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This study examines the psychological process used in predicting customer citizenship behaviors. Hypotheses are proposed to test the effects of personality traits on customer satisfaction, and customer citizenship behaviors in an online shopping context. Two broader elemental traits—agreeableness and extraversion—are posited to lead to specific state‐based traits; namely, perspective taking and empathic concern. In turn, empathic reactions are expected to affect customer satisfaction as well as customer citizenship behaviors. Study results demonstrate that individuals high on empathic concern feel greater satisfaction with the service provider, and display a greater propensity to help other online shoppers.

Purpose – In the marketing and consumer behavior literature, much remains to be explained about customer citizenship behavior in a highly technological e-retailing context. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a survey of 186 e-shoppers which was conducted grounded in the social exchange theory. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling is used to test the proposed model. Findings – The results provide support that e-customer familiarity with an e-store and facilitating conditions provided by an e-retailer influence e-customers ' e-satisfaction, e-loyalty, and e-commitment with an e-retailer, all of which exert different effects on three dimensions of e-customer citizenship behavior. Practical implications – The results of this study offer e-retailers a way to stay ahead of their competitors by focusing on online attributes that are difficult to duplicate when it comes to customer relationship such as e-loyalty, e-commitment and e-customer citizenship behavior. Originality/value – This study represents one of the initial attempts to validate a customer citizenship behavior model in an e-retailing setting using e-store familiarization and facilitating conditions as the primary determinants for developing e-store attitudes and behaviors among e-shoppers.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of organizational and employee‐customer identification on job engagement. The paper also aims to explore the role of customer orientation in the model as a consequence of identification, in addition to an antecedent of engagement.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes an online survey administered to Cooperative Extension employees in frontline service roles. Amos 18.0 was employed to examine the proposed structural model.FindingsThis study examines and finds that employee‐customer identification is an important contributing factor for customer orientation and job engagement among frontline employees in service industries. The findings also reveal that customer orientation acts as an intervening effect necessary in linking organizational identification and employee‐customer identification to job engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThe study's results advance understanding and consequently reveal the importance of employee‐customer identification to employee behavior. Specifically, the results underscore the prominent need for managers to build‐up interpersonal connections with customers by reducing their firm's dependence on electronic storefronts in service‐based encounters. The study raises issues that address the necessity for a proper medium between human connections and technology intelligence programs within service industries.Originality/valueThis research authenticates the need to examine a holistic identification model that includes the social outcomes of organizational identification as well as the relational impact of employee‐customer identification. Furthermore, the understanding of customer orientation as it relates to relational identification is advanced.

Purpose Organizational buying behavior has often been treated as a rational activity, even though humans are involved in the decision-making. Human decision-making often includes a complex cadre of emotions and rationalizations. Subsequently, organizational buyers may not only be driven by logic, testing and facts, but also by emotions. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role that emotions play in organizational buying behavior. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with marketing decision-makers for one of the most valuable brands in the world. The role that emotions play in the behavior of organizational buyers is elucidated from the perspective of these marketing professionals. Findings Emotions are prevalent at all stages in the organizational decision-making process and various discrete emotions fuel action tendencies among buyers. Efforts are made by marketers to strategically manage the emotions buyers experience. Practical implications Although organizational buyers must see the functional value of a product or brand, companies need to consider ways in which brands can connect with buyers on an emotional and personal level. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature by offering insights into which discrete or specific emotions are most prominent in organizational buying behavior and how the manifestation of these emotions impact decision-making at each stage in the buying cycle.