Special Treatment Benefits Research Articles

Moderation effect of client special treatment benefits on the relationship between logistics inte-gration and logistics performance in the logistics services providers’ context

In the face of global competition and the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, the logistics service providers (LSPs) are facing severe challenges to attain their logistics performance indicators. To continue in such a market place, LSPs need to maintain a dedicated integration relationship with their clients by enhancing client special treatment benefits. The aim of this study is to apply the relational view (RV) theory and the relationship marketing (RM) perspective to examine the moderation effect of special treatment benefits on the link between logistics integration and LSPs’ logistics performance (i.e., cost leadership and customer services innovation). Data was collected from 214 Malaysian LSPs, and analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Although the results show that logistics integration has a strong impact on both performances, further analysis shows that a high level of logistics integration has an association with high levels of special treatment benefits (moderating effect), in turn, maintaining performance at a high level. The exploring of the moderation effect of special treatment benefits contributes to the RV theory by incorporating the RM to reflect the moderation effect. Additionally, the study contributes empirically to the field of strategy and RM within the LSPs’ industry. Finally, the findings enable LSPs to better allocate resources to ensure more effective value-based strategies that emphasise on client special treatment benefits to develop financial confidence and maintain long-term dedicated relationships, so as to achieve the target outcomes.

Linking Relational Benefits and Customer Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Customer Intimacy

This paper contributes to the debate on the dimensionality of relational benefits by establishing it as second-order reflective construct with three related but distinct dimensions, namely, confidence benefits, social benefits, and special treatment benefits in the B2C services context. This is one of the few empirical studies to investigate the role of intimacy in service relationships, and the first to illustrate its mediating effects on the benefits–loyalty relationship. While existing literature regards service benefits, trust, and commitment as key pillars, our study proposes complementary contributions of intimacy to customer loyalty formation as an asset for managers to explore.

Capturing customer’s store loyalty through relationship benefits: moderating effect of retail innovation

PurposeResearch suggests that innovation plays a key role in creating a competitive edge and business survival in highly competitive industries like retail. Despite the importance of innovation in retail establishments, very limited efforts have been made so far to study how innovation influences consumer behavior in retail establishments. This paper aims to identify the impact of relationship benefits (i.e. confidence, social and special treatment benefits) on consumer’s loyalty with the retail store and examine the moderating effect of retailer innovation in these relationships.Design/methodology/approachTo conduct this study, a sample comprised of 400 consumers of four retail sectors (i.e. household, electronics, textile and food) was chosen. The data were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique.FindingsThe findings of this research suggest a significant positive influence of confidence and special treatment benefits on consumer loyalty and that retail innovation moderates the link between relationship benefits and consumer loyalty.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the existing literature in the domain of retail customer loyalty by empirically testing the under-studied phenomenon of retail innovation with the help of contingency theory.

The Role of Retail Equity, Value and Relational Benefits in Building B2B Relationships in Retailing

The present paper aims to examine if variables widely studied in B2C contribute to building strong relationships in B2B markets. Moreover, it analyzes the existence of differences across retailers related to percentage of purchases from the main supplier. Through a personal survey to retail store managers regarding their relationships with their main suppliers, a structural equation model is estimated through PLS to test the hypothesized relations between retail equity, value, relational benefits, trust, and commitment. A multi-group analysis is performed to test the moderating role of the percentage of purchases from the main supplier. Three types of relational benefits identified have unequal influence on relationship value. In particular, special treatment benefits and social benefits, together with retail equity, emerge as the main drivers of value in the relationship between retailers and their main suppliers. The percentage of purchases from the main supplier plays a moderating role in some of these relations. This research provides evidence in the sense that, in the relations held by retailers with their main suppliers, retail equity contributes to relationship value creation. Relational benefits are relevant in building B2B relations since special treatment and social benefits have a positive influence on value that is positively related to trust and commitment. To build strong relations with their customers, suppliers of retailers should mainly concentrate their efforts on building brand equity and providing evidence of the existence of special treatment benefits beyond the service delivered, in view of its ultimate influence on customer trust and commitment.

