Share:


A sustainable business profit through customers and its impacts on three key business domains: technology, innovation, and service (TIS)

    Enkeleda Lulaj   Affiliation

Abstract

Purpose – This research examines and investigates the importance of sustainable business profit through customers and its impacts on three key business domains: technology-innovation-service (TIS). The main goal was to see what were the interrelationships of business-consumers and consumers-business analysis to have a sustainable profit based on the models: Innovation and Growth Teams (IGT), Innovative Customer Relationship Management (ICRM), Business-to-Consumer (B2C), Customer Service and Support (CSS), Customer Service Technology (CST), and Multidimensional Scaling model (MDS) or the factors (F1–F14). Were these factors important to businesses and which variables had the greatest impact on sustainable profit through consumer evaluation during purchase?


Research methodology – This research was carried out on manufacturing, service, and distribution businesses (consumer-business analysis) and consumers (business-consumer analysis) in 200 businesses and consumers, through the completion of the online questionnaire and the meeting with the business managers, considering the same variables during the period (2019–2022). The data processing was done through (SPSS Statistics 23) using tests and econometric analysis (descriptive, factorial, reliability, multiple regression, and multidimensional scaling analysis) the model shows that all factors have great effects on sustainable business profit through consumers.


Findings – However, it is suggested that of great importance for a sustainable business profit through customers are: the behavior of workers and staff, handling requests faster, business support before and after purchase, providing information applications (discount, usage, term of the expiration date, product content, payment methods as well as the provision of transport by the business for consumers.


Research limitations – The limitations of this research are only a certain number of variables, years, and the number of businesses, but for other analyses and research, researchers can take a larger number of variables, businesses, and/or countries using the same models.


Practical implications – Based on the above questions, it was confirmed that a (TIS) through models will make the profit even more stable by strengthening the position of businesses in the market against their competitors. So, in this case there are still practical implications in three key business domains (TIS) technology, innovation, and services. Therefore, businesses should pay attention to these findings to have a sustainable business profit.


Originality/Value – Research related to sustainable profit through consumers considering three key business domains technology, innovations, and services (TIS) has not been analyzed earlier in terms of consumers as buyers and businesses as providers of products and services.

Keyword : sustainable profit, customers, profit matrix, econometric analysis, profit models, corporate finance, managerial accounting, businesses

How to Cite
Lulaj, E. (2023). A sustainable business profit through customers and its impacts on three key business domains: technology, innovation, and service (TIS). Business, Management and Economics Engineering, 21(1), 19–47. https://doi.org/10.3846/bmee.2023.18618
Published in Issue
May 9, 2023
Abstract Views
878
PDF Downloads
922
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

References

Achtenhagen, L., Melin, L., & Naldi, L. (2013). Dynamics of business models – strategizing, critical capabilities and activities for sustained value creation. Long Range Planning, 46(6), 427–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2013.04.002

Agwu, U. J., & Bessant, J. (2021). Sustainable business models: A systematic review of approaches and challenges in manufacturing. Revista de Administração Contemporânea, 25(3), e200202. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-7849rac2021200202.en

Ahearne, M., Srinivasan, N., & Weinstein, L. (2004). Effect of technology on sales performance: Progressing from technology acceptance to technology usage and consequence. The Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 24(4), 297–310. http://www.jstor.org/stable/40471971.

Anderson, E. W., Fornell, C., & Lehmann, D. R. (1994). Customer satisfaction, market share, and profitability: Findings from Sweden. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 53–66. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252310

Antikainen, M., & Valkokari, K. (2016). A framework for sustainable circular business model innovation. Technology Innovation Management Review, 6(7), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.22215/timreview/1000

Ashford, S., & Cummings, L. L. (1983). Feedback as an individual resource: Personal strategies of creating information. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 32(3), 370–398. https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(83)90156-3

Baden-Fuller, C., & Haefliger, C. (2013). Business models and technological innovation. Long Range Planning, 46(6), 419–426. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2013.08.023

Bahadur, W., Aziz, S., & Zulfiqar, S. (2018). Effect of employee empathy on customer satisfaction and loyalty during employee-customer interactions: The mediating role of customer affective commitment and perceived service quality. Cogent Business & Management, 5(1), 1491780. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2018.1491780

