Showing papers by "Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad published in 2016"

Does relationship marketing matter in online retailing? A meta-analytic approach

Abstract: Building on the meta-analytic model suggested by Palmatier et al. Journal of Marketing, 70, 136–153, (2006), this study extends the relationship marketing framework to the domain of online retailing to identify what strategies help build relationships with online customers. Specifically, this meta-analytic study identifies key antecedents and consequences of relationship marketing in online retailing. The study also examines the relationship between the four mediators—trust, commitment, relationship quality, and relationship satisfaction— and the antecedents and consequences of relationship marketing. Similarity and seller expertise were found to have the strongest impact on relational mediators, and word of mouth was the most critical outcome of relationship marketing efforts. The model proffered in this study will motivate hypotheses to be examined by future researchers. The model also helps managers to identify the key drivers of relationship marketing in online retailing.

Parasite stress and pathogen avoidance relate to distinct dimensions of political ideology across 30 nations

Abstract: People who are more avoidant of pathogens are more politically conservative, as are nations with greater parasite stress. In the current research, we test two prominent hypotheses that have been proposed as explanations for these relationships. The first, which is an intragroup account, holds that these relationships between pathogens and politics are based on motivations to adhere to local norms, which are sometimes shaped by cultural evolution to have pathogen-neutralizing properties. The second, which is an intergroup account, holds that these same relationships are based on motivations to avoid contact with outgroups, who might pose greater infectious disease threats than ingroup members. Results from a study surveying 11,501 participants across 30 nations are more consistent with the intragroup account than with the intergroup account. National parasite stress relates to traditionalism (an aspect of conservatism especially related to adherence to group norms) but not to social dominance orientation (SDO; an aspect of conservatism especially related to endorsements of intergroup barriers and negativity toward ethnic and racial outgroups). Further, individual differences in pathogen-avoidance motives (i.e., disgust sensitivity) relate more strongly to traditionalism than to SDO within the 30 nations.

Revisiting the role of the environment in the capabilities–financial performance relationship: A meta‐analysis

Abstract: Within the capabilities-based view of the firm, there is debate about the relative importance of ordinary and dynamic capabilities for firm performance and about the extent to which their performance effects are contingent on environmental conditions. We meta-analyze 115 studies to investigate the relationship between both ordinary and dynamic capabilities and the financial performance of firms in relatively stable versus changing environments. The results suggest that the performance effects of both types of capabilities are positive and similar in magnitude. Environmental dynamism reinforces the effects of both ordinary and dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, the two types of capabilities are closely associated. Our findings provide support for a moderate capabilities-based view of the firm, rather than one that considers dynamic capabilities as superior to ordinary ones.

The relationships between perceived organizational support, affective commitment, psychological contract breach, organizational citizenship behaviour and work engagement.

Abstract: Aim This study examines the factors that mediate and moderate the relationships of perceived organizational support with work engagement and organization citizenship behaviour. Specifically, affective commitment is posited to mediate and psychological contract breach to moderate the above relationships. Background Nurses play a critical role in delivering exemplary health care. For nurses to perform at their best, they need to experience high engagement, which can be achieved by providing them necessary organizational support and proper working environment. Design Data were collected via a self-reported survey instrument. Methods A questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 750 nurses in nine large hospitals in India during 2013–2014. Four hundred and seventy-five nurses (63%) responded to the survey. Hierarchical multiple regression was used for statistical analysis of the moderated-mediation model. Results Affective commitment was found to mediate the positive relationships between perceived organizational support and work outcomes (work engagement, organizational citizenship behaviour). The perception of unfulfilled expectations (psychological contract breach) was found to moderate the perceived organizational support–work outcome relationships adversely. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that perceived organizational support exerts its influence on work-related outcomes and highlight the importance of taking organizational context, such as perceptions of psychological contract breach, into consideration when making sense of the influence of perceived organizational support on affective commitment, work engagement and citizenship behaviours of nurses.

Sea container terminals: New technologies and OR models

Abstract: Owing to a rapid growth in world trade and a large increase in the flow of containerized goods, sea container terminals play a vital role in globe-spanning supply chains. Container terminals should be able to handle large ships, with large call sizes within the shortest time possible, and at competitive rates. In response, terminal operators, shipping lines and port authorities are investing in new technologies to improve container handling and operational efficiency. Container terminals face challenging research problems that have received much attention from the academic community. The focus of this article is on highlighting recent developments in container terminals, which can be categorized into two areas: (i) innovative container terminal technologies and (ii) new OR directions and models for existing research areas. By choosing this focus, we complement existing reviews on container terminal operations.

