No abstract

Purpose Drawing on the service-dominant logic and the institutional theory, this paper aims to explore the value-creating mechanisms of branding in the destination context and the brand co-creation process at and between different levels of a service ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory research design was used to generate qualitative data from 18 in-depth interviews with important stakeholders and investigate how and why brand co-creation is fostered in the service ecosystem. Findings The study proposes a stepwise process of strategic imperatives for brand co-creation in the destination context. It presents the multi-directional flows of the brand meaning across levels of the tourism ecosystem and thereby interprets stakeholders’ efforts to co-create sustainable brands that gain prominence in the global tourism arena. Research limitations/implications Future research might validate the framework in a quantitative research setting. The extended analysis of the value-creating ecosystem could investigate the role of institutions and brand value propositions across levels. Practical implications Acknowledging their limited control over the brand co-creation process, tourism practitioners are offered step-by-step guidance to help shape a destination brand that may retain relevance in the tourists’ minds. Critical insights are provided into resource sharing between actors and subsequent responsibilities for a sustainable destination branding strategy. Originality/value The paper considers the significance of the various levels in the ecosystem and the underlying mechanisms of brand co-creation in a somewhat neglected branding domain.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide managers and researchers a comprehensive view of the root causes of customer departure and empirically test the attitudinal and behavioural consequences of failed service quality in a retail banking context. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative study was conducted among retail banking customers who had defected from a large retail bank provider. Data from 989 usable responses to a questionnaire filled through a telephone survey were applied to model estimation through structural equation modelling. Findings – Findings demonstrate the effect of failed service quality on customers’ negative attitudes towards the retail bank provider (dissatisfaction and lack of commitment), the direct negative impact of failed service quality on loyalty (the opposite of defection), as well as its indirect negative impact on loyalty through negative attitudes. The moderating role of customers’ switching costs and subjective knowledge of the bank’s products is revealed and the relative impact of each failed service quality factor on negative attitudes and behavioural intentions is assessed. Practical implications – Key areas causing customer dissatisfaction and eventually defection are shown to bank managers, providing direction for implementing strategies and mechanisms in order to effectively reduce the defection rate. Originality/value – The theoretical model, which was in large confirmed through the empirical data, offers for the first time empirical evidence regarding the extent to which the general categories of reasons to defect in a service context identified in the literature are indeed causing customer exit.

No abstract

No abstract