Balderjahn, I., Lee, M. S. W., Seegebarth, B., & Peyer, M. (2020). A sustainable pathway to consumer wellbeing. The role of anticonsumption and consumer empowerment. Journal of Consumer Affairs (JCA), 54(2), 456–488. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12278

Bansal, P., & DesJardine, M. R. (2014). Business sustainability: It is about time. Strategic Organization, 12(1), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127013520265

Bauman, A., & Bachmann, R. (2017). Online consumer trust: Trends in research. Journal of Technology Management & Innovation, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.4067/S0718-27242017000200008

Bocken, N., & Konietzko, J. (2022). Circular business model innovation in consumer-facing corporations. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 185, 122076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.122076

Bocken, N., Short, S. W., Rana, P., & Evans, S. (2013). A value mapping tool for sustainable business modeling. Corporate Governance International Journal of Business in Society, 13(5), 482–497. https://doi.org/10.1108/CG-06-2013-0078

Bolton, R. N. (1998). A dynamic model of the duration of the customer’s relationship with a continuous service provider: The role of satisfaction. Marketing Science, 17(1), 4–89. https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.17.1.45

Bolton, R. N., & Drew, J. H. (1991). A multistage model of customers’ assessments of service quality and value. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(4), 375–384. https://doi.org/10.1086/208564

Buell, R. W., & Kalkanci, B. (2019). How transparency into internal and external responsibility initiatives influences consumer choice: Evidence from the field and lab. Harvard Business School. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3385443

Carlson, J. P., & Paul, I. (2022). Pick a card: Price ranges and gift card choice. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 65, 102871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102871

Carù, A., & Cugini, A. (1999). Profitability and customer satisfaction in services: An integrated perspective between marketing and cost management analysis. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 10(2), 132–157. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564239910264316

Chakraborty, D., Siddiqui, A., Siddiqui, M., Rana, N. P., & Dash, G. (2022). Mobile payment apps filling value gaps: Integrating consumption values with initial trust and customer involvement. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 66, 102946. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.102946

Chang, K., Chen, M., Hsu, C., & Kuo, N. (2010). The effect of service convenience on post‐purchasing behaviors. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 110(9), 1420–1443. https://doi.org/10.1108/02635571011087464

Chopra, K. (2014). Empirical study on role of customer service in delivering satisfaction at branded retail outlets in pune. Procedia Economics and Finance, 11, 239–246. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2212-5671(14)00192-0

Coltman, T., Devinney, T. M., & Midgley, D. F. (2010). Customer relationship management and firm. Performance, Journal of Information Technology, 26(3), 205–219. https://doi.org/10.1057/jit.2010.39

Considine, E., & Cormican, K. (2016). Self-service technology adoption: An analysis of customer to technology interactions. Procedia Computer Science, 100, 103–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2016.09.129

Crant, J. M. (2000). Proactive behavior in organizations. Journal of Management, 26(3), 435–462. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630002600304

Cravo, T. A., & Piza, C. (2019). The impact of business-support services on firm performance: A meta-analysis. Small Business Economics, 53, 753–770. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-018-0065-x

Deery, S. J., & Nath, V. (2015). Customer service work, employee well‐being, and performance. In Managing human resources: Human resource management in transition (pp. 100–122). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119208235.ch6

Drigas, A., Leliopoulos, P. (2013). Business to Consumer (B2C) e-commerce decade evolution. International Journal of Knowledge Society Research, 4(4), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijksr.2013100101

Evans, S., Vladimirova, D., Holgado, M., Van Fossen, K., Yang, M., Silva, E., Barlow, C. Y. (2017). Business model innovation for sustainability: Towards a unified perspective for creation of sustainable business models. Business Strategy and the Environment, 26(5), 597–608. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1939

Freeman, C. (1973). A study of success and failure in industrial innovation. In B. R. Williams (Eds.), Science and technology in economic growth. International Economic Association Conference Volumes, Numbers 1–50. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-01731-7_9

