This paper presents the results of an exploratory study on how travellers form impressions of the... more This paper presents the results of an exploratory study on how travellers form impressions of the image projected by a prestigious hotel, with data collected from 409 respondents. The main purpose of the study is to gain more insight into the cues used by travellers evaluating corporate image in the context of an intangible service offering, and to determine the importance of these cues in customers' overall assessment of image. The study identifies a set of five factors that explain corporate image. In order of importance, these factors are physical environment, corporate identity, service personnel, quality of services and accessibility. Implications for tracking and building corporate image are given:
Cet article se propose d’identifier un ensemble d’éléments d’information expliquant la valeur p... more Cet article se propose d’identifier un ensemble d’éléments d’information expliquant la valeur perçue par les membres de coopératives de services. Les résultats obtenus à la suite d’entrevues individuel- les et de groupe réalisées en 2006 dans trois pays, le Mexique, le Brésil et le Canada, permettent de constater le rôle déterminant de facteurs à dominance coopérative, comme l’identité coopérative et les avantages pécuniaires, dans la perception des membres à l’égard de leur coopérative. D’autres facteurs à dominance de service, comme la qualité, l’offre de produits et de services ainsi que le personnel de contact, viennent s’ajouter aux éléments d’information privilégiés par les membres dans leur évaluation de la valeur. Sur le plan des pratiques managériales, la connaissance de ces facteurs permet d’une part, d’apporter des corrections visant une concordance entre les stratégies en faveur de la création de la valeur et les attentes des membres et, d’autre part, d’aider les organisations coopératives à mieux définir leur positionnement dans l’environnement concurrentiel afin de contribuer au développement économique et social des régions.
International Journal of Educational Management, 1999
This article examines the concept of service value in business education with data collected from... more This article examines the concept of service value in business education with data collected from 402 students of a small business school. A set of factors were found to impact on students’ evaluation of value during their educational experience. More precisely, the results indicate that the relationship between price and quality, the knowledge acquired, the economic utility of a business degree, image, as well as social and emotional value, are important drivers of value in business education. Moreover, when comparing value judgements on the basis of gender and year of study, the results show that male students are more inclined to focus on social value during service consumption, and that females are more critical of the price/quality relationship as it relates to value. Overall, the results show that as students progress in their studies they are less likely to believe that a business degree will guarantee a good salary and career advancements. Conversely, a positive affective re...
International Journal of Educational Management, 2001
With data collected from 395 students of a business school, investigates the role of institutiona... more With data collected from 395 students of a business school, investigates the role of institutional image and institutional reputation in the formation of customer loyalty. The results indicate that the degree of loyalty has a tendency to be higher when perceptions of both institutional reputation and institutional image are favourable. The results also show that the addition of the interaction term between both constructs helps to explain more customer loyalty. Discusses research and managerial implications.
Résumé L’objectif de la présente étude consiste à examiner, à l’aide des données recueillies aupr... more Résumé L’objectif de la présente étude consiste à examiner, à l’aide des données recueillies auprès d’un échantillon de 487 membres et clients des magasins « Coop », le rôle de la réputation et de l’image institutionnelles dans la formation de la fidélité de la clientèle. Les résultats obtenus révèlent une influence importante de la réputation et de l’image, ainsi que leur effet interactif significatif sur la fidélité. Ces résultats permettent ainsi de confirmer l’interaction entre la réputation et l’image, deux notions issues vraisemblablement d’un même processus d’évaluation. Sur le plan pratique, les mêmes résultats s’avèrent particulièrement utiles aux gestionnaires dans le choix des éléments d’une stratégie de positionnement de l’organisation dans le but d’influencer les intentions comportementales du consommateur. Enfin, les limites ainsi que les avenues de recherche seront discutées.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of benevolence as a moderator... more PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of benevolence as a moderator variable that enhances the effect of service employees' competence on the customer's perception of a service firm's image.Design/methodology/approachA hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed on data collected from 445 customers in a financial service setting to assess the influence of competence and benevolence, as well as their interactive effects on corporate image.FindingsThe results show a significant interaction between competence and benevolence in their influence on corporate image. The results reinforce the idea that benevolence intervenes as a moderator variable that enhances the impact of competence on corporate image.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has limited generalisation given the convenient sample and the great variety of service industries. The efficacy of the direct measures and the hierarchical multiple regression must be conside...
