Purpose Despite a significant rise in the adoption of online stock trading applications, the research on measuring and enhancing the service experience of customers is scarce. This paper aims to put forth a credible service performance measurement tool, APPQUAL, customized for stock trading applications. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a multi-method research using qualitative and quantitative research. Further, structural equation modeling is used to establish constructs for measuring service performance. Findings APPQUAL is conceived and built to measure the service performance of stock trading applications. The APPQUAL measures service performance based on five unique dimensions – Safety Accuracy, Performance, Support and Usability associated with the perceived e-service quality of stock trading applications. Research limitations/implications This study extends measurement scales for service quality measurement for a relatively new service of online stock trading applications. The scales are adapted as well as built with the help of an iterative process. The methodology is in line with the previous academic research, and the new scales developed can lead to further extensions to scale for different services. Practical implications The APPQUAL tool developed as part of this study can be applied to assess service performance and perceived service quality of stock trading applications, which have leap frogged in terms of adoption but have also been met with criticism on poor customer experience. This study shall add to the body of knowledge of stock trading platforms to enhance service experience by targeting the right factors and underlying items. The efficacy and application of the tool have been demonstrated in this paper by applying it to Zerodha and Upstox, the two of the biggest online stock trading applications in India. Originality/value There is no research or tool available currently which focuses on the service quality of the new-age platform application of stock trading apps. This is especially glaring due to the large-scale adoption of these applications by Indian customers.
The good old days for businesses where they were only concerned with conceiving and communicating a message to its target audience are long gone. The conversations since then have turned into two ways between the business and the customer, and vice versa. While businesses are gearing up to this new reality, a new conversation reality has emerged where the conversations are happening among customers about brands, but without them. Businesses are losing control of the narrative and the conversations have become more interactive and engaging instead of preachy and one-sided as they used to be. Essentially, conversations are happening on multiple platforms in multiple ways and multiple spaces, with or without the business being involved. Social Listening can help.
The research aims to deconstruct trust in beauty service into underlying latent variables with observable predictors. It further analyses the influence of these latent variables on the service recommendation behaviour of customers for beauty service. Factor reduction using EFA and structural equation modelling using CFA with AMOS 18 was applied on two samples of 214 and 225 respondents. The two latent constructs strongly representing trust were identified as “trust due to customer education” and “trust due to safety and hygiene.” These factors were found to play a significant role in service recommendation when it comes to beauty service.
Internet-based services have emerged at a fast pace, but the literature thereon has not kept pace with it. Researchers and marketers still refer to the traditional marketing frameworks to define and manage these services. This paper argues that this approach is detrimental both to the academicians and the practitioners. The paper attempts to establish that Internet-based services are significantly different from the traditional services and require contemporary marketing frameworks. Further, a new-age marketing mix, SAFE, is proposed, which is expected to help marketers manage Internet-based service more efficiently.
Gamification has gained significant attention in the last decade, both, in academic and service marketing domains. The application of gamification in service marketing, especially in the service experience domain has shown promise in terms of user adoption and engagement. However, there is a dearth in academic literature on adoption of gamification in servicescape, and integration of the gamification and service experience streams of literature. This paper aims at achieving multiple objectives starting from integration of gamification and service experience literature, as well as building a set of motivation drivers for gamification, and a process structure for service experience with the help of extant research. The paper is based on a systematic literature review of 53 papers in the areas of gamification, and service experience. The paper then compares the gamification phenomena and service experience processes to extract motivation drivers, and process structures for gamification and service experience respectively. Finally, a convergence framework for gamification and service experience is discussed that shall help service practitioners by driving adoption and utilisation of gamification effectively for shaping improved service experience.
Flash sales help online portals to push sales and profits temporarily by creating a false sense of scarcity of the products. However, often an inability to procure a product due to its limited quantity as propagated by flash sales, may influence consumer perceptions and negatively buying behavior. This alteration in behavior could be temporary or permanent and forever affect the brand’s reputation in consumer’s minds. There has been limited research on how flash sales may lead to negative consumer responses due to their inability to buy products that they need. This paper aims at converging the concept of scarcity with flash sales, and then discuss the possible negative outcome responses by customers when they are unable to get better off a flash sales. The study shows that consumers not only feel dissatisfied when they are unable to get their hands on the product they need but may feel and express anger towards the brand, leading to brand switch and in some cases activism.
