No abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential differences between types of self-service technology. Specifically, the paper explores how the dynamics of public and private self-service technology influence customers' decision to use the technology. Design/methodology/approach -Existing customers of private and public self-service technology were surveyed from the same industry. Using structural equation modeling, the authors examine how relevant self-service constructs influence evaluations and attitudes of customers across both settings.Findings -The analysis reveals that customers' control and convenience perceptions differ across public and private self-service technology. Additionally, customers placed a heavier emphasis on the hedonic or utilitarian evaluation of a service experience based on the type of self-service technology.Practical implications -For managers of self-service applications, understanding the unique differences of public and private self-service technology can aid in the implementation and adoption of the technology. By properly understanding the differences of the self-service types, managers can provide a beneficial experience to the customer. Originality/value -By identifying and describing two distinct categories of SSTs, this study allows managers and researchers to better understand how and why individuals choose to utilize individual self-service technologies. Through understanding the unique dynamics of a public and a private SST experience, retailers can determine the appropriate strategy for customer adoption based on the utilitarian or hedonic functions of the technology.

Purpose Social networks offer consumers the ability to voice their opinions of brands in a real-time, public setting. This represents a unique challenge for firms as brand managers must develop new strategies for properly communicating with consumers, especially in the event of a service failure. The purpose of this research is to explore the impact of various adaptive service recovery strategies via social media, specifically Twitter. Design/methodology/approach Through a series of experimental manipulations, four service recovery strategies are tested alongside two variations of consumer complaint tweets. The service recovery responses vary in their degree of adaptiveness, which have differential impacts on numerous consumer outcome variables. Findings The findings indicate that highly adaptive recoveries responses positively impact consumers’ evaluations of service recovery satisfaction, leading to greater consumer behavioral intentions. Additionally, the type of tweet the consumer sends may further reveal their expectations for adequate service recovery responses. Originality/value This study is the first to empirically test the use of social media platforms in the service failure and recovery context. Although social media is commonly used for such purposes by practitioners, academic research up to this point has predominately focused on social media for generating word-of-mouth. Further, this study seeks to examine how service adaptability is perceived from the customer perspective, as opposed to the more traditional employee viewpoint.

PurposeAs disruptive technologies, such as the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled customer relationship management (CRM) systems, alter the processes and strategies that banks use in service delivery models, the impact of such technologies on consumer acceptance and buying behavior must continue to be examined. This research studies the impact of technology usage and acceptance of AI-enabled banking CRM systems in Nigeria on consumer buying behavior via the mediation of customer satisfaction and service quality. The study also investigates the negative impact of technology downtime, a frequent phenomenon in the emerging market, which has not, to this point, been studied on a large scale.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collect quantitative data via a face-to-face administered questionnaire from four hundred customers of ten different Nigerian banks regarding their perceptions of technology use in the banking sector.FindingsWhile the research finds that technology usage has positive and direct effects on service quality, customer satisfaction and consumer buying behavior, service quality was found not to have a significant effect on consumer buying behavior. The study also establishes that technology downtime has a moderating effect on technology usage, consumer buying behavior and customer satisfaction in the banking context.Originality/valueScant literature exists that explores the importance of culture in technology usage and acceptance, specifically in developing countries like Nigeria. This study explores the impact of technology usage along with acceptance in the Nigerian setting on Nigerian consumers and their resulting satisfaction. Technology usage has been known to impact customer satisfaction in various ways, but no study has looked specifically at how technology in the banking sector can further be of help or harm from a Nigerian perspective. This study explores the technology usage in banking sector of Nigeria and its impact on the consumer buying behaviour. No studies in our knowledge have been known to consider the role of technology downtime, a frequent phenomenon in emerging market, as a factor, which will affect the customer satisfaction and buying behavior. Thus, this study (1a) explores the negative outcomes of technology downtime on both service quality and customer satisfaction, (b) explores the moderating relationship of technology downtime on the technology usage and consumer-related outcomes.

Purpose – The purpose of this exploratory study is to expand the knowledge of the current literature stream and to attempt to more fully understand the simple but singularly unique aspect of social networking communication that is the Facebook “Like”. To this end, motivations behind liking a brand are explored, as well as the interactions that occur between the company and consumer as a result of this Facebook interaction. Next, we look at differing levels of interaction for liked product and service brands on Facebook. Specifically exploring if there are differences with how Facebook users engage with liked product and service brands. Design/methodology/approach – The authors first engage in an exploratory, qualitative-based research to look at the motivations and consequences associated with liking product and service brands, using a sample of 160 Facebook users. Next, an ANOVA analysis is performed using an online sample of 264 respondents recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Findings – The qualitative analysis reveals differing motivations for liking brands on Facebook and suggests that generating Facebook Likes can indeed have positive, if unacknowledged, outcomes for the firm. Further, while there is no significant difference in perceptions of brand knowledge between product- and service-based brands, there is a significant difference in perceptions of brand connectedness between brand types, with consumers reporting a greater sense of connection to the service brands and higher levels of brand attitude and purchase intention for product-based brands. It is also shown that consumers have a greater intention of reading and liking posts from product-based brands. Originality/value – This paper explores and attempts to move toward clarification of the gap that exists between “quality” versus “quantity” valuations of a Facebook Like.