Appraisal of literature on customer experience in tourism sector: review and framework

Abstract: A substantial body of literature has been built up in experience marketing. In spite of that there is no cohesive framework that has systematically examined antecedents, formation and implications of customer experience, or has classified different aspects of customer experiences. The purpose of this article is to derive an integrative review of published articles on consumer experience and its related topics. The study synthesizes the research on customer experience through two different but interrelated streams: (1) experience as a product attribute or a complete product and (2) consumer experience created due to customer interaction with the physical environment or people. This article develops a framework that corroborates literature related to (1) definitional aspects of customer experience, (2) formation of customer experience, (3) asserting consumer psychology in engaging in the creation of experience and its consumption and (4) the effects of customer experience. We first review available prior re...

Business Model Innovation for Inclusive Health Care Delivery at the Bottom of the Pyramid

Abstract: This article investigates business models innovation for delivering health care at the base of the pyramid (BoP). The examination of six health care organizational cases suggests that co-creation of patient needs, community engagement, continuous involvement of customers, innovative medical technology, focus on human resources for health, strategic partnerships, economies of scale, and cross-subsidization are business model innovation strategies that enable inclusive health care delivery. Based on these findings, we propose a four-dimensional framework. A process of value discovery, leading BoP patients and communities to recognize a health need and seek for an acceptable treatment, precedes the identification of a successful value proposition. Value creation and value appropriation then follow to warrant patient affordability and organizational sustainability. A “business model mechanism” for BoP health care hence emerges, where interdependencies among these dimensions are highlighted. This article sheds new light on how market-based approaches can improve equitable health care access and hence contribute to poverty alleviation.

Business model adaptation for emerging markets: a case study of a German automobile manufacturer in India

Abstract: Emerging markets offer a wide range of opportunities for firms from developed markets, especially in terms of high growth potential. However, business models that enable firms to achieve competitive advantage in their home markets are often challenged by the different nature of emerging markets. Firms, therefore, have to innovate and adapt their business models to better fit the specific context of these international markets. Based on a longitudinal case study of a German luxury automobile manufacturer's internationalization to India, we develop a phase model of the business model adaptation process to emerging markets. We find that firms adapt their business models in four phases: international extension, local emergence, local expansion, and local consolidation. Firms step-wise adjust business model components along this process to develop a local emerging market business model. In each phase of the business model adaptation process, firms emphasize different components of the business model, before they enter into continuous adjustments of all business model components. Furthermore, we find that firms overall adjust some components of their business model more significantly than others. Our findings are of particular relevance to the literature on business model internationalization and the literature that points out the evolutionary, step-wise nature of business model innovation.

eWOM: Extant Research Review and Future Research Avenues

Abstract: Executive SummaryWord-of-mouth (WOM) communication is widely accepted as a critical factor in building marketing strategies and communications. Invention of the Internet and proliferation of social...

Donning the mask: effects of emotional labour strategies on burnout and job satisfaction in community healthcare.

Abstract: Emotional labour involves management of one's emotions to match the demands of their roles. This emotion display involves just expression (surface-level emotional labour) or experience in addition to expression (deep-level emotional labour) of the desired emotions. Emotional labour is required in the effective, efficient and successful healthcare service delivery. Burnout associated with emotional labour is an important factor that decides how satisfied frontline service providers with their job are. This empirical study investigates the link between surface and deep-level emotional labour, burnout and job satisfaction in women community health workers from India. Our results from the structural equation modelling of 177 accredited social health activists (ASHAs) indicate a negative relation between surface and deep-level emotional labour, clearly demarcating them as two different strategies for performance of emotional labour in community health care setting. Surface-level emotional labour is associated with higher job satisfaction, and burnout partially mediates this relation. Deep-level emotional labour is associated with lower job satisfaction; burnout fully mediates this relation. Qualitative post hoc analysis based on interviews of 10 ASHAs was done to understand the findings of the quantitative study. Surface-level emotional labour was found to be a more desirable strategy for community health care workers for the effective and efficient performance of their work roles. Our results have a significant contribution to design, redesign, and improvement of employment practices in community healthcare. This study brings forth the neglected issues of emotions and their implications for these healthcare workers in low and middle-income countries who are a vital link that delivers healthcare to weaker section of the society. The findings have relevance not merely for the individual providing this service but the beneficiary and the organization that facilitates this delivery. Interventions based on demographic, community, national and occupational factors have also been presented.

