Iranian Customers Research Articles

The effect of electronic word of mouth on brand image and purchase intention

PurposeWord‐of‐mouth (WOM) has been recognized as one of the most influential resources of information transmission. Advances in information technology and the emergence of online social network sites have changed the way information is transmitted. This phenomenon impacts consumers as this easily accessible information could greatly affect the consumption decision. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which e‐WOM among consumers can influence brand image and purchase intention in the automobile industry.Design/methodology/approachMeasurement items are adapted from existing scales found in the marketing literature. Academic colleagues reviewed the items for face validity and readability. The scales are evaluated for reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity using data collected in a survey of Iran Khodro's prospective customers in Iran. A structural equation modeling procedure is applied to the examination of the influences of e‐WOM on brand image and purchase intention. The research model was tested empirically using a sample of 341 respondents who had experience within online communities of customers and referred to Iran Khodro's agencies during the period of research.FindingsThe paper found that e‐WOM is one of the most effective factors influencing brand image and purchase intention of brands in consumer markets.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper outlines ways to promote a brand effectively through online customer communities, as well as general tips for website and forum moderators for facilitating such presentation in a manner useful to the members of their online communities. While there is a substantial research stream that examines the branding of consumers goods and an increasing literature on product brands, little is known about brand image in the context of online communications. This paper extends existing measurement of brand image to a new setting, namely e‐WOM.Originality/valueThis paper provides valuable insight into the measurement of e‐WOM, brand image, and purchase intention in the automobile industry and offers a foundation for future product branding research.

New approach to study of factors affecting adoption of electronic banking services with emphasis on the role of positive word of mouth

The present study aims to identify factors affecting adoption of electronic banking. The data used in the study were collected from a sample consisted of 363 M.S students in Islamic Azad University of Arak through a structured questionnaire based on field survey. Then the collected data were analyzed by AMOS software. As official statistics indicated only 17.31% of all Iranian customers used electronic banking services in the last quarter of 2009. Therefore, it seems indispensable to study factors that may affect adoption of electronic banking by Iranian consumers. Furthermore, given the importance of effects of positive word of mouth on consumers’ behavior, especially in the field of services offered, this study puts special emphasis on this variable. The results of the study indicate that positive word of mouth (P-WOM) has a positive effect on electronic banking adoption and on the trust in bank, while negatively influence the perceived risk of electronic banking services. In addition, it was found that the customers’ trust in bank has a positive effect on perceived competence of electronic banking services and also on the electronic banking adoption. Besides, the perceived competence of electronic banking services influences word of mouth positively.

Bank Selection Criteria in the Iranian Retail Banking Industry

Iranian retail banks need to identify criteria which bank customers consider when they select a bank in order toplan their marketing strategies and survive in an intense competition that exist in this industry. This studydesigned to examine the bank selection criteria being employed by bank customers in Iran. A total of 798customers (55.7 percent male and 44.3 percent female) served as a sample for the study. 38 selection factorsextracted from relevant literature and interviews with five bank officials. Factors analysis is used to extractimportant selection criteria and Friedman analysis ranks the factors according to their importance. Findings showthat the important factors determining customers' selection are: quality of services and new banking methods,innovation and responsiveness of bank, friendliness of staff and confidence in manager, price and cost, staffattitudes and convenience of bank location and services.

A fuzzy conjoint analysis approach for evaluating credit card services: A case study of Iranian bank

Nowadays, the objective of all organizations is to achieve higher market share by recognizing the customer requirements and try to offer the products or services according to these requirements. Financial and credit institutes like banks try to follow these objectives as well. Conjoint analysis (CA) method is one of the statistical methods which widely used in the marketing problems like prediction of customer behaviors and evaluation of customers’ utility of a special service or product. In spite of other methods directly evaluating product preferences, CA helps the organizations to measure the degree of importance of each product or service from general assessment of that product or service by an analytical approach. One of the services of banks is presenting the credit cards to their customers. In Iran, credit cards have been introduced to customers in the recent years. Regarding to improving market of credit cards in Iran, research on identification of Iranian customers’ expectations and preferences in use of credit cards is so necessary. The aim of this research is using fuzzy CA method for specification and selection of the best combination of attributes and levels of credit cards in an actual case “Eghtesad-Novin Bank” in Iran according to customers’ opinions. Key words: Conjoint analysis, Fuzzy sets, credit cards.

Mobile advertising: An investigation of factors creating positive attitude in Iranian customers

The rapid proliferation of mobile phones along with the technological developmenthas created a whole new marketing medium named mobile advertising. This research investigates the influencing factors in creating positive attitude toward mobile advertising through a survey among Iranian mobile users. The results, conducted on 652 mobile phone users, showed that personalization, informativeness, irritation, credibility, entertainment, and also monetary benefit of mobile advertising are influential in developing positive attitude toward mobile advertising. Examining component variables of influencing factors, the study demonstrates ways of applying features creating positive attitude toward mobile advertising. Key words: Mobile advertising, personalization, informativeness, irritation, credibility, entertainment, monetary benefit.

