PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived service quality influences both a shipper's satisfaction and subsequent loyalty in third‐party logistics outsourcing relationships.Design/methodology/approachCritical service dimensions are identified and their impact on satisfaction and loyalty are developed into a theoretical model, which in turn is examined empirically using structural equation modelling from a survey of 235 industrial companies in Finland.FindingsThe results support the satisfaction‐loyalty model in a logistics outsourcing context confirming that service perceptions influence loyalty through a shipper's overall satisfaction with the service provider.Research limitation/implicationsThe empirical study is limited to Finland and data were collected before the financial crisis of 2008‐2009 which affected the economy and this industrial sector. The theoretical constructs and model also need to be validated and tested further across a wider empirical context.Practical implicationsLogistics service providers recognise the importance of service quality in outsourcing relationships. However, while the continuity of the current relationship is supported by good service quality, the efforts to extend the scope of the outsourcing arrangement need to be examined on a different basis.Originality/valueThe paper is one of the first to investigate and confirm the service‐satisfaction‐loyalty paradigm in a logistics outsourcing context.

BackgroundConstantly increasing health care costs have led countries and health care providers to the point where health care systems must be reinvented. Consequently, electronic health (eHealth) has recently received a great deal of attention in social sciences in the domain of Internet studies. However, only a fraction of these studies focuses on the acceptability of eHealth, making consumers’ subjective evaluation an understudied field. This study will address this gap by focusing on the acceptance of MyData-based preventive eHealth services from the consumer point of view. We are adopting the term "MyData", which according to a White Paper of the Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communication refers to "1) a new approach, a paradigm shift in personal data management and processing that seeks to transform the current organization centric system to a human centric system, 2) to personal data as a resource that the individual can access and control." ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate what factors influence consumers’ intentions to use a MyData-based preventive eHealth service before use.MethodsWe applied a new adoption model combining Venkatesh’s unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) in a consumer context and three constructs from health behavior theories, namely threat appraisals, self-efficacy, and perceived barriers. To test the research model, we applied structural equation modeling (SEM) with Mplus software, version 7.4. A Web-based survey was administered. We collected 855 responses.ResultsWe first applied traditional SEM for the research model, which was not statistically significant. We then tested for possible heterogeneity in the data by running a mixture analysis. We found that heterogeneity was not the cause for the poor performance of the research model. Thus, we moved on to model-generating SEM and ended up with a statistically significant empirical model (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] 0.051, Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] 0.906, comparative fit index [CFI] 0.915, and standardized root mean square residual 0.062). According to our empirical model, the statistically significant drivers for behavioral intention were effort expectancy (beta=.191, P<.001), self-efficacy (beta=.449, P<.001), threat appraisals (beta=.416, P<.001), and perceived barriers (beta=−.212, P=.009).ConclusionsOur research highlighted the importance of health-related factors when it comes to eHealth technology adoption in the consumer context. Emphasis should especially be placed on efforts to increase consumers’ self-efficacy in eHealth technology use and in supporting healthy behavior.

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Brand managers are wary of consumers who are either unaware of new brands or have an unfavorable attitude toward their brands. In this study, we investigate the creation of a self-brand connection with new and unfavorable brands in comparison to well-liked brands. Our empirical study reveals that consumers could form a self-brand connection with new and unfavorable brands when the brand serves as a self-presentational strategy-self-presentation by brand. In particular, first, we find that brand attitude predicts self-brand connection positively and significantly for a well-liked brand, but not for a new brand, and second, when consumers hold favorable (unfavorable) attitudes toward a familiar brand, the self-brand connection can exist (be diluted). Thus, the self-brand connection can vary depending upon consumers' favorability toward the brand. The current study suggests that one-on-one marketing, including customization and personalization, is relevant to new and unfavorable brands.

Purpose The study aims to investigate the psychological mechanism that motivates consumers to pay more for a preferred brand that reflects their actual or ideal self-concept, by examining the shift in attention between consumer’s present, future, and past moments. Design/methodology/approach First, in a survey setting, the study identifies the relationship between temporal focus and self-congruence. Subsequently, we conduct three experiments to capture the effects of temporal focus on brand preference and willingness to pay (WTP). In these experiments, we manipulate consumers’ self-congruence and temporal focus. Findings The findings show that consumers with a present focus (distant future and distant past foci) tend to evaluate a brand more preferably when the brand serves to reflect their actual (ideal) selves. However, in the absence of present focus consumers’ WTP is more for a brand that reflects their ideal selves. Research limitations/implications The study does not have an actual measure on consumers’ WTP; instead we use single-item measure. Practical implications This study sheds new light on branding strategy. The results suggest that authentic and aspirational branding strategies are relevant to publicly consumed products. Brand managers could incorporate consumers’ temporal focus into branding strategy that could significantly influence consumer preference and WTP for their brands. Originality/value This study expands our understanding of brand usage imagery congruity by showing that temporal focus is an important determinant of self-congruence. In this regard, this study empirically investigates the relationship of temporal focus, self-congruence, brand preference, and WTP. It further reveals that mere brand preference does not necessarily lead consumers to pay more for symbolic brands.