A lovable personality: The effect of brand personality on brand love

Abstract: This study proposes and empirically tests the impact of two dimensions of brand personality (excitement and sincerity) on brand love and, subsequently, on store brand loyalty and +WOM in the context of online retailers. The data were collected from 500 respondents to test the proposed model using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results demonstrated that the two dimensions of brand personality as well as brand love have a positive impact on store brand loyalty and +WOM. Additionally, ‘sincerity’ and ‘excitement’ had a direct effect on store brand loyalty but not on +WOM. However, both the personality dimensions influenced +WOM through brand love and store brand loyalty.

Institutional Leverage Capability: Creating and Using Institutional Advantages for Internationalization

Abstract: Plain language summary Home country institutions, for instance chambers of commerce and educational systems, can support firms' efforts to expand into foreign markets. However, only some firms utilize this support and become successful in international markets. We propose that these firms have a particular ability to leverage institutions; they have institutional leverage capability. More precisely, we explain that firms need to be aware of the institutional support, access it, decide to adopt it, and adapt their resources to fully exploit the institutions available in their home countries. We recommend that firms design organizational structures and processes to leverage institutions for internationalization. We illustrate our suggestions with the example of the German ‘hidden champions,’ medium-sized firms that are global market leaders, and how they leverage institutions to internationalize. Technical summary We develop the notion of a firm's institutional leverage capability in order to explain heterogeneity among firms with respect to their ability to turn a location's generally available institutional benefits into firm-specific institutional competitive advantages. Institutional leverage capability represents a higher-order construct formed by the four components of awareness, access, adoption and adaption of institutional benefits. It is of particular strategic relevance in institutional contexts that provide high levels of support to firms. Firms can use institutional competitive advantages, which they generate by leveraging their home country's institutions, for the purpose of internationalization. We illustrate our argument using the example of several mid-sized German companies that have leveraged home-country institutional benefits and attained leading positions in international markets. Copyright © 2016 Strategic Management Society.

A non-linear traffic flow-based queuing model to estimate container terminal throughput with AGVs

Abstract: Efficient handling of containers at a terminal can reduce the overall vessel sojourn times and minimise operational costs. The internal transport of containers in these terminals is performed by vehicles that share a common guide path. The throughput capacity of a terminal may increase by increasing the number of vehicles; however, simultaneously congestion may reduce the effective vehicle speed. We model this situation accurately using a traffic flow-based closed queuing network model. The vehicle internal transport is modelled using a load-dependent server that captures the interaction between the number of vehicles in a transport segment and the effective vehicle speed. Using a non-linear traffic flow model, we show that the throughput reductions due to vehicle congestion can be as large as 85%. Hence, the effect of vehicle congestion during internal transport cannot be ignored. The model can also be used to determine the appropriate number of vehicles required to achieve the required terminal throughput by explicitly considering the effect of vehicle congestion.

Co-benefits of low carbon passenger transport actions in Indian cities: Case study of Ahmedabad

Abstract: Rising population, income and urbanization are increasing urban passenger transport demand in India. Energy and emissions intensities associated with conventional transport are no longer sustainable vis-a-vis energy security, air quality and climate change. Cities are seeking transport roadmaps that jointly mitigate these risks. Roadmaps vary across cities, but approach to delineate actions is common: (i) ‘representative vision’ that articulates long-term goals, (ii) methods for comparative scenarios assessment, and (iii) quantification of co-benefits to prioritize actions. This paper illustrates application of quantitative modeling to assess development and environmental co-benefits for Ahmedabad city. The paper constructs two transport scenarios spanning till 2035. The bifurcating themes are: (i) Business-as-Usual (BAU) and Low Carbon Scenario (LCS). The quantitative assessment using Extended Snapshot (ExSS) Model shows that transport activity shall result in four-fold increase in energy demand under BAU from 2010 to 2035. Three key contributors to CO 2 mitigation under LCS in merit order are: (i) fuel switch, including decarbonized electricity, (ii) modal shift, and (iii) substitution of travel demand. Scenarios analysis shows that LCS improves energy security by reducing oil demand and also delivers air quality co-benefits – reducing 74% NOx and 83% PM 2.5 from the passenger transport sector compared to BAU in 2035. Finally, the paper argues that cities in developing countries can leverage carbon finance to develop sustainable and low carbon mobility plans that prevent adverse infrastructure and behavioral lock-ins and prompt low carbon development.