Gao, F., & Chen, J. (2015). The role of discount vouchers in market with customer valuation uncertainty. Production and Operations Management, 24(4), 665–679. https://doi.org/10.1111/poms.12296

Gong, M., Gao, Y., Koh, L., Sutcliffe, C., & Cullen, J. (2019). The role of customer awareness in promoting firm sustainability and sustainable supply chain management. International Journal of Production Economics, 217, 88–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2019.01.033

Guerola-Navarro, V., Oltra-Badenes, R., Gil-Gomeza, H., Iturricha Fernández, A. (2021). Customer relationship management (CRM) and Innovation: A qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) in the search for improvements on the firm performance in winery sector. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 169, 120838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120838

Harris, P. (2007). We the people: The importance of employees in the process of building customer experience. Journal of Brand Management, 15, 102–114. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2550123

Hartline, M. D., & Ferrell, O. C. (1996). The management of customer-contact service employees: An empirical investigation. Journal of Marketing, 60(4), 52–70. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251901

Hayashi, K., & Arav, M. (2006). Bayesian factor analysis when only a sample covariance matrix is available. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 66(2), 272–284. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164405278583.

Heinonen, K. (2011). Consumer activity in social media: Managerial approaches to consumers’ social media behavior. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 10(6), 356–364. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.376

Hitt, L. M., & Brynjolfsson, E. (1996). Productivity, business profitability, and consumer surplus: Three different measures of information technology value. MIS Quarterly, 20(2), 121–142. https://doi.org/10.2307/249475

Hogreve, J., Iseke, A, & Derfuss, K. (2021). The service-profit chain: Reflections, revisions, and reimaginations. Journal of Service Research, 25(3), 460–477. https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705211052410

Holma, M. , & Ax, C. (2020). The interactive effect of competition intensity and customer service competition on customer accounting sophistication – Evidence of positive and negative associations. Management Accounting Research, 46, 100644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mar.2019.07.001

Huselid, M. A. (1995). The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance. Academy of Management Journal, 38(3), 635–872. https://doi.org/10.5465/256741

Inderst, R. (2011). Consumer protection and the role of advice in the market for retail financial services. Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics JITE, 167(1), 4–21. https://doi.org/10.1628/093245611794656417

Inderst, R., & Ottaviani, M. (2010). Consumer protection in markets with advice. Competition Policy International, 6(1).

Izogo, E. E., & Jayawardhena, C. (2018). Online shopping experience in an emerging e-retailing market: Towards a conceptual model. The Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 17(4), 379–392. https://doi.org/10.1002/cb.1715

Jiang, Z.-Z., Feng, G., Zelong Yi, Z., & Guo, X. (2022). Service-oriented manufacturing: A literature review and future research directions. Frontiers of Engineering Management (FEM), 9(1), 71–88. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42524-021-0171-3

Korsakiene, R. (2009). The innovative approach to relationships with customers. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 10(1), 53–60. https://doi.org/10.3846/1611-1699.2009.10.53-60

Küster, I., Vila, N., & Canales, P. (2016). How does the online service level influence consumers’ purchase intentions before a transaction? A formative approach. European Journal of Management and Business Economics, 25(3), 111–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.redeen.2016.04.001

Larson, A. L., Teisberg, E. O., & Johnson, R. R. (2000). Sustainable business: Opportunity and value creation. Interfaces, 30(3), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1287/inte.30.3.1.11658

Lemon, K. N., & Verhoef, P. C. (2016). Understanding customer experience throughout the customer journey. Journal of Marketing, 80(6), 69–96. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0420

Li, J., Luo, S., & Zhou, G. (2022). Document details – electronic payment, natural environment, and household consumption: Evidence from China Household Finance Survey. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4197205

Lulaj, E. (2021). Quality and reflecting of financial position: An enterprises model through logistic regression and natural logarithm. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 10(1).

Lulaj, E. (2022). An unstoppable and navigating journey towards development reform in complex financial-economic systems: An interval analysis of government expenses (past, present, future). Business, Management and Economics Engineering, 20(2), 329–357. https://doi.org/10.3846/bmee.2022.17389

Lulaj, E., & Dragusha, B. (2022). Incomes, gaps and well-being: An exploration of direct tax income statements before and during Covid-19 through the comparability interval. International Journal of Professional Business Review, 7(6), e0623.

