Temporal Commitment Research Articles

Determining Consumer Satisfaction and Commitment Through Self-Service Technology and Personal Service Usage

This paper expands research into self-service technology in the service encounter. Self-service technology is where customers deliver service themselves using some form of a technological interface. There is still a great deal unknown about self-service technology, in particular its impact on consumer satisfaction and consumer commitment. With that in mind, this empirical study explores the relative impact of self-service technology on consumer satisfaction and on a multidimensional measure of consumer commitment containing affective commitment, temporal commitment and instrumental commitment. The results reveal that in a hotel context personal service still remains very important for assessments of satisfaction, and affective and temporal commitment. What is particularly interesting is that self-service technology, while impacting these constructs, also impacts instrumental commitment. This suggests that positive evaluations of self-service technology may tie consumers into relationships with hotels. A discussion and implications for managers are provided on these and other results, and the paper is concluded with further potential research.

Consumer-Retailer Relationships from a Multi-Level Perspective

Consumers get an image of stores after evaluating its brands, personnel and other general elements. However, literature on consumer-retailer relationships from a multi-level perspective is scarce. This paper proposes a model that comprises three interrelated levels of trust and satisfaction-with store brands, the personnel and the firm-and also shows the influence of trust and satisfaction on affective and temporal commitment to the store. Results confirm there is a transference process between trust levels and between satisfaction levels, support the relationship between trust and satisfaction in each level and stress the interpersonal level as the one that will more probably engender affective and temporal commitment.

The consumer's relational commitment: main dimensions and antecedents

As in business-to-business relationships, consumers often establish and maintain long-term relationships with firms. This article uses a multidisciplinary approach with the aims of describing the process that a consumer follows until committing to a firm and identifying the main dimensions and antecedents of the consumer's commitment. As antecedents of commitment, the proposed model considers dependence and trust through the reduction in uncertainty and in the perception of opportunism. The empirical study for the consumer–garage relationship suggests that the consumer's trust reduces the fear and perception of the firm's opportunism and engenders affective and temporal commitment.

The well-being of British expatriate retirees in southern Europe

This article examines the personal outcomes of overseas residence in later life, by analysing some findings from the first large-scale, comparative study of the retirement of British citizens to southern Europe. Four study areas are compared: Tuscany in Italy, Malta, the Costa del Sol of Spain, and the Algarve region of Portugal. The analysis focuses on the expressed reasons for moving to and residing in the areas, the reported advantages and disadvantages, and the respondents' predictions of whether they would stay or leave in response to adverse and beneficial events. Overall the subjects give very positive reports, but there are considerable differences among the four areas. The associations of individual variation in well-being with both a person's ‘temporal commitment’ to the area and to facets of their social integration are analysed. The onset of severe incapacity, sufficient to prevent the continued running of a home, is the event most likely to cause people to leave their adopted areas of residence.

Mesenchymal commitment to digital joint formation.

Temporal and spatial commitment of in vivo and in vitro mammalian digital joint development were characterized in a murine model. Alcian blue and alizarin red staining were used to label proteoglycans of cartilage matrix and mineralized matrix in both whole mounts and histological sections. Mesenchymal differentiation toward a joint fate was identified by a lack of matrix deposition in islands of joint precursor cells between phalangeal precursors, and localized lysosomal enzyme activity was later demonstrated in these regions during formation of the joint cavity. Organ-cultured forelimbs and in vivo specimens demonstrated analogous digital joint morphological trends. With a defined developmental window, reverse transcription, polymerase chain reaction, demonstrated differential gene expression of transforming growth factor-beta isotypes, aggrecan core protein, and type II collagen, suggesting a role for transforming growth factor-beta in directing digital joint development.

Estimated daily energy expenditures of professional association footballers

The daily energy demands of 23 professional English League footballers were estimated. Indirect measurement was made of energy expended in training, match-play and nonoccupational activity. Mean duration of training was 75min day−1, mean heart rate 132beatsminMatch-play constituted the dominant source of occupational strain, mean heart rate being 157 beats min−1 in outfielders. Temporal commitment to work was 18·5 h week−1 during which mean work intensity could be described as moderate. Time spent inactive was 19·5 h day−1 and daily energy expenditure was estimated to be 14·442 MJ. It was concluded that physiological strain in this occupation was not excessive and no peculiar dietary requirements obtained.