The review of the literature reveals various relationships between the constructs of social ident... more The review of the literature reveals various relationships between the constructs of social identity, customer trust, and customer loyalty. Such results lead to questioning the nature of the conceptual structure that would include these constructs as well as their interrelationships in a structural model. From this perspective, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the mediating role of customer trust on customer loyalty in presence of corporate social identity in the context of financial institutions. Using data collected from 1296 customers-members of credit unions, the results of this study help to legitimize the idea that customer trust intervenes as a mediating variable that enhances the impact of corporate identity, corporate image and the reputation of the firm on customer loyalty. The implications of the study are discussed from both the research and managerial perspectives.
International Journal of Service Industry Management, 2002
The purpose of this article is to evaluate empirically the impact of contact personnel and physic... more The purpose of this article is to evaluate empirically the impact of contact personnel and physical environment on the perception of corporate image by new clients by using the hierarchical multiple regression analysis capable of exploring the potential presence of higher order and interaction terms. With data collected in two service industries, namely 272 new clients of a life insurance company and 238 travellers in a hotel, a linear relationship with corporate image was statistically confirmed for contact personnel, while a potential curvilinear relationship was found for physical environment. The results reveal the significant effect of both contact personnel and physical environment, as well as their interactive effects on corporate image. The managerial and research implications of the reported study are discussed.
International Journal of Service Industry Management, 1996
Investigates the concept of corporate image in intangible services with data collected from 342 c... more Investigates the concept of corporate image in intangible services with data collected from 342 customers of a financial institution. Identifies four factors that explain customers’ perceptions of image. Highlights the implications for tracking and building corporate image in service firms.
In the present competitive environment, corporate reputation and corporate image are acknowledged... more In the present competitive environment, corporate reputation and corporate image are acknowledged as having the potential to impact on customer loyalty toward the "rm. However, the literature reveals that the precise nature of the relationships that exist between reputation and image and the understanding of their e!ect on customer behaviour remains a key challenge for both academia and management alike. With data collected in three service industries, namely 222 consumers in the retail sector, 171 clients of a major long-distance company and 395 students of a faculty of business administration, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by empirically testing the nature of the relationship between corporate reputation and corporate image and their e!ect on the customers' retention decisions. The results of the study reveal that the degree of customer loyalty has a tendency to be higher when perceptions of both corporate reputation and corporate image are strongly favourable. Moreover, the addition of the interaction between both constructs contributes to better explain customer loyalty. The implications of the study are discussed from both the research and managerial perspectives.
International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 2001
Examines the concept of perceived value with data collected from 1,323 members in four retail co‐... more Examines the concept of perceived value with data collected from 1,323 members in four retail co‐operatives. A set of six factors was found to have effect on members’ perceptions of the value of products and services they received from their retail co‐ops. In descending order of importance these factors are: the co‐operative form of organisation, contact personnel, in‐store specials, responsiveness, communication policy, and price comparisons. Price comparisons with the products/services offered by competing retail stores were found to have a negative impact on the members’ assessments of value. Moreover, when comparing value judgements on the basis of the variables, education and number of years the respondents had been with the co‐op, the results showed that the more educated the members were, the more likely they were to give feedback to the organisation. In addition, members that had been with the co‐op for one to three years were more apt to believe that management would respon...
