Customer loyalty is considered to be critically important to growth, profitability and sustainability. It has received much attention by practitioner and managers. However, some important variables about the different types of loyalty have remained unclear. While businesses look towards adopting various strategies to help them grow and succeed in the marketplace, a number of key business orientations have emerged. Each of these orientations has claimed to increase both profitability and customer loyalty for an organization. This research has examined both of these factors, as well as their inter-relationships. The research was conducted in a two part study, based on a sequential triangulation approach. The first study focused on finding out the differences between two of the highest types of loyalties, attitudinal and emotional. The study, based on 40 interviews with customers from three different companies, across two cultural settings (Asian and European), has led to the emergence of key differentiating factors. The second study focused on the relationships between business orientations and customer loyalty. This study was based on six case studies of best practice firms. The study found a positive link between business orientations and loyalty. Moreover, a set of critical success factors were identified that would enable companies to implement effective loyalty management systems. Based on both of these two studies, a loyalty management model has been presented. The model helps to improve our understanding of loyalty, and would be of use to managers who would want to develop and manage customer loyalty in an organisation. / University of East London

Customer loyalty is considered to be critically important to growth, profitability and sustainability. It has received much attention by practitioner and managers. However, some important variables about the different types of loyalty have remained unclear. While businesses look towards adopting various strategies to help them grow and succeed in the marketplace, a number of key business orientations have emerged. Each of these orientations has claimed to increase both profitability and customer loyalty for an organization. This research has examined both of these factors, as well as their inter-relationships. The research was conducted in a two part study, based on a sequential triangulation approach. The first study focused on finding out the differences between two of the highest types of loyalties, attitudinal and emotional. The study, based on 40 interviews with customers from three different companies, across two cultural settings (Asian and European), has led to the emergence of key differentiating factors. The second study focused on the relationships between business orientations and customer loyalty. This study was based on six case studies of best practice firms. The study found a positive link between business orientations and loyalty. Moreover, a set of critical success factors were identified that would enable companies to implement effective loyalty management systems. Based on both of these two studies, a loyalty management model has been presented. The model helps to improve our understanding of loyalty, and would be of use to managers who would want to develop and manage customer loyalty in an organisation.

