Title: Social and environmental responsibility, service quality, corporate image and loyalty in logistics services

Authors: Jouni Juntunen; Jari Juga; Mari Juntunen

Addresses: Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Box 4600, 90014 Oulu, Finland ' Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Box 4600, 90014 Oulu, Finland ' Oulu Business School, University of Oulu, Box 4600, 90014 Oulu, Finland

Abstract: This paper examines the impacts of service performance, corporate image and corporate social responsibility on customer loyalty in the logistics service context. The research is based on structural equation modelling applied to empirical data with 235 responses. The study confirms the fundamental importance of service performance on buyer's loyalty in logistics outsourcing relationships. It has a direct impact on loyalty as well as an indirect impact through corporate image. Corporate social responsibility, by contrast, only affects loyalty indirectly through corporate image. While statistically significant, the mediated impact of corporate social responsibility on loyalty is considerably weaker than is the impact of service performance. The impact of corporate image on loyalty is equally strong as the impact of service performance.

Keywords: corporate brand image; service quality; corporate social responsibility; CSR; environmental responsibility; logistics outsourcing; structural equation modelling; SEM; corporate image; customer loyalty; logistics services; service performance.

DOI: 10.1504/WRITR.2013.058981

World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research, 2013 Vol.4 No.2/3, pp.194 - 206

Received: 21 Feb 2013
Accepted: 20 Aug 2013
Published online: 31 Mar 2014 *

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