Increasing competition on international markets has led many companies to consider quality as a s... more Increasing competition on international markets has led many companies to consider quality as a strategic tool capable of influencing market share and return on investment. Yet a review of the marketing literature reveals a serious lack of explanatory and empirical studies on the concept of quality and its related phenomena as it applies to the service sector. This article presents the results of an exploratory study on service quality in a financial institution setting, using data collected from 1,224 respondents. A set of six factors that explain perceived quality is identified, namely the degree of customer satisfaction, the contact personnel, the internal organisation, the physical environment and instruments, the corporate image, and the personnel/customer interaction during the service encounter.
Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences / Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l'Administration, 2009
ABSTRACT RésuméLe présent article se propose par un processus rétrospectif d'identifier u... more ABSTRACT RésuméLe présent article se propose par un processus rétrospectif d'identifier un ensemble d'éléments d'information utilisés par les nouveaux clients dans leur perception de l'image d'une entreprise de service. Les résultats obtenus lors d'une enquěte menée auprès de 474 clients nouvellement acquis d'une compagnie d'assurance-vie mettent en relief l'effet de quatre groupes d'information sur l'image perçue de l'entreprise, à savoir par ordre d'importance la qualité de son offre de services, l'environnement physique où se déroule la prestation du service, sa politique de communication et son identité. évidemment, le rǒle clé du concept de service dans la stratégie visant à influencer ou à modifier les croyances et les attitudes des groupes cibles envers l'entreprise est confirmé par ces résultats, qui soulignent aussi l'importance des éléments tangibles comme indicateurs privilégés de l'intage des entreprises de service.AbstractFrom a retrospective perspective, this study investigates the concept of corporate image in intangible services with data collected from 474 new clients of a life insurance company. The study identifies a set of four factors that signal image to customers, namely, in order of importance, the quality of service, the physical environment where the service is produced and consumed, the company's communication strategy, and corporate identity. The dominant role of service quality and tangible elements in the process of corporate image formation is underlined. The implications for tracking and building corporate image in service firms are discussed.
This paper presents the results of an exploratory study on how travellers form impressions of the... more This paper presents the results of an exploratory study on how travellers form impressions of the image projected by a prestigious hotel, with data collected from 409 respondents. The main purpose of the study is to gain more insight into the cues used by travellers evaluating corporate image in the context of an intangible service offering, and to determine the importance of these cues in customers' overall assessment of image. The study identifies a set of five factors that explain corporate image. In order of importance, these factors are physical environment, corporate identity, service personnel, quality of services and accessibility. Implications for tracking and building corporate image are given:
Cet article se propose d’identifier un ensemble d’éléments d’information expliquant la valeur p... more Cet article se propose d’identifier un ensemble d’éléments d’information expliquant la valeur perçue par les membres de coopératives de services. Les résultats obtenus à la suite d’entrevues individuel- les et de groupe réalisées en 2006 dans trois pays, le Mexique, le Brésil et le Canada, permettent de constater le rôle déterminant de facteurs à dominance coopérative, comme l’identité coopérative et les avantages pécuniaires, dans la perception des membres à l’égard de leur coopérative. D’autres facteurs à dominance de service, comme la qualité, l’offre de produits et de services ainsi que le personnel de contact, viennent s’ajouter aux éléments d’information privilégiés par les membres dans leur évaluation de la valeur. Sur le plan des pratiques managériales, la connaissance de ces facteurs permet d’une part, d’apporter des corrections visant une concordance entre les stratégies en faveur de la création de la valeur et les attentes des membres et, d’autre part, d’aider les organisations coopératives à mieux définir leur positionnement dans l’environnement concurrentiel afin de contribuer au développement économique et social des régions.
