THE INFLUENCE OF CUSTOMER ORIENTATION ON CHOP BAR PERFORMANCE IN GHANA: THE MEDIATING EFFECTS OF CUSTOMER EMPOWERMENT AND CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION
Abstract
Purpose: The study investigates the mediating role of customer empowerment and customer participation in the relationship between customer orientation and chop bar performance in Ghana.
Design/Methodology/Approach: A quantitative approach was used, collecting data from 767 respondents across six regional capitals in Ghana. The study utilized a structured questionnaire and analyzed the data through descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multivariable regression models.
Findings: The results show that customer participation has a positive impact on the relationship between customer orientation and chop bar performance, and customer empowerment plays a supporting role in enabling this mediation effect.
Practical Implications: The study provides valuable insights for chop bar owners and managers, helping them develop strategies to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Social Implications: The findings can contribute to the overall improvement of the food service industry in Ghana, leading to increased competition and better-quality services for consumers.
Originality: The study's originality lies in its focus on chop bars in Ghana and other sub-Saharan African countries, as well as its introduction of customer empowerment and effective customer participation as mediators connecting customer orientation with chop bar performance.
Keywords: Customer Orientation, Chop Bar, Performance, Ghana, Customer Empowerment, Customer Participation
References
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Burns, T., & Stalker, G. M. (1961). Mechanistic and organic systems. In Classics of organizational theory (pp. 209-214).
Chan, K. W., Yim, C. K., & Lam, S. S. (2010). Is customer participation in value creation a double-edged sword? Evidence from professional financial services across cultures. Journal of marketing, 74(3), 48-64.
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Eisingerich, A. B., Auh, S., & Merlo, O. (2014). Acta non verba? The role of customer participation and word of mouth in the relationship between service firms' customer satisfaction and sales performance. Journal of Service Research, 17(1), 40-53.
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Karatepe, O. M., Yavas, U., Babakus, E., & Deitz, G. D. (2018). The effects of organizational and personal resources on stress, engagement, and job outcomes. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 74, 147-161.
Kelley, S. W., Donnelly Jr., J. H., & Skinner, S. J. (1990). Customer participation in service production and delivery. Journal of Retailing, 66(3), 315.
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Leung, X. Y., Wang, X., Levitt, J. A., & Lu, L. (2022). Cocreating food experience "delivered" from iconic local restaurants. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 34(8), 3065-3083.
Maletič, M., Maletič, D., & Gomišček, B. (2018). The role of contingency factors on the relationship between sustainability practices and organizational performance. Journal of cleaner production, 171, 423-433.
Maulidi, A. (2023). Philosophical understanding of the dynamics and control of occupational fraud in the public sector: contingency analysis. International Journal of Ethics and Systems, 39(2), 432-463.
Mende, M., Scott, M. L., Bitner, M. J., & Ostrom, A. L. (2017). Activating consumers for better service coproduction outcomes through eustress: The interplay of firm-assigned workload, service literacy, and organizational support. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 36(1), 137-155.
Menguc, B., Auh, S., Katsikeas, C. S., & Jung, Y. S. (2016). When does (mis)fit in customer orientation matter for frontline employees' job satisfaction and performance? Journal of Marketing, 80(1), 65-83.
Mursid, A., & Wu, C. H. J. (2022). Customer participation, value co-creation and customer loyalty: evidence from Umrah travel agencies in Indonesia. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(3), 628-648.
Myers, R. J., & Chandler, J. H. (1962). International comparisons of unemployment. Monthly Labor Review, 857-864.
Ngo, L. V., & O'Cass, A. (2013). Innovation and business success: The mediating role of customer participation. Journal of Business Research, 66(8), 1134-1142.
Otley, D. (2016). The contingency theory of management accounting and control: 1980-2014. Management Accounting Research, 31, 45-62.
Pacheco-Cubillos, D. B., Boria-Reverter, J., & Gil-Lafuente, J. (2024). Transitioning to Agile Organizational Structures: A Contingency Theory Approach in the Financial Sector. Systems, 12(4), 142.
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Sato, C., & Tufuor, T. (2020). Migrant women's labor: Sustaining livelihoods through diverse economic practices in Accra, Ghana. The Handbook of Diverse Economies (pp. 186-93).
Sood, A. K., Ohdar, R. K., & Mahapatra, S. S. (2010). Parametric appraisal of mechanical property of fused deposition modeling processed parts. Materials & Design, 31(1), 287-295.
Tuan, L. T., Rajendran, D., Rowley, C., & Khai, D. C. (2019). Customer value co-creation in the business-to-business tourism context: The roles of corporate social responsibility and customer empowering behaviors. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 39, 137-149.
Victer, R. S. (2020). Connectivity knowledge and the degree of structural formalization: a contribution to a contingency theory of organizational capability. Journal of Organization Design, 9(1), 7.
Vidal, G. G., Campdesuñer, R. P., Rodríguez, A. S., & Vivar, R. M. (2017). Contingency theory to study leadership styles of small businesses owner-managers at Santo Domingo, Ecuador. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 9, 1847979017743172.
Yuk, H., & Garrett, T. C. (2023). Does customer participation moderate the effects of innovation on cost-based financial performance? An examination of different forms of customer participation. Journal of Business Research, 156, 113479.
Zeithaml, V. A., & Zeithaml, C. P. (1988). The contingency approach: Its foundations and relevance to theory building and research in marketing. European Journal of Marketing, 22(7), 37-64.
Zhang, Y., & Yu, H. H. (2024). The impact of social capital on the creation of customer participation value in virtual brand communities. Nurture, 18(2), 404-417.
Zuhroh, D. (2019). Contingent fit-misfit and business unit performance: A review based on the perspective of the congruity hypothesis. AFRE Accounting and Financial Review,
