HOW DOES OMNI-CHANNEL EXPERIENCE SHAPES PURCHASE INTENTIONS OF LEGAL SERVICES: A STIMULUS-ORGANISM-RESPONSE PERSPECTIVE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/aamr.2024.34Keywords:
SOR Theory, Omnichannel Customer Experience, Seamless Experience, Legal Service, Purchase IntentionAbstract
Omni-channel retailing, an innovative strategy that integrates online and physical operations, is becoming increasingly popular among firms. This tendency emphasizes the necessity for a more profound understanding of consumers’ purchasing behavior within this context. The omni-channel research has been mainly concentrated on the retail and travel industries, with less attention paid to professional services. This research seeks to improve our understanding of how clients’ experiences across multiple channels influence their intention to purchase a certain professional service, particularly legal services, within a comprehensive omnichannel environment. Utilizing the Stimulus-Organism-Response theory, this study gathered 410 valid surveys by the offline snowball approach and subsequently employed PLS 4.0 to analyze the collected data. The results indicate that the five components of the omnichannel customer experience - connectivity, integration, consistency, flexibility, and personalization - have a significant influence on the perceived seamless, which in turn influences consumers’ intention to purchase legal services. The influence of personalization on the development of seamless experiences is particularly noteworthy among all these factors. The findings have theoretical implications and provide managerial recommendations for legal practitioners.
References
Abbott, A. (1988). The System of Professions: An Essay on the Division of Expert Labor. Illinois: University of Chicago Press.
Anderson, J., & Gerbing, D. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103(3), 411-423.
Beck, N., & Rygl, D. (2015). Categorization of Multiple Channel Retailing in Multi-, Cross-, and Omni-Channel Retailing for Retailers and Retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 27, 170-178.
Bhalla, R. (2014). The omni-channel customer experience: Driving engagement through digitization. Journal of Digital and Social Media Marketing, 1(4), 365-372.
Briedis, H., Harris, T., Pacchia, M., & Ungerman, K. (2019). Ready to ‘where’: Getting sharp on apparel omnichannel excellence. Retrieved from www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/ready-to-where-getting-sharp-on-apparel-omnichannel-excellence#/
Chang, H., & Chen, S. (2008). The Impact of Online Store Environment Cues on Purchase Intention: Trust and Perceived Risk as a Mediator. Online Information Review, 32(6), 818-841.
Chang, H., & Li, S. (2020). The impact of omnichannel retailing on consumer behavior: A comprehensive review. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, 101-113.
Chang, Y., & Li, J. (2022). Seamless experience in the context of omnichannel shopping： scale development and empirical validation. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64, 102800.
Cheah, I., Ting, H., Lim, X., & Wong, W. (2022). Channel flexibility, consumer empowerment, trust, and patronage intentions: Enhancing the omnichannel customer experience. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 65, 102874.
Cochran, W. (1977). Sampling Techniques. 3rd ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Denis, C., & Karsenty, L. (2004). Inter-usability of multi-device systems: A conceptual framework. In A. Seffah, & H. Javahery. (eds.). Multiple user interfaces: Cross-platform applications and context-aware interfaces (pp. 373-385). West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diamantopoulos, A., & Siguaw, J. (2006). Formative versus reflective indicators in organizational measure development: A comparison and empirical illustration. British Journal of Management, 17(4), 263-282.
Eaglen, M. (2013). Omni-channel retail: joining up the consumer experience. Retrieved from www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog.
Fei, G., & Su, X. (2017). Online and offline information for omnichannel retailing. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 19(1), 84-98.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50.
Gahler, M., Klein, J., & Paul, M. (2019). Measuring customer experiences: A text-based and pictorial scale (MSI Working Paper Series). Colombo: Management & Science Institute.
Gao, F., & Su, X. (2017). Online and offline information for omnichannel retailing. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 19(1), 84-98.
Hadfield, G., & Rhode, D. (2016). How to regulate legal services to promote access, innovation, and the quality of lawyering. Hastings Law Journal, 67(5), Article 2.
Hair, J., Hult, G., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). 2nd ed. California: Sage Publications Inc.
