Loyal Behavior Research Articles

Superstition as a personal moderator in the development of commitment and loyalty to and within casinos

Gambling is a popular leisure activity for people around the world and the global casino industry has expanded rapidly in recent years. Behavioural loyalty among gamblers can be very important to the success of casinos, which will benefit from marketing strategies used to induce loyal patronage. However, it must also be appreciated that extremely loyal behaviour may be an indication of problem gambling, by which this leisure activity becomes detrimental. This article presents 12 propositions related to behavioural loyalty and casino gambling, focusing on superstition's role as a personal moderator influencing the formation of casino gambling loyalties. This conceptualization is based on a pre-existing model that delineates the process by which behavioural loyalty develops in a leisure context. The propositions are divided into six main categories: the basic functions of superstition as a personal moderator, types of superstition, the casino as a setting for the development of superstition, loyalty towards different types of games, socio-demographic and cultural variables, and the prevention of problem gambling. Implications for casino management and the prevention of problem gambling are discussed.

La fidélité du consommateur de biens culturels : Une analyse empirique des comportements d'assiduité et d'adhésion au Parc de La Villette

Nous analysons la notion de fidélité du consommateur à travers l’exemple du marché culturel. Le consommateur a intérêt à se fidéliser pour minimiser les risques de déception et les coûts d’information. La fidélité s’apparente alors à une stratégie de délimitation du champ d’investigation. L’analyse empirique sur les publics du Parc de la Villette permet de souligner les différences entre deux types de fidélité: l’adhésion et l’assiduité.

U.S. State Legislative Committee Assignments and Encouragement of Party Loyalty: An Exploratory Analysis

AbstractAlthough political parties in U.S. legislatures cannot compel discipline with the threat of expulsion from the legislature, they can encourage greater party loyalty by strategically bestowing benefits upon favored members. This article explores the use of plum committee assignments to encourage legislators' loyalty to their parties. I outline a theory of how party leaders can use committee assignments strategically to encourage more loyal legislative behavior. This occurs when legislative rules meet two criteria: (1) parties and their leaders can determine who serves on committees and (2) committees have real authority over policy outcomes. I test the theory using data from five state legislatures that differ on the relevant set of legislative rules, finding more party loyalty shown by legislators who receive plum committee assignments when rules meet both criteria and no effect when they do not.

Estimation of Loyalty Programmes from Customers’ Point of View: Cases of Three Retail Store Chains

Long-term relationships between organization and customers and their loyalty become the most significant assumption of nowadays business success. To achieve customer loyalty and enhance it loyalty programmes are created and implemented. It gains special importance in those fields of activities where competition is strong and supply is standard. But loyalty programme by itself does not guarantee success. Whether it reaches organization’s aims first of all depends on the main thing if the programme is beneficial to its participants. The article deals with how loyalty programmes are estimated by Maxima, Iki and Norfos mažmena retail store chains’ customers. In the first part of the article concept of customer loyalty, essence of loyalty programme and how its value is perceived by customer are analyzed in theoretical level; in the second part – results of Maxima, Iki and Norfos mažmena retail store chains’ loyalty programme content analysis and questionnaire investigation of customers are presented. Research shows that Maxima, Iki and Norfos mažmena retail store chains’ loyalty programmes are closed; basis of reward (most often financial) is amount of points which depend on how much money customers spend on buying goods. Similar forms of investigated retail store chains’ loyalty programmes do not create special attractiveness which would stimulate customers to be loyal to certain retail store chain. Results of questionnaire investigation prove hypothesis that through discounts investigated retail store chains’ loyalty programmes more stimulate sales than enhance loyalty. Most respondents point that participation in loyalty programmes is beneficial financially but none of them mentioned getting emotional or social value. It means that loyalty of programme participants is rational, so it can be not long-term. Almost one third of respondents states that declared benefit of loyalty programme is bigger than a real one. Possibility of retail store chains’ loyalty programmes to grow loyal behaviour is doubted because only half of respondents buy in the store in which they have loyalty card. Almost one third of respondents has loyalty cards of two-three retail store chains; most of them do their shopping not far from their living/work place or where goods are cheaper. Just a little bit more than a third of Maxima LT and Iki retail store chains’ loyalty programmes participants are satisfied by the services they get but only half of them have intent to recommend these programmes to people they know. Value of loyalty programmes is doubtful even to the respondents who do not participate in any investigated programme while investigation was in progress. Loyalty programmes orientated into sales stimulation and offered by retail store chains lose their attractiveness in the eyes of a customer. It means that to attract independent customers and even more important “to tie” them, retail store chains need a lot of organizational efforts and financial resources. All of that will increase costs of creating and implementing loyalty programmes, that is why retail store chains should choose another type of loyalty programme or look for new instruments to enhance loyalty.

Demographic correlates of loyalty in a service context

Purpose – While numerous published works have extensively examined customer retention models and even motives for loyalty, none to date has systematically examined which consumer segments are more or less predisposed to exhibit loyal behaviour in a services context. The purpose of this study is to examine whether loyalty behavior and loyalty motives for a range of service industries varies with three demographic characteristics (age, sex and occupation).

