Purpose The purpose of this paper is to employ an integrated technology acceptance model–theory of planned behavior framework intertwined with online risk, e-distrust and product involvement to augment an understanding on consumers’ webrooming behavior. Design/methodology/approach A mix of convenience and selective sampling was used for data collection. A total of 14 propositions were put forth, which were tested using the structural equation modeling method. Findings The results of the study revealed that apart from perceived ease of searching online and overall usefulness of the webrooming sequence, perceived search benefits online and purchase benefits offline significantly determined consumers’ webrooming behavior. The results of the study also indicate that webrooming helps consumers avoid the feeling of post-purchase regret of making sub-optimal product choices offline. Online risk perceptions and e-distrust also play a notable role in inhibiting consumers’ from making online purchases, and as a consequence encourage webrooming behavior. The moderating influence of product involvement was observed between consumers’ intentions toward webrooming and webrooming behavior. Research limitations/implications The research conducted provides rich insights into understanding the rising webrooming phenomenon. However, more exhaustive studies are needed to arrive at definitive findings concerning the webrooming phenomenon. Practical implications The findings of the study can be utilized by the online retailers for formulating strategies to counter webrooming behavior. Originality/value The paper is amongst the first few studies which contribute toward enhancing the understanding on webrooming behavior, an emerging issue in the current retailing environment.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to propose an integrated framework utilizing the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and technology acceptance model (TAM) to augment the understanding on consumers’ showrooming behaviour. Design/methodology/approach Selective sampling was used for data collection. The integrated TAM-TPB framework led to 12 propositions, which were tested using partial least squares-structural equation modelling. Findings Both perceived relative search benefits offline and relative purchase benefits online significantly determined the consumers’ showrooming behaviour along with perceived ease purchasing online and the overall usefulness of the showrooming sequence. Results of the study revealed that the showrooming sequence helped consumers avoid the regret of making suboptimal product choices and paying a higher price for the same product. Online trust was found to partially mediate the relationship between consumers’ intention to showrooming and the actual showrooming behaviour. Research limitations/implications Notwithstanding the fact that further research is required to arrive at definitive conclusions, this study is an initial move towards understanding the consumers’ showrooming behaviour, and the research provides meaningful insights. Practical implications As showrooming substantially erodes profits, devising strategies to defend showrooming customers becomes crucial. The findings of the study provide the basis for formulating strategies to counter showrooming customers. Originality/value The paper is amongst the first studies which helps enhance the understanding of consumers’ showrooming behaviour, which is an emerging area in the present multi-channel retailing environment.

Educational institutions like other organizations are realizing the significance of customer‐centered philosophies and are turning to approaches such as total quality management to help manage their businesses. This paper starts with the background theory and then outlines the results of a study conducted on students within selected educational institutions in India to obtain a student perspective of the quality of those institutions. The SERVQUAL methodology was applied to identify the gap between customer expectations and perceptions of the actual service received. The quality function deployment technique was then used to identify the set of minimum design characteristics/quality components that meet the requirements of student as customers of the educational system.

In keeping with the socio‐economic and cultural transformation that has placed newer demands on the educational system, in terms of greater responsibility and accountability and increased expectations by stakeholders, the system has been pressurized to shift its focus from one in quantitative expansion to one with emphasis on quality. Such shifts and changes are being witnessed not only in the developed countries, but also in the developing countries of the world. The education system, and more so the higher education system in particular, in an attempt to react to the demands and ever increasing pressures from its stakeholders, finds itself in a market‐oriented environment, with internal and external customers; wherein, “delighting the customer”, is the rule for survival in the long run. “Delighting the customer”, is the core message of total quality management (TQM) and, hence, there is a need to identify and apply the relevant concepts of TQM to each and every aspect of academic life; that is, to the teaching, learning and administrative activities. The paper is a theoretical attempt at conceptualizing TQM in education.

