Transaction‐Specific Investments,Relational Norms,and ERP Customer Satisfaction: A Mediation Analysis*

Integrating the perspectives of transaction cost economics, the resource‐based view, and resource dependency theory, this study analyzes the institutional settings of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations in China. Specifically, it examines how bilateral transaction‐specific investments (TSIs) and relational governance mechanisms influence customer satisfaction with ERP implementations. The model is empirically tested using data from on‐site interviews with 208 ERP customers in China. The results demonstrate that the effects of vendors’ and customers’ TSIs on customer satisfaction are facilitated by multiple‐stage micromediational chains. The influence of TSIs on customer satisfaction is mediated by relational norms, and the impact of relational norms on customer satisfaction is bridged by perceived service quality and customer trust. Furthermore, the influence of vendors’ TSIs is stronger than the influence of customers’ TSIs. The findings contribute to business research and practice by providing valuable insights into how ERP vendors and customers should strategize TSIs to enhance relationship performance.     

顾客重复购买行为的实证研究

顾客重复购买模型的解释力和预测力,关键取决于构成模型的主要因素是否全面以及所确定的测量时间是否合理,而当前有代表性的以感知价值、顾客满意和转移成本三个因素建立起来的重复购买意向模型却存在着缺陷。为此,本文在明确界定测量时间的基础上,建立了一个由购后冲突、顾客满意、转移成本、重购意向、感知价值和情景期望等主要因素构成的重购行为模型,并通过耐用品(手机)和劳务(在外餐)这两类产品对该模型进行了验证。研究表明,顾客满意、购后冲突对重购意向具有显著影响;情景期望的多样性对在外餐的重购行为有明显负影响,但在手机购买中未通过检验;与此相反,感知价值对手机的重购行为有明显正影响,但在外餐中却未通过检验。这些结果既说明重购行为模型应被视为更有解释力和预测力的基本定量分析框架,又说明可能要根据产品购买特点的不同对模型做出适当修正。论文最后对这些实证结果的营销意义进行了探讨。     

A Study of Online Auction Sellers’ Intention to Switch Platform: The Case of Yahoo!Kimo Versus Ruten_eBay*

The study of consumers’ switching from one service provider to another has a long tradition in economics, information systems, and marketing. The emergence of electronic commerce presents new challenges in understanding consumers’ switching intentions in the context of e‐commerce in general and online auctions in particular. With the abundance of literature on online auctions, there is a surprising lack of research on auction sellers’ intentions to switch from one online auction platform to another. Using the competition between Yahoo!Kimo and Ruten_eBay, two leading auction platforms in Taiwan, as the backdrop, we developed a research model and collected empirical data based on this real case to study what factors influence auction sellers to switch to a competing service provider. We find that the higher the procedural switching costs, financial switching costs, relational switching costs, site design quality, or interaction quality, the lower the intention of an auction seller to switch to a competing auction service provider. A higher perceived transaction fee, however, leads to a higher switching intention.     

Exploring the Effects of the Privacy‐Handling Management Styles of Social Networking Sites on User Satisfaction: A Conflict Management Perspective

The issue of consumer information privacy, arguably the most substantial and persistent problem confronting e‐commerce companies in general and online social networking service providers in particular, often results in unsatisfied customers. Researchers have investigated privacy from various perspectives and in a multitude of settings, yet there have been few attempts to understand privacy versus satisfaction, particularly from the perspective of conflict management. Because users’ privacy can be negatively affected by social networking sites (SNSs), this study focuses on the privacy conflicts between SNSs and their users. Drawing on conflict management theory, this article investigates the effects of different conflict management styles exhibited by an SNS on users’ satisfaction with its privacy practices, which then affects their intention to disclose personal information. The SNS examined in this study is Facebook, the most popular SNS with the largest number of users. Data were collected using an online survey and were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results suggest that the two cooperative conflict management styles demonstrated by the SNS—accommodating and problem‐solving—positively affect users’ satisfaction with the privacy practices of the SNS both directly and indirectly through perceived privacy risk control. With regard to uncooperative styles, an avoiding style negatively affects user satisfaction directly, whereas an asserting style negatively affects user satisfaction indirectly through perceived privacy risk. The results also support that satisfaction is positively related to intention; users who are satisfied with the privacy practices of SNSs are more willing to disclose personal information than unsatisfied ones.     

