Impact of customer loyalty and service operations on customer behaviour and firm performance: empirical evidence from UK retail sector

Abstract

Retail networks are striving to achieve competitive advantage by increasing value through loyalty and efficiency with a focus on service operations. As sales promotions have become an integral part of the retail supply chain planning, customer behavioural aspects based on loyalty and service operations have been challenged greatly. Subsequently, management capabilities, such as planning and timely replenishment, have become complicated tasks for many retail store managers. This study develops a model integrating retail network value and efficiencies with customer behaviour and performance. We validate the model using survey data from prominent U.K. retail store customers. Our data analysis shows that both loyalty and service operation attributes have positive significant impact on customer behaviour, while the service operation mediates the relationship between loyalty and customer behaviour. This result gives a new outlook to build managerial capability based on customer loyalty and service operations. Our results specifically show that the service operation attributes will indirectly influence the customers’ buying behaviour even in the presence of loyalty attribute such as promotion schemes. This result sends a strong signal to retail supply chain managers to offer customised promotions considering local community rather than having uniform sales promotion nationwide.     

Inequality in Social Insurance Participation and Generosity: Do Firm Characteristics Matter?

Income inequality in China has been much documented and debated. However, one important aspect of income inequality – social insurance inequality – has been largely understudied. We use a large national panel of firm data to examine the possible influence of various firm characteristics on the inequalities in social insurance participation and generosity in the period 2004–07. Our findings reveal substantial ownership sector and regional gaps in social insurance provision by firms, with the private domestic sector and those in the central region lagging behind. Unionized firms, larger firms, and firms with greater market shares also tend to provide better social insurance to their employees. While being an exporting firm is linked with greater social insurance participation and generosity, being a purely exporting firm, however, is associated with reduced social insurance generosity. Lastly, highly educated workers receive substantially better social insurance coverage than their less educated peers. These social insurance inequalities are highly relevant as China pushes forward with establishing a unified social insurance system across urban‐rural boundaries, ownership sectors and industries.     

Trajectory of problem behaviours of Korean adopted children: using piecewise hierarchical linear growth modelling

This study examined the trajectory of problem behaviours in domestically adopted children in South Korea as they aged. This study used the Panel Study on Korean Adopted Children's longitudinal, three‐wave data (2006, 2008 and 2010). Although data were collected at three time points, our data consisted of six time points, which covered the 5–10 years age range of the adopted children at the time of survey. One hundred sixty‐four children were included in the analysis, 75 of whom contributed to one time point, 74 to two time points and 15 to three time points. The trajectory of the problem behaviours of adopted children was examined using a piecewise hierarchical linear growth model. Because the initial exploration of the data suggested non‐linear changes in behaviour problems over time, we split the growth trajectory into two time periods: Time 1 (5–7 years) and Time 2 (7–10 years). A two‐rate model was used to estimate separate slopes for the two time periods. Results showed that the externalizing and internalizing problems of adopted children have different trajectories. Internalizing problems did not show significant changes after 5 years of age, while externalizing problems increased until 7 years of age and decreased significantly thereafter.     

The role of social and cognitive factors in individual gambling: An empirical study on college students

Most of the studies on the determinants of individual gambling behaviour rely on cognitive theories. In our study, we argue that, besides cognitive factors, several social factors might play an important role as well. We analyse data from an ad hoc webmail survey conducted on about 2000 undergraduate students enrolled in a large public university in the Northern Italy in the academic year 2012–13. Using a variety of statistical techniques (standard regression models, boosted regression trees and structural equations models), we show that social variables affect both participation in gambling in the past year and latent gambling propensity. In particular, controlling for several proxies for individual cognitive ability and understanding of probability, gambling propensity is positively affected by the degree of gambling in the social surrounding (parents, peers, neighbourhood) and the acceptability of gambling activities to the individual. Moreover, in our sample of college students the role of social factors appears to be larger than that of cognitive factors, and this is consistent across different types of models and specifications.     

Gendered experiences of physical restraint on locked wards for women

Physical restraint is used in inpatient services for people with intellectual disabilities as a way of holding a person to avoid injury. This article uses data from an ethnographic study in a locked unit in the north of England to explore women’s experiences of physical restraint using a feminist disability studies analysis. Data consists of field notes as well as interviews with 16 of the women who had experienced restraint, and 10 staff who worked with them. The women gave insights into the gendered phenomenon of restraint in light of their past experiences of violence. The authors argue that restraint is used with women to encourage passivity at times when more relational and therapeutic methods could be used. The article offers recommendations for alternative strategies that services can encourage.     

营业转让的法律规则需求

营业转让作为一种将具有一定营业目的、有组织的机能性财产全部或者重要部分进行有偿转让的商事活动,已在我国商事实践中广泛进行,并越来越为商事主体所青睐。这是因为,在现代市场经济活动中,企业为了进行组织体重构、经营规模再造或者营业活动更新,可以通过受让他人具有营运价值的营业财产及相关营业活动,快速实现自身扩张、良性循环、获取盈利之营业目的。     

以现代教学论指导普通物理教学

本文针对师范院校非物理专业的“普通物理”教与学的矛盾,以现代教学理论为指导,近年来探索新的教学策略,并致力实施,调动了学习积极性和改进评价,取得了较好效果。     

论钱谦益与东林党争

作为明末清初颇具争议的人物,钱谦益身兼东林党魁与文坛盟主于一身。与文坛上的自鸣得意相反,政坛上的钱谦益屡陷党争的漩涡,难以自拔,纵观其一生的政治生涯,大略可划分为：一、科场未第时;二、万历庚戌科场案;三、天启浙闱关节案;四、党魁之目始成;五、崇祯枚卜案;六、辛丑狱案;七、策划周延儒入阁;八、入清复明运动等八个阶段。     

内隐社会认知中攻击性行为的性别差异研究

随机抽取大学本科男女生各 2 0名 ,使用不同性别人物在攻击与被攻击行为中相互作用的图片为实验材料 ,采用 2× 4× 2混合实验设计 ,研究内隐社会认知中的性别差异。结果表明 :1.内隐记忆与外显记忆实验性分离 ,支持多重记忆系统理论 ;2 .在内隐社会认知中 ,对攻击性行为的认知不存在性别差异 ;3.再次发现内隐认知态度 ;4 .内隐记忆无需有意注意参与     

国家机关侵权责任在立法上的冲突

国家机关及其工作人员的民事赔偿责任与国家赔偿责任是两种性质完全不同的法律责任。我国《民法通则》和《国家赔偿法》对国家机关及其工作人员因职务侵权行为所应承担的责任分别规定为民事赔偿责任和国家赔偿责任,这种立法上的冲突应尽快解决。建议在制定民法典时对《民法通则》的相关规定作修改或废止。