Academic Journal
THE HIDDEN COSTS OF ONLINE CHANNEL STRATEGY: A RELATIONAL NORM ANALYSIS.
| Τίτλος: | THE HIDDEN COSTS OF ONLINE CHANNEL STRATEGY: A RELATIONAL NORM ANALYSIS. |
|---|---|
| Συγγραφείς: | Islam, Mazharul1, Ashraf, Rohail2, Alharthi, Majed3, Khan, Muhammad Asif4, Alamoudi, Hawazen5 |
| Πηγή: | Corporate & Business Strategy Review. 2026 Special Issue, Vol. 7, p412-423. 12p. |
| Θεματικοί όροι: | *Customer relations, *Interpersonal relations, *Customer loyalty, Social norms |
| Περίληψη: | In this era of omni-channels, firms are increasingly relying on online channel strategies to manage customer interactions (Cui et al., 2022). However, the implications of this transition for the socio-relational structure of the marketplace remain insufficiently understood, with prior studies reporting mixed findings on customer-firm relationships across channels (Cambra-Fierro et al., 2020). This study investigates how firms' online channel strategies reshape the socio-relational structure of the marketplace using a relational norms perspective. Relationships are conceptualized as customer journeys initiated by self-construal and mediated by channel usage and service quality. Using data from 245 banking customers (Age: x² = 29.15 years; s = 9.88 years), results show that offline service quality develops communal and exchange relational norms. However, online channel usage negatively affects both norms, indicating detrimental effects on customer-relationship development. Communal relational norms better predict pro-firm behaviors (word of mouth (WOM) and switching intentions) than exchange norms. The study concludes that greater reliance on online channels may undermine long-term customer relationship development despite their operational benefits. The findings provide theoretical insight and strategic guidance for managers by showing that effective channel strategy should balance operational efficiency and cost-saving initiatives with long-term customer-firm relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Βάση Δεδομένων: | Business Source Index |
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