MARIA FUENTES-BLASCO | Universidad Pablo de Olavide (original) (raw)
Papers by MARIA FUENTES-BLASCO
WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs
In B2B context, this study focuses on analysing the loyalty formation process from a set of antec... more In B2B context, this study focuses on analysing the loyalty formation process from a set of antecedent multidimensional variables—sustainable practices and logistics value—and the moderating effect of type of customer in maritime transport from the user’s perspective. Based on a sample of 105 importing companies and freight forwarders in Panama, a structural equation model was estimated to test the research hypotheses. The results show the significant influences of sustainable practices on value and value on loyalty. The significant mediating effect of value in the relationship between sustainable practices and loyalty is also verified. It indicates the benefits of the presence of perceived logistics value in B2B relationships since it reinforces the intensity of the links between sustainable practices and loyalty. The moderating role of the type of business was confirmed. Amongst importers, sustainable practices show a significantly greater impact on logistics value than in the fre...
European Research on Management and Business Economics
Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 2021
PurposeThe word-of-mouth comments considered as the evaluation of a purchase experience have been... more PurposeThe word-of-mouth comments considered as the evaluation of a purchase experience have been widely discussed in the literature. Nevertheless, the study of online reviews pre-purchase stage remains limited. The purpose of this study is to analyze the variables that support word-of-mouth adoption in the choice of the hotel, from the receiver perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe information was collected by face-to-face survey to 393 guests from 32 hotels in two Spanish cities. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results confirm the significant and indirect effects of the motivations for conducting reviews on online word-of-mouth adoption. Specifically, the significant relationship chain of convenience and risk reduction motivations, intention to consult online comments, volume of comments exert a significant influence on acceptance the suggestions in online reviews and recommendations about the hotels.Research limitations/implication...
Los criterios descriptivos han sido y continuan siendo una de las formas mas comunes de segmentac... more Los criterios descriptivos han sido y continuan siendo una de las formas mas comunes de segmentacion utilizada en la practica del marketing. El crecimiento predominante del uso de Internet como canal de compra pone de relieve la necesidad de entender las actitudes y el comportamiento de los consumidores a traves de la web desde la perspectiva de la discriminacion entre las caracteristicas objetivas que identifican a los usuarios. Ante esta situacion, se pretende profundizar sobre la utilidad de los diferentes criterios descriptivos de segmentacion que han sido analizados en la literatura. Para lograr este objetivo, se propone una serie de bases sociodemograficas y webgraficas que permitan analizar el proceso de segmentacion del comportamiento de compra en los entornos virtuales. Los resultados indican que existen diferencias sustanciales, en terminos del comportamiento de compra, en funcion de las caracteristicas generales y especificas que presentan los consumidores que han realiza...
The present work deals with the study of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction in reta... more The present work deals with the study of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction in retailing through two variables of special relevance, such as innovation and store image. By differentiating between innovation in marketing and in technology, the goal is twofold: to analyze the chain of effects innovation in marketing (technological innovation - image - satisfaction – word-of-mouth) and to study the moderating effect of activity sector in these relationships. Based on a sample of 820 customers from food, textile, home and electronics retailers, on the one hand, the results confirm the chain of relationships; and the category of the commercialized product also moderates the influence of image on satisfaction. There are important academic and business implications, as well as interesting lines for further research in this field. Among them, it should be noted that marketing innovation influences on technological innovation. Thus, the consumer perceives the adoption of new i...
El presente trabajo aborda el estudio de los antecedentes y consecuencias de la satisfacción en e... more El presente trabajo aborda el estudio de los antecedentes y consecuencias de la satisfacción en el ámbito del retailing a partir de dos variables de especial relevancia, como son la innovación y la imagen de la tienda. Diferenciando entre innovación en marketing y en tecnología, en particular, se persigue analizar la cadena de efectos "innovación en marketinginnovación tecnológicaimagensatisfacciónboca-oído" y estudiar el papel moderador que ejerce el sector de actividad en estas relaciones. A partir de una muestra de 820 clientes de diferentes comercios minoristas de alimentación, textil, hogar y electrónica, los resultados confirman las relaciones de la cadena y que la categoría de producto comercializado modera la influencia de la imagen en la satisfacción. Se derivan importantes implicaciones académicas y para la gestión empresarial, así como interesantes líneas de investigación para avanzar en este campo.