International Journal of Educational Management, 1999
This article examines the concept of service value in business education with data collected from... more This article examines the concept of service value in business education with data collected from 402 students of a small business school. A set of factors were found to impact on students’ evaluation of value during their educational experience. More precisely, the results indicate that the relationship between price and quality, the knowledge acquired, the economic utility of a business degree, image, as well as social and emotional value, are important drivers of value in business education. Moreover, when comparing value judgements on the basis of gender and year of study, the results show that male students are more inclined to focus on social value during service consumption, and that females are more critical of the price/quality relationship as it relates to value. Overall, the results show that as students progress in their studies they are less likely to believe that a business degree will guarantee a good salary and career advancements. Conversely, a positive affective re...
International Journal of Educational Management, 2001
With data collected from 395 students of a business school, investigates the role of institutiona... more With data collected from 395 students of a business school, investigates the role of institutional image and institutional reputation in the formation of customer loyalty. The results indicate that the degree of loyalty has a tendency to be higher when perceptions of both institutional reputation and institutional image are favourable. The results also show that the addition of the interaction term between both constructs helps to explain more customer loyalty. Discusses research and managerial implications.
Résumé L’objectif de la présente étude consiste à examiner, à l’aide des données recueillies aupr... more Résumé L’objectif de la présente étude consiste à examiner, à l’aide des données recueillies auprès d’un échantillon de 487 membres et clients des magasins « Coop », le rôle de la réputation et de l’image institutionnelles dans la formation de la fidélité de la clientèle. Les résultats obtenus révèlent une influence importante de la réputation et de l’image, ainsi que leur effet interactif significatif sur la fidélité. Ces résultats permettent ainsi de confirmer l’interaction entre la réputation et l’image, deux notions issues vraisemblablement d’un même processus d’évaluation. Sur le plan pratique, les mêmes résultats s’avèrent particulièrement utiles aux gestionnaires dans le choix des éléments d’une stratégie de positionnement de l’organisation dans le but d’influencer les intentions comportementales du consommateur. Enfin, les limites ainsi que les avenues de recherche seront discutées.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of benevolence as a moderator... more PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of benevolence as a moderator variable that enhances the effect of service employees' competence on the customer's perception of a service firm's image.Design/methodology/approachA hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed on data collected from 445 customers in a financial service setting to assess the influence of competence and benevolence, as well as their interactive effects on corporate image.FindingsThe results show a significant interaction between competence and benevolence in their influence on corporate image. The results reinforce the idea that benevolence intervenes as a moderator variable that enhances the impact of competence on corporate image.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has limited generalisation given the convenient sample and the great variety of service industries. The efficacy of the direct measures and the hierarchical multiple regression must be conside...
The review of the literature reveals various relationships between the constructs of social ident... more The review of the literature reveals various relationships between the constructs of social identity, customer trust, and customer loyalty. Such results lead to questioning the nature of the conceptual structure that would include these constructs as well as their interrelationships in a structural model. From this perspective, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the mediating role of customer trust on customer loyalty in presence of corporate social identity in the context of financial institutions. Using data collected from 1296 customers-members of credit unions, the results of this study help to legitimize the idea that customer trust intervenes as a mediating variable that enhances the impact of corporate identity, corporate image and the reputation of the firm on customer loyalty. The implications of the study are discussed from both the research and managerial perspectives.
International Journal of Service Industry Management, 2002
The purpose of this article is to evaluate empirically the impact of contact personnel and physic... more The purpose of this article is to evaluate empirically the impact of contact personnel and physical environment on the perception of corporate image by new clients by using the hierarchical multiple regression analysis capable of exploring the potential presence of higher order and interaction terms. With data collected in two service industries, namely 272 new clients of a life insurance company and 238 travellers in a hotel, a linear relationship with corporate image was statistically confirmed for contact personnel, while a potential curvilinear relationship was found for physical environment. The results reveal the significant effect of both contact personnel and physical environment, as well as their interactive effects on corporate image. The managerial and research implications of the reported study are discussed.
International Journal of Service Industry Management, 1996
Investigates the concept of corporate image in intangible services with data collected from 342 c... more Investigates the concept of corporate image in intangible services with data collected from 342 customers of a financial institution. Identifies four factors that explain customers’ perceptions of image. Highlights the implications for tracking and building corporate image in service firms.