Low carbon urban transport scenarios for China and India: A comparative assessment

Abstract: This paper assesses comparable urban transport scenarios for China and India. The assessment methodology uses AIM/End-use model with a detailed characterization of technologies to analyze two scenarios for India and China till the year 2050. The first scenario assumes continuation and enhancement, in both countries, of policies under a typical business-as-usual dynamics, like constructing metros, implementing national fuel economy standards, promoting alternate fuel vehicles and implementing national air quality standards. The alternative, low carbon scenario assumes application, in both countries, of globally envisaged measures like fuel economy standards as well as imposition of carbon price derived from a global integrated assessment modeling exercise aiming to achieve global 2 °C temperature stabilization target. The modeling results for both countries show that decarbonizing transport sector shall need a wide array of measures including fuel economy, low carbon fuel mix including low carbon electricity supply. The comparison of China and India results provides important insights and lessons from their similarities and differences in the choice of urban transport options. India can benefit from China’s experiences as it lags China in urbanization and income. Modeling assessments show that both nations can contribute to, as well as benefit by aligning their transport plans with global climate stabilization regime.

Target experiences of workplace bullying: insights from Australia, India and Turkey

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore target experiences of workplace bullying across Australia, India and Turkey, uncovering cross-cultural convergence and divergence. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire-based qualitative data survey of business school students with current/prior work experience (n=399) was undertaken. In total, 114 respondents (57 Australian, 34 Indian, 23 Turkish) identified themselves as targets of workplace bullying. Close-ended data pertaining to sociodemographic details were analysed via Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for descriptive statistics while open-ended data pertaining to experiences of bullying were thematically analysed against pre-figured categories derived from literature. Findings – Manifestations of, etiology of and coping with workplace bullying were similar across all three countries, highlighting cultural universals. Clear variations in source of bullying behaviour and availability and use of formal interventions as well as more s...

Relationship between perceptions of corporate social responsibility and organizational cynicism: the role of employee volunteering

Abstract: This study explores the role of positive corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions of employees in reducing cynicism toward the organization. As employee involvement in CSR activities through volunteering could influence the perceptions of CSR among employees, the moderating impact of employee volunteering on the relationship between CSR perceptions and cynicism is also tested. Considering that managers and non-managers can have different perceptions of CSR and organizational realities, the relationship between CSR and organizational cynicism is compared among managerial and non-managerial staff working in large organizations. The analysis of 348 questionnaires collected from 191 managers and 157 non-managers showed that positive perceptions of CSR were negatively correlated with organizational cynicism for both managers and non-managers, with significantly stronger negative correlations among managers. Employee volunteering did not significantly moderate the relationship between CSR and organizat...

Solving Bilevel Multicriterion Optimization Problems With Lower Level Decision Uncertainty

Abstract: Bilevel optimization problems are characterized by a hierarchical leader-follower structure, in which the leader desires to optimize her own strategy taking the response of the follower into account. These problems are referred to as Stackelberg problems in the domain of game theory, and as bilevel problems in the domain of mathematical programming. In a number of practical scenarios, a bilevel problem is solved by a leader who needs to take multiple objectives into account and simultaneously deal with the decision uncertainty involved in modeling the follower’s behavior. Such problems are often encountered in strategic product design, homeland security applications, and taxation policy. However, the hierarchical nature makes the problem difficult to solve and they are commonly simplified by assuming a deterministic setup with smooth objective functions. In this paper, we focus our attention on the development of a flexible evolutionary algorithm for solving multicriterion bilevel problems with lower level (follower) decision uncertainty. The performance of the algorithm is evaluated in a comparative study on a number of test problems. In addition to the numerical experiments, we consider two real-world examples from the field of environmental economics and management to illustrate how the framework can be used to obtain optimal strategies.

An Enhanced Memetic Algorithm for Single-Objective Bilevel Optimization Problems

Abstract: Bilevel optimization, as the name reflects, deals with optimization at two interconnected hierarchical levels. The aim is to identify the optimum of an upper-level leader problem, subject to the optimality of a lower-level follower problem. Several problems from the domain of engineering, logistics, economics, and transportation have an inherent nested structure which requires them to be modeled as bilevel optimization problems. Increasing size and complexity of such problems has prompted active theoretical and practical interest in the design of efficient algorithms for bilevel optimization. Given the nested nature of bilevel problems, the computational effort (number of function evaluations) required to solve them is often quite high. In this article, we explore the use of a Memetic Algorithm (MA) to solve bilevel optimization problems. While MAs have been quite successful in solving single-level optimization problems, there have been relatively few studies exploring their potential for solving bilevel ...

