received in a livestream. Speech rate and facial attractiveness demonstrate a significant interaction effect, increasing customer engagement behaviors. Additionally, the numbers of comments and viewers obtained are positively related to sales performance. These results offer new insights into the vital role of streamers and provide practical implications for improving customer engagement in livestreaming commerce.

Does integrated store service quality stimulate omnichannel shoppers' augmenting, co-developing, influencing and mobilizing behaviors? Moderating role of perceived relationship investment

PurposeBuilding on Stimulus Organism Response theory, the current study examines the influence of Integrated store service quality (ISSQ) on the omnichannel customer experience dimensions (Cognitive, Affective and Relational), subsequently leading to their psychological ownership of the store, which eventually explains their Augmenting, Co-developing, Influencing and Mobilizing behaviors. The moderating role of omnichannel shopper perceived relationship investment in a few proposed relationships was tested.Design/methodology/approachThe research is a descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional investigation. A purposive sampling technique was used. It was conducted using data collected from 554 Indian omnichannel shoppers using a validated self-administered questionnaire. The proposed conceptual model was tested using PLS-SEM.FindingsThe results indicate that ISSQ positively impacts all three dimensions of omnichannel customer experience (cognitive, affective and relational). All three dimensions directly affect psychological ownership, eventually impacting their (Augmenting, Co-developing, Influencing and Mobilizing) engagement behaviors. The moderating effect of the omnichannel shopper, perceived relationship investment, revealed that it had a significant positive impact on the relationship between dimensions of omnichannel customer experience and psychological ownership of shoppers towards the store, which eventually fosters the customer–retailer value co-creation like engagement behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is conducted in the Indian population, where omnichannel retailing is still nascent.Originality/valueThis study addresses the need to investigate other dimensions (apart from cognitive and affective) of the omnichannel customer experience that might eventually influence various service firms' customer engagement behaviors. This study is the first to show that integrated store service quality might stimulate (Augmenting, Co-developing, Influencing and Mobilizing) engagement behaviors through customer experience dimensions and the customer's sense of belongingness to the store. The moderating role of omnichannel shoppers' perceived relationship investment in a few proposed relationships was tested.

Factors that Affect Brand Loyalty and Customer Advocacy: the Moderating Role of Greenwashing

This study aims to determine and analyze the influence of green perceived value and altruistic value on customer engagement behavior, the influence of customer engagement behavior on brand loyalty and customer advocacy, test the role of mediation between green perceived value and altruistic value on brand loyalty and test the role of moderation greenwashing perception between green perceived value and altruistic value towards brand loyalty. The data collection technique method uses nonprobability sampling with a purposive sampling method. The data was collected directly from a sample that had adjusted the criteria and disseminated through a questionnaire to 120 respondents using a Likert scale of 1-5 where 1 indicated strong disapproval, while 5 indicated strongly agreed. The statements in this study consist of 20 statements obtained from six variables, namely the variables green perceived value, altruistic value, brand loyalty, customer advocacy, customer engagement behavior, and greenwashing perception. The questionnaire was distributed through a google form to respondents who had consumed Aqua and Le Minerale bottled drinking water (AMDK). The analysis method used in this study is the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results showed that green perceived value has a positive effect on customer engagement behavior, altruistic value has a positive effect on customer engagement behavior, customer engagement behavior has a positive effect on brand loyalty, customer engagement behavior has a positive effect on customer advocacy, Customer Engagement Behavior Mediates the Influence Between Green Perceived Value on Brand Loyalty, Customer Engagement Behavior Mediates the Influence Between Altruistic Value and Brand Loyalty, Greenwashing Perception Moderates the Influence of Green Perceived Value on Brand Loyalty and Greenwashing Perception Results moderating the influence of altruistic values on brand loyalty.

Do customers exhibit engagement behaviors in AI environments? The role of psychological benefits and technology readiness

Although service environments have become increasingly smart due to the infusion of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, little research has examined AI environments and their influence on customer behaviors. This research investigated this issue in the context of services. We explored the direct effects of AI environments (compared with the traditional environment) on customer engagement, the role of customer technology readiness (TR) as a moderator, and ideal self-congruity and trust as mediators. Three studies were designed, and data from situational experiments were analyzed. The moderated mediation analysis suggested that customer engagement behaviors (CEBs) occur when customers with higher TR-optimism perceive ideal self-congruity in a conspicuous AI environment (vs. a conspicuous traditional environment). Additionally, customers with higher TR-optimism are more likely to have trust and perform CEBs for lower anthropomorphism in a conspicuous AI environment. The research findings make theoretical and practical contributions to technology applications, service environments, and customer relationship management.