Hansen, R., & Sia, S. (2015). Hummel’s Digital Transformation Toward Omnichannel Retailing: Key Lessons Learned. MIS Quarterly Executive, 14(2), 51-66.
Hargadon, A., & Bechky, B. (2006). When collections of creatives become creative collectives: A field study of problem solving at work. Organization Science, 17(4), 484-500.
Herhausen, D., Kleinlercher, K., Verhoef, P., Emrich, O., & Rudolph, T. (2019). Loyalty formation for different customer journey segments. Journal of Retailing, 95(3), 9-29.
Hickman, E., Kharouf, H., & Sekhon, H. (2020). An omnichannel approach to retailing: Demystifying and identifying the factors influencing an omnichannel experience. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 30(3), 266-288.
Hossain, T., Akter, S., Kattiyapornpong, U., & Dwivedi, Y. (2020). Reconceptualizing integration quality dynamics for omnichannel marketing. Industrial Marketing Management, 87, 225-241.
Hsieh, Y., Roan, J., Pant, A., Hsieh, J., Chen, W., & Lee, M. (2012). All for one but does one strategy work for all? Building consumer loyalty in multi-channel distribution. Managing Service Quality: An International Journal, 22(3), 310-335.
Huré, E., Picot-Coupey, K., & Ackermann, C. (2017). Understanding omni-channel shopping value: A mixed-method study. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 39, 314-330.
Juaneda-Ayensa, E., Mosquera, A., & Murillo, Y. (2016). Omnichannel customer behavior: Key drivers of technology acceptance and use and their effects on purchase intention. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1117.
Kazancoglu, I., & Aydin, H. (2018). An investigation of consumers’ purchase intentions towards omni-channel shopping: A qualitative exploratory study. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 46(10), 959-976.
Kopot, J., & Cude, B. (2021). Impact of flexible channels on perceived fluency and customer attitudes towards brands. Journal of Retail and Consumer Services, 58, 102351.
Kutner, M., Nachtsheim, C., & Neter, J. (2004). Applied Linear Regression Models. 4th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Lazaris, C., & Vrechopoulos, A. (2014). From Multichannel to "Omnichannel" Retailing: Review of the Literature and Calls for Research. A paper presented at the 2nd International Conference on Contemporary Marketing Issues, Athens, Greece.
Lee, H., & Kim, J. (2010). Investigating dimensionality of multichannel retailer’s cross-channel integration practices and effectiveness: Shopping orientation and loyalty intention. Journal of Marketing Channels, 17(4), 281-312.
Lee, Z., Chan, T., Chong, A., & Thadani, D. (2019). Customer engagement through omnichannel retailing: The effects of channel integration quality. Industrial Marketing Management, 77, 90-101.
Li, Y., Liu, H., Lim, E., Goh, J., Yang, F., & Lee, M. (2018). Customer’s reaction to cross-channel integration in omnichannel retailing: The mediating roles of retailer uncertainty, identity attractiveness, and switching costs. Decision Support Systems, 109, 50-60.
Liu, Y., & Zheng, S. (2023). Factors affecting consumers’ purchase intention for agriculture products omni-channel. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 948982.
Mainardes, E., de Moura Rosa, C., & Nossa, S. (2020). Omnichannel strategy and customer loyalty in banking. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 38(4), 799-822.
Massi, M., Piancatelli, C., & Vocino, A. (2023). Authentic omnichannel: Providing consumers with a seamless brand experience through authenticity. Psychology & Marketing, 40(7), 1280-1298.
McGinnis, J., & Pearce, R. (2014). The great disruption: How machine intelligence will transform the role of lawyers in the delivery of legal services. Fordham Law Review, 82(6), Article 16.
Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. (1974). An Approach to Environmental Psychology. Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Mishra, R., Singh, R., & Koles, B. (2021). Consumer decision-making in Omnichannel retailing: Literature review and future research agenda. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 45(2), 147-174.
Moon, H., Yoon, H., & Han, H. (2017). The effect of airport atmospherics on satisfaction and behavioral intentions: Testing the moderating role of perceived safety. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 34(6), 749-763.