There has been a particular focus on research into the links between value, satisfaction, and loy... more There has been a particular focus on research into the links between value, satisfaction, and loyalty in services in recent years. In this context, we have selected image as a key strategic retailing tool and retail innovation because it is a new line of investigation with interesting challenges. This work deals with the study of these two antecedents in the “value→satisfaction→loyalty” chain. We approach the individual perspective considering the self-oriented values of Holbrook (Consumer value. A framework for analysis and research. Routledge, London, 1999) as an appropriate typology for research into retailing experiences. Therefore we aim to analyze the effect of image and innovation on the values of excellence, efficiency, entertainment, and aesthetics, how these values influence satisfaction, and to what extent satisfaction impacts loyalty. On a sample of 820 retail customers of grocery, clothing, furniture, and electronics stores and using SEM methodology, the results show di...
Service Business, 2021
There is a renewed interest in the study of online word-of-mouth behavior due to the increasing u... more There is a renewed interest in the study of online word-of-mouth behavior due to the increasing use of the Internet and the development of social networks. This paper focuses on the receiver perspective to analyze the unequal influence of the antecedents of online consumer searches. The main purpose is to detect the heterogeneity of the effect of different motivations (convenience, risks reduction and social reassurance) and the volume of comments on the willingness to check online reviews. Based on 393 guests of hotels, a mixture regression model indicates the existence of three internally consistent segments, which reveal the varying influence on consumer intentions to look at online comments.
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2019
The proliferation of live music festivals in Spain has involved for festival managers the need to... more The proliferation of live music festivals in Spain has involved for festival managers the need to differentiate their events, creating brand equity through marketing communications, especially in social media. Given the variability in the ages of festival attendees, the present paper aims at analyzing the moderating role of the generational cohort in the influence of social media communications on brand equity creation and its correlates. A personal survey has been conducted for a sample of 622 attendees of the main live music festival in Spain. Respondents have been asked about their perceptions of festival social media communications, the core variables of brand equity, overall brand equity, and the satisfaction and post-festival behavioral intentions. A structural equations model is estimated and multi-group analysis is performed to test the proposed hypotheses. The present work finds evidence about the moderating role of the generational cohort on the relationships between usercreated social media communication and some of the antecedents of overall brand equity of live music festivals. Results support the convenience for organizers to consider social media as a key element in their integrated marketing communications, with special attention to contributing to virality of contents related to the event on social media. This study contributes to a better understanding on the perceptions of the attendees at a live music festival of social media communications generated by the organizers and the users, and their contribution to brand equity creation, satisfaction and, ultimately, behavioral intentions.
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 2019
Purpose This study aims to examine how technologies contribute to consumer loyalty in the tourist... more Purpose This study aims to examine how technologies contribute to consumer loyalty in the tourist industry. To achieve this objective, information and communication technology (ICT) development and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) are analysed to explore their direct and indirect effects on satisfaction and loyalty dimensions. The moderating role of customer characteristics (personal and experience-related variables) is also considered to study the complex relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study based on a questionnaire structured was developed. The survey was conducted with 386 guests from Spanish hotels. SEM methodology is applied to estimate the structural equation model and multi-group analysis. Findings Results confirm significant relationships in the sequence “ICT advancement-satisfaction with ICT-satisfaction with hotel-loyalty”, the mediating effect of eWOM and the moderating effects of the customer characteristics. Prac...
Journal of Product & Brand Management, 2017
Purpose Despite the importance of innovation in business performance, investigation into innovati... more Purpose Despite the importance of innovation in business performance, investigation into innovation in services is scanty and lacking consensus. In retailing, it is a topic that has been awakening considerable academic and business interest in recent years. In this study context, this work aims to analyse innovation in retail experiences from two aspects – marketing innovation and technological innovation – to understand the role it exercises in satisfaction and subsequent recommendation. Design/methodology/approach The authors’ objective is to investigate the direct and indirect influence of marketing and technological innovation on satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WOM) through three core constructs: store image, consumer value and store brand equity. SEM methodology is applied on a sample of 820 retail customers of grocery, clothing, furniture an electronics store. Findings The results show that technological innovation is more important than marketing innovation in shaping image, ...