Developing customer engagement through communication consistency and channel coordination

Purpose This study aims to understand how integration efforts at both communication and channel levels can foster customer engagement behavior in the retail sector from the perspective of employees. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through 231 face-to-face questionnaires completed by frontline employees in shopping centers. A structural equation modeling approach was applied to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The results highlight the importance of integration efforts as external stimuli for enhancing employees’ perceptions about customer engagement behavior. Findings extend the stimulus-organism-response model by predicting responses that go beyond employees’ behavior to predict customer engagement behavior. Results also confirm the mediating role of attitudes toward marketing communications and synergy realization in the proposed model. Practical implications Retailers should integrate their multiple channels and operate consistently and in coordination through them to develop employees’ perceptions about customer engagement behavior. Managers should regularly collect information from their employees as they represent an important touchpoint in omnichannel retailing. Originality/value There is a gap in the omnichannel retailing literature regarding how integration efforts at a communication level may complement integration efforts at a channel level for developing customer engagement. This study addresses this gap by adopting a novel perspective using frontline employees as a source of information for assessing customer engagement behavior. It extends knowledge about how customer engagement behavior may be developed and strengthened from the employees’ point of view.

Does Customer Engagement Behaviour Develop New Customer Base in Indonesia? Evidence from An Eco-Friendly Global Fashion Brand

Green product is known as one of the efforts to minimize waste during the production process while maximizing the products made at the same time to meet environmentally friendly requirements. Eco-friendly means related to products, processed products, and raw materials that are not harmful to humans, the earth and the surrounding environment. The purpose of this research is to analyze the influence of Zara's official fan-page follow towards social media connectedness, fan-page engagement, social media connectedness, and purchase intention of eco-friendly fashion products among young customers in Indonesia.This research is a quantitative study. Source of data used are primary data, which were collected via a survey to young customers who have bought Zara's eco-friendly collection of products in the last three months. The analytical method used was multiple linear regression. The findings show that fan-page follow has positive effects on media connectedness, fan-page engagement, social media connectedness, and purchase intention. Also, social media connectedness has positive effect on purchase intention. Results of this research confirm that customer engagement behaviour which developed through official social media account can effectively form new base of customer for the company. Keywords: fan-page follow, purchase intentions, social media connectedness, fan-page engagement DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/15-6-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2023

Research on the Impact of Multi-channel Integration Quality on Customers’ Engagement Behavior

In the face of increasingly fierce market competition, many new retailers adopt online and offline multi-channel integration to enhance their attractiveness and competitiveness, and customer engagement behavior not only provides a new way of marketing management for new retailers, but also contributes to the increase of actual performance level. To elucidate the mechanism of the multi-channel integration quality of new retail companies on customer engagement behavior, a pioneering model was constructed by introducing product involvement as a mediating variable and regulatory orientation (promotion orientation and defense orientation) as a moderating variable. 510 consumers with shopping experience in the same new retail company were selected for the empirical study. The findings of the study are as follows: the multi-channel integration quality (transparency of service construction, freedom of channel choice, process consistency and information consistency) significantly affects customer engagement behavior; new retail companies should enhance product involvement by improving the attractiveness of the product itself, so that consumers can enhance product involvement and thus influence customer engagement behavior; compared with defense orientation consumers, product involvement has a more significant positive impact on promotion-oriented consumers and is more likely to lead to customer engagement behavior. The above findings imply rich managerial insights that new retailers in different categories can further enhance their competitiveness by improving the multi-channel integration quality and thus influencing customer engagement behavior.

Negative customer engagement behaviour in a service context

ABSTRACT Negative customer engagement (NCE) has negative consequences on firms; however, research on NCE is limited. This study empirically investigates the impact of different intensities of NCE on subsequent outcomes such as the intention to switch and engage in negative word-of-mouth recommendations. Critical incident technique and a survey method were employed with 404 respondents to understand the negative valences of customer engagement behaviour in response to unfavourable service experiences within an emerging market context. A typology of NCE behaviours was subsequently developed. Neglect was conceptualised as disengaged behaviour while complaining that seeks redress from the service provider, aggression, online complaining, third-party complaining, switching to another service provider and negative word-of-mouth were conceptualised as negatively engaged behaviour. These behaviours were not found to occur in isolation, but rather occurred within a broader developmental process of NCE. Understanding how the process of NCE occurs enables management to develop proactive management strategies to counter it.

