Indian Customers Research Articles

Indian customers’ acceptance of service robots in restaurant services

ABSTRACT The present study attempts to develop and empirically test a theoretical model of service robot use acceptance (SRUA) that intends to explain Indian customers’ willingness to accept the use of service robots in restaurant services by modifying the Artificially Intelligent (AI) Device Use Acceptance (AIDUA) model. The proposed model is grounded on the Cognitive Appraisal Theory, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) literature. The data collected through a survey generated 419 usable customer responses that were used to empirically test the proposed model using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings indicate that customers go through a three-stage process, which includes primary appraisal stage, secondary appraisal stage and the outcome stage, in determining their willingness to accept the use of service robots in restaurants. The results of the study also indicate significant moderating effects of customers’ gender and previous experience with service robots in the proposed model. By providing an understanding about customers’ perception towards service robots in Indian restaurant settings, the study is expected to serve as a base for successful diffusion of service robots to create positive dining experiences within the restaurant settings in India and other developing nations with similar cultural orientations.

Prediction of Price for Cars Using Machine Learning

Abstract: Every day, many Indian customers sell their cars to other buyers, referred to as 2nd/3rd owners, etc., after they have used them. Many websites, such as cars24.com, cardekho.com, and OLX.com, provide these buyers with a place to sell their old cars, but what should thecar's price be? Machine learning algorithms may be able to overcome thisproblem. Using a history of prior used car sale data and machine learningtechniques such as Supervised Learning, I forecasted the selling price ofthe used car using machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest and Extra Tree Regression and the powerful python package Scikit- Learn. Regardless of how large or little the dataset is, the results show that both methods are highly accurate in prediction

Reliability Evaluation of Factors of Millennial Perception towards Digital Payments

Post-demonetization, digital payments in transactions became substantial; nonetheless, these services are still relatively new to Indian customers and are still in their infancy. Investigating the variables that influence customers' intentions to utilise digital payment services in India, particularly among millennials, is necessary to promote the development of computer enabled devices as an alternative payment method. Present study is to do a pilot study on millennial perception towards Mobile Banking/Digital wallets/UPI. The study makes use of Cronbach’s Alpha to see if the data is internally consistent. Millennials will make up 35% of the global workforce just this year. The results based on Cronbach’s Alpha show that the data is internally consistent after dropping each variable for challenges faced and customer satisfaction.

Beyond quality and income

The demographic for the answer is made up of Indian customers, namely those from the state of Chhattisgarh, which has a diversified population. Though the study discloses Indian consumers' views, it restricts the likelihood of the western world adopting them. Several poultry products have yet to be discovered due to a paucity of resources. The research data is examined using ANOVA, although there is space for further analysis using several alternative statistical tools.

Online food delivery companies' performance and consumers expectations during Covid-19: An investigation using machine learning approach

Online food delivery (OFD) businesses flourished during COVID-19; however, OFD companies experienced different challenges and customers' expectations. This paper uses social media data to explore OFD companies' performance and customers' expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most important topics in developed and developing countries are identified using machine learning. Results show that customers in India are more concerned about social responsibility, while financial aspects are more important in the US. Overall, customers in India are more satisfied with OFD companies during the COVID-19 pandemic than the US customers. We further find that factors such as OFD companies' brand, market size, country, and COVID-19 waves play a crucial role in moderating customer sentiment. The results of the study offer several managerial insights.

Effects of lighting conditions on user preferences in retail apparel stores, within the cultural context of India

This study demonstrates the effects of correlated colour temperature (CCT) and illuminance on spatial impressions and user preferences in a mid-range retail space within the cultural context of India. Lighting is a key atmospheric attribute that creates stimulating environments for a holistic shopping experience. Preference for lighting conditions varies across store profiles and users’ cultural backgrounds. Very little research has been found that documents the lighting preferences of retail customers in India. The study involved high-fidelity computer-based simulations of lighting conditions for an apparel store developed using 3Ds Max for modelling, V-Ray for rendering and DIALux Evo for lighting analysis. The study followed a 4 × 4 factorial design with two independent variables: CCT (2700K, 3000K, 4000K and 5700K) and illuminance (300 lx, 500 lx, 700 lx and 900 lx) to form 16 scenes. Ninety-three participants performed a subjective evaluation of the scenes using semantic rating scales. Findings of this study indicate that specific CCT and illuminance were preferred for mid-range retail apparel stores in the Indian context. Further, it was observed that both CCT and illuminance influence the spatial impressions of a retail environment. The observations from this study emphasize the necessity of similar studies across various states of India to identify the lighting preferences for other functional spaces and cultural backgrounds within the country. The findings may contribute toward providing recommended guidelines for effectively planning the lighting conditions specific to the Indian cultural context.