网上交易服务质量四维度对顾客满意及忠诚度影响的实证分析

一般研究认为,网上购物的忠诚度比传统行业低。究其原因,除了产品本身的质量因素外,网上交易的服务质量也是一个非常关键的因素。本文基于Parasuraman的E-S-QUAL量表将网上交易服务质量从有效性、履约性、系统可用性和私密性四个维度来进行分析。在此基础上,采用了基于PLS统计分析方法的结构方程模型,探索网上交易服务质量四维度对顾客满意及服务忠诚度的影响情况。本研究很好地揭示中国消费者特殊的网上交易心理与行为,研究成果对网络销售企业具有一定参考价值。     

O2O模式中考虑附加服务和平台营销努力的供应链合作策略研究

针对由一个线下服务商与一个线上平台组成的O2O供应链，线下服务商通过线上平台销售基本服务且通过自身实体店销售附加服务，考虑线上平台营销努力对需求的影响，构建批发模式与代理模式下的博弈模型，并对比分析不同合作模式下供应链成员的最优决策，研究了线下服务商的最优合作策略。研究表明，线下服务商的最优合作策略选择受到多种因素的联合影响，当佣金比例较高且附加服务购买比例较低时，或当佣金比例与附加服务购买比例都较高但营销努力效应较小时，线下服务商才会选择批发模式；反之，线下服务商会选择代理模式，此时附加服务会抑制线上平台提供营销努力的积极性，且线下服务商从附加服务获得的利润可能超过从基本服务获得的利润。     

供应商管理库存下基于消费者行为偏好的全渠道运营策略

在供应商管理库存背景下,研究了消费者线上参考效应、线下库存效应以及渠道偏好对供应链成员运营策略的影响。利用微分博弈和连续型动态规划理论获得了独立运营、基于供应商服务成本分担契约的部分合作运营以及协同运营三种模式下的成员策略及绩效。由比较静态分析和对比分析发现：库存效应对生产量具正向影响,对产品质量、大数据营销服务和线下服务具负向影响;消费者不同条件下的线上偏好对企业决策有不同的影响;供应商服务成本分担契约能激励零售商提升线下产品服务,一定程度上改进企业独立运营的绩效水平。为进一步协调分散式供应链,在上述契约基础上设计了供应商收益分享及双边成本分担契约。数值算例发现：新契约在一定条件下可实现分散式供应链的完美协调;消费者参考质量过度依赖品牌商誉易产生"锚定心理",不仅会抑制成员生产和服务积极性,造成库存积压,阻碍品牌商誉积累,损害企业利润,也不利于消费者获得更好的购物体验。     

Encounter Satisfaction in E‐tailing: Are the Relationships of Order Fulfillment Service Quality with its Antecedents and Consequences Moderated by Historical Satisfaction?

This study focuses on whether historical satisfaction with an e‐tailer (HSat) moderates baseline relationships in order fulfillment service quality models. HSat is defined as satisfaction with the e‐tailer spanning all transactions except the current encounter. Encounter satisfaction (ESat) is defined as the consumer's satisfaction with the current transaction. In the baseline model, four order fulfillment service quality (OFSQ) dimensions managerially relevant to consumer e‐tailing are examined: timeliness, availability, condition, and billing accuracy. The baseline structural model results support that OFSQ dimensions impact ESat, which in turn predicts two key consequences—repurchase intention and word‐of‐mouth. Adaptation theory is used to model the role of HSat, while controlling for transaction recency, vendor familiarity, and competitive pricing. HSat is shown to have pervasive main and interaction effects upon all baseline model relationships. These moderation effects have great managerial relevance. For example, the results illustrate a phenomenon similar to the service recovery paradox, wherein when a negative service encounter is followed by a highly positive service recovery event, previously dissatisfied consumers, as compared to previously satisfied consumers, respond with higher levels of current satisfaction. For managers, this finding is encouraging because policies that create highly positive events for consumers can thus supersede past negative experiences. Our results show however that HSat cannot be completely superseded by current OFSQ or current ESat.     