Revisiting the role of relationship benefits in online retail

Purpose Given the importance of relationship benefits in creating customer satisfaction, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating role of relationship benefits (special treatment benefits and confidence benefits) on relationship quality and word of mouth (WOM) for online retailers. The conditional mediating role of relationship quality between customer satisfaction and WOM is also examined. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 700 MBA students from two universities in Punjab (North India) has been used to collect data. Structural equation modelling and PROCESS Macro (Hayes (2017) have been used for data analysis (mod mod mediation). Findings When customers perceive high confidence benefits, special treatment benefits moderate the mediational role of relationship quality between customer satisfaction and WOM. Specific conditions under which use of confidence benefits and special treatment benefits are successful for online retailers have also been identified. Practical implications Tailored use of special treatment benefits with confidence benefits in appropriate combinations will help the online retailers in segmenting the customers and differentiating amongst them according to the customers’ receptivity towards these benefits. Marketers can devise communication strategies, create customer segments and position their services using the results obtained in the study. Originality/value The present study is the first of its kind which clarifies as to why the previous literature considered special treatment benefits as less relevant to customers. It also establishes the situations in which these benefits successfully moderate the effect of customer satisfaction in developing relationship quality and eliciting positive WOM in the Indian internet retailing context.

CAN RELATIONSHIP BENEFITS MAKE CUSTOMERS COMMITTED AND LOYAL?

Tough competition has pushed four-star hotels in Surabaya to manage their competitive strategies. One of them is by providing relational benefits to maintain customer commitment and loyalty. This study is to reveal the impact of relationship benefits on customer loyalty with customer commitment as a mediating variable in four-star hotels in Surabaya. Partial Least Square (PLS) is used to analyze data. It is found that relationship benefits (confidence, social and special treatment benefits) have influenced customer loyalty with commitment as the mediating variable. The results show that relationship benefits have positive and significant impacts to customer commitment; and customer commitment also has positive and significant impact to customer loyalty.

Synchronizing relational benefits with customer commitment profiles

ABSTRACTThe literature no longer considers commitment to be a distinct variable. Instead, commitment represents a combination of affective, calculative, and normative dimensions for individual customers, resulting in the adoption of a person-centric view for its measurement. However, customer satisfaction as a result of confidence benefit, social benefit, and special treatment benefit may vary among customers with different commitment profiles which encourages variable-centric view. Considering both variable- and person-centric views, this study uses survey data to examine the impact of relational benefits on the satisfaction of customers with different commitment profiles. It also examines the moderation role of relationship age. With cluster analysis identifying three commitment profiles, findings from structural equation modeling confirmed that highly-committed customers expected excessive special treatment benefit; low-commitment customers preferred confidence benefit to reduce cognitive dissonance; while affective-dominance customers expected all three types of benefit proportionately. The study’s theoretical and practical contributions conclude the paper.

Benefits of Facebook fan/brand page marketing and its influence on relationship commitment among Generation Y: Empirical evidence from Malaysia

This study aims to understand the influence of relational benefits of Facebook brand/fan page towards relationship commitment among Generation Y. Additionally, this study also investigates the mediating effect of customer satisfaction on the relationship between relational benefits and relationship commitment. A total of 195 sets of online questionnaire were collected using snowball sampling method for the statistical data requirement of SmartPLS. The analysis found significant positive relationships between relational benefits and relationship commitment, however, only on social, functional, and special treatment benefits. Surprisingly, the findings also showed an insignificant mediation effect of customer satisfaction on the relationship between relational benefits and relationship commitment. The research findings are valuable to both the theoretical and businesses adopting social media as a marketing strategy. Marketers employing the Facebook or other social media in catering and reacting to the Generation Y needs will benefit the most; securing their confidence and loyalty towards purchasing a certain brand.

