Rowland Worlu

This study surveyed customer experience management (CEM) and student’s loyalty in higher education institution (HEI) sector using a private university in Ogun State, Nigeria as a case study. The primary intent of this study was to determine the roles of humanic and mechanic clues on student’s loyalty. The two hypotheses formulated to address the research questions and objectives raised in this study were analysed with Categorical Regression, which is also known as CATREG analysis. This study applied survey research design and the data were spawned via designed questionnaire. An overall of 215 copies of the questionnaires were regained from the student of the private university in Ogun State. Multi-stage sampling methods were engaged in this study. The research findings of this study show that mechanic clues significantly influence students’ retention, while humanic clues significantly influence students’ disposition to endorse the institution of higher education to others. As part of the recommendations of the study, it was suggested that the university management should deliberately focus on mechanic clues in terms of providing a conducive environment, especially one that is clean for its students at all times.

To remain competitive within the present inherent business environment, there is a demand for organisations to embrace an integrated culture-behaviour for performance that enables them to adopt a critical engine for a more sustainable working environment. Organisational culture, which is a reflection of predominant valued beliefs, is expected to influence a sustainable environmental performance. Evidence abounds of several organisational activities with adverse impacts on humans and the environment. The study examines an organisation’s processes that can be incorporated as a culture to ensure a more sustainable working environment. This paper proposes the use of six organisational culture practices (core value, reporting system, task performance, clarity of roles, careful deliberations, and distinctive identity) to find out organisation values, as well as individual preferences in enhancing an immediate sustainable environment. The study selected 480 employees of Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) firms who are active in their organisational work processes; 358 responded, and as such, was deemed as a valid research sample. The empirical analysis was carried out using a variance-based Structural Equation Modelling with partial least squares for the path-modelling (PLS-SEM), both for the Algorithm Model, and the Bootstrapping Model with β and p-values obtained from the findings. The findings provide empirical evidence that there is a significant level of influence of organisational culture on environmental performance. However, among the organisational practices, task performance has the least influence on environmental performance. This implies that organisations should invest more in the dimensions of organisational culture with higher performance-importance, while adequate attention should be given to variables with the least influence on the target construct of environmental performance.

Oil and gas firms in Nigeria are generally perceived to be weak in their environmental and ecological initiatives towards their host communities. Yet there has been a dearth of empirical emphasis from research that shows evidences about the role of ecological protection on the corporate image of oil and gas firms. Therefore, this study focused on examining the influence of a commitment to ecological protection on the corporate image of oil and gas firms in Nigeria. The study adopted the mixed methods approach where quantitative and qualitative methods (survey and interview) were used. For the quantitative research, copies of structured questionnaire were distributed to 350 employees of the selected firms, while 30 respondents from other stakeholder groups were interviewed for the qualitative research. Based on the results of the regression and thematic analyses, findings show that the firms’ commitment to ecological protection through their policy to avoid the use of materials from the illegal exploitation of natural resources, commitment to waste minimisation and recycling and pollution leads to increased investors’ confidence, strengthened relationship with the government, host community and reduced pressure from third parties. Therefore, it is recommended that oil and gas firms intensify efforts in activities that ensure ecological protection of host communities and thus build stakeholders confidence in the firms’ corporate image.

Purpose: The purpose of this conceptual paper is to introduce the concept of customer experience management (CEM) as a supportive construct in customer loyalty building. In support of Smith and Wheeler (2002) stance, Cronin (2003) argued that organizations should deviate from outdated quality → value → satisfaction → loyalty paradigm to a modern and more flexible paradigm for loyalty building. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses an archival survey of the extant literature to confirm or debunk the position of CEM protagonists within the context of the health-care sector of developing countries, especially Nigeria. Findings: This paper presents a new conceptualization on CEM that includes three dimensions of CEM (functional clues, mechanic clues and humanic clues) on customer loyalty in the health-care sector of Nigeria. Therefore, when a health-care organization consciously and effectively makes CEM a strategic priority, it largely leaves a long-lasting impression in the mind of the customers, which invariably retain and build customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications: The authors emphasized the importance of how CEM can be used to build loyalty and the need to properly adapt CEM approach in an extremely sensitive service sector, i.e. the health-care sector in developing countries, especially Nigeria. The recommended framework initiates fresh streams of researches for the concept to be carried out empirically in developing countries. Practical implications: To retain and build customer loyalty, particularly in the health-care sector of Nigeria, health-care organizations need to understand and adopt CEM clues so as to keep customers loyal in an extremely sensitive service sector. Originality/value: Although there are studies on CEM and customer loyalty in the health-care sector of developed countries, research on CEM is very limited in developing countries such as Nigeria. By contributing to the body of knowledge in this area, this research adds significant value. Moreover, the research gives important information on the Nigerian health-care sector, which probably new to several readers.

Critical Success Factors for Sustainable Entrepreneurship in SMEs: Nigerian Perspective