The fundamental reasons of e-consumers’ loyalty to an online store

Previous studies of online stores have concentrated on identifying various attribute and benefit dimensions important to customers and neglected delving into underlying motives of customers engaging in shopping online. The current study identified personal values as underlying motivations, which have received less attention but carry important meanings in explaining customers’ loyal behavior. From the perspective of means-end chain theory, a hierarchical cognitive structural model consisting of personal values, attribute evaluations, and loyal behavior has been proposed. 353 questionnaire data were collected from the experienced online shoppers in South Korea and put into structural equation model to investigate the hierarchical effects of personal values, evaluations of online store attributes, and loyalty. The results show that three customers’ values such as matured society, happiness, and esteem life are the underlying beliefs motivating and/or deterring customers to shop online. But their impacts were diverse. Even though esteem life value had a positive effect on attribute evaluations, values for matured life and happiness had negative influences on loyalty. In addition, the results also demonstrated that customers’ favorable evaluation of product assortment eventually guides customers to be loyal to an online store.

Organizational Loyalties and Models of Firms: Governance Design and Standard of Duties

This paper makes the two following claims: 1) The legal dimension of loyalty within organizations goes beyond duties. The governance design aimed at ensuring loyalty may strongly affect standards that characterize each layer of the organization. The interaction between standards of duty and the governance dimension of loyalty should, therefore, be more tailored to specific legal forms and their functional correlation with ownership and financing. 2) There is a greater divergence than has so far been acknowledged between the function of loyalty in vertically integrated firms and in networks of small firms. This difference, created by the relationship between the duty and the governance dimensions, should have repercussions on the definitions of legal standards. In particular, it should reflect the different relationships between hierarchy, monitoring, and loyalty and the choice between prohibitory, authorization-based, and compensatory rules. The analysis concentrates on the key variables that may affect the choice between vertical and horizontal monitoring to ensure compliance with loyal behavior in two polar models: hierarchical firms and networks of small firms. It reveals the importance of considering the governance design when defining duties of loyalty and related standards to evaluate party-related transactions in both cases but, at the same time, the necessity of using different interpretive categories.

Organizational Loyalties and Models of Firms: Governance Design and Standard of Duties

This paper makes the two following claims: 1) The legal dimension of loyalty within organizations goes beyond duties. The governance design aimed at ensuring loyalty may strongly affect standards that characterize each layer of the organization. The interaction between standards of duty and the governance dimension of loyalty should, therefore, be more tailored to specific legal forms and their functional correlation with ownership and financing. 2) There is a greater divergence than has so far been acknowledged between the function of loyalty in vertically integrated firms and in networks of small firms. This difference, created by the relationship between the duty and the governance dimensions, should have repercussions on the definitions of legal standards. In particular, it should reflect the different relationships between hierarchy, monitoring, and loyalty and the choice between prohibitory, authorization-based, and compensatory rules. The analysis concentrates on the key variables that may affect the choice between vertical and horizontal monitoring to ensure compliance with loyal behavior in two polar models: hierarchical firms and networks of small firms. It reveals the importance of considering the governance design when defining duties of loyalty and related standards to evaluate party-related transactions in both cases but, at the same time, the necessity of using different interpretive categories.

Price Policies, Over-Supply and Demand Bubbles

In the current conditions of over-supply, firms are paying high attention to pricing decisions in order to defend their competitive positioning. Modern pricing strategies are able to take into account changed market conditions or, in other words, demand characterised by strong volatility and non loyal behaviour flanking known loyalty mechanisms. Moreover, suppliers are also looking for innovative formulas to determine the exchange relationship with the customer and price is increasingly seen as a ‘catalyser’ of continuously changing offers in relation to market conditions (demand bubble).

The Post‐visit Consumer Behaviour of New Zealand Winery Visitors

Visitation to wineries has often been cited as an important way in which a winery can establish and/or reinforce loyalty amongst its consumers. However, to date few studies have explored the consumer behaviour of winery visitors beyond the cellar door. A study by King and Morris (n.d.) concluded that just 13% of visitors to Margaret River wineries made a purchase of wine from the winery of survey in the 18 months following their visit. In contrast, this paper reports that more than 46% of visitors to New Zealand wineries made a post visit purchase in a period of just six to eight months following their visit. This paper presents some of the results of the second phase of a two‐phase tracking survey of New Zealand winery visitors. The study found a higher propensity for brand loyalty was apparent amongst visitors to certain regions and to medium and large‐sized wineries, domestic visitors, females, those with intermediate or advanced wine knowledge, those that drink wine more frequently and purchase more wine. More importantly however, it found brand loyal behaviour (post‐visit purchase and repeat visitation) amongst repeat visitors to wineries and those that purchased wine during their visit. The study further found that there is a high degree of positive word of mouth (a by‐product of brand loyalty) amongst all winery visitors.