The influences of relational benefits on repurchase intention in service contexts: the roles of gratitude, trust and commitment

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop and examine an integrated mediating model that contains relationship benefits as the relationship antecedents; trust, relationship commitment and gratitude as mediators; and repurchase intention as the relationship consequence in a service business context.Design/methodology/approachThe study recruited 253 respondents to test the proposed model. A partial-least-square-based structural equation modeling was adopted to evaluate the measurement of research constructs and test the research hypotheses that underpinned a proposed conceptual model.FindingsThe results show that confidence benefits increase trust more than social and special treatment benefits; social benefits have the most influence on relationship commitment; and special treatment benefits most greatly enhance feelings of gratitude. Thus, depending on the improvement objectives, marketers can accordingly choose the proper relationship benefits as a primary approach. Furthermore, both the direct and indirect effects of confidence benefits and social benefits on repurchase intention were significant.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this study is that all research variables were measured at a static point rather than as they were developing. Ignorance of the temporal sequence may incur the concern of possible spurious causal relationship inferences.Practical implicationsThe study’s findings offer several important implications for service providers, which, in this study, were separated into high (e.g. such as hairdressing, beauty and massage) and low personal contact service groups (e.g. telecommunications and equipment maintenance). First, social benefits are more effective at increasing gratitude in the low personal contact service group, and at boosting trust in the high-contact group. Second, special treatment benefits increase gratitude much more in the high-contact group than in the low personal contact group. Third, gratitude has a much stronger effect on repurchase intention in the high personal contact group than in the low-contact group.Originality/valueThe interactions among relationship benefits, mediators (i.e. trust and relationship commitment) and outcomes remain unclear. Although the importance of gratitude as a mediator in relationship marketing (RM) has been shown, little research has examined how relational benefits influence repurchase intention through the combined mediating effects of commitment, trust and gratitude. Therefore, this study advances RM theory by examining the degree of additional explaining power that gratitude contributes to the commitment–trust model. The study also makes a practical contribution by building a research model to understand the nature of mediating roles played by relationship commitment, trust and gratitude in the service industry.

Impact of relational benefits on trust in the Asian context: Alternative model testing with satisfaction as a mediator and relationship age as a moderator

AbstractAlthough it is an established phenomenon in the literature that relational benefits have many positive outcomes, the comparative effect of each type of benefit on different types of trust when customer satisfaction is the mediator, in particular in the Asian context, remains unexplored in the services literature. Therefore, this study, using several alternative models, aims to identify the impacts of confidence benefit, social benefit, and specific treatment benefit on competence, contractual, and goodwill trust, along with an investigation of the mediation impact of customer satisfaction. The study also explores the moderation impact of relationship age on the relational benefits–customer satisfaction relationship. The study's findings from partial least squares‐based structural equation modeling analysis confirmed that ensuring confidence benefit produces a higher level of competence trust and contractual trust in comparison to that achieved by social benefit and special treatment benefit, whereas the latter two types of benefit are crucial for developing goodwill trust. Although customer satisfaction was found to be a significant mediator between relational benefits and the three dimensions of trust, the moderation effect of relationship age was not significant in any model. The study's managerial and theoretical implications are presented in the final section of the paper.

Examining relational benefits and costs in an online non-transactional context

The paper explores which relational benefits and costs are appropriate for capturing relationship-building efforts within the context of informational, non-transactional, websites and assesses their effect on behavioural outcomes. Firstly, a preliminary study consisting of two focus groups was organised in order to identify what relational benefits and costs users perceive. At the second stage, quantitative data were collected with the use of an e-questionnaire from 444 users/members of a well-known FMCG company's informational website. Results, based on Structured Equation Modelling, indicate that users perceive functional, social and special treatment benefits. Functional benefits have the strongest effect on relational outcomes followed by relational costs and social benefits. Special treatment benefits have no significant effect on behavioural outcomes. From a managerial perspective, findings provide initial evidence on how the development of informational websites can be used as a relationship-building tool.

MODEL EMPOWERMENT DEVELOPMENT THROUGH RELATIONAL BENEFIT APPROACH BASED ON SOCIAL MARKETING CONCEPT

Approximately 70% of East Java's economic growth comes from Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which are mostly craftsmen, among whom are artisans of songkok. But there are still many obstacles that exist with regard to marketing how marketers provide satisfaction to consumers with relational benefit based on the concept of marketing with social insight so that the realization of a repeat purchase (usage intention), because of the demands of consumers to provide satisfaction. To empower the artisans of the songkok, in this study aims to find the correlation of Relational Benefit how marketers relate to consumers providing confidence benefits, social benefits and special treatment benefits. The concept of social marketing is related to the social interaction relationship between marketers, consumers and society.

