Impact of Social Exclusion on Customer Participation in Innovation: Role of Customer-Company Identification

In a social context, customer participation in the innovation process is often accompanied by social exclusion situations, which are generally believed to have a negative impact on individuals. However, research results and marketing practices show that social exclusion can also exert a positive influence on creativity, product selection, perceived risk, and so on. Through two experimental studies, this research explores the relationship between social exclusion and customer participation in innovation. It finds that social exclusion has a positive influence on customer participation in innovation and that customer-company identification mediates this relationship.

The Role of CSR Engagement in Customer-Company Identification and Behavioral Intention During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The global coronavirus pandemic has reignited a strategic debate among the business community of the necessity for corporate social responsibility (CSR) engagement in the ever-dynamic social media. Considering the global economic downturn introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, the present research is devoted to investigating whether CSR engagement in social media can help DiDi (a Chinese shared brand) at stake survive this overwhelming crisis. A theoretical model proposed to describe the hypothesized relationships was tested by a Structural Equation Modeling technique through the empirical online questionnaire. Through findings, we demonstrated that there was a positive relationship between CSR engagement of DiDi on WeChat, customer–company identification (C–C identification), and behavioral intention [purchase intention, brand loyalty, and e-word-of-mouth (eWOM)] of customers. With attention to psychological influence, our empirical statistics also evidenced the mediating role of C-C identification between CSR engagement and behavioral intention of customers. This study highlights the significant role of CSR engagement in a critical period theoretically and offers businesses more open innovation strategies to compete against the COVID-19 pandemic-induced market downturn.

Halal company identity and halal restaurant loyalty: the role of customer satisfaction, customer trust and customer-company identification

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of halal company identity includes halal identity similarity, halal identity distinctiveness and halal identity prestige on customer satisfaction and customer trust. Furthermore, it verifies the influence of customer satisfaction and customer trust on customer-company identification. Finally, it explores the effect of customer-company identification on halal restaurant loyalty. Design/methodology/approach This study selected a sample of halal restaurants in the area of Semarang City, Indonesia, using a purposive sampling method with a total of 520 respondents. The data analysis uses confirmatory factor analysis to identify discriminant and convergent validity and then structural equation modeling is used to validate the hypotheses. Findings The result showed that all aspects of halal company identity, namely, halal identity similarity, halal identity distinctiveness and halal identity prestige, significantly affect customer satisfaction. Halal identity similarity and halal identity distinctiveness insignificantly affect customer trust; however, halal identity prestige successfully affects customer trust. Both customer satisfaction and customer trust positively impact customer-company identification and, in turn, customer-company identification impacts halal restaurant loyalty. Originality/value This study contributes to the theory of halal tourism based on social identity theory and the theory of relationship quality in achieving customer loyalty of halal restaurants.

Believe to go the extra mile: the influence of internal CSR initiatives on service employee organizational citizenship behaviors

PurposeLeveraging the power of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is strategically important to corporations. Although various studies have explored the positive effects of CSR, few have been devoted to the investigation of CSR related to service employees from the internal marketing perspective. Therefore, this study fills this research gap by developing a conceptual model based on social influence theory to explain how internal CSR initiatives affect service employees' attitudes and behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis study develops and empirically tests a theoretical model examining the impact of internal CSR initiatives (i.e. internal dissemination of and management support for CSR) on service employees' attitudes toward an organization (i.e. employee–company identification and value congruence), which ultimately enhance their organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) toward customers, other employees and the organization. Survey data from 271 frontline employees of service firms actively involved in CSR-related activities were examined with structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results suggest that perceived internal dissemination of and management support for CSR affect service employees' citizenship behaviors toward customers, other employees and the organization through the mediation of employee–company identification and value congruence.Practical implicationsInternal CSR initiatives are highly related to service employees' various OCBs that are beneficial to improving the service performance of firms. Therefore, it is imperative for companies to devote attention to internal marketing dissemination while promoting CSR. In addition, as managers' attitudes and behaviors trickle down to employees, service supervisors' support of CSR activities plays a significant role in forming employee perceptions of a firm's CSR dedication.Originality/valueThis study represents one of the first to view internal CSR initiatives as an effective internal marketing lever. Moreover, the relationship between internal CSR initiatives and service employees' OCBs – OCB toward customers, other employees and the organization – is proposed and tested with an empirical model, providing significant contributions.

