Determinants of consumer retention strategies for telecom service industry in Central India
-
DOIhttp://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ppm.16(2).2018.28
-
Article InfoVolume 16 2018, Issue #2, pp. 306-320
- Cited by
- 1962 Views
-
327 Downloads
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
The telecommunication industry has witnessed a tremendous growth in recent times in India. It has not only been limited to voice calls, but also integrated into every aspect of human life. This has resulted in the rapid rise of market players, offering innovative products and services. In this changing scenario, we have tried to design and check a model of various factors such as loyalty, satisfaction and switching barriers (customer relationship management, alternative attractiveness and switching cost) influencing consumer retention strategies in Indian telecom service industry.
A structured and undisguised questionnaire and a convenient sampling method have been used to collect the data from respondents from three most populous cities (Indore, Bhopal, and Ujjain) of Central India. Around 450 questionnaires were distributed, out of which 318 usable responses were received for final analysis. The instrument was checked for validity and reliability before the data was analyzed. The hypotheses were tested through Structure Equation Modelling (SEM) for direct effect, and Multiple Moderating Regression Analysis (MMRA) for moderating effect.
The results suggested that loyalty, satisfaction, switching barriers and customer relationship management are positively related and have a direct influence on consumer retention, but the relationship with alternative attractiveness has been found weak. Switching cost, as moderating variable, was found to be very effective and showed significant deviation in the relationship between independent and dependent variables.
- Keywords
-
JEL Classification (Paper profile tab)M31
-
References84
-
Tables5
-
Figures2
-
- Figure 1. Proposed model of a determinant of consumer retention strategies
- Figure 2. Structured model of a determinant of consumer retention strategies
-
- Table 1. Reliability analysis
- Table 2. Convergent and discriminate validity
- Table 3. Index of the model fit
- Table 4. Hypotheses testing results
- Table 5. Moderating effect
-
- Aaker, D. A. (2009). Strategic Market Management: Wiley-India. Aarts, Henk and Dijksterhuis, Ap. (2000). Habits as Knowledge Structures: Automaticity in Goal-Directed Behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(1), 53-63.
- Ali, F. J., Ali, I., Rehman, K. U., Yilmaz, A. K., & Safwan, N. (2010). Determinants of consumer retention in cellular industry of Pakistan. African Journal of Business Management, 4(12), 2402-2408.
- Alirez, F. (2011). How Quality, Value Image, and Satisfaction Create Loyalty at an Iran Telecom. International Journal of Business and Management, 6(8), 271-279.
- Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, W. D. (1988). Structural Equation Modeling in Practice: A Review and Recommended Two-Step Approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 411-423.
- Anderson, R. E., & Srinivasan, S. S. (2003). E-Satisfaction and E-Loyalty: A Contingency Framework. Psychology and Marketing, 20(2), 123-138.
- Ansari, A., & Riasi, A. (2016). Modelling and evaluating customer loyalty using neural networks: Evidence from startup insurance companies. Future Business Journal, 2(1), 15-30.
- Antón, C., Camarero, C., & Carrero, M. (2007). Analysing Firms’ Failures as Determinants of Consumer Switching Intentions – the Effect of Moderating Factors. European Journal of Marketing, 41(1-2), 135-158.
- Aydin, S., Özer, G., & Arasil, Ö. (2005). Customer Loyalty and the Effect of Switching Costs as a Moderator Variable. A Case in the Turkish Mobile Phone Market. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 23(1), 89-103.
- Bagozzi, P. R., & Yi, Y. (1988). On the evaluation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 16(1), 74-94.
- Balabanis, G., Reynolds, N., & Simintiras, A. (2006). Bases of E-Store Loyalty: Perceived Switching Barriers and Satisfaction. Journal of Business Research, 59(2), 214-224.
- Bansal, H. S., & Taylor, S. F. (1999). The Service Provider Switching Model (SPSM): A Model of Consumer Switching Behavior in the Services Industry. Journal of Service Research, 2(2), 200-218.
