Role of customers' multidimensional perceived equity in the mobile food delivery industry

Abstract

Purpose Existing service research has revealed that customers' perceived equity influences the sustainability of a business. Despite the importance of food service mobile applications during the COVID-19 pandemic, studies that have examined customers' loyalty toward mobile applications remain limited. Thus, this study aims to examine the impact of mobile application-related attributes on customers' behavior in the food delivery industry. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from 214 US customers to extend knowledge on perceived equity by examining the effect of multidimensional equity (i.e. value equity, brand equity and relationship equity) on loyalty in the mobile food service context. Findings Results of partial least square structural equation modeling suggest that three aspects of customers' perceived equity are positively related to customers' attitudinal loyalty, which is linked to behavioral loyalty. Moreover, the role of attitudinal loyalty and demographic characteristics (i.e. gender and age) is described. Originality/value This empirical research explores how food delivery brands can increase customers' positive behavior by investigating the role of multidimensional equity. Service providers must understand certain aspects of customers' perceived equity to increase food service brand sustainability.

客户多维感知资产在移动食品配送行业中的作用摘要研究目的 – 现有服务研究表明, 客户的资产感知会影响企业的可持续性。尽管在 COVID-19 大流行期间食品服务移动应用程序很重要, 但检查客户对移动应用程序忠诚度的研究仍然有限。研究设计/方法/途径 – 作者收集了来自 214 名美国客户的数据, 通过检查多维公平（即价值公平、品牌公平和关系公平）对移动食品服务环境中忠诚度的影响来扩展关于感知公平的知识。研究发现 – 偏最小二乘结构方程模型的结果表明, 客户感知资产的三个方面与客户的态度忠诚度呈正相关, 而态度忠诚度与行为忠诚度相关。此外, 还描述了态度忠诚度和人口特征（即性别和年龄）的作用。研究原创性 – 这项实证研究通过调查多维公平的作用, 探讨了食品配送品牌如何增加顾客的积极行为。服务提供者必须了解顾客感知资产的某些方面以提高食品服务品牌的可持续性。关键词 – 价值资产、品牌资产、关系资产、态度忠诚、行为忠诚、送餐应用文章类型 – 研究型论文