Marketing Strategies and Social Performance Outcomes: A Field Study on MFI Clients

-- Priyanka Jayashankar and Robert V Goedegebuure

The study focuses on the relationship between marketing strategy elements and the social performance of Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). The MFI clients' perceptions of marketing strategy elements and the socio-economic outcomes of microfinance-based interventions were factored into the study. Latent constructs were developed based on the clients' perceptions of marketing strategy elements and social performance indicators. A field study was conducted, wherein 200 clients of four South Indian MFIs participated. The authors carried out a multivariate test to analyze the data. The authors determined to what extent MFIs' marketing strategies have impacted social performance. Necessary inferences were drawn from the findings to distinguish between marketing strategies, which have a stronger impact on specific socio-economic outcomes and those strategies, which have a marginal impact. The data, which have been obtained at a field level, would provide microfinance practitioners more insights into clients' perceptions of marketing tactics as well as social performance outcomes. MFIs can fine-tune their marketing strategies to be more responsive to clients' needs. Policy makers and practitioners in the development sector would find the socio-economic outcomes of microfinance relevant. The marketing strategies, which impact client behavior in the microfinance sector, would also be of interest to social marketers. Studies juxtaposing clients' perception of marketing strategy elements and social performance outcomes are rare in microfinance research. The authors hope that their field studies on microfinance would add value to the discipline of marketing.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

A Quantitative Assessment of Materialistic Value and Its Relationship with Consumer Behavior in Indian Culture

-- Manit Mishra and B B Mishra

The present study is aimed at attaining a better understanding of the consumer value of materialism. Two of the significant works on empirical manifestation of the abstract concept of materialism are those by Belk (1984) and Richins and Dawson (1992). However, notwithstanding their relevance to materialism in Western cultures, there was a need to examine and identify a scale satisfying validity and reliability criteria in urban Indian ambience. This study is envisaged to fulfill two objectives—first, assessment of construct validity of the Richins and Dawson (1992) scale of materialism, and second, examination of the relationship with consumer behavior parameters of consumption innovativeness and attitude towards television advertising. The study revealed that the Richins and Dawson (1992) scale of materialism exhibits construct validity—high reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity. Further, Indian consumers having greater materialistic tendencies exhibit higher consumption innovativeness and display a positive attitude towards television advertising. The utilitarian value of the study is in the areas of diffusion of innovation and marketing communication.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Understanding Users of Mobile Services in Rural Area: A Case of Bishalkhinda Village in Odisha

-- Ashish Dash and Sukesh Kumar

This study estimates the price and income elasticity of demand for mobile usage of rural subscribers by using primary data collected from Bishalkhinda Panchayat of Sambalpur district in Odisha, India. Further, attempts are made to understand and analyze the factors affecting choice of mobile service providers and mobile subscriptions. The results of this study have implications for formulation of policies relating to provisioning of telecom services in rural areas. Further, the findings of this study may be useful for providers of mobile services in formulating their plans for rural areas.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.

Guest Delight: Its Significance in the Hotel Industry

-- Sinmoy Goswami and Mrinmoy K Sarma

In today's competitive business scenario, every hotel emphasizes in securing loyal guests by delighting them. This study aims to establish the existence of guest delight and thereby provides a solution for maintenance of its constancy in hotels. The study involved interviews with 152 repeat guests of 29 hotels in the 4-star, 3-star and unclassified categories in Guwahati city and a few towns in northeastern India. It also involved structured observation and interviews with the employees of these hotels. The study revealed that various parameters like food and beverage quality, welcoming atmosphere, etc. are related to pleasant surprises of these guests in the hotels where they stayed. Their pleasant surprises are linked to their level of excitement which is in turn related to their positive feelings. It is connected to surpassing their expectations of happiness in them resulting in guest delight. In due course of time, these delighter features are assimilated with the satisfier features of the hotel service. With every successive purchase, guests tend to expect the earlier delighter features which ultimately affect the profitability of the hotels at some point of time. Any hotel may create transitory delight or reenacted delight to provide a solution to this unique problem.

© 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.