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- Company social networks: customer communities or supplementary services?Publication . Martins, Carla; Patricio, LiaPurpose: The purpose of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the antecedents and consequences of loyalty to consumer networks hosted by companies in the scope of social networking sites (SNS). These company social networks (CSNs) have traditionally been studied as online brand communities but more research is needed to understand their role for host companies. Design/methodology/approach: This study identifies CSN performance dimensions (host reputation, informativeness, communication self-expressiveness, rewarding activity and consumption support) and analyzes how they influence attitudes and behavioral intentions toward CSNs (identification with the community, satisfaction and loyalty) and toward the host company (satisfaction and loyalty). A conceptual model is tested through a survey administered to members of a large grocery retailer CSN on Facebook. Findings: Results show that all six identified performance dimensions significantly impact CSN loyalty. However, while self-expressiveness, communication and rewarding activity (which are closely related to social and hedonic value) are predictors of loyalty to the CSN, through the mediation of identification with the community, they neither indirectly (through the mediation of identification) nor directly impact satisfaction with the host. Conversely, informativeness, communication and host reputation are good predictors of loyalty to the CSN, through mediation of satisfaction with the CSN, and also exert an indirect positive influence on satisfaction with the host. Finally, consumption support positively influences loyalty to the CSN through the mediation of identification with the community and directly positively influences satisfaction with the host company. Originality/value: These results reveal the dichotomous nature of CSNs, as communities of people with shared interests and supplementary services created by companies to add value to their core offering. While perceptions regarding the community facet are independent from attitude toward the host, perceptions regarding supplementary service are significant predictors of satisfaction with the host. These results offer implications for future research and management of companies’ social media presence.
- Environmental concerns – uniting generations for a global cause in turbulent timesPublication . Silva, Susana Costa e; Duarte, Paulo; Martins, Carla; Collaço, PauloA radical set of social and structural shifts in the last years has transformed the world, bringing a confusing order that few have been able to predict. Common sense information and myths about Millennials’ generation define them as being very homogeneous and different from other generations, which would be already a complex dimension to analyze. However, the complexity increases according to some studies that suggest that other generations have a flawed perception of Millennials. Based on this, the purpose of this chapter is to assess the self-image Millennials regarding consumption behavior and compare it with how they are perceived by other generations, namely, Boomers and Generation Xers. Identifying and understanding the differences could assist in improving the ability to market to them. To conduct this study, a survey was developed to collect data from each group of interest located in the same institutional setting to avoid institutional distance. The constructs included were Technology Savviness, Social Responsibility, Environmental Concern, Status Consumption, and Brand Loyalty. The final sample consisted of 342 participants where 182 were Millennials (53.8%) and the remaining 160 were either Baby Boomers or Generation Xers (42.8%). The current results support the idea of differences between self and other perception, although not in every dimension. The results show that Millennials and older generations have different perceptions regarding Millennial technology savviness, social responsibility, status consumption, and brand loyalty. Environmental concern was the only dimension where the self-opinion of Millennials did not differ from the other generations. Current findings are pertinent because differences in Millennial’s behaviors are important for companies addressing international markets. These results challenge research conducted in other cultural landscapes and call for the need to validate the typical pattern, which lays over the idea that there are significant differences among Millennials’ self-perception and perception of others about them. Because this information provides useful knowledge for brands to become more effective, it is crucial for managers of companies conducting business in a global context to be acquainted with it. This will promote the possibilities to create and maintain close relationships with the Millennials, taking into account the institutional setting in which they grew up. Finally, this study emphasizes the importance of environmental concerns in the current world, which may have the power to unite different generations for a single global cause, thus sorting out some of the confusion.
- Omnichannel approach: factors affecting consumer acceptancePublication . Silva, Susana Costa e; Martins, Carla Carvalho; Sousa, João Martins deThe omnichannel approach is a new commercial opportunity that aims to offer consumers a unique and satisfying experience through any touch point. This research aims to understand the factors that might lead consumers to accept and use this new approach. The conceptual model was tested empirically using primary data collected from 210 Portuguese participants. The results reported suggest that perceptions of usefulness, ease of use, and compatibility have a positive effect on brand experience, which strongly affects the behavioral intention to use. Additionally, a moderation analysis, using user status as a moderator, shows that while usefulness is important to uniquely explain use intention for low frequency, ease of use is only a good predictor of use intention for high-frequency users. This research provides useful insights for academic research by shedding light on this new phenomenon, and simultaneously for businesses by deriving some implications for defining their omnichannel strategies.