Loyalty management has emerged over recent years as a topic of significant importance in both academic and practitioner discourse, articulating the benefits of an extended relationship with key stakeholders including, but not limited to, customers, employees and shareholders. This research explores the theory and practice of loyalty management from a communications perspective. The thesis attempted to discover how the integration or non-integration of internal and external communication affects the communication of loyalty, in addition to how loyalty management contributes towards the organisation�s perceived creation of value. In doing so, it also examines how the practice of customer relationship management (CRM), integrated marketing communication (IMC) and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) plays a role in the communication of loyalty. The research entailed a three-year ethnographic study of a business-to-business financial services organisation specialising in vehicle fleet leasing and management services, comprising a review of relevant academic literature; and participant observation, focus group studies, qualitative surveys and document analysis. Besides evaluating loyalty management from a communications perspective, the thesis contributes towards the body of knowledge on Australian organisations from an organisational culture perspective, as well as exploring communication beyond the traditional boundary of within the organisation itself. Unlike most loyalty management approaches, the holistic stance considers other stakeholders besides customers, in detail. The study does not seek to establish validity and generalisability. Rather, the mainly interpretist approach preserves the form and content of human behaviour by detailing descriptions of the concrete experience of life within a particular culture and of the social rules, patterns and perceptions that constitute it. The findings showed that organisational communication has to be integrated and cohesive to enable the effective management of loyalty. Furthermore, the results confirm that the notion of organisational boundaries comprising �internal� and "external" communication is limited. Involved protagonists, acting together from within and external to an organisation, create, sustain and manage meanings through the use of signs and symbols within a particular context to form a unique culture or community. In addition, the notion of loyalty and the creation of value for the consequent success of the organisation is an important and valid perception for most of the stakeholders. For this organisation, the use of ICT and practice of CRM and IMC has varying degrees of impact, mainly enhancing the communication of loyalty. The detraction of value is caused primarily by the fragmentation of communication between the stakeholders, in addition to the existence of sub-cultures with conflicting needs.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T14:52:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DanielaRC_DISSERT.pdf: 2517545 bytes, checksum: 17f1719a083e48ff59d2eb1a67ae7500 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-01 / This study presents an investigation of the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in customer s satisfaction and loyalty through a study with car s buyers, besides that, it aims to contribute to conceptual models of satisfaction and loyalty analysis by applying the model of Johnson et al. (2001), adapted for the introduction of variables of CSR and conscious consumption, in a car dealership in Natal / RN. The methodology has a descriptive quantitative approach and for the analysis results were applied statistical methods of simple and multiple linear regression analysis, descriptive analysis and exploratory analysis. The field research provided 90 valid forms. The results show that CSR affects the image of the company studied and is also one of the elements of the compound of satisfaction and loyalty. This study concludes that CSR should be considered in the strategic and marketing actions of firms / O presente estudo apresenta uma investiga??o da influ?ncia da dimens?o Responsabilidade Social Empresarial (RSE) na satisfa??o e fidelidade dos clientes atrav?s de um estudo com compradores de autom?veis, al?m de contribuir para a an?lise de modelos conceituais de satisfa??o e fidelidade do cliente, atrav?s da aplica??o do modelo de Jonhson et al. (2001), adaptado para a introdu??o de vari?veis de RSE e consumo consciente, em uma concession?ria de autom?veis de Natal/RN. A metodologia teve abordagem quantitativo-descritiva e, para a an?lise dos resultados, utilizou m?todos estat?sticos de an?lise de regress?o linear simples e m?ltipla, an?lise descritiva e an?lise explorat?ria. A pesquisa de campo forneceu 90 formul?rios considerados v?lidos. Os resultados demonstram que a Responsabilidade Social Empresarial tem influ?ncia na imagem da empresa pesquisada e tamb?m ? um dos elementos do composto de satisfa??o e fidelidade do cliente. Desta forma, este estudo conclui que a Responsabilidade Social Empresarial deve ser considerada nas a??es estrat?gicas e de marketing das empresas

The objective of this study was to examine the role that customer loyalty and employee enthusiasm can play as a strategic objective to increase sales at MB Silicon Systems. In order to address these two factors from a strategic perspective, elements from various concepts have been used to gain a new understanding of customer loyalty, employee enthusiasm and strategy. The final goal of the study was to use the knowledge gained throughout the report to propose a management framework which can be implemented to give MB Silicon Systems a competitive advantage in its competitive industry.The literature review suggested that a strategy of customer loyalty and employee enthusiasm will result in above average financial performance. Customer loyalty and employee enthusiasm cannot be separated from each other and they are linked by leadership, the vision and core values of the organisation. It is not possible to achieve customer loyalty and employee enthusiasm without the proper formulation and execution of a strategy. Such a strategy needs to utilize core management tools like the Balanced Scorecard which will bridge the vision of the organisation with goal setting mechanisms of motivation. The Balanced Scorecard will ensure that strategic objectives of the organisation will be mapped into the Balanced Scorecard while employees will be rewarded according to achieved targets of these objectives.Surveys which were conducted with customers and employees have shown that MB Silicon Systems performs below international standards with respect to customer loyalty and that the organisation is failing with its existing strategy. The surveys have also shown that employees are demotivated. This state of demotivation results in a lack of teamwork and mistrust between employees. The lack of teamwork and mistrust is only the symptoms of organisational problems which need to be resolved by organisational redesign, implementation of management principles and healthy corporate governance. The low base of loyal customers and the demotivated state of employees is resulting in below average financial performance.A management framework was recommended that will transform a strategy of customer loyalty and employee enthusiasm by using proven management tools. Implementation of the framework will ensure a competitive advantage to MB Silicon Systems which will result in above average financial performance.