Purpose-To test perceived price and service quality as mediators between price fairness and perceived value in service encounters between micro-enterprises and their banks. Design/methodology/approach-The study is based on a self-administered and internetbased questionnaire conducted in the banking industry. The sample consists of 381 microenterprises in South Africa that employ one or two staff members. Findings-Provides evidence for both theory and practice that perceived price and service quality influence the relationship between business banking customers' perception of price fairness and the value of the service offered. Research limitations/implications-The measurement and structural properties reported are satisfactory. Confirms the hypothesized relationships in the tested research model, and rejects a tested rival model. Limitations are reported, and suggestions for further research are provided. Managerial implications-Offers banking executives guidance in managing the pricing structure of their services, and highlights the value of offering greater transparency with regards to service charges and interest rates. Originality/value-Contributes to insights into the mediating effects of perceived price and service quality between price fairness and perceived value in business relationships between micro-enterprises and their banks.
PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to gain insight into brand avoidance of service brands and explore whether the different types of brand avoidance identified in a product context apply to service providers.Design/methodology/approachBecause of the exploratory nature of the study, the critical incident method and semi-structured interviews were used to achieve the purpose of the study.FindingsThe findings suggest that five types of brand avoidance, as identified in studies involving product brands, can be identified as impacting service brands. In addition, the findings show that advertising avoidance should be expanded to communication avoidance because of the multifarious communication influences that were identified. The study proposes a framework to deepen the understanding of the types of brand avoidance affecting service brands.Research limitations/implicationsSince the different types of brand avoidance previously identified are also evident in a services environment, service providers should develop strategies to deal with the different types of service brand avoidance. The findings are broad in scope because of the exploratory nature of the study, and a detailed analysis of each type of service brand avoidance is still required.Originality/valueThis paper focuses on the various types of brand avoidance and their manifestation in the services context. The study contributes by showing that the broader concept of communication, not only advertising, should be considered when studying brand avoidance in a service context.
The processes of consumer perception and decision making remain relatively complex phenomena despite the depth of research undertaken in the area. One way in which these processes may be influenced is through the explicit mentioning of product attributes in advertising. This study investigates consumer perceptions of mentioned product attributes in magazine advertising for a specific product category. Results confirm a clear relationship between attributes specifically mentioned in advertising for the three selected brands and respondents’ rating of those attributes against evaluative criteria for the product category. Factor analyses of respondents’ ratings indicate a clear convergence of factors extracted and the mentioned attributes for each brand.
Retailers endeavour to establish and maintain strong relationships with customers in order to build customer loyalty. Unfortunately, such endeavours are not always successful as not all retail customers reciprocate retailers' relationship efforts. Customers' intentions to engage in relationships with retailers (i.e. relationship intentions) should thus be the starting point in building customer loyalty. Moreover, customers' perceptions of the strength of their relationship with a retailer (i.e. relationship quality) should also be considered when building customer loyalty. The purpose of this study is to determine whether clothing retail customers' relationship intentions and relationship quality, individually and in combination, predict their loyalty to clothing retailers. Data were collected from 511 respondents in South Africa's greater Tshwane metropolitan area.From a hierarchical multiple regression analysis it was found that clothing retail customers' relationship intentions and relationship quality are individually, and in combination, predictors of their loyalty to the retailer. Results furthermore indicate that relationship quality mediates the relationship between relationship intention and customer loyalty. The findings highlight the importance of first determining customers' relationship intentions, and then reinforcing positive perceptions of relationship quality when building customer loyalty.
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