Examining the relationships among service features, customer loyalty and switching barriers in the Greek banking sector

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to present and empirically validate a conceptual framework that explores the links between the two service features (physical and interactive) and their impact on customer loyalty. It also introduces and investigates the potential intervening role of a single personality dimension (neuroticism) in the relationship between service features and customer loyalty. In addition, examining whether the customer’s switching barriers affect customer loyalty is also an aim of the present study.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample of 224 customers in the banking industry in Greece. The respondents were picked using simple random sampling. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to validate the latent factors of the proposed conceptual framework, whereas their relationships were examined through linear regression analyses.FindingsThe empirical data verify that physical and interactive features of service quality have a significant impact on customer loyalty. The study also concludes that customer neuroticism has an intervening effect on the relationship between service features and customer loyalty. In addition, switching barriers such as confidence benefits, special treatment benefits, switching costs and availability and attentiveness of alternatives affect a bank’s customer loyalty.Practical implicationsThis perspective could improve managerial understanding of the service-quality/customer-loyalty relationship and lead to more focused decisions. During the period of economic Greek crisis, the customers’ learning and understanding, the immediate response to their needs and expectations, the provision of customer services in accordance with their personality type and the establishment a long and effective relationship with them may have an important impact not only on success but also mainly on bank survival.Originality/valuePrevious studies have shown the positive and significant relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty in the banking industry, but this study extends the literature of consumer behavior theory by examining the distinct role that the physical and interactive service features play in the formation of customer loyalty. While it is known the role of personality in customer satisfaction has not been analyzed sufficiently the effect of neuroticism in the evolution of the above relationship. The present study tries to fill the bibliographic gap focusing on the Greek banking sector in the period of economic crisis.

The Effects of Therapist Contracting on For-Profit and Not-for-Profit Medical Billing Behavior

Within the United States, a growing debate about special tax treatment and community benefits provided by not-for-profits (NFPs) has been occurring. While the nondistribution constraint of NFPs is often thought to incentivize higher quality and more charitable care, NFPs may also be used by contractors for personal gain. This study explores whether the use of external contractors by NFP health care providers alter behavior. Using a sample of patients receiving rehabilitative care for hip fractures in skilled nursing facilities, and exploiting variation in ownership and contracting status, this study finds contracting in NFPs results in increased prevalence of profit-maximizing behaviors more commonly associated with FPs. Furthermore, contracting results in more revenue focused care delivery patterns.

소셜커머스 시장에서 지각된 관계혜택이 재구매의도와 구전의도에 미치는 영향 만족의 매개효과 및 시장 : 전문성의 차이

The purposes of this study were to (a) identify dimensions of relational benefits in the social commerce market, (b) predict the effects of relational benefits on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and word of mouth (WOM) intention, (c) examine the mediating effects of satisfaction, and (d) compare the differences in the effects of relational benefits on satisfaction, repurchase intention, and WOM intention between the two groups of market mavenism. For collecting data, a self-administered questionnaire was undertaken by an online research agency. A total of 490 usable responses were obtained from consumers who have used social commerce sites. The sample included a slightly higher number of females (50.8%) than males and age was ranged from 20 years to 40 years. An exploratory factor analysis generated four factors of relational benefits such as confidence, convenience, special treatment, and information. Multiple regression models showed that confidence, convenience, and special treatment benefits were significant predictors of satisfaction and repurchase intention; the confidence and convenience benefits were significant for WOM intention. Satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between relational benefits and repurchase intention, and the relationship between relational benefits and WOM intention. The group with high level of market mavenism more highly perceived the relational benefits than the other groups. Confidence benefit had a significant effect on repurchase intention regardless of the level of market mavenism, while convenience benefit had a significant effect on repurchase intention in the non-market maven group. This study discussed the managerial implications for customer relationship management in the social commerce marketplace.

Actively Persuading Consumers to Enact Ethical Behaviors in Retailing: The Influence of Relational Benefits and Corporate Associates

While consumer motivation to maintain a relationship with a retailer is a function of personal idiosyncratic characteristics, specific perceptions of retailers may play a role in influencing receptivity to relationship maintenance. This study integrates relationship marketing tactics and corporate associates into a model of consumer ethical purchasing behavior that improves the relationship between sellers and buyers. Results show social benefits, special treatment benefits, CSR, and service quality have direct and indirect impact on ethically questionable consumer behaviors in retailing. This study also modifies the consumer ethics scale of Muncy and Vitell (1992) for the East Asian market with good reliability and validity in order to measure ethically questionable consumption behaviors in retailing. Finally, some theoretical contribution and practical implications are discussed.

