Brown W Ateke

The present day knowledge-based business-scape makes employees the main source of competitiveness for firms; they possess the knowledge that serve as catalyst for differentiating one firm’s work from others. Committed employees thus constitute strategic assets for organizations. This study focused on determining the relationship between participation in decision making and organisational commitment of customer service representatives. The study utilised participation in decision making as a unidimensional construct while commitment was treated as a multidimensional construct consisting of affective, continuance and normative commitment. The study adopted an explanatory research design. It used a questionnaire to collect primary data and employed the P(r) as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that participation in decision making associate strongly with organisational commitment of customer service representatives. This is because participation in de...

To remain competitive in the marketplace is a strategic goal of firms. Firms thus manage their resources in ways that enable them to achieve this all important goal; because competitiveness is key to a firm's survival and prosperity in the Tcontemporary business environment. This paper investigated the relationship between salesforce management and competitiveness of insurance firms in Port Harcourt. The investigation utilised data collected from ninety eight (98) respondents drawn from twenty one (21) insurance firms. The instrument of data collection was a self-made research questionnaire while the Spearman's Rank Order Correlation (rho) served as the test statistic, relying on the SPSS version 20.0. The study found that all the dimensions of salesforce management considered in the study have positive and statistically significant relationship with firm competitiveness. The study thus concluded that salesforce management through salesforce compensation, salesforce training...

Economic advancement of nations is interlaced with growth and prosperity of businesses. Hence, policymakers devote resources to orchestrating enabling environment for businesses, especially SMEs, to thrive. Governments have over the years made deliberate efforts to promote SMEs, in lieu of their contributions to economic development. However, SMEs do not rely solely on government support to thrive. They also require capabilities that provides sufficient fillip to operational success. This study examined the relevance of channel-bonding capability to performance of SMEs in agribusiness. The study took a one-dimensional view of channel-bonding capability; and used customer-base enlargement, profitability and portfolio expansion as proxies of SMEs' performance. The study adopted an explanatory research design, and collected primary data through cross-sectional survey, using a structured questionnaire whose validity and reliability was confirmed through exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's Alpha test respectively. The population of the study comprised SMEs in agribusiness in Rivers State. 90 SMEs in agribusinesses in Rivers State were surveyed. After data cleaning, data collected from 77 SMEs were found usable for analyses. Pearson Product Moment Correlation served as test statistic, relying on Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 24.0. The study found that channel-bonding capability has strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with performance of SMEs in terms of customer-base enlargement portfolio expansion and profitability. The study therefore concluded that channel-bonding capability informs improved performance of SMEs in agribusiness; and recommends that SMEs in agribusinesses in Rivers State that seek improved performance in terms of customer-base enlargement, portfolio expansion, profitability should develop and deploy the capability to develop, nurture and manage relationship with channel partners.

The aim of this study was to determine the nexus between frontline employee competence development and responsiveness of QSRs, using training, coaching and mentoring as dimensions of competence development. Responsiveness was treated unidimensionally. The study adopted an explanatory research design and used a structured questionnaire to collect primary data; while the Spearman's rank order correlation served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that frontline employee competence development associates strongly with responsiveness of QSRs as all the dimensions of competence development posted strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with responsiveness. The study concludes that frontline employee competence development informs responsiveness of QSRs, or that responsiveness of QSRs depends on mentoring, training and coaching of frontline employees. The study recommends that QSRs that seek to be responsive to changes in their o...

The QSR industry in Nigeria has witnessed the emergence and disappearance of several actors. Some stride the industry for a couple of years; others fade away as quickly as they surfaced. Yet there are QSRs that have thrived and endured in the industry. Several factors could be responsible for this phenomenon. However, the current study investigated the extent to which employee empowerment can account for resilience of QSRs. ECD, DoA and EPDM are used as indicators of employee empowerment. The study adopted an explanatory research design and used a questionnaire to collect primary data; while the Spearman’s rank order correlation (rho) was employed as the test statistic. The study relied on SPSS version 20.0 for data analyses. The study observed that employee empowerment associates strongly with resilience of QSRs as all the dimensions of employee empowerment posted strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with resilience of QSRs. The study concludes that employee ...

A strong brand image is an essential business asset in the modern day business environment. This is because a strong brand image provides an effective way to get the brand noticed amidst the rush and clutter in the daily media. The aim of current study was to determine the nexus between celebrity endorsement and brand image in the fastfood industry. In other to achieve the objective of this study, four research hypotheses were formulated and tested using the Spearman’s Rank Order Correlation (rho), relying on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Data for the study was collected through questionnaire, and data collected from four hundred and eighteen (418) customers of fastfood firms in Port Harcourt was used in the final analysis. The study found a positive and significant association between celebrity endorsement and all the metrics of brand image considered in the study. Importantly, the study discovered a strong and positive correlation between celebrity endorsemen...