An empirical examination of customer advocacy influenced by engagement behaviour and predispositions of FinTech customers in India.

Background: The extensive adoption and usage of emerging technologies furthered by the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has reduced direct face to face communications. New FinTech (financial technology) apps and technologies are flooding the Indian digital payments market and competitors are striving hard to attract and retain their customers. Especially when customer engagement behaviours (CEBs) are digital in nature, it is essential to gauge the intrinsically driven customer motivations which drive a positive CEB. The objective of this paper was to empirically test the influence of customer-based antecedents such as emotions, moral identity, self-concept, communal focus, perceived cost and perceived benefits on non-transactional experiential customer engagement behaviours (CEBs) and CEB's effect on customer advocacy in the FinTech industry. Methods: Data from 380 financial app users in south India were gathered by administering a survey that captured customer predispositions, CEBs, and customer advocacy. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using smart PLS (partial least squares) 3.0 was applied to test the theoretical model. Results: Results indicate that CEB fully mediates the relationship between self-concept and customer advocacy. The positive CEBs get formed through customer predispositions leading to referral/advocacy behaviours. Conclusions: This paper provides directions for FinTech practitioners, marketers, technologists, and academicians to devise marketing strategies customized to customer needs and factors. This is one of the first research studies to demonstrate and empirically validate the CEB model for the FinTech industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An empirical examination of customer advocacy influenced by engagement behaviour and predispositions of FinTech customers in India

Background: The extensive adoption and usage of emerging technologies furthered by the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has reduced direct face to face communications. New FinTech (financial technology) apps and technologies are flooding the Indian digital payments market and competitors are striving hard to attract and retain their customers. Especially when customer engagement behaviours (CEBs) are digital in nature, it is essential to gauge the intrinsically driven customer motivations which drive a positive CEB. The objective of this paper was to empirically test the influence of customer-based antecedents such as emotions, moral identity, self-concept, communal focus, perceived cost and perceived benefits on non-transactional experiential customer engagement behaviours (CEBs) and CEB’s effect on customer advocacy in the FinTech industry. Methods: Data from 380 financial app users in south India were gathered by administering a survey that captured customer predispositions, CEBs, and customer advocacy. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using smart PLS (partial least squares) 3.0 was applied to test the theoretical model. Results: Results indicate that CEB fully mediates the relationship between self-concept and customer advocacy. The positive CEBs get formed through customer predispositions leading to referral/advocacy behaviours. Conclusions: This paper provides directions for FinTech practitioners, marketers, technologists, and academicians to devise marketing strategies customized to customer needs and factors. This is one of the first research studies to demonstrate and empirically validate the CEB model for the FinTech industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Position of online television (OTT) platforms in the innovative entertainment for amusing Indian customers

The world spins around diversion and the collaboration of delight in the existence of any person. The pandemic demanded individuals sit and hold for quite a long time to get a breath of alleviation. The OTT stage appears in images on TV and smartphones to make people joyful. The study is around the elements that drive people to utilize the ott stage for entertainment rather than traditional TV entertainment channels. The logistic regression method is used to identify the genuinely essential aspects in understanding the current state of television.

