"Scientific research" Almanac

More titles

• 

  MEASURING CONSUMER SATISFACTION WITH THE OMNI-CHANNEL EXPERIENCE

  Most consumer brands today are available in both physical and online stores, and marketing specialists are constantly seeking new ways to contact and engage their customers. More and more companies are trying to adapt to the digital world and create multiple channels to satisfy consumers' requirements for an optimal buying experience. These ... Most consumer brands today are available in both physical and online stores, and marketing specialists are constantly seeking new ways to contact and engage their customers. More and more companies are trying to adapt to the digital world and create multiple channels to satisfy consumers' requirements for an optimal buying experience. These channels include physical stores, websites, mobile apps, social media and more. The present study presents the results of an empirical study aimed at offering measurement models of consumer satisfaction with and expectation of the omni-channel customer experience. The study has also sought an answer to the question: how much the expectations of the different aspects of omni-channel experience affect the degree of customer satisfaction. The research tasks can be summarized as follows: (1) analysis of scientific literature in the field of omni-channel marketing, customer experience and satisfaction in an omni-channel setting; (2) collection and analysis of data about customer’s expectations and satisfaction with their experience in an omni-channel buying environment, as well as validation of their measurement models and a structural model of their relationship. The partial least squares method has been used in order to test the measurement and structural models. It has been found that customers are satisfied with their omni-channel experience if companies: offer them relevant offers, synchronize their promotions across channels, offer the "Click & Collect" option, integrate data on user devices and enhance the return options for products purchased through different channels. The results also show that only the expectations for integrating data from different devices used by consumers to contact the brand have a small effect on the level of consumer satisfaction

• 

  OPPORTUNITIES FOR INCREASING THE QUALITY OF DATA FROM ONLINE SURVEYS

  The emergence and evolution of Internet and related applications have changed many areas of public life. The methods of gathering marketing information have also changed. Less and less often surveys are printed on paper and are conducted in a web environment. The reasons are simple – online surveys are conducted faster and cheaper, they are easy ... The emergence and evolution of Internet and related applications have changed many areas of public life. The methods of gathering marketing information have also changed. Less and less often surveys are printed on paper and are conducted in a web environment. The reasons are simple – online surveys are conducted faster and cheaper, they are easy to spread, they offer useful functionalities. A major challenge for marketing researchers is to ensure that online surveys are representative. The main purpose of this study is to examine whether the structure of a sample, drawn from an online survey, corresponds to the structure of the studied aggregation. Another objective of the study is to examine how respondents react to incentives offered for participation in an online survey. This study presents the results of three online surveys. Each survey examines specific aggregation: Facebook page fans; visitors to a web site; population of Bulgaria aged 13-54. Two surveys were conducted through Facebook advertising. One survey was conducted among the visitors of a web site. To compare the sample and general aggregation, we have used χ2 criterion for one sample and Kiril Gatev’s integral coefficient. In the case of studying Facebook page fans, the sample matches the set of variables "sex" and "residence". In order to validate the three samples, the following information sources were used: The National Statistical Institute; Facebook page Insights; Google Analytics reports. In both surveys made via Facebook advertising, a very low cost was obtained for a response. In the survey of site visitors, the cost of a response is practically zero. To test how incentives affect respondents' activity, two types of prizes are offered – USB Flash memory stick (3 pcs.) and External hard disk drive (2 pcs.). In this study, we have found that the incentives offered do not increase respondents’ responsiveness to a degree justifying the costs of purchasing and delivering the prizes.

• 

  CHALLENGES TO INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

  The technical and economic paradigm of the information age since the beginning of the 21st century has led to new structures and processes in the international business in the European Union. In the economic sense, this is a prerequisite for deepening the division of labour, increasing its productivity and expanding the sphere of the use of ... The technical and economic paradigm of the information age since the beginning of the 21st century has led to new structures and processes in the international business in the European Union. In the economic sense, this is a prerequisite for deepening the division of labour, increasing its productivity and expanding the sphere of the use of capital. The consequences for the European Union concern all the enterprises on the path to internationalization. We believe that the challenges to them are related to the changes imposed by modern information and communication technologies and the realities of the new millennium. The purpose of this paper is to present the trends and the challenges in areas important for the international development of companies in the European Union that are affected by the modern changes, namely: energy as the basis for the development of the industries that have directed their efforts abroad; international investment as an important factor for a country's prosperity and an increase in exports and the labour market, providing the necessary human resources for the success of internationalizing business organizations. This purpose should be achieved by solving the research tasks related to revealing the latest theoretical formulations on the subject under consideration and highlighting the trends in the studied areas. The main research thesis is that the knowledge gained in the study of the fields important for the international development of the European Union companies: energy; foreign direct investment and the labour market can be seen as a technical, economic, managerial and, above all, strategic instrument aimed at maintaining and enhancing the national and international competitiveness of international business organizations and the achievement of economic growth in each member-state and the whole Union. As a result of the research, we have come to the conclusion that changes require action in order to adapt to the dynamics caused by a number of factors: technological, economic, political, socio-demographic and psychological factors. Using all provided opportunities can foster the prosperity of businesses abroad, economies of the countries and the industry of the European Union as a whole.