不同市场能力下的“电商—平台—物流”在线销售系统的决策研究

近年来,随着互联网的快速发展,市场上衍生出了一些在线销售网站。考虑了一个包含电商卖家、电商平台和物流公司的在线销售系统模型,其中需求依赖于产品价格、平台和物流服务水平。研究了当物流、平台同时决策时,在线销售系统中电商卖家和平台、物流之间的不同市场能力结构问题。考虑了3种不同市场能力的分散决策模型:(1)物流-平台Stackelberg模型;(2)电商Stackelberg模型;(3)Nash模型。相关的均衡解和最优利润被得到。研究结果表明,在不同的市场能力结构下,当物流公司和平台同时决策时,即使他们的服务投入不相同,但最优收费相同。市场能力结构对在线销售成员和消费者有重要的影响。对电商而言,当市场能力较高时,会制定较低的零售价格,并获得最多的利润,同时能够提升消费者购买的积极性;当市场能力较低时,电商会制定较高的零售价格,并获得最少的利润。对平台和物流公司而言,当市场能力较高时,会制定比较高的收费,同时付出较少的努力,但并不能获得最高利润,同时会打击消费者的积极性;但是,当市场能力较低时,他们一定获得最少的利润。在Nash模型中,平台和物流公司会付出最大的努力,同时获得最大的利润,而整个在线销售系统的总利润也是最多。在物流-平台Stackelberg模型中,平台和物流公司付出的努力最少,而整个在线销售系统的总利润也最少。     

Managing behavioral intentions in diverse cultural environments: an investigation of service quality,service value,and satisfaction for American and Ecuadorian fast-food customers

This study reports a cross-cultural assessment of the effects of service quality, service value, and satisfaction on consumers' behavioral intentions. The study endeavors to extend recent advances in services marketing theory to the international level of analysis. A composite model of a service encounter is developed based on the literature cited and compared across 425 North American and Latin American fast-food customers. A number of significant findings are reported, including the empirical verification of the position that service value and satisfaction drive consumers' behavioral intentions in North America, whereas Latin Americans are found to emphasize satisfaction in their service assessments. These results indicate that American consumers tend to place more emphasis on the tradeoff between what they receive in the service encounter and what they have to give up to receive the benefit. Conversely, Latin American consumers place heightened importance on the more emotive satisfaction judgment. The immediate implication for practitioners in both regions is that North Americans should respond favorably to offerings that emphasize the quality of the meal relative to the expenditure required. Latin Americans, on the other hand, should respond to more emotional appeals that accentuate the pleasure derived from the encounter.     

Understanding the Determinants of Service Channel Preference in the Early Stages of Adoption: A Social Cognitive Perspective on Online Brokerage Services*

In today's increasingly technology‐mediated world, individuals are often confronted with a decision of whether to obtain services through online, self‐service technologies or traditional, nontechnological alternatives. Understanding the mechanisms by which consumers choose among these competing service channels represents an important concern for organizations, consumers, and Web site designers. This study develops a research model based on Social Cognitive Theory to explain and predict service channel preferences that arise in the early stages of adoption, before a consumer conducts business using a particular channel. The model is subsequently tested in the brokerage services context, using observations obtained via survey. Given the growing popularity of online investing combined with the challenging prospect of making optimal decisions in an inherently risky environment, the context offers insights of practical and theoretical importance. The results suggest that task‐specific self‐efficacy beliefs serve as the activating mechanism kicking off a chain of psychological events that entice consumers to favor a particular service channel. Higher levels of self‐efficacy induce individuals to prefer the online approach. In addition to its direct effect on preference for the online service channel, higher levels of self‐efficacy influence one's propensity to take risks and expectations of performance‐oriented rewards, which, in turn, sway consumers to favor the online service channel. Furthermore, self‐efficacy and perceptions concerning the credibility of online information interact to affect service channel preference. Consumers are more likely to prefer the online service channel when they view themselves as capable and perceive online sources to be credible. Implications for theory and practice are discussed in light of the findings.     