Till death do us part – customer commitment after negative publicity: the role of relational variables and cognitive dissonance

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to study the impact of relationship marketing orientation (RMO) and relationship quality on customers' commitment and pro-marketer behavior (positive word of mouth and external attribution) after negative brand publicity by using the combined lens of relationship marketing theory and the theory of cognitive dissonance.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted among banking customers in India using an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and the bootstrapping procedure using the SPSS process macro.FindingsContrary to conventional wisdom, findings of this study suggest that RMO and relationship quality are positively correlated to commitment even after negative publicity. The path between RMO, relationship quality and pro-provider behavior is found to be mediated by commitment. This indirect path is moderated by customers' cognitive dissonance arising out of the negative publicity.Originality/valueThe study establishes the combined roles of RMO and relationship quality in pre-empting the detrimental effects of negative brand publicity. Further, it establishes interactions of cognitive dissonance with these relationship variables, thereby bringing together literature from relationship marketing theory and cognitive dissonance theory.

An Empirical Study to Measure Consumer Attitude Towards Luxury Fashion Apparels in Gujarat

The objectives are to investigate consumers' attitudes toward luxury fashion apparels brands, with a focus on Indian customers, and to choose the themes (cognitive, affective, and behavioural) from the current ones on the "attitude scale to luxury things." An empirical study was conducted among urban respondents from various social strata in Gujarat to investigate consumers' attitudes about luxury fashion apparels from an Indian context. The findings of this study offer helpful advice to luxury fashion brand managers and marketing researchers on how to develop and implement effective marketing strategies to maximize the potential of their luxury brands. Descriptive research design method used for this study. Samples were chosen for the study through non-probability convenience sampling method. Sample size is 390 individuals. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. In study, the research, the researcher has collected primary data using survey method with reference to structured questionnaire. Data is analyzed by performing descriptive analysis, Chi-square, ANOVA, and Multiple Regression using SPSS.

Consumer buying behaviour towards online shopping: an empirical study with reference to Lucknow city, India

With the tremendous growth in retail marketing and increased internet penetration in the economy, there had been an exponential change in the way of shopping by the customers in India. Apart from traditional way of shopping, consumers are also preferring online shopping due to easy access to internet service, convenience in usage and variety of products availability. Keeping in mind the primary goal of offering goods and services to serve customers’ needs & survive competition, e-retailers wants to analyse customer’s behaviour, preferences and expectations regarding online shopping. The present study aims towards analysing consumer’s behaviour towards online shopping. Sample is collected through a structured questionnaire from 154 respondents. Random sampling is used for sample identification having respondents belonging to different gender, age groups, income, professions. Data is analysed by using tables, graph, charts, percentage and ANOVA etc. The study will provide e-retailers useful insight for developing marketing strategies regarding consumer’s likings, disliking and preferences towards online shopping.

A Process-Based Framework for B-to-B Service Quality: A Practitioner Note of Management Consulting Service

ABSTRACT Purpose This practitioner note proposed a consulting service quality model based on service process, which contains four dimensions: potential servicecapability (PoSC), process service capability (PrSC), situational interaction capability (SIC), and service outcomes (SO). The four dimensions were transformed from INDSERV scale which was specialized for B-to-B service. Methodology The research design used in this practitioner note is descriptive. Very simple normalization methods were used for calculations. The internal relationships among them were tested by the analysis of a convenient sample of 263 management consulting customers in India. Constructs validity was tested applying Bartlett’s Test of Sphericity and the Kaiser-Mayer-Olkin (KMO) measure of sampling adequacy analyzing the strength of association among variables. The KMO measure ofsampling adequacy was first computed to determine the suitability of using factor analysis. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) also used to estimate uni-dimensionality of selected variables. Findings Among all the significant variables in this practitioner note, several results are found: (a) PoSC has a profound impact on PrSC and SIC, especially on SIC. (b) SIC is a support for PrSC. (c) PrSC has significant positive impact on SO. For consulting firms, playing a good role in problem diagnosis, design optimization, and project control level, copy writing quality and other aspects will greatly improve the level of service quality. Research Implications The research aims, scope and objectives of this study is too broadly. It can be narrowed so that the level of focus of the study may be increased in near future. This study is targeted to only specific set of management consulting firms Practical Implications Theoretically, results from this practitioner note will contribute to service quality assessment for B-to-B companies. INDSERV is a promising advance in measuring customer service, and modeling customer service as a process allows more complex and interesting model generation. Originality This practitioner note build a unique services quality model of management consulting based INDSERV scale. Based on causal and structural modeling of the service process, managers can allocateresources across the system to B-to-B service aspects based on relative changes in customers’ feedback on them. Modeling customer service in this way allows more complex and interesting model generation. INDSERV scale appropriately confirm that the items are phrased in a meaningful manner for consulting management industry.