- Bansal, H. S., Taylor, S. F., & Jame, S. Y. (2005). Migrating to New Service Providers: Toward a Unifying Framework of Consumers’ Switching Behaviors. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 33(1), 96-115.
- Bell, S. J., Auh, S., & Smalley, K. (2005). Customer Relationship Dynamics: Service Quality and Customer Loyalty in the Context of Varying Levels of Customer Expertise and Switching Costs. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 32(2).
- Bhushan, K. (2017, October 13). It’s a war between Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio.
- Breivik, E., & Thorbjornsen, H. (2008). Consumer Brand Relationships: An Investigation of Two Alternative Models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(4), 443-472.
- Burnham, A. T., Frels, J. K., & Mahajan, V. (2003). Consumer Switching Costs: A Typology, Antecedents, and Consequences. Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, 31(2), 109-126.
- Chawla, D., & Sondhi, N. (2011). Research Methodology: Concepts and Cases (Vol. 1). New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House Pvt. Ltd.
- Chebat, J.-C., Davidow, M., & Borges, A. (2010). More on the Role of Switching Costs in Service Markets: A Research Note. Journal of Business Research, 64(8), 823-829.
- Churchill, G. A., & Surprenant, C. (1982). An Investigation into the Determinants of Customer Satisfaction. Journal of Marketing Research, 491-504.
- Colgate, M. R., & Lang, B. (2001). Switching Barriers in Consumer Markets: An Investigation of the Financial Services Industry. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 18(4), 332-347.
- Colgate, M., Tong, V. T.-U., Lee, C. K.-C., & Farley, J. U. (2007). Back from the Brink: Why Customers Stay. Journal of Service Research, 9(3), 211-228.
- Compeau, M. (2011, October 3). None ways to build customer loyalty. Forbes.
- Cronbach, L. J. (1951). Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests. Psychometrika, 31, 93-96.
- Cronin, J. J., Brady, M. K., & Hult, G. M. (2000). Assessing the Effects of Quality, Value, and Customer Satisfaction on Consumer Behavioral Intentions in Service Environments. Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 193-218.
- Crosby, L. A., & Stephens, N. (1987). Effects of Relationship Marketing on Satisfaction, Retention, and Prices in the Life Insurance Industry. Journal of Marketing Research, 24(4), 404-411.
- Crosby, L. A., Evans, K. R., & Cowles, D. (1990). Relationship Quality in Services Selling: An Interpersonal Influence Perspective. Journal of Marketing, 54(3), 68-81.
- Dharmakumar, R. (2013, January 17). India and Technology Multinationals – Part 1.
- Ekinci, Y., Whyatt, G., & Nam, J. (2011). Brand equity, brand loyalty and customer satisfaction. Annals of Tourism Research.
- Engel, J., Blackwell, R., & Miniard, P. (1995). Consumer Behaviour. The Dryden Press, USA.
- Fornell, C. (1992). A national satisfaction barometer: the Swedish experience. Journal of Marketing, 56(1), 6-21.
- Gallo, A. (2014, October 29). The value of keeping the right cusotmers. Harvard Business Review.
- Gefen, D., Starub, D., & Boudreau, M. (2000). Structural Equation Modeling and Regression: Guidelines for Research Practice. Communications of AIS, 7(7), 1-78.
- Goode, M. M., & Harris, L. C. (2007). Online Behavioural Intentions: An Empirical Investigation of Antecedents and Moderators. European Journal of Marketing, 41(5-6), 512-536.
- GSMA, I. (2017). The mobile economy 2017. London: GSMA.
- Gupta, S. (2018, January 30). Reliance Jio price wars have made telecom valuations untenable: analysts.
- Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis: A Global Perspective (7th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
- Hair, J., Black, C. W., Babin, J. B., & Anderson, E. R. (2010). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey (NJ): Pearson Education International.
- Hallowell, R. (1996). The relationships of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty and profitability: an empirical study. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 7(4), 27-42.