Service Business, 2018
This study aims to analyse value-satisfaction-loyalty relationships in retailing by examining the... more This study aims to analyse value-satisfaction-loyalty relationships in retailing by examining the contribution of image and innovation and understanding value as a multidimensional construct. Furthermore, to identify possible differences in these relationships the moderating effect of the type of product marketed in the store is examined. On a sample of 820 customers from four types of stores, SEM methodology and multigroup analysis were applied. The results confirm that image has more influence than innovation on the dimensions of value and that entertainment and excellence are the main antecedents of satisfaction. Some relationships have also been found in which the type of product marketed in the store has a moderating effect.
Management Decision, 2017
Purpose The literature recognizes the need to study differences in consumer behavior in highly co... more Purpose The literature recognizes the need to study differences in consumer behavior in highly competitive and dynamic markets. In this paper, the authors look at how the heterogeneous evaluation of retailing influences customer satisfaction and loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to analyze unobserved heterogeneity on customer value dimensions perceptions in retail establishments, and their potential effects on positive forms of behavioral outcomes considering customer satisfaction as a mediating variable. Design/methodology/approach On a sample of 820 retail customers, the authors apply a finite mixture structural equation modeling that analyzes unobserved heterogeneity simultaneously. In this model, the authors study the influence of heterogeneous perceptions of excellence, efficiency, entertainment and aesthetics on customer satisfaction and of satisfaction on word-of-mouth (WOM) referral and WOM activity. Findings The results show two latent segments where the intensity of ca...
Management Decision, 2017
Purpose In tourism, the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (hereinafter ICT) ... more Purpose In tourism, the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (hereinafter ICT) and variables concerning firms’ links with suppliers have been recognized as key determinants to improve companies’ competitiveness. From the perspective of efficient management of company resources, segmentation has become a key tool and is particularly significant and current in the business-to-business context. The purpose of this paper is to study the segmentation of firms in the tourist industry according to perceived ICT use and relationship value and benefits. In addition, from the management approach, the authors seek to describe the segments that enable the development of differentiated strategies aimed at consolidating relationship benefits in the long term. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 310 travel agencies who evaluated the relationship with their main supplier, the authors attempt to examine the utility of these variables as segmentation criteria for identifyi...
Tourism Economics, 2016
Our work is focused on the segmentation analysis in the Spanish tourist industry. Using a sample ... more Our work is focused on the segmentation analysis in the Spanish tourist industry. Using a sample of travel agencies who evaluated the relationship with their main supplier (relationship value, relationship benefits and perceived information and communication technologies (ICTs) use), we attempt to examine the utility of these variables as specific and subjective segmentation criteria for identifying heterogeneous groups. The estimation of a finite mixture model suggests that these bases are able to discriminate firms into six latent classes with different levels of ICT use and relationship variables. The novelty in this work lies in the application of latent segmentation methodology and the simultaneous use of bases associated with ICT and relationship variables in business-to-business tourism.
Proceedings of the 6th International Congress on Public and Non Profit Marketing University of Minho Braga Portugal 14 15th June 2007 2007 Pag 58, 2007
Handbook of Research on Transnational Higher Education
Increased competition between universities is generating the need for in-depth analysis of the pr... more Increased competition between universities is generating the need for in-depth analysis of the processes underlying evaluation of university service because of its implications for student behaviour. Crosscultural analysis of student perceptions is a fundamental approach. This chapter attempts to review the concept in the light of dimensional models of culture proposed by Hofstede (1980, 2001) and Schwartz (1994). Thus, based on a theoretical framework that reviews the main contributions to the concept of culture and evaluation of university service, a proposal has been developed for evaluating university service from a cross-cultural approach. The results show cultural differences between students from four different nationalities. Furthermore, Hofstede's (2001) model has been found to be the most appropriate for evaluating cultural differences in this context.
WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs
In B2B context, this study focuses on analysing the loyalty formation process from a set of antec... more In B2B context, this study focuses on analysing the loyalty formation process from a set of antecedent multidimensional variables—sustainable practices and logistics value—and the moderating effect of type of customer in maritime transport from the user’s perspective. Based on a sample of 105 importing companies and freight forwarders in Panama, a structural equation model was estimated to test the research hypotheses. The results show the significant influences of sustainable practices on value and value on loyalty. The significant mediating effect of value in the relationship between sustainable practices and loyalty is also verified. It indicates the benefits of the presence of perceived logistics value in B2B relationships since it reinforces the intensity of the links between sustainable practices and loyalty. The moderating role of the type of business was confirmed. Amongst importers, sustainable practices show a significantly greater impact on logistics value than in the fre...
European Research on Management and Business Economics
Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 2021
PurposeThe word-of-mouth comments considered as the evaluation of a purchase experience have been... more PurposeThe word-of-mouth comments considered as the evaluation of a purchase experience have been widely discussed in the literature. Nevertheless, the study of online reviews pre-purchase stage remains limited. The purpose of this study is to analyze the variables that support word-of-mouth adoption in the choice of the hotel, from the receiver perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe information was collected by face-to-face survey to 393 guests from 32 hotels in two Spanish cities. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results confirm the significant and indirect effects of the motivations for conducting reviews on online word-of-mouth adoption. Specifically, the significant relationship chain of convenience and risk reduction motivations, intention to consult online comments, volume of comments exert a significant influence on acceptance the suggestions in online reviews and recommendations about the hotels.Research limitations/implication...
Los criterios descriptivos han sido y continuan siendo una de las formas mas comunes de segmentac... more Los criterios descriptivos han sido y continuan siendo una de las formas mas comunes de segmentacion utilizada en la practica del marketing. El crecimiento predominante del uso de Internet como canal de compra pone de relieve la necesidad de entender las actitudes y el comportamiento de los consumidores a traves de la web desde la perspectiva de la discriminacion entre las caracteristicas objetivas que identifican a los usuarios. Ante esta situacion, se pretende profundizar sobre la utilidad de los diferentes criterios descriptivos de segmentacion que han sido analizados en la literatura. Para lograr este objetivo, se propone una serie de bases sociodemograficas y webgraficas que permitan analizar el proceso de segmentacion del comportamiento de compra en los entornos virtuales. Los resultados indican que existen diferencias sustanciales, en terminos del comportamiento de compra, en funcion de las caracteristicas generales y especificas que presentan los consumidores que han realiza...
The present work deals with the study of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction in reta... more The present work deals with the study of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction in retailing through two variables of special relevance, such as innovation and store image. By differentiating between innovation in marketing and in technology, the goal is twofold: to analyze the chain of effects innovation in marketing (technological innovation - image - satisfaction – word-of-mouth) and to study the moderating effect of activity sector in these relationships. Based on a sample of 820 customers from food, textile, home and electronics retailers, on the one hand, the results confirm the chain of relationships; and the category of the commercialized product also moderates the influence of image on satisfaction. There are important academic and business implications, as well as interesting lines for further research in this field. Among them, it should be noted that marketing innovation influences on technological innovation. Thus, the consumer perceives the adoption of new i...
El presente trabajo aborda el estudio de los antecedentes y consecuencias de la satisfacción en e... more El presente trabajo aborda el estudio de los antecedentes y consecuencias de la satisfacción en el ámbito del retailing a partir de dos variables de especial relevancia, como son la innovación y la imagen de la tienda. Diferenciando entre innovación en marketing y en tecnología, en particular, se persigue analizar la cadena de efectos "innovación en marketinginnovación tecnológicaimagensatisfacciónboca-oído" y estudiar el papel moderador que ejerce el sector de actividad en estas relaciones. A partir de una muestra de 820 clientes de diferentes comercios minoristas de alimentación, textil, hogar y electrónica, los resultados confirman las relaciones de la cadena y que la categoría de producto comercializado modera la influencia de la imagen en la satisfacción. Se derivan importantes implicaciones académicas y para la gestión empresarial, así como interesantes líneas de investigación para avanzar en este campo.