Mosquera, A., Pascual, C., & Ayensa, E. (2017). Understanding the customer experience in the age of omni-channel shopping. Revista científica De Comunicación Y Tecnologías Emergentes, 15(2), 92-114.
Mosteller, J., Donthu, N., & Eroglu, S. (2014). The fluent online shopping experience. Journal of Business Research, 67(11), 2486-2493.
Nikolova, N. (2012). Innovating through clients. In M. Reihlen, & A. Werr. (eds.). Handbook of Research on Entrepreneurship in Professional Service Firms (pp. 86-106). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Oh, L., & Teo, H. (2010). Consumer value co-creation in a hybrid commerce service-delivery system. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 14(3), 35-62.
Pereira, M., de La Martinière Petroll, M., Soares, J., Matos, C., & Hernani-Merino, M. (2023). Impulse buying behaviour in omnichannel retail: an approach through the stimulus-organism-response theory. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 51(1), 39-58.
Piotrowicz, W., & Cuthbertson, R. (2014). Introduction to the Special Issue Information Technology in Retail: Toward Omnichannel Retailing. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 18(4), 5-16.
Podsakoff, P., MacKenzie, S., Lee, J., & Podsakoff, N. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: A critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879-903.
Quach, S., Barari, M., Moudrý, D., & Quach, K. (2022). Service integration in omnichannel retailing and its impact on customer experience. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 65, 102267.
Rizk, M., El-Samadicy, A., & Negm, E. (2024). The Impact of Omni-Channel Integration on Generation Z Purchase Intentions Towards FMCG Retailers: An Empirical Study on Egyptian FMCG Consumers. Journal of Business and Management Sciences, 12(1), 1-12.
Rodríguez-Torrico, P., Cabezudo, R., & San-Martín, S. (2017). Tell me what they are like and I will tell you where they buy. An analysis of omnichannel consumer behavior. Computers in Human Behavior, 68, 465-471.
Sakdapat, N. (2023). The Role of Psychological Factors and Situational Factors on the Financial Planning Behavior of Private Sector Employees in Thailand. International Journal of Economics and Finance Studies, 15(01), 449-465.
Schramm-Klein, H., Wagner, G., Steinmann, S., & Morschett, D. (2011). Cross-channel integration – is it valued by customers?. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 21(5), 501-511.
Sharma, M., Gupta, M., & Joshi, S. (2020). Adoption barriers in engaging young consumers in the Omni-channel retailing. Young Consumers, 21(2), 193-210.
Sharma, N., & Fatima, J. (2024). Influence of perceived value on omnichannel usage: Mediating and moderating roles of the omnichannel shopping habit. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, 103627.
Shen, X., Li, Y., Sun, Y., & Wang, N. (2018). Channel integration quality, perceived fluency and omnichannel service usage: The moderating roles of internal and external usage experience. Decision Support Systems, 109, 61-73.
Shi, S., Wang, Y., Chen, X., & Zhang, Q. (2020). Conceptualization of omnichannel customer experience and its impact on shopping intention: A mixed-method approach. International Journal of Information Management, 50, 325-336.
Sopadjieva, E., Dholakia, U., & Benjamin, B. (2017). A study of 46,000 shoppers shows that omnichannel retailing works. Harvard Business Review, 3, 1-2.
Verhoef, P., Kannan, P., & Inman, J. (2015). From Multi-Channel Retailing to Omni-Channel Retailing: Introduction to the Special Issue on Multi-Channel Retailing. Journal of Retailing, 91(2), 174-181.
Zhang, M., Ren, C., Wang, G., & He, Z. (2018). The impact of channel integration on consumer responses in omni-channel retailing: The mediating effect of consumer empowerment. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 28, 181-193.
Zhang, X., Park, Y., & Park, J. (2024). The effect of personal innovativeness on customer journey experience and reuse intention in omni-channel context. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, 36(2), 480-495.
Zhang, X., Park, Y., Park, J., & Zhang, H. (2024). Demonstrating the influencing factors and outcomes of customer experience in omnichannel retail. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 77, 103622.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
.png)