This paper examined the causes and effects of dating violence in adolescent relationships. Two thousand three hundred and eighty six (2,386) adolescents consisting of nine hundred and eighty-eight (988) males and one thousand three hundred and ninety-eight (1,398) females between the ages of sixteen (16) and nineteen (19) drawn from five (5) tertiary institutions in Rivers State using the convenient sampling procedure participated in the study. Data was collected through a structured questionnaire, and analysed using frequencies and percentages. The study discovered psychological, verbal, physical and electronic attacks as the most common forms of dating violence that characterize adolescent relationships, while intrapersonal (such as low self-esteem, poor anger management, deception and secretiveness, jealousy, domineering/controlling attitude etc.), interpersonal (such poor communication skills, poor social skills, etc.), and situational (such as lack of guidance, disagreement on ...

The primary aim of every business organisation is to create satisfied customers. Not only because it leads to a secured customer base, but also because it leads to greater financial performance in the long term. This study investigated the connection between perceived justice initiatives and customers’ post-complaint satisfaction in the fast food industry in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. One hundred and eighty-five respondents who are patrons of forty fastfood firms participated in the study. The study collected data from the respondent through the use of questionnaire, while the hypotheses were tested using the spearman’s rank order correlation coefficient, relying on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0. The study found positive and significant relationship between the three dimensions of perceived justice initiatives considered in the study and customers’ post-complaint satisfaction, with interactional justice showing the strongest relationship with customers...

A cardinal objective of marketing is to create value for customers and to capture value from customers in return; and building strong brands facilitate the achievement of this objective. Strong brands win customers' preference through the assurance of value. The focus of this study is to examine the association between brand value and marketing wellness measured in terms of new product success, sales growth and market share. The study utilised data collected from sixty-six (66) respondents comprising of branch managers, marketing managers and inside sales officers of deposit money banks using a structured questionnaire. The P(r) was employed as the test statistic. All the statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS version 20.0. The study found positive and statistically significant correlation between brand value and all the three indices of marketing wellness considered in the study, with marketing share showing the strongest link with brand value. The study thus conclu...

This study examined the relationship between ECSE and perceived service quality. The study employed self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness and social skills as proxies of ECSE; while perceived service quality was treated unidimensionally. The population of the study comprised customers of twenty-two (22) deposit money banks operating in Rivers and Bayelsa States of Nigeria. An explanatory research design was adopted while primary data were collected via a cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire. The instrument was checked for face, content and constructs validity; and was found satisfactory. Three hundred and eighty-five (385) customers of deposit money banks who were reached through accidental sampling provided primary data for the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics; while the P(r) served as the test statistic; relying on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24.0. The study found that ECSE relates to perceived service quality, as all the dimensions of ECSE reported a positive and statistically significant relationship with perceived service quality; with social skills posting the strongest correlation. The study concluded that ECSE relates to perceived service quality or that customers" evaluation of service quality is determined by ECSE. The study thus recommends that deposit money banks in Rivers and Bayelsa States that desire positive service quality evaluation from customers should engage individuals that possess high social skills, social awareness, self-regulation and selfawareness as service employees or train their service employees to develop these competencies.

The Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply Management of Nigeria (CIPSMN) is a
professional body in Nigeria, established by an Act of the National Assembly, with the primary
responsibility to develop and strengthen the manpower needs of the Purchasing and Supply
Management profession. Recently, however, the World Bank published a Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) Project report (P169405) 2019 which scathes the Institute’s standing, functions and efforts as the umbrella body of Purchasing and Supply Management professionals in the country. This paper critically analyses the core functions, roles and
responsibilities of the Institute as enshrined in the enabling Act and compares its syllabus with the
World Bank (2002) Procurement Consulting Services Manual, the World Bank Standard Bid Evaluation Form (SBEF) (April 1996), the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) in Nigeria Standard Bidding Documents (SBD) and the syllabus of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, United Kingdom (2018) syllabus. The paper found that the CIPSMN syllabus compares very well with all the documents mentioned and is even richer in content than some of them. The paper thus concludes that CIPSMN is adequate in terms of syllabus, legal standing and functional effectiveness and efficiency, as the rallying point of all procurement practitioners in the country, and that the World Bank report on SPESSE is either an error or a mischief intended to mislead the general public. The paper recommends
that the report should be withdrawn and conciliatory publication made to redirect National and International thinking about manpower development in procurement and supply management in Nigeria; and that the World Bank should support the CIPSMN in its efforts to enhance the capacity of procurement practitioners in Nigeria’s public and private sectors who desire to become procurement
professionals, rather than circumvent the CIPSMN and its establishment Act in Nigeria.