Evaluating the Deming Management Model of Total Quality in Services*

This article uses the Deming management model developed by Anderson et al. (1994b) as an initial template to analyze total quality in services. While the literatures addressing quality management have developed separately for products and services, the founders of total quality portrayed this management philosophy as universally oriented. Our study first replicates two earlier studies that tested the Deming management model in manufacturing industries. Using hospitals as our unit of analysis, we realized findings similar to the earlier manufacturing studies. Next, we used contributions from the MBNQA literature to test an enhanced model. Our subsequent findings support the MBNQA concept that “leadership drives the system that creates results” and provides evidence of the ubiquitous importance of leadership for ensuring the success of a quality improvement program. Finally, an anomaly of this study and those published earlier is the inability to find support for the relationship between continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. Integrating the substantial work in the service quality literature focused on customer satisfaction measurement is recommended to future researchers to help resolve this issue and further enhance the model.     

考虑鉴真服务和消费者偏好的混合E-供应链决策研究

鉴真服务平台通过提供鉴真服务,为线上商品的出售提供了质量保障,切实提高了消费满意度,降低了线上产品退货率。对此,本文构建了由鉴真服务E-供应链和传统E-供应链组成的混合E-供应链系统;运用Stackelberg博弈,求解集中式和分散式决策下的最优定价策略及利润;分析鉴真努力程度对各模型运作的影响,并对不同模型的最优决策进行比较;最后通过数值分析,对模型结论进行验证。研究表明：1)无论是集中式决策还是分散式决策,两个渠道的产品销售价格均随鉴真努力程度的增大而增加,而混合E-供应链总利润随鉴真努力程度的增大先减小后增大;2)分散式决策模式中,鉴真渠道的产品销售价格在销售商主导模型下更高,而销售商总利润和鉴真平台利润在鉴真平台主导模型下更高,且鉴真平台所获取的佣金及鉴真平台的利润均随鉴真努力程度的增大而增加,销售商总利润随鉴真努力程度的增加先减小后增大;3)集中式决策模式中混合E-供应链的总利润最高,且此时主要利润为销售商所得。本文的研究进一步丰富和发展了混合E-供应链决策理论,而且为鉴真服务平台和线上销售商的经营决策提供参考。     

An Exploratory Study of the Impact of e‐Service Process on Online Customer Satisfaction

Although extensive academic research has examined the dynamics of interpersonal interactions between service providers and customers, much less research has investigated customer service encounters through technological interfaces such as the Web in electronic commerce transactions. Corporate websites have become an important point of contact with customers for many companies. Service has been described as one of the most important attributes for online business to influence traffic and sales. However, more research is needed to understand how Web‐based technological capabilities of services affect customer satisfaction. In this paper, we propose viewing the interface between online buyers and sellers through the lens of service management to identify possible determinants of online customer satisfaction. A company's website is considered its electronic service delivery system. We look at this electronic service delivery system from its process point of view. Our findings indicate that as the electronic service delivery system process improves, a customer's perception of the website's ease of use increases, leading to increased service value and perceived control over the process, which increases customer satisfaction. The research provides evidence that the technological capabilities embedded in the website processes are an important factor in determining service quality and ultimately online customer satisfaction.     