Configuring managerial factors to enhance omnichannel experience and customer engagement behaviors for a solid loyalty loop

Configuring managerial factors to enhance omnichannel experience and customer engagement behaviors for a solid loyalty loop

Does Brand Love Make Every Consumer Behave On Social Media ? The Role of Personality Traits and Brand Love On Customer Engagement Behavior

The customer engagement behavior is an important concept for the company along with the increasing use of social media by consumers. Previous studies examined customer engagement behavior on social media by the role of technology factors or features on the brand page. Nevertheless, the role of individual consumer traits and the consumer-brand relationships on customer engagement in brands on social media are still limited. This paper aims to explore customer engagement behaviours to brands in social media. This explores the extent to which personality traits are related to consumer-brand relationship and customer engagement behaviours in social media. The findings are presented from a survey of Instagram users who engage with fashion brand pages. The data collecting was done by online survey from 209 respondents, age between 18 and 34 years. The results support four of the seven hypotheses with significant relationship between the constructs analysed. Customers with openness and extraversion tend to love brands. Openness performs engagement behavior to brands in Instagram but extraversion does not. On the other hand, individuals who have neuroticism tend not to love brands and not perform engagement behavior. Eventually, brand love is a strong customer motivation to perform customer engagement. This study contributes to existing literature by examining consumer behavior on social media in the presence of emotional motivation. This paper extends literature by studying combined effect of emotional motivation resulting from the presence of personality traits in individual customer behavior

Determinants of customer engagement behaviour in hospitality industry: evidence from Vietnam

Determinants of customer engagement behaviour in hospitality industry: evidence from Vietnam

Effect of e-Service Quality on Customer Engagement Behaviors: Insight from the hotels in Malaysia

The reopening process has begun Covid-19, especially in the hotel operation. Therefore, the hotel industry must understand the need to influence customers' choices through advanced of information technology (IT). This study is intended to explore the effect of t e-service quality on customer engagement behaviors in Malaysian hotels. This study was analyzed via PLS-SEM with 247 respondents. The findings indicate that system availability significantly influences customer engagement behaviors, followed by efficiency, system availability, privacy/security, and fulfillment. Based on what this study found, Malaysian hotel service providers will be able to improve the quality of their e-services to get customers more involved.

Hedonic-Utilitarian Focused Mobile Application Engagement: A Moderated Moderation of Brand Image

This study aims to investigate the online customer experience and postpurchase behavior in the mobile application context. This study is experimental with a quantitative approach. Two hypothetical mobile apps were developed; hedonic motive and instrumental motive. Data was collected by surveying 420 online shoppers and, analyzed by employing SEM using Amos. Results suggest that a mobile app that is hedonic motive (Richer media experience) enhances the customer experience and customer engagement behavior respectively. Next, the need for touch provides a boundary condition between the influence of customer experience and customer engagement behavior. Lastly, brand image provided the moderated moderation between customer experience and repurchase intention. These findings have implications for the retailer that they can enhance the customer experience through creating an effective customer experience using hedonic elements of the app. Further, retailers using a strong brand image can mitigate the need for touch in the online shopping context. Keywords: Mobile app, Hedonic motive, Instrumental motive, Engagement behavior

Research on the Impact of Intercustomer Social Support on Customer Engagement Behaviors in Virtual Brand Communities.

Customer engagement behavior is a key factor in promoting the sustainable growth of virtual brand communities. Despite the extensive research on the antecedents of customer engagement behaviors, the influence of intercustomer social support remains a neglected area in the context of virtual brand communities. Based on a total of 293 valid questionnaires collected via an online survey, a structural equation model and hierarchical regression analysis are used to examine the effects of intercustomer social support (informational/emotional support) on customer engagement behaviors (customer-oriented/community-oriented engagement behaviors) in virtual brand communities, as well as consider the mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating role of interdependent self-construal in the above relationships. The empirical finding shows that informational/emotional support significantly affects customer-oriented and community-oriented engagement behaviors. Self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationship between informational/emotional support and customer-oriented/community-oriented engagement behaviors. Interdependent self-construal positively moderates the relationship between informational/emotional support and customer-oriented engagement behaviors and positively moderates the relationship between informational support and community-oriented engagement behaviors. This article provides a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between intercustomer social support and customer engagement behaviors in the context of virtual brand communities, and improves the existing customer engagement behaviors management practices that are beneficial for the companies.

Understanding how satisfactory service relationships can be mutually beneficial in the higher education context