Theory of open inclusive innovation for reciprocal, responsive and respectful outcomes: coping creatively with climatic and institutional risks

Abstract: Given the economic squeeze world over, search for what we call frugal grassroots innovations in Honey Bee Network, has become even more urgent and relevant in the recent years. And, to shape this search, models and concepts like open innovation, reverse innovation (GE, Market-Relevant Design: Making ECGs Available Across India, 2009); (Govindarajan, Reverse Innovation: a Playbook, 2012); (Govindarajan and Ramamurti. Global Strategy Journal, 1: 191–205, 2011); (Govindarajan and Euchner, Res. Technol. Manage, 55: 13–17, 2012, Govindrajan and Trimble, 40(5), 5–11, 2012), embedded innovation (Simanis and Hart, Innovation from the Inside Out, MIT Sloan Management Review, 2009), extremely affordable, low-cost, frugal innovation (Honey Bee Network, 1989–2016, Gupta, 2000); (Gupta AK, How Local Knowledge can Boost Scientific Studies, 2007); (Gupta AK, Indian Hidden hotebd of invention, 2009a; Gupta AK, http://anilg.sristi.org/harnessing-stimulus-for-promoting-innovations-and-entrepreneurship/ , 2009b) etc., have emerged over time. We wish to trace the evolution of the Open Innovation Theory (Urban and Von Hippel, Manag. Sci. 34(5), 569–582, 1988) in the context of the Honey Bee Network working on such ideas for over 26 years. The idea is to study the different strands of relationships between knowledge providers and seekers which make the system truly reciprocal, responsible and responsive. When systems become open, search cost for inclusive innovation will automatically come down and the knowledge system will also become more symmetrical and inclusive. Inclusive innovation for social development implies that new solutions should help in dealing with one or more of the five factors of exclusion: spatial, seasonal, sectoral, skill and social. These should also be accessible, affordable, available and adaptable to varying and differentiated user endowments and needs, besides being circular. One has to understand the interaction between natural, social, ethical and intellectual capital, situated in the institutional context of innovations: at, from, for and with grassroots level communities for defining inclusivity in the innovation ecosystem. A company or a community, when in need of an innovative solution to a local problem, may seek it from outside, develop it inside, or co-create/contract it out. The nature of reciprocity between knowledge and innovation exchange partners may have different types of asymmetries (Bansemir and Neyer 2009). Different ethical principle enunciated in the Honey Bee Network may or may not be followed. The discourse on open innovation has been biased in the favour of corporates seeking ideas form outside rather than sharing their own innovation/knowledge as a public good or commons, or even at low cost with less-advantaged industry actors. In this paper, we reflect on such biases that companies and scholars have developed and propose a framework to temper it. The need for such a correction becomes even more important when various kind of climatic, institutional and market risks are making socio-economic systems more fragile and vulnerable to various uncertainties and fluctuations. Coping with risks is significantly related to malleability of innovations. The process of evolving and nurturing innovations may have a bearing on their eventual adaptability to user. We argue that when both technology platform and application domains are known well, the incubation model works. Generally, through this process, incremental innovation grows better. But, when both are unknown or are ambiguous, sanctuary model works better. In incubators, the chaos is outside and the order is inside. In sanctuary, it is the opposite. It is not very surprising that sanctuary nurtures innovation which is more suited to fluctuating climate and market-uncertain environments. Innovations don’t have relevance only at artefactual level. One can learn at metaphorical, heuristic and gestalt levels too. Building bridges between formal and informal knowledge systems poses a unique challenge in designing reciprocal and responsible open innovation platforms? This paper pleads for more reciprocal, respectful and responsible exchanges of knowledge between formal and informal sector adding value to the contributions of grassroots green innovators.

