The citizen's voice : Albert Hirschman's Exit, Voice and Loyalty and its contribution to media citizenship debates

This paper analyses Albert Hirschman's Exit, Voice and Loyalty (Hirschman 1970) as a basis for understanding the relationship between media and citizenship. It considers the significance of Hirschman's concept of voice in relation to media policy, media participation through user-created content, and the rise of 'citizen media' and 'citizen journalism'. It associates these developments with a 'de-centering' of both media practice and media studies, as considered by Couldry (2006a, 2006b). It concludes by suggesting that voice and participation, rather than citizenship, may constitute a more suitable foundation for understanding new digital media initiatives.

Loyalty and the ritualistic consumption of entertainment

Entertainment is consumer-driven culture, and some consumers of entertainment products display uncommon levels of loyalty towards their favourite sports star, actor or musician. This essay examines fanaticism and loyalty through the prism of consumer rituals. Further, a Ritual-Loyalty model is proposed to help investigate the relationship between the constructs. Finally, the paper offers directions for future research regarding entertainment consumers.

An application of the CBBE model to assess brand loyalty for a long haul travel destination

In the past two decades there has been increasing interest in branding tourism destinations in an effort to meaningfully differentiate against a myriad of competing places that offer similar attractions and facilities. The academic literature relating to destination branding commenced only as recently as 1998, and there remains a dearth of empirical data that tests the effectiveness of brand campaigns, particularly in terms of enhancing destination loyalty. This paper reports the results of an investigation into destination brand loyalty for Australia as a long haul destination in a South American market. In spite of the high level of academic interest in the measurement of perceptions of destinations since the 1970s, few previous studies have examined perceptions held by South American consumers. Drawing on a model of consumer-based brand equity (CBBE), antecedents of destination brand loyalty was tested with data from a large Chilean sample of travelers, comprising a mix of previous visitors and non-visitors to Australia. Findings suggest that destination brand awareness, brand image, and brand value are positively related to brand loyalty for a long-haul destination. However, destination brand quality was not significantly related. The results also indicate that Australia is a more compelling destination brand for previous visitors compared to non-visitors.

Establishing a quality franchise relationship in Taiwan : Investigating relationships between relationship quality, loyalty and cooperation

Franchised convenience stores successfully operate throughout Taiwan, but the convenience store market is approaching saturation point. Creating a cooperative long-term franchising relationship between franchisors and franchisees is essential to maintain the proportion of convenience stores...

Patient influences on satisfaction and loyalty for GP services

Little is known about the influence that patients themselves have on their loyalty to a general practitioner (GP). Consequently, a theoretical framework that draws on diverse literature is proposed to suggest that along with satisfaction, patient loyalty is an important outcome for GPs. Comprising 174 Australian patients, this study identified that knowledgeable patients reported lower levels of loyalty while older patients and patients visiting a GP more frequently reported higher levels of loyalty. The results suggest that extending patient-centred care practices to encompass all patients may be warranted in order to improve patient satisfaction and loyalty. Further, future research opportunities abound, with intervention and dyadic research methodologies recommended.

Attitudinal impact of hybridized writing about a socioscientific issue

The development of scientifically literate citizens remains an important priority of science education; however, growing evidence of students’ disenchantment with school science continues to challenge the realisation of this aim. This triangulation mixed methods study investigated the learning experiences of 152 9th grade students as they participated in an online science-writing project on the socioscientific issue of biosecurity. Students wrote a series of hybridized scientific narratives, or BioStories, that integrate scientific information about biosecurity with narrative storylines. The students completed an online Likert-style questionnaire, the BioQuiz, which examined selected aspects of their attitudes toward science and science learning, prior to their participation in the project, and upon completion of the writing tasks. Statistical analyses of these results and interview data obtained from participating students suggest that hybridized writing about a socioscientific issue developed more positive attitudes toward science and science learning, particularly in terms of the students’ interest and enjoyment. Implications for research and teaching are also discussed.

Investigating relationships between relationship quality, customer loyalty and cooperation : an empirical study of convenience stores' franchise chain systems

Small business has been shown to contribute significantly to a nation’s economic development. Small business owners typically confront challenges, uncertainty, and risks while operating new businesses. Franchising has become a way to minimize the risks of small business management (Chiou et al., 2004); however, a franchise system is not a guarantee of business success (Lee and Karkovista, 2001). A poor franchising relationship between franchisors and franchisees can result in franchise failure, such as termination and closure, or franchisee exit (Frazer and Winzar, 2005).