Agremart Online Revenue for Farmers

Abstract: In today’s agriculture and the food supply chain in general, there appears a history of quick adoption and assimilation of new technologies, especially cost reduction technologies. In the development process of electronic commerce of agricultural products, many new innovative technologies have been emerged. It connects the gap between the availability of agricultural input and delivery of agricultural outputs and agriculture infrastructure. E-commerce involves use of the Internet to market, buy and sell goods and services, exchange information, and create and maintain web-based relationships between contributor entities. Our project aims to help farmers as well as customers for buying and selling agricultural products across the country using a computerized approach. The application builds a platform for farmers to ensure greater profitability through end user communication. In developed markets, is the online bulk orders of fresh quality of the product is already a common practice among the facilities such as hotels and restaurants. The consumer market for on-line orders, it will also start to come into play, as it grows. This project allows viewing various products available, and enable users to purchase desire products instantly by online payment. Keywords: Ecommerce, Online shopping, Indian customers, Mobile Applications, E-Marketing strategies

Elucidating the Indian customers requirements for electric vehicle adoption: An integrated analytical hierarchy process – Quality function deployment approach

Internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) contribute to air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions are a major concern globally, especially in India. To mitigate environmental problems and develop sustainable modes of transport in India, the government is trying to boost the electric vehicle (EV) market by introducing policies and subsidies. However, despite all the efforts, the share of EVs on Indian roads is quite negligible. Understanding the potential barriers and improving customer requirements will significantly help to overcome the issues and increase EV sales in India. Therefore, this study aims to prioritize the most significant barriers to adopting EV and develop the relationship between customer requirements (CRs) and technical requirements (TRs) for EV adoption and rank the CRs and TRs. For this purpose, a direct interview-based questionnaire survey was conducted among customers visiting the EV showroom for an inquiry and test drive. The survey was conducted in Ahmedabad city, India, and 561 data were used for analysis. This study used the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method integrated with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach. AHP was used to prioritize the most influential barriers for EV adoption. Further, QFD developed the relationship between CRs and TRs for EV adoption and ranked the CRs and TRs. This study finds that the limited availability of public charging stations is a major concern for EV adoption. The non-reliability of the vehicle for long trip travels, higher initial purchase price, higher charging time, higher waiting time at charging stations, limited-service provider to install charging stations for home-based charging, limited spare parts available in local markets, limited availability of local EV service centers, and mileage on a full charge are indicated the significant influence on EV adoption. In addition, competitor analysis was conducted between EV and ICEVs based on CRs to understand the reasons behind choosing ICEVs over EV. This study outcome will help EV manufacturers, policymakers, and transport planners better understand the user requirements for EV adoption.

A Brief Study of Sati Custom in India

The word Sati (Su-thi or Suttee) originally means “a virtuous or good women (wife)”, then, it literary came to be applied to those women, who out of affection for and loyalty towards, their husbands, sacrificed their lives on the death of their husbands. According to a Hindu scripture, “all the actions of a woman should be the same as that of her husband, if her husband is happy, she should be happy, if her husband is sad, she should be sad, and if he is death, she should also die”. Sati began as a story illustrating the intense power of overwhelming love. But when people praised that act of love, it became an instruction manual for how everyone should be. It seemed an ideal goal to love that deeply. But with time Indian women, either physically forced by society or psychologically coerced by the religion, embrace the cult of Sati. The Sati custom was prevalent among certain sects of upper classes of the society in ancient India, who either took the vow or deemed it a great honor to die on the funeral pyre of their husbands. The horrible ritual of Sati was banned by the British government in 1829 by Lord Bentinck, the governor-General of India (1828-1835) and later the Sati Prevention Act 1987. Key words: Sati, Vedas, Cast system, Hindu, widow, Lord Bentinck, Ram Mohan Roy.