- Han, H. (2009). Emotions and switching barriers in full-service restaurants. Germany Saarbrucken: VDM Publishing House.
- Han, H., Back, K., & Barrett, B. (2009). Influencing factors on restaurant customers’ revisit intention: the roles of emotions and switching barriers. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 28, 563-572.
- Han, H., Kim, W., & Hyun, S. S. (2011). Switching intention model development. International Journal of Hospitality Management.
- Haridasan, V., & Venkatesh, S. (2013). Service Marketing. International Journal of Business Research and Management (IJBRM), 2(3), 111-126.
- Holloway, B. B., & Beatty, S. E. (2003). Service Failure in Online Retailing: A Recovery Opportunity. Journal of Service Research, 6(1), 92-105.
- Howard, J. A., & Sheth, J. N. (1969). The Theory of Buyer Behavior. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Inkumsah, A. W. (2013). Factors That Impacted Customer Retention of Banks. A Study of Recently Acquired Banks in the UPSA Area of Madina, Accra (Specifically Access Bank). Journal of Marketing and Consumer Research, 1, 88-103.
- Jones, A. M., Mothersbaugh, L. D., & Beatty, E. S. (2000). Switching Barriers and Repurchase Intentions in services. Journal of Retailing, 76, 259-274.
- Jones, M. A., David, L., & Sharon, E. B. (2001). Switching Barriers and Repurchase Intentions in Services. Journal of Retailing, 76(2), 259-274.
- Jones, M. A., Reynolds, K. E., Mothersbaugh, D. L., & Beatty, S. E. (2007). The Positive and Negative Effects of Switching Costs on Relational Outcomes. Journal of Service Research, 9(4), 335-355.
- Kandampully, J. A.-H. (2007). Do hoteliers need to manage image to retain loyal customers? International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 19(6), 435-443.
- Kim, K., Yun, D., & Kim, D. (2009). Expectations measurements in mobile data service: a case study. International Journal of Mobile Communications, 7(1), 91-116.
- Lam, S. K., Ahearne, M., Hu, Y., & Schillewaert, N. (2010). Resistance To Brand Switching When A Radically New Brand Is Introduced: A Social Identity Theory Perspective. Journal of Marketing (AMA), 1-58.
- Martin, B. (2008). Determining the Impact of Internet Channel Use on a Customer’s Lifetime. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 22(3), 2-22.
- Mohsin, A., Ahmad, R., & Ahmed, A. (2012). Determinants of customer switching behavior in banking sector. Studies in Business and Economics, 20-34.
- Molapo, E. M., & Mukwada, G. (2011). The Impact of Customer Retention Strategies in the South African Cellular Industry: The Case of the Eastern Free State. International Journal of Business Humanities and Technology, 1(2), 52-60.
- Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric Theory. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: A Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer. Irwin McGraw-Hill.
- Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1994). Reassessment of Expectations as a Comparison Standard in Measuring Service Quality: Implications for Further Research. Journal of Marketing, 58(1), 111-124.
- Park, W. C., Feick, A., & Mothersbaugh, D. L. (1994). Consumer Knowledge Assessment. Journal of Consumer Research, 21(1), 71-82.
- Paswan, A. (2009). Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equations Modeling. An Introduction. North Texas, USA: Department of Marketing and Logistics, COB, University of North Texas, USA.
- Patterson, P. G., & Smith, T. (2003). A Cross-Cultural Study of Switching Barriers and Propensity to Stay with Service Providers. Journal of Retailing, 79(2), 107-120.
- Pepe, M. S., Abratt, R., & Dion, P. (2011). The impact of private label brands on customer loyalty and product category profitability. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 20(1), 27-36.
- Rahman, S., Haque, A., & Ahmad, S. (2011). Choice Criteria for Mobile Telecom Operator: Empirical Investigation among Malaysian Customers. International Management review, 7(1), 50-57.
- Ranaweera, C., & Prabhu, J. (2003). The Influence of Satisfaction, Trust and Switching Barriers on Customer Retention in a Continuous Purchasing Setting. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 14(3/4), 374-395.
