Most customer loyalty programs available across the service industry have largely focused on building repeat patronage. There is now a combined approach through a theoretical framework of customer loyalty that uses both repeat patronage and relative attitude constructs in measuring loyalty. Paying greater attention to attitude could help improve the cost effectiveness of the programs because the incentives used to enhance the attitudinal loyalty are often in the form of non-financial benefits. / This study contributes to an understanding of the relative effectiveness of a fee-based loyalty program and identifies the factors required for a successful program within the hotel industry. / Two key functions derived from an analysis of social influences variables are explained as implicit and explicit concerns. Implicit concerns, such as knowing and greeting individual members, show greater strength in terms of loyalty development. This result contributes to the existing theory that social influences in the form of implicit concern are of higher importance than explicit concern. There is also no significant difference in the perceived importance toward social influence benefits among the new and renewed members. There would be no greater impact in giving more value to long-standing members over newer members. But there would be greater impact when giving more attractive hard benefits to the new members or to the existing members in the renewal stage. / Even though the study derives specific and unique findings, it is notable that in many areas the results of research match those conducted elsewhere in different industries and cultural contexts. Another limitation is that this study reveals the loyalty condition and the factors that influence loyalty development from the perspective of existing members only. / Further research could be geared towards the issue of member valuation, finding out the optimal value of financial benefits given in exchange for a certain membership fee. Future research could also examine the strengths and weaknesses of a fee based frequency program. It is suggested that action research could be used among the members with implicit concern, or even those with no implicit concern, to help gain higher validity. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2007.

Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2002.

Thesis (MBus) -- University of South Australia, 1998

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Business. / Customer contact personnel (CCP) are recognised as a key determinant in the attainment of customer satisfaction and service quality. While they are readily acknowledged as often representing the service in the eyes of the customer, almost no attention has been given to researching the determinants of service behaviour among CCP, from the perspective of CCP. The work of Shamir (1980), over fifteen years ago, acted as a catalyst for the development of the conceptual model of this thesis. Of particular interest was the inclusion of the first empirical examination of propositions concerning relative status and role conflict. The conceptual model of this thesis extended and developed this work by representing relative status as two constructs, perceived self-status and perceived recognition status, then further, developed the discussion to include the dependent variable of this thesis, service behaviour. Additionally, the conceptual model included other key variables suggested by the literature (uniform perceptions and customer orientation), that directly and indirectly influence service behaviour. Airline flight attendants were considered suitable respondents for this research as they hold a high boundary spanning position. The useable data from the survey of 446 respondents represented a 36% response rate. The data analysis undertaken included path analysis and structural equation modelling. Investigation of the data found that greater insight and better managerial diagnostics could be obtained by splitting the sample dependent on the relative status perspective respondents held concerning their perceived self-status, and refining the conceptual model by dividing the dependent variable, service behaviour, into positive and negative service behaviour. The research findings indicated that the customer orientation of CCP had the greatest influence on service behaviour. Importantly, perceived self-status had a moderating influence on service behaviour, with the direction dependent on the status perspective of `not superior' or `superior'. All other variables of the model were generally found to have significant direct or indirect effects on service behaviour, again influenced by direction if they were mediated through perceived self-status. The structural equation modelling also provided acceptable fits to the data. Although, the study examined relationships that essentially had never previously been empirically tested and therefore, in their research infancy, the findings considerably aid our understanding of antecedents of service behaviour among CCP. Further, the findings have significant implications for management in service organisations where their frontline service personnel occupy a service role that is considered subordinate, both to the customer and the company.

Most customer loyalty programs available across the service industry have largely focused on building repeat patronage. There is now a combined approach through a theoretical framework of customer loyalty that uses both repeat patronage and relative attitude constructs in measuring loyalty. Paying greater attention to attitude could help improve the cost effectiveness of the programs because the incentives used to enhance the attitudinal loyalty are often in the form of non-financial benefits. / This study contributes to an understanding of the relative effectiveness of a fee-based loyalty program and identifies the factors required for a successful program within the hotel industry. / Two key functions derived from an analysis of social influences variables are explained as implicit and explicit concerns. Implicit concerns, such as knowing and greeting individual members, show greater strength in terms of loyalty development. This result contributes to the existing theory that social influences in the form of implicit concern are of higher importance than explicit concern. There is also no significant difference in the perceived importance toward social influence benefits among the new and renewed members. There would be no greater impact in giving more value to long-standing members over newer members. But there would be greater impact when giving more attractive hard benefits to the new members or to the existing members in the renewal stage. / Even though the study derives specific and unique findings, it is notable that in many areas the results of research match those conducted elsewhere in different industries and cultural contexts. Another limitation is that this study reveals the loyalty condition and the factors that influence loyalty development from the perspective of existing members only. / Further research could be geared towards the issue of member valuation, finding out the optimal value of financial benefits given in exchange for a certain membership fee. Future research could also examine the strengths and weaknesses of a fee based frequency program. It is suggested that action research could be used among the members with implicit concern, or even those with no implicit concern, to help gain higher validity. / Thesis (DBA(DoctorateofBusinessAdministration))--University of South Australia, 2007.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 1994. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 54-55).

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 11, 2010). The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file. Dissertation advisor: Dr. Shaoming Zou and Dr. Kenneth R. Evans. Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1998. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-136). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-81).

In today’s competitive marketplace, simply satisfying customers is no longer sufficient to assure long-term customer-firm relationships, especially for firms that experience a service failure. Companies are now looking for additional ways to secure customer retention and raise customer loyalty. By applying social identity theory, this research empirically explores customercompany identification (customer identification) and its potential predicting factors in a service failure context. Service failures are inevitable but create negative emotions and behaviors in consumers that are directed against service firms. Service recovery from a failure is always a vital step in pacifying dissatisfied customers and maintaining ongoing relationships with them. However, is identification among customers also influenced by service recovery? The effect of customer perceptions of service recovery on customer identification is first examined in the present research. Moreover, given that service recovery may not always work in the desirable way that service firms expect, executing recovery is not the single solution for relationship maintenance following failed service. In contemporary marketing, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is considered a measure for rebuilding customer relationships that offers firms “insurance-like protection against negative situations. Then, would CSR complement a recovery strategy and be effective in protecting firms from service failure? The effect of the interplay between recovery and CSR on customer identification in the advent of a service failure is examined. In addition, today’s customers are eager to participate in their service experience. Customers can now enjoy services by cooperating with service providers. Whereas the current literature emphasizes the benefits of customer participation only in routine service settings, this research attempts to further explore the potential moderating role of customer participation in service delivery (either service provision or service recovery) in influencing customer post-failure identification and subsequent responses in a failure context. A multi-method approach has been adopted in the present research. A field survey was first conducted using a sample of 354 customers in Hong Kong; this was followed by two scenario-based laboratory studies using a total of 370 students. The research findings contribute to the literature and social identity theory by examining the interaction between recovery and CSR with respect to customer identification in a service failure. The results demonstrate that perceived recovery justice positively influences customer post-failure identification with a service firm. Also, high perceived CSR performance is more effective in fostering customer identification when customers have lower justice perceptions regarding the recovery attempt. Furthermore, the research sheds light on the value of involving customers in service delivery. Customer participation in either service provision or recovery strengthens the positive impact of CSR on customer identification and ultimately contributes to customer loyalty intentions. Therefore, involving customers in co-creating service or recovery is a cost-effective strategy to strengthen customer-firm relationships even in the advent of a service failure.