In the present competitive environment, corporate reputation and corporate image are acknowledged... more In the present competitive environment, corporate reputation and corporate image are acknowledged as having the potential to impact on customer loyalty toward the "rm. However, the literature reveals that the precise nature of the relationships that exist between reputation and image and the understanding of their e!ect on customer behaviour remains a key challenge for both academia and management alike. With data collected in three service industries, namely 222 consumers in the retail sector, 171 clients of a major long-distance company and 395 students of a faculty of business administration, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by empirically testing the nature of the relationship between corporate reputation and corporate image and their e!ect on the customers' retention decisions. The results of the study reveal that the degree of customer loyalty has a tendency to be higher when perceptions of both corporate reputation and corporate image are strongly favourable. Moreover, the addition of the interaction between both constructs contributes to better explain customer loyalty. The implications of the study are discussed from both the research and managerial perspectives.
International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 2001
Examines the concept of perceived value with data collected from 1,323 members in four retail co‐... more Examines the concept of perceived value with data collected from 1,323 members in four retail co‐operatives. A set of six factors was found to have effect on members’ perceptions of the value of products and services they received from their retail co‐ops. In descending order of importance these factors are: the co‐operative form of organisation, contact personnel, in‐store specials, responsiveness, communication policy, and price comparisons. Price comparisons with the products/services offered by competing retail stores were found to have a negative impact on the members’ assessments of value. Moreover, when comparing value judgements on the basis of the variables, education and number of years the respondents had been with the co‐op, the results showed that the more educated the members were, the more likely they were to give feedback to the organisation. In addition, members that had been with the co‐op for one to three years were more apt to believe that management would respon...
Increasing competition on international markets has led many companies to consider quality as a s... more Increasing competition on international markets has led many companies to consider quality as a strategic tool capable of influencing market share and return on investment. Yet a review of the marketing literature reveals a serious lack of explanatory and empirical studies on the concept of quality and its related phenomena as it applies to the service sector. This article presents the results of an exploratory study on service quality in a financial institution setting, using data collected from 1,224 respondents. A set of six factors that explain perceived quality is identified, namely the degree of customer satisfaction, the contact personnel, the internal organisation, the physical environment and instruments, the corporate image, and the personnel/customer interaction during the service encounter.
Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences / Revue Canadienne des Sciences de l'Administration, 2009
ABSTRACT RésuméLe présent article se propose par un processus rétrospectif d'identifier u... more ABSTRACT RésuméLe présent article se propose par un processus rétrospectif d'identifier un ensemble d'éléments d'information utilisés par les nouveaux clients dans leur perception de l'image d'une entreprise de service. Les résultats obtenus lors d'une enquěte menée auprès de 474 clients nouvellement acquis d'une compagnie d'assurance-vie mettent en relief l'effet de quatre groupes d'information sur l'image perçue de l'entreprise, à savoir par ordre d'importance la qualité de son offre de services, l'environnement physique où se déroule la prestation du service, sa politique de communication et son identité. évidemment, le rǒle clé du concept de service dans la stratégie visant à influencer ou à modifier les croyances et les attitudes des groupes cibles envers l'entreprise est confirmé par ces résultats, qui soulignent aussi l'importance des éléments tangibles comme indicateurs privilégés de l'intage des entreprises de service.AbstractFrom a retrospective perspective, this study investigates the concept of corporate image in intangible services with data collected from 474 new clients of a life insurance company. The study identifies a set of four factors that signal image to customers, namely, in order of importance, the quality of service, the physical environment where the service is produced and consumed, the company's communication strategy, and corporate identity. The dominant role of service quality and tangible elements in the process of corporate image formation is underlined. The implications for tracking and building corporate image in service firms are discussed.
Uploads
Papers by nha nguyen