- Reibstein, D. J. (2002). What Attracts Customers to Online Stores, and What Keeps Them Coming Back? Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 30(4), 465-473.
- Robinson, J. P., Shaver, P. R., & Wrightsman, L. S. (1991). Criteria for Selection and Evaluation. In John P. Robinson, Phillip R. Shaver and Lawrence S. Wrightsman (Eds.), Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes (vol. 1, pp. 1-16). San Diego, Calif: Academic Press.
- Ryals, L., & Payne, A. F. (2001, March). Customer Relationship Management in Financial Services: Towards Information-Enabled Relationship Marketing. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 9, 1-25.
- Sathish, M., Santhosh, K. K., Naveen, K., & Jeevanantham, V. (2011). A Study on Consumer Switching Behaviour in Cellular Service Provider: A Study with reference to Chennai. Far East Journal of Psychology and Business, 2(2), 71-81.
- Sengupta, D. (2018, 02 01). Vodafone India Q3 revenue drops 23%; IUC cut, price war hurts.
- Seo, D. B., & Ranganathan, C. (2009). Two-Level Model of Customer retention in the US Mobile Telecommunications Service Market. Telecommunications Policy, 32, 182-196.
- Sharma, V., & Panga, M. D. (2018). Determinants of Switching Behaviour in Consumer Electronic Goods. Prestige International Journal of Management and Research, 10(4), 107-116.
- Sharma, V., & Sonwalkar, J. (2016). Consumer retention strategies for telecom service industry in India: a theoretical perspective. Journal of Management Research and Analysis, 3(3), 110-121.
- Sharma, V., Kapse, M., & Sonwalkar, J. (2016). Predicting the Switching Intention of Cell-Phone Brands: Application of Markov Chain Models. The IUP Journal of Marketing Management: 0972-6845, XV(4).
- Sharma, V., Poulose, J., Mohanta, S., & Antony, L. E. (2018). Influence of the Dimensions of CSR Activities on Consumer Purchase Intention. Innovative Marketing, 14(1), 23-32.
- Sheth, J. N., & Parvatiyar, A. (1995). Relationship Marketing in Consumer Markets: Antecedents and Consequences. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 23(Fall).
- Shukla, P. (2004). Effect of Product Usage, Satisfaction and Involvement on Brand Switching Behaviour. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 16(4), 82-104.
- Siddiqi, K. O. (2011). Interrelations between service quality attributes, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. International Journal of Business and Management, 6(3).
- Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. N. (2001). Consumer Perceived Value: The Development of a Multiple Item Scale. Journal of Retailing, 77(2), 203-220.
- Szymanski, D. M., & Henard, D. H. (2001). Customer Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis of the Empirical Evidence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29(1), 16-35.
- TRAI (2017). Highlights of Telecom Subscription Data as on 21st November, 2017. New Delhi: telecom regulatory authority of India.
- Vazquez-Carrasco, R., & Foxall, G. R. (2006). Positive Vs. Negative Switching Barriers: The Influence of Service Consumers’ Need for Variety. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 5(4), 367-379.
- Watson, F. G., Beck, T. J., Henderson, M. C., & Robert, P. W. (2015). Building, measuring, and profiting from customer loyalty. Academy of Marketing Sciences.
- Yanamandram, V., & White, L. (2009). Are inertia and calculative commitment distinct constructs? An indirect test in the financial services sector. In D. Tojib (Ed.), Australia and New Zealand Marketing Academy Conference (ANZMAC) (pp. 1-9). Melbourne: Australian & New Zealand Marketing Academy (ANZMAC).
- Zablah, A. R., Bellenger, D. N., & Johnston, W. J. (2004). An Evaluation of Divergent Perspectives on Customer Relationship Management: toward a common understanding of an emerging phenomenon. Industrial Marketing Management, 33, 475-489.
- Zikmund, W. G. (2004). Business Research Methods (7th ed.). Singapure: Thomson Asia Pvt. Ltd.