Effects of corporate reputation and social identity on innovative job performance

PurposeThis study analyzes the indirect effects of corporate reputation and social identity on innovative job performance, through organization engagement.Design/methodology/approachA single entity survey was conducted with the employees of a unicorn startup, which is the largest financial services startup (fintech) in Brazil, and the data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).FindingsThe results present empirical evidence that corporate reputation and social identity (employee-company identification) are able to stimulate innovative job performance, mediated by organization engagement. In addition to these symmetrical relationships, asymmetrically, combinations of these constructs with different education levels, age and tenure promote high innovative job performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has theoretical implications to the extent that the precepts of the social identity theory are observed, by verifying the direct influence of corporate reputation and employee-company identification on organization engagement. It also has implications for presenting an indirect positive effect of corporate reputation and employee-company identity on innovative job performance.Practical implicationsIt contributes by providing subsidies for the company to find to keep employees engaged and prone to innovation, which represents an important managerial parameter and competitive advantage.Originality/valueThe literature points to the need to identify antecedents of innovative job performance. It is postulated that corporate reputation and social identity can indirectly reflect on innovative job performance, mediated by organizational engagement.

The Role of Service Quality on Subjective Well-Being of Students, With Mediators of Satisfaction and Customer Company Identification

The level of service quality is often a shared measure between providers and users of products for transactions. High quality demands by service users can make service providers to implement an effective work culture. For service users, quality can be used as a basis for assessing satisfaction after receiving service. Using certain services can also arouse the customer's self-perception that he is fit to consume the service produced by providers who are committed to quality. High results from quality, satisfaction, and self-identification of users at service providers become the basis for users to conduct subjective well-being evaluations from time to time. The relationship between these variables was disclosed in this study. This study used a survey method, with a population of students who were still actively studying at 6 universities in DIY. A total of 166 students were selected by convenience sampling method to serve as research samples. By using regression analysis and the SPSS program, it can be proven that there is an indirect effect of service quality on subjective well-being. The results showed that satisfaction and customer-company identification have very important roles, because both variables function as mediators of the influence of service quality on subjective well-being, but satisfaction has a more dominant role than customer identification. From the results of this study it is suggested that universities need to pay attention to the closeness of the relationship with their students, but what is more important is to increase their satisfaction with overall services, such as when they are on campus. Keywords-- service quality, satisfaction, customer-company identification, subjective well-being

The Relationship of Corporate Social Responsibility on Digital Platforms, Electronic Word-of-Mouth, and Consumer-Company Identification: An Application of Social Identity Theory

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an ever-evolving concept in the field of business management. Even in 2021, its boundaries are evolving and researchers are linking the concept of CSR to different variables to achieve different outcomes. However, the concept of CSR in the healthcare sector is not well-explored in prior literature. The current study is an application of social identity theory to induce electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) from consumers for a specific brand, through its CSR engagement on social media (CSRS) and consumer-company identification (CCI) in the healthcare sector of an emerging economy. The data of the current survey were collected from different patients of four large hospitals in a large city through a self-administered questionnaire (paper-pencil technique). To validate different hypotheses of the current study, the authors employed the structural-equation-modeling (SEM) technique using AMOS software. The output of SEM analysis confirmed that CSRS positively influences eWOM, and CCI mediates this relationship. The findings of the current study will be helpful for policymakers in the healthcare industry to improve their understanding of CSRS and CCI, inducing eWOM through the lens of social identity theory.