PurposeWhile extant research has predominantly focused on outcomes of customer satisfaction that benefit the focal firm such as customer engagement behaviors (CEBs), little is done to understand human capital-related outcomes that directly benefit customers and thus benefit the firm indirectly. Drawing on the theory of reasoned action, broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions and human capital theory, this study aims to understand how and why a satisfied customer benefits the firm directly (CEBs) and indirectly (human capital-related outcomes).Design/methodology/approachFollowing a sequential mixed-methods approach, two studies are conducted in an extended service encounter context (higher education) where customers also constitute key human capital of the service firm. First, a qualitative study is conducted, which is then followed by a quantitative study. Survey data collected from students working as interns in organizations and their immediate managers resulted in 209 “intern–manager” dyads.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that customer satisfaction on its own does not substantially account for either human capital-related outcomes or CEBs (except word of mouth [WOM]). Both emotional and cognitive mechanisms play key and unique mediating roles in translating satisfaction into outcomes that benefit a service firm directly and indirectly by benefiting its customers.Research limitations/implicationsWhile much research demonstrates benefits of customer satisfaction for the focal firm, this research advances our understanding of the novel consequences of customer satisfaction by shedding light on human capital-related outcomes that directly benefit customers. It also aids in explicating prior inconsistent findings on the relationship between customer satisfaction and CEBs by uncovering the underlying mediating mechanisms.Practical implicationsThis investigation provides a deeper understanding of the significance of customer satisfaction by demonstrating how and why satisfied customers increase firm value beyond purchase, for instance, by being direct (through positive WOM) and indirect (through enhanced human capital performance) promoters, consultants (through participation) or investors (through monetary giving). A key implication of this research is that simply enhancing customer satisfaction on its own may not suffice as the findings suggest that satisfaction translates into beneficial outcomes only when satisfaction is channeled toward enhancing customer perceptions of competence and their positive emotions.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by providing a deeper understanding of how and why customer satisfaction influences outcomes that not only benefit the firm but also its customers in extended service encounter context.

Analysis of Consumer Behaviour in Making Decisions after the Covid-19 pandemic: Perspectives on the Theory of Stimulus Organism Response (SOR)

The COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia has had an impact on the economy, including changes in consumer behaviour. This study aimed to analyze the effects of advertising and digital marketing strategies on consumer repurchase behaviour. The sample of this study included 150 respondents, selected through the purposive sampling technique. Data collection was done by distributing questionnaires through Google forms to three regions: Jombang, Malang and Surabaya. The questionnaire results were analyzed using the structural equation model (SEM) method. Of the six hypotheses offered, only ‘advertising creativity’ had a significant effect on customer engagement and repurchase behaviour. Customer engagement in and of itself did not affect the relationship either directly to repurchase behaviour or as a variable that mediates the relationship between digital marketing strategies and repurchase behaviour. Digital marketing strategies had no effect on repurchase behaviour.
 Keywords: Costumer engagement; Digital Content Marketing; Repurchase Buying; Creativity Advertising

Tourism promotion through vlog advertising and customer engagement behaviours of generation Z

ABSTRACT This study investigates the effectiveness of Vlogs as an advertising tool to promote the tourism sector in Pakistan using Ducoffe’s Advertising Value Model and stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, and its subsequent effect on customer engagement behaviours (CEBs). Data were collected from generation Z through both the online and offline medium, 230 students were approached; 206 questionnaires were usable for analysis. Partial least squares–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used for model assessment. The results indicated that all the relationships are supported: informativeness, entertainment, credibility and irritation significantly influence advertising value; adverting value influences attitude towards Vlog; and finally, attitude towards Vlog significantly influences electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), positive word-of-mouth (PWOM), customer referral, and destination visit intention. This study is the first in this domain that measures the importance of Vlog advertising value in shaping the attitude of generation Z toward Vlog destination advertising, especially in the context of Pakistan, a developing economy. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings, limitations of the study and suggestions for future research directions are also discussed.

Customer engagement behaviour in the media and technology industry: a quantitative content analysis of content types and COVID-19 context

ABSTRACT Brand pages on social networking sites represent excellent vehicles for customer relationship management. These pages enable companies to interact with their customers and to foster their engagement. This study examines the relationship between, and moderating impact of, customer engagement behaviour and a COVID-19-related context as well as content types. The content of 1,946 company-generated Facebook brand posts of 16 media and technology companies was analysed. A hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses. The results show that a COVID-19-related context and the content type are associated with customer engagement behaviour. These factors both partly interact and directly correlate with customer engagement behaviour. This study contributes to the literature by establishing (crisis-related) social media guidelines for media and technology companies.

The Effect of Cross-Cultural Dimensions on the Manifestation of Customer Engagement Behaviors

Today's technology-enabled customer with instant access to a global marketplace has led to firms facing intense competition from around the world. As a result, customer engagement has emerged as an important marketing strategy and for more than a decade has fueled intense attention from academe and professionals. However, despite this focus, there is a paucity of research considering customer engagement in a cross-cultural context. This exploratory study provides empirical clarification as to whether culture at a national level impacts the manifestation of specific customer engagement behaviors exhibited by customers engaged with a brand. A conceptualization of customer engagement behaviors according to Hofstede's six dimensions of culture is presented, and a netnographic study focusing on an online brand community reveals that while national culture exerts no impact on the behaviors of engaged customers, the culture associated with a brand does. These findings serve as a foundation for future academic inquiry and present the opportunity for managers to foster and nurture a brand culture that encourages customer engagement.