Female genital mutilation : legal, attitudinal and practical reform

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a cultural practice common in many Islamic societies. It involves the deliberate, non-therapeutic physical modification of young girls’ genitalia. FGM can take several forms, ranging from less damaging incisions to actual removal of genitalia and narrowing or even closing of the vagina. While often thought to be required by religion, FGM both predates and has no basis in the Koran. Rather, it is a cultural tradition, motivated by a patriarchal social desire to control female bodies to ensure virginity at marriage (preserving family honour), and to prevent infidelity by limiting sexual desire. In the USA and Australia in 2010, peak medical bodies considered endorsing the medical administration of a ‘lesser’ form of FGM. The basis for this was pragmatic: it would be preferable to satisfy patients’ desire for FGM in medically-controlled conditions, rather than have these patients seek it, possibly in more severe forms, under less safe conditions. While arguments favouring medically-administered FGM were soon overcome, the prospect of endorsing FGM illuminated the issue in these two Western countries and beyond. This paper will review the nature of FGM, its physical and psychological health consequences, and Australian laws prohibiting FGM. Then, it will scan recent developments in Africa, where FGM has been made illegal by a growing number of nations and by the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 2003 (the Maputo Protocol), but is still proving difficult to eradicate. Finally, based on arguments derived from theories of rights, health evidence, and the historical and religious contexts, this paper will ask whether an absolute human right against FGM can be developed.

The web site and brand trust as antecedents of online loyalty

As online business thrives, a company’s Web presence holds enormous importance as a source of information, entertainment, and customer service for Internet users. Besides being user-friendly, a Web site should offer interesting and enjoyable content to attract online visitors in an ever-changing multimedia environment. Companies that operate globally must know how cultural differences influence the way potential customers perceive their sites. This paper presents a model that highlights the importance of ease of use, enjoyment, content, and brand trust for Web site loyalty. The model is subsequently tested in four countries: Australia, Japan, Mongolia, and the USA. The results show that perceptual differences exist: while ease of use is crucial for Web site loyalty in all four countries, the importance of content, perceived enjoyment, and brand trust varies across different cultures.

Increasing loyalty to breastfeeding : investigating a product development strategy

This paper demonstrates how social marketing insights were used to influence women’s loyalty to breastfeeding. The paper reports on a social marketing campaign undertaken by the Australian Breastfeeding Association and a government health department, which used a product development strategy in order to increase breastfeeding loyalty. Seeking new approaches to support breastfeeding behaviors is critical and timely, because while initiation rates of breastfeeding are high in developed countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, and the USA, duration rates are significantly lower. Results indicate that a product focused strategy influences pregnant women’s loyalty to exclusively breastfeeding.

Brand loyalty in the Australian wine industry

Consumers are increasingly exposed to a wider range of wine brands as the industry is becoming vastly competitive. Using data from Australian wine consumers, the authors empirically test a model of antecedents of wine brand loyalty. The findings of this study show that wine knowledge and wine experience influence wine brand loyalty indirectly through wine brand trust and wine brand satisfaction. In addition, it is demonstrated that consumer satisfaction with a wine brand is the strongest driver of wine brand loyalty.

In pursuit of tourism destination brand loyalty : visitor relationship management orientation of destination marketing organisations

The proposition underpinning this study is engaging in meaningful dialogue with previous visitors represents an efficient and effective use of resources for a destination marketing organization (DMO), compared to above the line advertising in broadcast media. However there has been a lack of attention in the tourism literature relating to destination switching, loyalty and customer relationship management (CRM) to test such a proposition. This paper reports an investigation of visitor relationship marketing (VRM) orientation among DMOs. A model of CRM orientation, which was developed from the wider marketing literature and a prior qualitative study, was used to develop a scale to operationalise DMO visitor relationship orientation. Due to a small sample, the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method of structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. Although the sample limits the ability to generalise, the results indicated the DMOs’ visitor orientation is generally responsive and reactive rather than proactive.

Does Identifying Ambushers as Non-Sponsors Help or Hurt Legitimate Sponsors? Memory and Attitudinal Consequences

Two experiments examine outcomes for sponsor and ambusher brands within sponsorship settings. It is demonstrated that although making consumers aware of the presence of ambusher brands can reduce subsequent event recall to competitor cues, recall to sponsor cues can also suffer. Attitudinal effects are also considered.

Social and mobile interaction design to increase the loyalty rates of young blood donors

Young adults represent the largest group of first time donors to the Australian Red Cross Blood Service, but they are also the least loyal group and often do not return after their first donation. At the same time, many young people use the internet and various forms of social media on a daily basis. Web and mobile based technological practices and communication patterns change the way that young people interact with one another, with their families, and communities. Combining these two points of departure, this study seeks to identify best practices of employing mobile apps and social media in order to enhance the loyalty rates of young blood donors. The findings reported in this paper are based on a qualitative approach presenting a nuanced understanding of the different factors that motivate young people to donate blood in the first place, as well as the obstacles or issues that prevent them from returning. The paper discusses work in progress with a view to inform the development of interactive prototypes trialling three categories of features: personal services (such as scheduling); social media (such as sharing the donation experience with friends to raise awareness); and data visualisations (such as local blood inventory levels). We discuss our translation of research findings into design implications.

Antecedents of consumer brand loyalty in the Chilean wine industry

The wine industry has become fiercely competitive worldwide, and consumers are increasingly exposed to a wider range of wines in retail outlets. Therefore, wineries need to develop and build consumer loyalty toward their brands. The authors empirically test a model of wine brand loyalty in a Latin American context which considers wine brand trust, brand satisfaction, wine knowledge and wine experience as antecedents. Hypotheses are tested with structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings show that wine experience is positively related to brand trust and brand satisfaction. In addition, results show that consumer satisfaction with a wine brand is the strongest driver of brand loyalty.