Adoption of Electronic Payment Services by Iranian Customers

The objective of this paper is to investigate customers’ adoption of Electronic payment services. This study contributes to existing e-payment and adoption research by presenting a detailed description of factors that enhance and inhibit electronic payment adoption. The proposed conceptual model has been developed based on TAM, diffusion of innovation and PCI models, and adding the factors of security, cost, perceived risk, culture, trust, service quality and network externalities. The model has been examined by using a questionnaire within the Iran context. Based on obtained results, practical implications and suggestions for Iran banks and financial institutions are discussed.

Prioritizing Service Quality Dimensions:A Neural Network Approach

One of the determinants of a firm’s prosperity is the customers’ perceived service quality and satisfaction. While service quality is wide in scope, and consists of various dimensions, there may be differences in the relative importance of these dimensions in affecting customers’ overall satisfaction of service quality. Identifying the relative rank of different dimensions of service quality is very important in that it can help managers to find out which service dimensions have a greater effect on customers’ overall satisfaction. Such an insight will consequently lead to more effective resource allocation which will finally end in higher levels of customer satisfaction. This issue –despite its criticalityhas not received enough attention so far. Therefore, using a sample of 240 bank customers in Iran, an artificial neural network is developed to address this gap in the literature. As customers’ evaluation of service quality is a subjective process, artificial neural networks –as a brain metaphormay appear to have a potentiality to model such a complicated process. Proposing a neural network which is able to predict the customers’ overall satisfaction of service quality with a promising level of accuracy is the first contribution of this study. In addition, prioritizing the service quality dimensions in affecting customers’ overall satisfaction –by using sensitivity analysis of neural networkis the second important finding of this paper. Keywords—service quality, customer satisfaction, relative importance, artificial neural network.

The adoption of mobile payment: a descriptive study on Iranian customers

The objective of this research is to investigate Iranian customers' adoption of m-payments. For this aim, we are going to review some adoption theories and previous studies which have been done and extract the most significant factors. The proposed factors come from combinations of technological and behavioural factors, and also demographic and cultural characteristics. As a result, questionnaires were distributed and 623 complete questionnaires were gathered and descriptive analyses were done to achieve better understanding about influential adoption factors on m-payment. At the end it concluded citizens with more monthly income, younger, high educated, more traveller, capital city residency and abroad residency are more adapted to m-payment. In addition, although the mean of adoption factors are near four (Lickert between one and seven) and all are almost same, however, it is an acceptable condition for the new system which is about one year old.

Internet Banking Service Adoption: Private Bank Versus Governmental Bank

The goal of this study is to develop and enhance an understanding of Iranian customers' adoption of Internet banking services. Enhancement of Internet banking service adoption is an important strat ...

Ranking airlines' service quality factors using a fuzzy approach: study of the Iranian society

PurposeThis paper seeks to review service quality factors of the airline industry, and to rank these factors in Iranian society. It aims to introduce a fuzzy TOPSIS approach for this purpose.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted among graduate students of the University of Tehran, Iran. In order to meet the objectives of the study, Fuzzy TOPSIS approach was used. Required information was gathered through a questionnaire.FindingsThe results show that “Flight safety”, “Good appearance of flight crew” and “Offering highest possible quality services to customers 24 hours a day” are the most important airline service quality factors in the eyes of Iranian customers. Interestingly, “the possibility of checking flight schedule via telephone” has been selected as the least important quality factor by respondents. Research findings also announce that the majority of Iranian potential travellers prefer airplane as their transportation means. However, at the moment, they are mostly using buses as their first choice.Practical limitations/implicationsThe paper considers graduate university students as its sample society. Although university students are a group of airlines' potential customers, the paper findings might not be generalised to all groups of airline customers and further studies might be essential to see if the same ranking of service quality dimensions will be found within other groups of customers having other career backgrounds. The paper will be helpful in enabling airline industry policy makers to identify the key service quality factors in the eyes of Iranian customers.Originality/valueThe concept of ranking airline service quality factors using a Fuzzy TOPSIS is a new approach. The study is the first application of a fuzzy approach to examine and rank customer expectations of airlines' service quality.

The Internet in Iran

The introduction of the Internet in Iran has resulted in cultural and social changes in that country. Some of these changes enhance, and others are simply reflective of, the country's rich culture and society. Via the Internet, Iranians share ideas with other people in Western and Eastern civilizations. In the other direction, with the introduction of the Internet to Iran, some Iranian customs, behaviors, and thoughts may be affected by new ideas, attitudes, or behavior from abroad.