There has been a particular focus on research into the links between value, satisfaction, and loy... more There has been a particular focus on research into the links between value, satisfaction, and loyalty in services in recent years. In this context, we have selected image as a key strategic retailing tool and retail innovation because it is a new line of investigation with interesting challenges. This work deals with the study of these two antecedents in the “value→satisfaction→loyalty” chain. We approach the individual perspective considering the self-oriented values of Holbrook (Consumer value. A framework for analysis and research. Routledge, London, 1999) as an appropriate typology for research into retailing experiences. Therefore we aim to analyze the effect of image and innovation on the values of excellence, efficiency, entertainment, and aesthetics, how these values influence satisfaction, and to what extent satisfaction impacts loyalty. On a sample of 820 retail customers of grocery, clothing, furniture, and electronics stores and using SEM methodology, the results show di...
Service Business, 2021
There is a renewed interest in the study of online word-of-mouth behavior due to the increasing u... more There is a renewed interest in the study of online word-of-mouth behavior due to the increasing use of the Internet and the development of social networks. This paper focuses on the receiver perspective to analyze the unequal influence of the antecedents of online consumer searches. The main purpose is to detect the heterogeneity of the effect of different motivations (convenience, risks reduction and social reassurance) and the volume of comments on the willingness to check online reviews. Based on 393 guests of hotels, a mixture regression model indicates the existence of three internally consistent segments, which reveal the varying influence on consumer intentions to look at online comments.
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 2019
The proliferation of live music festivals in Spain has involved for festival managers the need to... more The proliferation of live music festivals in Spain has involved for festival managers the need to differentiate their events, creating brand equity through marketing communications, especially in social media. Given the variability in the ages of festival attendees, the present paper aims at analyzing the moderating role of the generational cohort in the influence of social media communications on brand equity creation and its correlates. A personal survey has been conducted for a sample of 622 attendees of the main live music festival in Spain. Respondents have been asked about their perceptions of festival social media communications, the core variables of brand equity, overall brand equity, and the satisfaction and post-festival behavioral intentions. A structural equations model is estimated and multi-group analysis is performed to test the proposed hypotheses. The present work finds evidence about the moderating role of the generational cohort on the relationships between usercreated social media communication and some of the antecedents of overall brand equity of live music festivals. Results support the convenience for organizers to consider social media as a key element in their integrated marketing communications, with special attention to contributing to virality of contents related to the event on social media. This study contributes to a better understanding on the perceptions of the attendees at a live music festival of social media communications generated by the organizers and the users, and their contribution to brand equity creation, satisfaction and, ultimately, behavioral intentions.
Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, 2019
Purpose This study aims to examine how technologies contribute to consumer loyalty in the tourist... more Purpose This study aims to examine how technologies contribute to consumer loyalty in the tourist industry. To achieve this objective, information and communication technology (ICT) development and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) are analysed to explore their direct and indirect effects on satisfaction and loyalty dimensions. The moderating role of customer characteristics (personal and experience-related variables) is also considered to study the complex relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study based on a questionnaire structured was developed. The survey was conducted with 386 guests from Spanish hotels. SEM methodology is applied to estimate the structural equation model and multi-group analysis. Findings Results confirm significant relationships in the sequence “ICT advancement-satisfaction with ICT-satisfaction with hotel-loyalty”, the mediating effect of eWOM and the moderating effects of the customer characteristics. Prac...
Journal of Product & Brand Management, 2017
Purpose Despite the importance of innovation in business performance, investigation into innovati... more Purpose Despite the importance of innovation in business performance, investigation into innovation in services is scanty and lacking consensus. In retailing, it is a topic that has been awakening considerable academic and business interest in recent years. In this study context, this work aims to analyse innovation in retail experiences from two aspects – marketing innovation and technological innovation – to understand the role it exercises in satisfaction and subsequent recommendation. Design/methodology/approach The authors’ objective is to investigate the direct and indirect influence of marketing and technological innovation on satisfaction and word-of-mouth (WOM) through three core constructs: store image, consumer value and store brand equity. SEM methodology is applied on a sample of 820 retail customers of grocery, clothing, furniture an electronics store. Findings The results show that technological innovation is more important than marketing innovation in shaping image, ...