Innovation as a key to strengthen the effect of relationship benefits on loyalty in retailing

PurposeThis work aims to attempt an in-depth study of the link between relationship benefits and store loyalty, examining the moderating role of the retailer’s degree of innovation in these relations.Design/methodology/approachAn equations model has been contrasted based on 820 valid individual structured questionnaires administered to consumers of 13 trade names in four retail distribution sectors (food, textile, electronics and household goods).FindingsThe results provide evidence of the positive influence of relationship benefits on store loyalty and in particular the benefits stemming from trust. The links between social and special treatment benefits in relation to loyalty are, however, significantly stronger in the less innovative establishments.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides evidence of the moderating role of innovation on the relationship between social benefits and special treatment benefits and loyalty.Practical implicationsTechnology may be used as a differentiation tool. The retailer should concentrate its investments on information and communications technology solutions that contribute to enhance the customer experience at the point of sale without neglecting the social dimension to increase the benefits of trust and ultimately, customer loyalty.Originality/valueThe paper provides an in-depth examination of the retail innovation variable which is scarcely analysed in the literature, offering support for the idea that innovation at the point of sale plays a moderating role in the links between relational benefits and customer loyalty.

Role of Customer Retention Equity in Creating and Developing Brand Value

ABSTRACTThe present study attempts to explore and establish a customer retention equity scale and examines its impact on brand value in the Indian banking sector. The data were collected from 500 account holders of the five nationalized banks—State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India, Housing Development Finance Corporation, and Jammu and Kashmir Bank from Jammu City, North India—using a purposive sampling technique. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the study hypotheses. The study finds that customer retention strategies that include loyalty and affinity schemes, special treatment benefits, a customer feedback survey, a courtesy system, and content marketing significantly contribute to retention equity. Further, the study also reveals that retention equity has a positive and significant impact on brand value and its dimensions—brand loyalty, brand association, and brand awareness. The study contributes to the extant literature by developing and validating the customer retention equity scale from customer perspectives in the Indian banking sector. In addition, the study also integrates the research stream of retention equity with brand value to signify the contributory role of customer retention equity on brand value and its dimensions. Since the study is limited to assessing customer retention equity and brand value relationship, their relationship with other constructs, such as relational quality, customer equity, and customer loyalty, should be explored in further work.

Why are customers loyal in sharing-economy services? A relational benefits perspective

PurposeThis study aims to provide a taxonomy of relational benefits that drive customer loyalty in sharing-economy services, assess the relative strengths of these relational benefits in influencing customer loyalty and examine whether commitment mediates the influence of relational benefits on customer loyalty in this context.Design/methodology/approachRelational benefits of sharing-economy services were explored through a focus group interview, followed by an online survey completed by 440 respondents in China. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThis study shows that confidence and social benefits have significant and positive effects on commitment in sharing-economy services. In addition, safety benefits, a new type of relational benefits, also significantly affect commitment in this context. Furthermore, the findings suggest that commitment acts as a mediator between confidence, social and safety benefits and customer loyalty. Special treatment benefits had no effect on commitment and loyalty in the sharing-economy context.Practical implicationsThis paper provides sharing-economy service providers with insight on how to better create and sustain loyal relationships with customers through the provision of relational benefits.Originality/valueThis study offers initial insight into why customers would stay in peer-to-peer relationships in the sharing economy, and suggests how to strengthen relationships between customers and peer service providers.

How do offline and online environments matter in the relational marketing approach?

The goal of this study is to analyse the relational benefits that the clients of banks, insurance companies, and travel agencies receive according to whether they maintain an offline or online relationship with the company. The development of an index, called the Relational Benefits Index, allows for a comparison of differences that arise between the measures of confidence benefits, social benefits, and special treatment benefits. The results demonstrate significant differences according to the type of service business and channel used, affecting the importance that consumers place on the offline channel when they want to maintain a stable relationship with a service business.