Gift Purchases as Catalysts for Strengthening Customer–Brand Relationships

Eggert, Andreas; Steinhoff, Lena; Witte, Carina

doi:10.1177/0022242919860802

Cited by 25 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…Second, we applied the Epanechnikov kernel-matching algorithm, using the Stata psmatch2 application (Leuven and Sianesi 2003), to match participants ( n = 887) with no-shows ( n = 1,181). Many previous service studies that use PSM adopt nearest-neighbor pair matching (Eggert, Steinhoff, and Witte 2019; Garnefeld et al 2013). However, as Frölich (2004) shows, kernel-matching performs better for larger groups than nearest-neighbor pair matching when used with an adequate bandwidth parameter that determines a distance around participants to exclude overly different values (Handouyahia, Haddad, and Eaton 2013).…”

Section: Study 1: Refugee Access To Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transformative Service Initiatives: Enabling Access and Overcoming Barriers for People Experiencing Vulnerability

Boenigk

Kreimer

Becker

et al. 2021

Journal of Service Research

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Transformative service initiatives (TSIs) refer to activities by organizations (public, private, nonprofit) or volunteers to serve people experiencing vulnerabilities, including long-term challenges (e.g., refugees, homeless people, undocumented immigrants, ex-convicts) and try to improve their well-being. To advance the concept of TSI, this study proposes a 3A (Awareness, Alignment, Access) Integration Process Framework that can facilitate empirical tests of whether participation in TSIs affects people’s access to critical services. The empirical evidence affirms a positive influence of TSI participation on two TSR outcomes (application and access to higher education), according to data from a longitudinal study of 2,068 refugees (Study 1) that relies on propensity score matching and regression analysis. Study 2 uses qualitative data from six focus groups and identifies 16 barriers to successful refugee integration; it also identifies four individual strategies to overcoming those integration barriers. From academic and public policy perspectives, the findings demonstrate that efforts to plan and implement TSIs should follow a stepwise process to achieve the intended transformative outcomes. These findings can help academic, public policy, and civil society actors design and implement TSIs in various contexts to benefit people experiencing vulnerability.

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Section: Study 1: Refugee Access To Higher Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transformative Service Initiatives: Enabling Access and Overcoming Barriers for People Experiencing Vulnerability

Boenigk

Kreimer

Becker

et al. 2021

Journal of Service Research

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show abstract

“…Customers spend more, buy more often, and cross-buy more in the year following a purchase if they have purchased an item from the retailer as a gift rather than for their personal use (Eggert, Steinhoff, and Witte, 2019). Accordingly, several managerial implications follow from our findings.…”

Section: Managerial Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 74%

The paradox of surprise: empirical evidence about surprising gifts received and given by close relations

Vanhamme

Lindgreen

Beverland

2020

EJM

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Purpose This study aims to explore surprising gifts received and given by close relations to identify the variables involved in creating surprising gifts. The analysis of the viewpoints of the giver and the recipient, reflecting their profiles, leads to recommendations for retailers. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory, small-scale, open-ended questionnaire (48 respondents) produces 43 (38) accounts of surprising gifts given (received), informed further by in-depth interviews (eight informants, both givers and recipients of surprising gifts). Findings This study identifies and elaborates on the variables (why, when, what, where, who and how, and their combinations) that define surprising gift giving, from both giver and recipient perspectives. The findings indicate a paradox: even if givers or recipients prefer a surprising gift, they might give or wish for an unsurprising gift to avoid disappointment. Research limitations/implications Further research should confirm the findings using representative samples. Moreover, gender differences in surprising gift giving should be investigated further. Finally, the exact characteristics and properties that make common objects potential candidates for successful surprising gifts should be studied further. Practical implications The discussion has relevant implications for manufacturers and retailers. For example, if recipients are surprised, happy and satisfied, they likely exhibit higher brand recall. The recipient’s (happy versus not happy) emotions also have spillover effects on the giver’s. Thus, retailers should provide assistance in the store and advertise their salespeople as experts who can offer advice about selecting appropriate gifts. The exact characteristics and properties that make common objects potential candidates for successful surprising gifts should be studied further. Originality/value The systematic account of all six variables, not previously analyzed in the literature, provides rich insights into surprising gift giving. The discussion of the study of givers and recipients supplements these insights.

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“…Sellers aim to bind consumers to the firm and to form stable relationships. Consistent with this, the provision of a service gift is expected to engender feelings of relational intimacy and social connection (Otnes et al, 1993;Roster, 2006;Eggert et al, 2019). However, past research has shown mixed results as to their efficacy (Haisley and Loewenstein, 2011;Singh et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Service gifts, collective social connection and reciprocity

Tang

Hinsch

Lund

et al. 2020

EJM

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Purpose This study aims to investigate the process of service gifting (i.e. unexpected upgrades or benefits) and examine why service gifts do not always result in firm-beneficial reciprocal behaviors from consumers. Design/methodology/approach Through a series of three studies including both scenario-based and game-theory-based experiments, this research proposes and empirically validates a conceptual model that examines the effect of service gifts on firm-beneficial reciprocal behaviors, and the role of collective social connection and norm of positive reciprocity (NPR) in this process. Findings The findings of this research show that the consumer’s feelings of collective social connection mediate the link between the provision of service gifts and firm-beneficial outcomes. Furthermore, an individual’s adherence to NPR moderates this process. Specifically, individuals with a strong adherence to NPR do not display increases in collective social connection following the receipt of a service gift. Those who are low in NPR follow the expected pattern of increased collective social connection leading to reciprocation. Research limitations/implications Future research may further generalize the model to other situations such as high vs low context cultures. Longitudinal field experiments can be used to further investigate collective versus relational social connection, which can be either a by-product or a primary benefit derived from service delivery. Practical implications The results of this research reveal the critical role of collective social connection which has been largely ignored in service gifting research. It encourages managers to use service gifting to directly boost consumers collective social connection. Furthermore, it offers managers insight into why service gifts do not always result in firm-beneficial outcomes because of the moderating role of NPR. Originality/value The roles of social connection and the norm of reciprocity have been under-studied in both theoretical and empirical work on service gifting. This paper demonstrates that, contrary to traditional thought, those typically expected to reciprocate the most (i.e. high in NPR) may not realize increased collective social connection leading to reciprocation following receipt of a service gift.

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Gift Purchases as Catalysts for Strengthening Customer–Brand Relationships

Cited by 25 publications

References 70 publications

Transformative Service Initiatives: Enabling Access and Overcoming Barriers for People Experiencing Vulnerability

Transformative Service Initiatives: Enabling Access and Overcoming Barriers for People Experiencing Vulnerability

The paradox of surprise: empirical evidence about surprising gifts received and given by close relations

Service gifts, collective social connection and reciprocity

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