Lulaj, E., & Dragusha, B., & Hysa, E. (2023). Investigating accounting factors through audited financial statements in businesses toward a circular economy: Why a sustainable profit through qualified staff and investment in technology? Administrative Sciences, 13(3), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13030072

Lulaj, E., & Iseni, E. (2018). Role of analysis CVP (Cost-Volume-Profit) as important indicator for planning and making decisions in the business environment. European Journal of Economics and Business Studies, 4(2), 99–114. https://doi.org/10.2478/ejes-2018-0043

Lulaj, E., Zarin, I., & Rahman, S. (2022). A novel approach to improving e-government performance from budget challenges in complex financial systems. Complexity, 2022, 2507490. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2507490

Lutz, R. (2011). Employee behavior in organizations: On the current state of research. Management Revue, 22(4), 344–366. https://doi.org/10.5771/0935-9915-2011-4-344

Mai, A. N., Van Vu, H., Bui, B. X., Tran, T. Q. (2019). The lasting effects of innovation on firm profitability: Panel evidence from a transitional economy. Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja, 32(1), 3417–3436. https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677X.2019.1660199

Martinez, B. M., & McAndrews, L. E. (2022). Do you take...? The effect of mobile payment solutions on use intention: An application of UTAUT2. Journal of Marketing Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-022-00175-6

Molinillo, S., Aguilar-Illescas, R., Anaya-Sánchez, R., Carvajal-Trujillo, E. (2022). The customer retail app experience: Implications for customer loyalty. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 65, 102842. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102842

Morioka, S. N., Evans, S., & de Carvalho, M. M. (2015). Sustainable business model innovation: Exploring evidences in sustainability reporting. Procedia CIRP, 40, 659–667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2016.01.151

Mulhern, F. J. (1999). Customer profitability analysis: Measurement, concentration, and research directions. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 13(1), 25–40. 3.0.CO;2-L> https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1520-6653(199924)13:1<25::AID-DIR3>3.0.CO;2-L

Paesbrugghe, B., Vuori, J., & Kock, H. (2022). Selling to enabled purchasers: the effect of perceived supply risk and profit impact on the buyer–seller interaction. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 37(5), 1012–1024. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-05-2019-0252

Pal, A., Herath, T., De, R., & Raod, H. R. (2021). Why do people use mobile payment technologies and why would they continue? An examination and implications from India. Research Policy, 50(6), 104228. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2021.104228

Pugh, S. D. (2001). Service with a Smile: Emotional Contagion in the Service Encounter. The Academy of Management Journal, 44(5), 1018–1027. https://doi.org/10.2307/3069445

Reinartz, W., Krafft, M., & Hoyer, W. D. (2004). The customer relationship management process: Its measurement and impact on performance. Journal of Marketing Research, 41(3), 293–305. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.41.3.293.35991

Ritaa, P., Oliveiraa, T., & Farisab, A. (2019). The impact of e-service quality and customer satisfaction on customer behavior in online shopping. Heliyon, 5(10), e02690. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02690

Rose, S., Hair, N., & Clark, M. (2011). Online customer experience: A review of the business-to-consumer online purchase context. International Journal of Management Reviews, 13(1), 24–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2010.00280.x

Rust, R. T., & Lemon, K. N. (2001). E-service and the consumer. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 5(3), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/10864415.2001.11044216

Ryals, L. (2005). Making customer relationship management work: The measurement and profitable management of customer relationships. Journal of Marketing, 69(4), 252–261. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.2005.69.4.252

Sánchez, A. A., Barba Aragón, M. I., & Sanz Valle, R. (2003). Effect of training on business results. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14(6), 956–980. https://doi.org/10.1080/0958519032000106164

Saura, J. R., Palos-Sanchez, P., & Blanco-González, A. (2020). The importance of information service offerings of collaborative CRMs on decision-making in B2B marketing. Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 35(3), 470–482. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-12-2018-0412

Sergeant, A., & Frenkel, S. (2000). When do customer contact employees satisfy customers? Journal of Service Research, 3(1), 18–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/109467050031002