Export contracts for non-traditional products: Chayote from Costa Rica

Abstract This paper focuses on the determinants of market and contract choice for non-traditional crops and the possibilities for involving local producers in global agro-food chains through delivery relationships with packers and brokers. Main attention is given to the importance of quality for entering the export market and the impact of contractual arrangements on loyal behaviour. Core stipulations in the contract regarding the frequency of delivery and the provision of technical assistance are mediating factors between quality and loyalty. The study among traditional and recently established producers of chayote in Costa Rica confirms the importance of production scale and experience for engagement in exports. The export share is positively related to quality performance but inversely related to delivery frequency and sales at the local market. Apparently, traditional producers rely on market diversification to maintain a certain bargaining power vis-à-vis traders and processors. Verbal contractual arrangements are mainly offered to newly established but less-experienced farmers living in settlements that try to reduce risk and demonstrate a high commitment. These farmers cultivate on better soils and have more family labour available. Further quality improvement requires technical assistance and a high frequency of delivery. Supplier arrangements that guarantee timely collection, input support and flexible credit services are therefore of critical importance. Additional support from packers and exporters could enable farmers to improve product quality and is likely to be rewarded. with a high degree of loyalty.

TOWARDS THE CONCEPTUALIZATION OF TOURISM DESTINATION LOYALTY

Tourism destination loyalty has been the subject of numerous studies. The existing research shows that destination loyal behavior does exist, yet many of the findings are noncomparable due to the differences in conceptualization of the loyalty construct. This article proposes a conceptual model for the psychological propensity towards destination loyalty. It is suggested that any future research into destination loyalty should include both psychological and behavioral measures to establish the respondent's inherent loyalty propensity

Cross‐cultural consumer values, needs and purchase behavior

This study examined the relationship of consumer values, needs and purchase behavior in two Asian consumer markets, China and South Korea. Between self‐directed values and social affiliation values, self‐directed values were the underlying determinant of needs to be satisfied by apparel products. Among the three types of needs identified to be satisfied through apparel (i.e. experiential, social and functional needs), experiential needs were the most important needs that influenced apparel purchases of female consumers in both Asian markets. Consumers in both country markets exhibited brand loyal behavior in apparel purchases, fulfilling all three needs. However, actualization patterns of each need through brand loyal behavior differed between the two consumer samples. While for brand‐loyal Chinese consumers experiential image was the most important aspect of the branded apparel appeal to female consumers, social image with performance quality assurance was a more important feature of the branded apparel appeal to consumers in Korea. Implications for brand image management for international markets were discussed.

Unexplored antecedents of exiting in a marketing channel

Despite its importance to the maintenance of interfirm relationships and thus relationship marketing, comparatively little is known of exiting in marketing channels. This research proposes that exiting has novel antecedents that include loyal behavior, voice, and relationship neglect, in addition to relationship satisfaction and the cost to exit the relationship. The study results support this proposal in a marketing channel context, and provide some surprises including hints that it might be possible for wholesalers to identify retailers with relationship exiting potential in time to reduce that potential.

Adaptive Governance: The Role of Loyalty

This paper is concerned with the governance of vertical interfirm relations, i. e. relations between buyers and their suppliers on industrial, intermediate-goods markets. Networks of interacting, adaptive buyers and suppliers are viewed as complex adaptive systems (Holland and Miller, 1991), which leads to the use of computer simulations to explore the strategies that boundedly rational, adaptive agents learn to use to manage their relations with suppliers. Starting from a static transaction cost economic perspective, the model is extended with allowance for loyal behavior and for trust to build up, with network embeddedness of relations and with the possibility for the agents to adapt their governance to changing circumstances and to the changing relation, rendering economic organization path-dependent. The paper analyzes how relations develop in time: actors making and breaking relations, on the basis of evaluations of expected profitability and loyalty. When allowance is made for adaptation of the relative weights attached to each of these criteria, the result is that buyers adaptively shift the weight from profitability to loyalty.

Dual branding: how corporate names add value

The deference towards brands that motivated yesterday’s consumers to purchase is no longer so evident in today’s shopping environment. As consumers become more sophisticated in their assessment of brands and more demanding in their requirements, brand management will need to develop more substantive market models to regain the initiative. Outlines an empirical model of brand loyalty that provides diagnostic data to support the management of brand loyal behaviour and customer equity in grocery markets.

The motivation for grocery store loyal behavior with marketing implications

Two different grocery shoppers can be equally loyal to the same supermarket but for entirely different reasons. For example, customer A may be loyal to a store because of convenience reasons while customer B may be loyal to the same store because he or she perceives that the store overall has very low prices. Because of these differences any attempt to segment the market based on store loyalty alone will be only partially effective. A more useful approach is to incorporate a motivation for patronage as well as a loyalty level in a market segmentation classification scheme. On data collected in Bangor, Maine, four types of grocery customers were identified and named price shoppers, convenience shoppers, involved shoppers, and apathetic shoppers. The particular advantage of the four group typology is that customers are defined in terms of response to marketing mix variables. Therefore, the implementation of or changes in marketing strategy is facilitated by the use of the typology.