Image perception has been acknowledged as a critical component of branding. Perception of image is comparatively difficult for intangible entities like ‘destination’. Research initiatives, thus far, has postulated destination branding on associations namely cognitive and affective image inputs. Multi-sensory brand associations were never tested for destination branding model, although, sensory brand associations were found to play major role in the tangible product branding and influence purchase behaviours. Further, attributional elements, specific to destination are assumed to play critical role in developing the brand identity leading to choice of destination. Perceived destination brand image was empirically tested for its influence on post-travel behaviours and was identified as one of the potent travel motives, however, the predictive capability of perceived destination brand image on favourable post-travel behaviours seems to fall off due to reasons unknown. Researchers like Fournier, observed that relationship-branding can induce favourable post-purchase behaviour. This study focuses on developing a destination brand model using conventional brand associations, namely cognitive and affective image inputs, and new associations, namely, attributional and senso-ry image inputs. The study further incorporates relationship-branding as a multiplex phenomenon and tested its possible intervening impact between perceived destination brand image and post-travel behaviours. The results established the destination brand model based on the image associations and confirmed the role of relationship-branding as a para-social and socio-emotional moderator to influence post-travel visitor behaviour. The study plugs in the gap that existed in the present body of knowledge addressing destination branding and reinforces the relationship theory in establishing the ‘brand–purchase–post-purchase behaviour’ triad.

Empirical research has identified the phenomenon of destination bonding as a result of summated physical and emotional values associated with the destination. Physical values, namely natural landscape & other physical settings and emotional values, namely the enculturation processes, have a significant role to play in portraying visitors’ cognitive framework for destination preference. The physical values seemed to be the stimulator for bonding that embodies action or behavior tendencies in imagery. The emotional values were the conditions that lead to affective bonding and are reflected in attitudes for a place which were evident in text narratives. Social networking on virtual platforms offers the scope for hybrid cognitive expression using imagery and text to the visitors. Instagram has emerged as an application-window to capture these hybrid cognitions of visitors. This study focuses on assessing the relationship between hybrid cognition of visitors expressed via Instagram and their bond with the destination. Further to this, the study attempts to examine the impact of hybrid cognition of visitors on the behavioral pattern of prospective visitors to the destination. The study revealed that sharing of visual imageries and related text by the visitors is an expression of the physico-emotional bonding with the destination. It was further established that hybrid cognition strongly asserts destination bonding and has been also found to have moderating impact on the link between destination bonding and electronic-word-of-mouth.

This study attempts to assess the moderating impact of recently introduced tourist relationship management (TRM) framework on service quality perception-tourist satisfaction-destination loyalty link. Tourist relationship management framework draws inspiration from customer relationship management (CRM) model with validated addition of dimensions compatible to tourism dynamics. The study, carried out in Santiniketan, India, confirmed moderating impact of dimensional performance of tourist relationship management on perceived tourism service quality-tourist satisfaction-destination loyalty link.

Automation in service delivery has increased the consumers’ expectation with regard to service quality and subsequently the perception of the same. Technology-driven services redefined quality dimensions and their subsequent impact on the behavioural outcomes of the consumers with specific reference to attitudinal loyalty and propensity to switch. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has further reinforced the operational aspects of a service provider by integrating the behavioural perspectives with technology. This paper attempts to explore the nomological link between automated service quality and its behavioural consequences with specific reference to consumers’ attitudinal loyalty and their intention to switch or defect from their present service provider. The study further takes into consideration the moderating effects of the performance of the dimensions and attributes of customer relationship management by introducing a novel approach to CRM performance indexing. The cross-sectional study was carried out with the customers of State Bank of India at Asansol, Durgapur, Bolpur and Santiniketan in West Bengal, India. The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to assess and validate the nomological relationship between the variables.

Information technology induced communications (ICTs) have revolutionized the operational aspects of service sector and have triggered a perceptual shift in service quality as rapid dis-intermediation has changed the access-mode of services on part of the consumers. ICT-enabled services further stimulated the perception of automated service quality with renewed dimensions and there subsequent significance to influence the behavioural outcomes of the consumers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) has emerged as an offshoot to technological breakthrough as it ensured service-encapsulation by integrating people, process and technology. This paper attempts to explore the relationship between automated service quality and its behavioural consequences in a relatively novel business-philosophy – CRM. The study has been conducted on the largest public sector bank of India - State bank of India (SBI) at Kolkata which has successfully completed its decade-long operational automation in the year 2008. The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to justify the proposed model construct and causal loop diagramming (CLD) to depict the negative and positive linkages between the variables.

The dimensions of service quality and their relationship with the behavioral pattern of customers have received immense importance in the banking sector. The relational impact of service quality on customers’ propensity to switch from their banking service provider, is therefore, very much relevant. Empirical studies have revealed that there is a significant relationship between retention of customers and profitability. Therefore, to have an understanding of the behavioral pattern of the customers with respect to their intention to defect from their bank is financially justified. This paper investigates the relationship between service quality and switching behavior of customers in the context of the largest nationalized bank of India –State Bank of India (SBI) for two of their branches in sub-urban West Bengal namely Bolpur and Santiniketan.

Retail atmospherics have been well studied to have both functional and emotional impact on the behavioural intent of shoppers. The usage of well-orchestrated retail servicescape with its expanding canvas, both inside and outside the retail premise, has been targeted to induce subliminal perception of comfort and convenience in the mind of shoppers. Modern retail practice has incorporated customer relationship management (CRM), a pivotal business analytical process, to strengthen their interaction with shoppers. This paper attempts to gather empirical evidence on the possible mediating effects of CRM dimensional performance on the emotional orientation of shoppers, apprehended to be antecedent to favourable shopping behaviour. Appropriate statistical applications, following adequate literature survey, were deployed to test the hypotheses and the robustness of the default model. The results were indicative of strong moderating impact of CRM dimensional performance in augmenting emotional behaviour of customers to induce a fovourable behavioural intent. The default model also holds good confirming the causal convergence of constructs.