Opportunity and necessity entrepreneurship: a comparative study of India and China

Abstract: INTRODUCTIONEntrepreneurship has been widely recognized as an engine of economic growth (van Stel, Carree, & Thurik, 2005; Wong, Ho, & Autio, 2005). Widely cited definitions of entrepreneurship include the discovery, evaluation and exploitation of opportunities (Venkataraman, 1997) and as the process by which individuals pursue opportunities without regard to resources currently under control (Stevenson & Jarillo, 1990). It is only more recently that another variation of entrepreneurship has emerged- that of individuals who seek entrepreneurship due to a paucity of other options to earn a living. This facet of entrepreneurial behaviour emerged from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) investigation that revealed high entrepreneurship rates in low-income countries. Since then, multiple studies have explored the characteristics of necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship in both high and low-income countries (Bergmann & Sternberg, 2007; Block, Sandner, & Spiegel, 2015; Block & Wagner, 2010; Brunjes & Diez, 2013; Naude, Gries, Wood, & Meintjies, 2008). However, the characteristics of these forms of entrepreneurship in middle-income countries, specifically in terms of individual-level antecedents, is noticeably absent in the extant literature.In an attempt to explore and fill this research gap, we have investigated the individual level antecedents of necessity and opportunity entrepreneurship in India and China. These middle-income nations are two of the most rapidly growing large economies worldwide (World Bank, 2015a, 2015b). Hence the role of entrepreneurship in these contexts needs to be understood across each nation's phase of development. This, in tum, will enable both more nuanced theory development as well as enhanced policy making. A brief overview of the institutional context in these nations, and how entrepreneurship has evolved, is elaborated in the next section.IndiaThe post-independence phase (1947-1990) in India has been described as the 'license-raj' (Majumdar, 2004). It was marked by strict government controls on all aspects of manufacturing. During this period the industrial development paradigm envisaged the government as the prime force behind setting up and running core capital-intensive infrastructure industries while encouraging the private sector into relatively smaller scale labor intensive manufacturing (Majumdar, 2004). In the 1980's the government, in a significant departure from the earlier socialistic orientation, began introducing key economic reforms. For the first time the need for competition was realized, there was acceptance of the key role that market forces could play accompanied by an underlying emphasis on entrepreneurship both at the corporate and individual level. This was an era of the 'hidden hand', wherein profit generation, using firm capabilities, was the dominant paradigm (Marathe, 1989). In 1991 an acute foreign exchange crisis led to the opening of markets and the growth of the private sector, which in turn contributed to the national economy. Over the past two and a half decades this liberalized policy direction has continued with some modifications and course corrections. This has in part been a result of the country's decentralized system of governance where in states and the center are often ruled by parties with vastly differing political orientation.During this period small scale industry (SSI) has continued to play a vital role in the Indian economy. By 2004, SSI's accounted for 40% of gross value (as measured by manufacturing sector output) and 34% of total exports while continuing to provide the highest employment after agriculture (De & Nagaraj, 2014). The post-1991 phase also witnessed the emergence of a new class of information technology (IT) entrepreneurs. This included firms like Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro and Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS). Over the past decade, observing the success of the IT sector, progressive policies have been implemented with government confining itself to a facilitating role. …

Personality and fashion consumption: a conceptual framework in the Indian context

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate consumer personality to fashion involvement, fashion-oriented impulse buying behavior, consumer emotions and hedonic consumption in the Indian context. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature review of personality, fashion involvement, emotions, fashion-oriented impulse buying behavior and hedonic consumption, the authors formulated a conceptual model and subsequent hypotheses. Previously valid and reliable scales were used in the study. The data were collected through mall intercept survey with the sample consisting of respondents in the age group 20-45. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used as data analysis tools. Findings – Major findings indicate a positive and significant effect of personality on positive emotions. The findings also confirm a significant and positive relationship between fashion involvement and hedonic consumption and hedonic consumption and fashion-related impulse buying behavior. Interestingly, pos...

Role of channel integration on the service quality, satisfaction, and repurchase intention in a multi-channel online-cum-mobile retail environment

Abstract: Retaining consumers is critical for multi-channel retailers. This study identifies the factors that influence consumer repurchase intention in an online-cum-mobile retail context by focusing on the impacts of channel integration on consumer self-regulatory processes. The research model was empirically tested on the data collected from 317 consumers of a famous e-retailer in China. The results indicate that channel integration has strong and positive effects on service quality perceptions in both online and mobile environments, which further influence transaction-specific satisfaction and cumulative satisfaction. In addition, transaction-specific satisfaction has a positive influence on cumulative satisfaction, and both of them in turn positively affect repurchase intention. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.