PROCEDIMIENTO DE RECOGIDA DE LA INFORMACIÓN MEDIANTE LOS

The preceding discussion of this chapter posits that, what is missing is a deeper knowledge about what CRM means to collectivistic consumers. A thorough exploration of

136 collectivistic consumer perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and behavioral tendencies with regard to CRM programs and its counterparts is needed to understand how collectivistic consumers assign meaning to CRM strategies that provoke consumer skepticism and how these meanings translate into differential behavioral responses. This research intends of filling this gap in this knowledge stream.

Also, the preceding discussion posits that prior CRM literature lacks from a deep understanding about what, cause type, cause proximity, and type of donation means to collectivistic consumers. Against this background, a detailed exploration of collectivistic consumer beliefs, perceptions, attitudes, and behavioral tendencies with regard to these three structural elements of CRM campaigns is needed and how these meanings translate into differential consumer behaviors. Moreover, the above discussion pointed the lack of knowledge as regards to CRM campaigns with choice of cause type, cause proximity and type of donation, and how this CRM campaign with choice affects CRM effectiveness, in terms of customization, coverage, and reduced consumer skepticism. Finally, it was also argued that CRM with choice can affect collectivistic consumers' WOM persuasion behaviors positively. Thus, this discussion leads to the following research aim, objectives, and research questions.

Research Aim

The overall aim of this research is twofold: first, to contribute towards the development of an in-depth understanding of what CRM practices mean for collectivistic consumers, and second, to explore, from a customer point of view, how CRM campaigns with choice affect CRM effectiveness and consumers’ Word-of-Mouth persuasion behavior.

137 The scope of work is guided by the main research question:

What are the critical choice factors in a CRM campaign within a collectivistic context that result in CRM effectiveness and provoke positive Word-of-Mouth persuasion behaviors?

Accordingly, the objectives of the research are the following:

 Research Objective 1 (RO1):

To explore and understand how collectivistic consumers perceive CRM practices.

 Research Objective 2 (RO2):

To explore and understand collectivistic consumers’ beliefs, thoughts, feelings and attitudes, about the cause type, cause proximity and type of donation in a CRM campaign.

 Research Objective 3 (RO3):

To explore and understand collectivistic consumers’ beliefs, thoughts, feelings and attitudes about having the option to choose the cause type, cause proximity and type of donation in a CRM campaign.

 Research Objective 4 (RO4):

To explore and understand how choice of cause type, cause proximity and type of donation affects the effectiveness of a CRM campaign.

 Research Objective 5 (RO5):

138 To develop a framework for CRM campaigns with choice that is applicable in a collectivistic context and to validate it within the customer database of the retail banking industry of Cyprus.

In order to address all the above mentioned Research Objectives and based on the developed conceptual framework, the following Research Questions (RQs) that emerged from the development of the proposed framework are addressed:

Research Question 1 (RQ1): How do collectivistic consumers feel and think about CRM campaigns?

Research Question 2a (RQ2a): How do collectivistic consumers feel and think about the cause type in a CRM campaign?

Research Question 2b (RQ2b): How do collectivistic consumers feel and think about the cause proximity in a CRM campaign?

Research Question 2c (RQ2c): How do collectivistic consumers feel and think about the type of donation in a CRM campaign?

Research Question 3a (RQ3a): What mechanisms explain collectivistic consumers' preferences, as regards to the type of cause in a CRM campaign?

139 Research Question 3b (RQ3b): What mechanisms explain collectivistic consumers'

preferences, as regards to the cause proximity in a CRM campaign?

Research Question 3c (RQ3c): What mechanisms explain collectivistic consumers' preferences, as regards to the type of donation in a CRM campaign?

Research Question 4a (RQ4a): How do collectivistic consumers feel and think about choosing the cause type in a CRM campaign?

Research Question 4b (RQ4b): How do collectivistic consumers feel and think about choosing the cause proximity, in a CRM campaign?

Research Question 4c (RQ4c): How do collectivistic consumers feel and think about choosing the type of donation in a CRM campaign?

Research Question 5a (RQ5a): How does the act of choosing the cause type affects the effectiveness of a CRM campaign, in terms of coverage, customization and reduced consumer skepticism?

Research Question 5b (RQ5b): How does the act of choosing the cause proximity affects the effectiveness of a CRM campaign, in terms of coverage, customization and reduced consumer skepticism?

140 Research Question 5c (RQ5c): How does the act of choosing the type of donation affects the effectiveness of a CRM campaign, in terms of coverage, customization and reduced consumer skepticism?

Research Question 6a (RQ6a): How does the act of choosing the cause type in a CRM campaign affects collectivistic consumers' positive Word-of-Mouth persuasion behavior, and what mechanisms explain their decision to engage in such persuasion behavior?

Research Question 6b (RQ6b): How does the act of choosing the cause proximity in a CRM campaign affects collectivistic consumers' positive Word-of-Mouth persuasion behavior, and what mechanisms explain their decision to engage in such persuasion behavior?

Research Question 6c (RQ6c): How does the act of choosing the type of donation in a CRM campaign affects collectivistic consumers' positive Word-of-Mouth persuasion behavior, and what mechanisms explain their decision to engage in such persuasion behavior?