Purpose Recent statistics concerning webrooming shoppers is indicative of the trending webrooming phenomenon, and points toward the dire need for the addressal of the issue. The purpose of this paper is to reason the consumer’s intentional visit to an online store prior to making purchases offline by linking it with perceived channel benefits and uncertainty reduction approach through an application of the theory of planned behavior. Design/methodology/approach A survey instrument was administered online, and a total of 374 responses were obtained. Respondents were queried with respect to the webrooming sequence, if at all they were into webrooming. The PLS-SEM was used to test the formulated hypotheses. Findings The factor “Access to reviews online” emerged as the prime perceived search benefit which drives consumers’ to first visit an online store, while factors like “access to touch and feel the product,” “better post-purchase services offline” and “immediate possession of product” induced customers to later purchase offline. Factors like “E-distrust” and “perceived risks related to purchasing online” notably determined consumer’s movement to the physical store for purchasing the product in the second phase of the webrooming sequence. Research limitations/implications A small sample size limits the authors from drawing definitive generalizations. Due to the lack of studies, individually examining webrooming conduct, a prior qualitative exploration can be conducted to draw more insights. Practical implications The findings of the study can be utilized by the online retailers for devising strategies to push the webroomers to make purchases online. Social implications The study creates awareness as to what motivates consumers to webroom, which has been realized as one of the serious issues being faced by the online retailers today. Originality/value This study addresses a key concern “webrooming phenomenon,” which has emerged as a critical challenge in the present retailing dynamics.

The past decade has seen a proliferation and mushrooming of a large number of educational institutions offering professional courses. With demands for greater responsiveness and accountability on the one hand and growing competition for students and resources on the other, the educational system in India has begun to realize the significance of a qualitative orientation, and commensurate to this there have been attempts to provide for better services, with 'delighting the customer' being the focus of all efforts. This has resulted in the need for identifying and applying the relevant concepts of Quality Management to Education. Starting with a theoretical background, the paper outlines the results of a study conducted on the students as primary customers to obtain a perspective on the Quality of select educational institutions. The paper is aimed at identifying the design characteristics of a system that would meet the customer requirements of the student as an external customer. Based on the literature review followed by a pilot study, the various customer requirements and design characteristics were identified and thereby, the variables conceptualized. The SERVQUAL was applied to identify the gap and determine the level of service quality. Following this, Quality Function Deployment, Interpretive Structural Modelling and Path Analysis were used to identify the set of minimum design characteristics/quality components that meet the requirements of the students as an important customer.

PurposeThe present piece of research aims at enhancing our understanding of situational and intentional showrooming behaviour. The study further tests and validates a model based on the stimulus–organism–response framework to draw richer insights.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a two-phased approach to discover the consumers' rationale behind showrooming. In the first phase, a narrative-based examination followed by an inductive thematic analysis was employed. In the second phase, the stimulus–organism–response model was validated through structural equation modelling method.FindingsThe results of the study highlighted the factors that contribute to intentional and situational showrooming behaviour. Results show that consumers also showroom on account of situational circumstances such as assortment issues, poor sales-staff assistance and long payment queues at offline stores. However, intentional showroomers are primarily driven by perceived showrooming value which emerges as a combination of in-store search value and online purchase value. Past showrooming experience also plays a role in stimulating consumers to showroom. The results also revealed the moderating impact of product involvement and perceived product type, barring time pressure. The impact of showrooming self-efficacy was also observed.Research limitations/implicationsThe study majorly validates the factors stimulating intentional showrooming conduct intertwined with product-related factors, time pressure and showrooming self-efficacy. Hence, the future scope of the study lies in quantitatively validating the findings concerning situational showroomers as this would help draw richer insights.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study can be utilized by both offline and online retailers for managing showroomers.Originality/valueThe study offers rich insights on showrooming which has been identified as a major challenge being faced by offline retailers nowadays.

Purpose Recent statistics on increasing webrooming customers make it topical in the multi-channel retailing domain. The purpose of this paper is to offer an enhanced understanding on “Webrooming behaviour”, an area of concern for e-retailers by proposing an integrated framework grounded on the Theory of planned behaviour and Technology acceptance model. Design/methodology/approach The conceptual model presented develops a number of propositions applicable to webrooming behaviour utilizing the rich literature on channel choice behaviour in the multi-channel retailing environment. The propositions are open for verification and can serve the basis for future line of research. Findings The model proposed provides basis for understanding the webrooming sequence via search attitude towards online channels, purchase attitude towards offline channels, perceived ease of online search and perceived usefulness of webrooming behaviour. The impact of online risk perceptions and mediating role of (lack of) “trust” have been proposed along with the direct impact of product type and category which offers an holistic view towards understanding the webrooming conduct. Research limitations/implications The model proposed lacks empirical verification. There is a need to test the model empirically to validate the model and to find out the suitability of integrated TPB-TAM model. Practical implications Webrooming substantially erodes online profits. Before retailers’ strategies to defend webroomers, it is imperative to understand the phenomenon from the consumer’s side. The model proposed is a step in this direction and provides the basis for formulating strategies for holding back the webroomers. Originality/value This paper adds to the body of knowledge in retailing by proposing a conceptual model on webrooming behaviour which is an emerging area of research in the present retail landscape.