基于外部比较下的服务补救后顾客行为意向的探讨

本研究探讨了同一顾客在一家企业经历了服务失败和服务补救后与在另外一家企业从未遭遇过服务失败的比较下其行为意向,为服务补救的研究提供了新的视角。本研究考察了顾客归因对服务补救预期的影响,验证了顾客的补救预期越高则其满意度越低,满意度越高则其行为意向越积极,证明了顾客的行为意向不仅受到满意度的影响还受到顾客感知的服务失败严重程度的影响。     

Adaptive versus Proactive Behavior in Service Recovery: The Role of Self‐Managing Teams

In this article, we develop a conceptual model of adaptive versus proactive recovery behavior by self‐managing teams (SMTs) in service recovery operations. To empirically test the conceptual model a combination of bank employee, customer, and archival data is collected. The results demonstrate support for independent group‐level effects of intrateam support on adaptive and proactive recovery behavior, indicating that perceptual consensus within service teams has incremental value in explaining service recovery performance. In addition, we provide evidence that adaptive and proactive recovery behavior have differential effects on external performance measures. More specifically, higher levels of adaptive performance positively influence customer‐based parameters (i.e., service recovery satisfaction and loyalty intentions), while employee proactive recovery behavior contributes to higher share of customer rates.     

Browse‐and‐Switch: Retail‐Online Competition under Value Uncertainty

Although online shopping is becoming popular, consumers who are unsure about whether to buy a product may find it advantageous to visit a brick‐and‐mortar retail store to first examine the product before purchasing it. But, after browsing at the store, consumers have the option of switching to an e‐tailer to purchase the item at a cheaper price rather than buying at the store. Recent business press refers to this browse‐and‐switch behavior as “showrooming,” and attributes to it the declining profits of brick‐and‐mortar retailers. To study the effect of the browse‐and‐switch option on retail and online pricing strategies and profits, we analyze a stylized economic model that incorporates uncertainty in consumers' valuation of the product, captures the heterogeneity among consumers in their inclination to purchase online, and permits product returns. We consider various equilibrium scenarios for different combinations of consumer shopping behaviors, characterize the parameter ranges for each scenario, and demonstrate that browse‐and‐switch behavior can indeed occur under equilibrium. Our analysis further shows that the option for consumers to browse‐and‐switch intensifies competition, reducing the profits for both firms.     

“线上销售/回收+线下服务”的闭环供应链定价与服务决策

对于“线上销售/回收+线下服务”的闭环供应链模式,研究了制造商在正向和逆向渠道中都与服务商进行收益共享情况下的最优销售/回收定价决策和最优服务水平决策,并比较了制造商领导的Stackelberg博弈、服务商领导的Stackelberg博弈、制造商与服务商Nash均衡博弈三种情形下的最优决策和最优利润。结果表明：最优的新产品销售价格和正向渠道服务水平均与正向渠道收益分成比例呈正相关;最优的废旧产品回收价格与逆向渠道收益分成比例呈负相关,而最优的逆向渠道服务水平与之呈正相关。制造商和服务商的最优利润不仅受正逆向渠道收益分成比例的影响,而且与新产品生产成本的大小有关：当新产品生产成本较小时,处于领导地位的一方获得的最优利润最大,而当新产品生产成本增大到一定程度后,对方处于领导地位时自身获得的最优利润反而最大,而双方均势时各自获得的最优利润均不占优。     

Impact of Value‐Added Service Features in e‐Retailing Processes: An Econometric Analysis of Web Site Functions

We examine the impact of three classes of Web site functions (foundational, customer‐centered, and value‐added) upon e‐retailer performance. Using secondary panel data for 2007–2009 on operating characteristics of over 600 e‐retailers, our econometric analysis finds that only the value‐added service functions are positively associated with changes in e‐retail sales revenues across time. We also observe a decreasing marginal impact of deploying additional value‐added service features. To account for possible alternate explanations, we control for firm‐ and time‐specific fixed effects, merchant types, merchandise categories, and order fulfillment strategies. By further decomposing e‐retail sales revenues into Web site traffic, conversion rate, and average order value, we find that Web site functions affect e‐retail sales revenues mainly through their impact on Web site traffic. Our investigation demonstrates the empirical research usefulness of the Voss conceptual e‐service sand cone model. Our results identify for managers where to focus ongoing e‐retailing system development efforts, yet suggest that focusing too many retailing capabilities on exploratory and experimental value‐added service features may backfire, potentially leading to worsening e‐retailer performance.