Consumer’s response to conditional promotions in retailing: An empirical inquiry

Both offline and online retailers use conditional promotions (CPs) to increase the value of a customer’s shopping cart. At times, the value of the cart falls short of the threshold order value to avail a CP. If a customer wants to avail the CP, he or she needs to add more products to the cart to reach the threshold order value. In this paper, we try to find how the mode of payment, relative distance to reach the threshold order value, and the initial cart orientation interact to determine the likelihood of Indian customers to avail CP and choices they make to add new products to reach the threshold order value. We conducted two quantitative experiments. Experiment 1 was a 2 × 2 × 2 design in an offline retail setup while Experiment 2 was a 2 × 2 design in an online retail setup. Results show that the likelihood of Indian customers in availing a CP offer increases with lesser pain of paying, lower relative distance to the threshold order value, and hedonic items in the pre-threshold value cart. Moreover, the products added to the cart to reach the threshold order value are also more hedonic in such conditions. On the other hand, the likelihood is lower and the products added are more utilitarian, when reverse conditions exist. We mention theoretical as well as managerial implications of our findings, limitations of the research and future directions for further research.

Purchase Intention of Indian Customers in Omnichannel Retail: Development of Conceptual Framework and Empirical Analysis

The rise of the Internet technology and other technological breakthroughs in the last decade have altered the retail landscape. An ever-increasing number of outlets is emerging, causing purchasers' preferences and buying habits to shift. Customers can shop across channels from any place using an omnichannel method, which enables real-time collaboration and provides customers with an engaging, complete, and consistent purchase experience that bridges the lying channel gap in between. The objective of the study is to figure out what influences omnichannel purchasers' behavior by recognizing and aiming to use technological advancements within the purchasing cycle. To that end, a new framework was conceptualized based on factors, Social Influence, Habits Influence, Hedonic Motivation, Personal innovativeness and perceived security. The impact of these factors on the purchase intentions of customers in the omnichannel retail was analyzed using the data of sample size 314. The results of the study confirm positive influence of all factors mentioned in the framework on customers purchase intention in omnichannel retail. The study concludes with important implication for both scholarly field and practitioners beside mentioning its limitations.

Exploring the Factors Impacting Seller Performance During Online Sales Events in the E-Commerce Marketplace in India

The Indian ecommerce industry has been growing substantially because of changing mindset of the Indian customers and ease of shopping online. A large number of sellers had registered on online marketplaces so that the sellers could reach a larger pool of customers. The goal for sellers was towards increasing sales substantially with optimal efforts. Some sellers were able to accomplish this goal successfully, but a majority of the sellers struggled finding the right formula for success. Ecommerce websites conducted online shopping heavy discount sales events for limited time periods. The objective of this research was to understand the various factors that influenced and impacted the performance of sellers on Indian E-commerce websites during such events. A total of eleven interviews were conducted with Indian E-commerce sales experts. The data was thematically content analysed. Five most significant factors that helped gauge sellers’ performance were late shipment rate, poor order fulfilment rate, limited product selection, high price and low glance views.

An empirical examination of customer advocacy influenced by engagement behaviour and predispositions of FinTech customers in India

Background: The extensive adoption and usage of emerging technologies furthered by the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has reduced direct face to face communications. New FinTech (financial technology) apps and technologies are flooding the Indian digital payments market and competitors are striving hard to attract and retain their customers. Especially when customer engagement behaviours (CEBs) are digital in nature, it is essential to gauge the intrinsically driven customer motivations which drive a positive CEB. The objective of this paper was to empirically test the influence of customer-based antecedents such as emotions, moral identity, self-concept, communal focus, perceived cost and perceived benefits on non-transactional experiential customer engagement behaviours (CEBs) and CEB's effect on customer advocacy in the FinTech industry. Methods: Data from 380 financial app users in south India were gathered by administering a survey that captured customer predispositions, CEBs, and customer advocacy. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using smart PLS (partial least squares) 3.0 was applied to test the theoretical model. Results: Results indicate that CEB fully mediates the relationship between self-concept and customer advocacy. The positive CEBs get formed through customer predispositions leading to referral/advocacy behaviours. Conclusions: This paper provides directions for FinTech practitioners, marketers, technologists, and academicians to devise marketing strategies customized to customer needs and factors. This is one of the first research studies to demonstrate and empirically validate the CEB model for the FinTech industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.