Service Business, 2018
This study aims to analyse value-satisfaction-loyalty relationships in retailing by examining the... more This study aims to analyse value-satisfaction-loyalty relationships in retailing by examining the contribution of image and innovation and understanding value as a multidimensional construct. Furthermore, to identify possible differences in these relationships the moderating effect of the type of product marketed in the store is examined. On a sample of 820 customers from four types of stores, SEM methodology and multigroup analysis were applied. The results confirm that image has more influence than innovation on the dimensions of value and that entertainment and excellence are the main antecedents of satisfaction. Some relationships have also been found in which the type of product marketed in the store has a moderating effect.
Management Decision, 2017
Purpose The literature recognizes the need to study differences in consumer behavior in highly co... more Purpose The literature recognizes the need to study differences in consumer behavior in highly competitive and dynamic markets. In this paper, the authors look at how the heterogeneous evaluation of retailing influences customer satisfaction and loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to analyze unobserved heterogeneity on customer value dimensions perceptions in retail establishments, and their potential effects on positive forms of behavioral outcomes considering customer satisfaction as a mediating variable. Design/methodology/approach On a sample of 820 retail customers, the authors apply a finite mixture structural equation modeling that analyzes unobserved heterogeneity simultaneously. In this model, the authors study the influence of heterogeneous perceptions of excellence, efficiency, entertainment and aesthetics on customer satisfaction and of satisfaction on word-of-mouth (WOM) referral and WOM activity. Findings The results show two latent segments where the intensity of ca...
Management Decision, 2017
Purpose In tourism, the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (hereinafter ICT) ... more Purpose In tourism, the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (hereinafter ICT) and variables concerning firms’ links with suppliers have been recognized as key determinants to improve companies’ competitiveness. From the perspective of efficient management of company resources, segmentation has become a key tool and is particularly significant and current in the business-to-business context. The purpose of this paper is to study the segmentation of firms in the tourist industry according to perceived ICT use and relationship value and benefits. In addition, from the management approach, the authors seek to describe the segments that enable the development of differentiated strategies aimed at consolidating relationship benefits in the long term. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 310 travel agencies who evaluated the relationship with their main supplier, the authors attempt to examine the utility of these variables as segmentation criteria for identifyi...
Tourism Economics, 2016
Our work is focused on the segmentation analysis in the Spanish tourist industry. Using a sample ... more Our work is focused on the segmentation analysis in the Spanish tourist industry. Using a sample of travel agencies who evaluated the relationship with their main supplier (relationship value, relationship benefits and perceived information and communication technologies (ICTs) use), we attempt to examine the utility of these variables as specific and subjective segmentation criteria for identifying heterogeneous groups. The estimation of a finite mixture model suggests that these bases are able to discriminate firms into six latent classes with different levels of ICT use and relationship variables. The novelty in this work lies in the application of latent segmentation methodology and the simultaneous use of bases associated with ICT and relationship variables in business-to-business tourism.
Proceedings of the 6th International Congress on Public and Non Profit Marketing University of Minho Braga Portugal 14 15th June 2007 2007 Pag 58, 2007
Handbook of Research on Transnational Higher Education
Increased competition between universities is generating the need for in-depth analysis of the pr... more Increased competition between universities is generating the need for in-depth analysis of the processes underlying evaluation of university service because of its implications for student behaviour. Crosscultural analysis of student perceptions is a fundamental approach. This chapter attempts to review the concept in the light of dimensional models of culture proposed by Hofstede (1980, 2001) and Schwartz (1994). Thus, based on a theoretical framework that reviews the main contributions to the concept of culture and evaluation of university service, a proposal has been developed for evaluating university service from a cross-cultural approach. The results show cultural differences between students from four different nationalities. Furthermore, Hofstede's (2001) model has been found to be the most appropriate for evaluating cultural differences in this context.