TV news channels have been facing competition not just from the industry rivals but also from the players disseminating news from different platforms. This has made it imperative for the news channels to devise marketing strategies that can be targeted on specific audience in an effective manner. The first step hence is to identify these segments which can be targeted. TV news channels need to understand the association between various demographic variables and the attributes related to the consumption of news on TV News channels. However, there are limited studies that link specific demographic variables to the TV new consumptions behaviour in India leaving channels to market to its audience in a one-size- fits-all manner which is expensive and ineffective. Findings suggest that there are specific associations between some of the demographic variables and traits that define consumption behaviour of audience on TV news channel. The findings can help TV news channels to identify the right segment for their content, while also create newer content based on the identified segments based on demographic variables. It would also help the channels to spend their marketing dollars on narrower and specific segments of audience, thus achieving better returns on their marketing spends.
This paper is based on a theoretical approach to service design, Design Thinking and the integration between the two concepts. The evolution of the traditional service design process was argued and its limitations critically examined. Furthermore, the adoption of Design Thinking in the service design process was discussed so that it helps organizations overcome the existing limitations in service design. This was aided graphically by comparing the differences and similarities between the service design process, with and without the Design Thinking approach. It was argued that Design Thinking has the ability to plug gaps in traditional service design methods due to its human-centric core and co-design shell. This paper shall help service designers and managers decide on the adoption of Design Thinking for service design process based on the slated arguments. Finally, a set of organizational challenges that may influence the application of Design Thinking were listed for managers to be cognizant of while trying to integrate Design Thinking in their existing service design process.
Ingredient branding, as one of the potent branding strategies, relies upon the added equity based on a strategic alliance of two brands. This article aims to discuss the fundamentals of ingredient branding and consolidate the extant knowledge with the help of an extensive literature review. A set of implementation guidelines for ingredient branding strategy, as well as the risks associated with the strategy, have been discussed. Finally, it has been argued that ingredient branding, due to its nuances and advantages can be useful for a firm to differentiate against its competitors in a highly commoditized market. This article will help managers and marketers decide about adopting an ingredient branding strategy, and choosing the right ingredient for the host brand to achieve a sustainable differentiation against competition.
Limited theoretical support on establishing a brand as a source of sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) has impaired the idea of strengthening brands for SCA. Acknowledging brands as assets and exploring brand makeover strategies could be helpful for an organisation to create and sustain a competitive advantage. This paper aims at proposing and cementing this view about brands and explores various strategies for brands to enjoy competitive advantage. An extensive literature review has been carried out to build associations between a brand and resulting SCA, and a theoretical classification that can encapsulate all possible brand makeover strategies has been proposed by analysing various facets of brands, known as brand elements. Firms must ensure that brands undergo a makeover regularly in order to sustain this competitive advantage. Brand makeover strategies will help marketing managers to secure and exploit brands as an asset in the long term and in a profitable way.
While climate change has had a severe effect globally, its impact is often the highest on the most vulnerable segments of the society. Indian farmers who are already reeling under the pressure in farming owing to high rates of credit interest, falling size of land holding and overcapacity in terms of people engaged in farming, have been affected badly by the climate change and its outcome. Climate change has had negative economic impact on Indian farmers pushing them into debt trap and sometimes to the most unfortunate situation of committing suicide. Climate change comprises of many components but the most important ones in terms of impact on farming are – temperature fluctuation and untimely or deficient rains.
A business incubator is characterized as a point of contact between the market and the entrepreneurs' proposed business concepts. It includes provision of differential facilities like infrastructure, mentorship, capital and expertise so that there is effective utilization of creativity and ability. This research work assess the performance of technological business incubators (TBIs) based on no. of patent granted, support services offered by TBI, services offered in TBI, selection criteria for incubate, exit criteria for incubatee, academia linkage, corporate linkage, nature of functioning as a performance indicator. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for testing the significance of hypotheses. Findings show that no. of patent granted, selection criteria for incubatee, corporate linkage, and nature of functioning of TBI have a significant influence on TBI success.