Sharma, A. (2008). Improving customer service and profitability through customer intervention in service relationships. Journal of Relationship Marketing, 7(4), 327–340. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332660802508505

Shrestha, N. (2021). Factor analysis as a tool for survey analysis. American Journal of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, 9, 4–11. https://doi.org/10.12691/ajams-9-1-2

Snihura, Y., & Bocken., N. (2022). A call for action: The impact of business model innovation on business ecosystems, society, and planet. Long Range Planning, 55(6), 102182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2022.102182

Snyder, H., Witell, L., Gustafsson, A., Fombelle, P., & Kristensson, P. (2016). Identifying categories of service innovation: A review and synthesis of the literature. Journal of Business Research, 69(7), 2401–2408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.009

Sorce, P., & Edwards, K. (2004). Defining business-to-consumer relationships: The consumer’s perspective. Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management, 11(3), 255–267. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.dbm.3240225

Stavins, J. (2017). How do consumers make their payment choices? Research Data Reports, Research Data Reports Paper No. 17-1. SSRN. https://ssrn.com/abstract=2995875

Świecka, B., Terefenko, P., & Paprotny, D. (2021). Transaction factors influence on the choice of payment by Polish consumers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 58, 102264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2020.102264

Takemura, K., (2021). 11 – Decision strategies and bad group decision-making: A group meeting experiment. In Escaping from bad decisions. A behavioral decision-theoretic perspective, perspectives in behavioural economics and the economics of beh (pp. 225–245). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-816032-9.00009-0

Uyanik, G. K., & Güler, N. (2013). A study on multiple linear regression analysis. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 106, 234–240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.027

Valmohammadi, C. (2017). Customer relationship management: Innovation and performance. International Journal of Innovation Science, 9(4), 374–395. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-02-2017-0011

Vance, R. J. (2006). Employee, engagement and commitment, a guide to understanding, measuring and increasing engagement in your organization. SHRM Foundation. www.shrm.org/foundation

Verhoef, P. C., Lemon, K. N., Parasuraman, A., Roggeveen, A.,Tsiros, M., & Schlesinger, L. A. (2009). Customer experience creation: Determinants, dynamics and management strategies. Journal of Retailing, 85(1), 31–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2008.11.001

Vidmar, D., Marolt, M., & Pucihar, A. (2021). Information technology for business sustainability: A literature review with automated content analysis. Sustainability, 13(3), 1192. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031192

Wahlberg, O., Strandberg, C., Sundberg, H., & Sandberg, K. W. (2009). Trends, topics and under-researched areas in CRM research: A literature review. International Journal of Public Information Systems, 3, 191–208. http://www.ijpis.net/

West, M. A., & Dawson, J. F. (2012). Employee engagement and NHS performance. The King’s Fund. https://archive.kingsfund.org.uk/concern/parent/000104276/file_sets/6m311p30x

Wohllebe, A., Stoyke, T., & Podruzsik, S. (2020). Incentives on e-commerce app downloads in medium apps a case study on the effects of coupons and bonus points. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 14(19), 180–196. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v14i19.16427

Yang, M., Vladimirova, D., & Evans, S. (2017). Creating and capturing value through sustainability. Research Technology Management, 60(3), 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/08956308.2017.1301001

Yang, S. J., & Jang, S. (2020). How does corporate sustainability increase financial performance for small- and medium-sized fashion companies: Roles of organizational values and business model innovation. Sustainability, 12(24), 10322. https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410322

Yeung, M. C. H., & Ennew, C. T. (2001). Measuring the impact of customer satisfaction on profitability: A sectoral analysis. Journal of Targeting, Measurement, and Analysis for Marketing, 10(2), 106–116. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jt.5740038

Zeithaml, V. A. (2000). Service quality, profitability, and the economic worth of customers: What we know and what we need to learn. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28, 67–85. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092070300281007

Zhang, Y., Yuan, Y., Su, J., & Xiao, Y. (2021). The effect of employees’ politeness strategy and customer membership on customers’ perception of co-recovery and online post-recovery satisfaction. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 63, 102740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102740