This study examined online consumer protection initiatives and e-loyalty. The study was explanatory in nature and was conducted in a natural setting. The population for the study comprised undergraduate students of five (5) higher educational institutions in two local government areas of Rivers State. Primary data collected from three hundred and thirty-four (334) respondents through a self-made structured questionnaire in a cross-sectional survey was used in the final analysis of the study. The test units of the study were selected via the accidental sampling technique. The Spearman's rank order correlation served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 23.0. The study found that online consumer protection initiatives relates to e-loyalty as all the proxies of online consumer protection initiatives considered in the study posted positive and statistically significant correlation with the metrics of e-loyalty studied. The study concludes that online consumer protection initiatives predict e-loyalty or that e-loyalty depends on online consumer protection initiatives; and recommends that e-tailers in Rivers State that desire to drive or improve e-loyalty should institute adequate online consumer protection initiatives that guarantees access to appropriate information, fair contract terms and emphasize consumer data security, and also communicate same to netizens in order to build trust and endear their brands to netizens and earn their loyalty online.

This study examined the correlation between customer value communication and marketing productivity. The study treated customer value communication unidimensionally, and assessed marketing productivity through customer acquisition, customer retention and customer expansion. An explanatory research design was adopted in the study. Primary data was collected using a self-made structured questionnaire. Eighty-four (84) employees consisting of customer-contact employees, supervisors, heads of marketing unit and branch managers of twenty-one (21) quick service restaurants participated in the study, on a sample frame of four (4) respondents per restaurant. The Spearman's rank order correlation served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that customer value communication relates positively with all the measures of marketing productivity covered in the study, with customer acquisition posting the strongest correlation with customer value communication. The study concludes that marketing productivity in terms of customer acquisition, customer retention and customer expansion depend on customer value communication and that customer value communication inform customer acquisition, customer retention and customer expansion; and recommends that quick service restaurants in Port Harcourt that seek to acquire more customers, achieve improved customer retention or expand the volume of business they transact with customer should identify what constitutes value for their customers and consistently communicate that value.

This study sought to examine the link between positive employee-customer interaction and customer citizenship behaviour. Positive interaction was assessed unidimensionally while positive word of mouth, display of affiliation, sportsmanship and suggestion for improvement were adopted as proxies of customer citizenship behaviour. The population of the study comprised customers of healthcare brands who are academic staff of federal government-owned Universities in south-south Nigeria. An explanatory research design was adopted, while a structured questionnaire served as the research instrument. Face, content and construct validity tests were employed to validate the instrument while the Cronbach's alpha test was employed to establish its reliability. The Spearman's Rank Order Correlation served as the test statistic relying on SPSS version 24.0. The study observed that positive interaction relates positively to customer citizenship behaviour through display of affiliation, sportsmanship, suggestion for improvement and positive word of mouth. It was also observed that the link between the variables is statistically significant. The study concluded that positive employee-customer interaction predicts customer citizenship behaviour measured as display of affiliation, sportsmanship, suggestion for improvement and positive word of mouth and recommends that healthcare brands in south-south Nigeria the seek to elicit or enhance citizenship behaviour of customers should train and orient service personnel to develop the right behaviours, attitudes and dispositions that facilitate enjoyable, cordial, harmonious and result-oriented interactions with customers. Keywords: Customer citizenship behaviour, display of affiliation, positive interaction, positive word-of-mouth, sportsmanship, suggestions for improvement. INTRODUCTION The increase in globalization, direct competition between foreign and local brands and a more knowledgeable customership that conveniently compares offerings of competing brands have intensified competition in today's marketplace. This scenario is more acute in the service sector where product differentiation does not come easily, but depends on a plethora of factors including the service-scape, service expertise, service encounter quality, employee-customer interactions, relationship bonds, etc. To maintain their customership, and also to acquire new customers at little or no cost, brands rely on voluntary extra-role behaviours of customers-behaviours that are not required for the perfection of service deliveries, but which are beneficial to brands.

This study examined the nexus between social skills of service employees and brand commitment of deposit money bank customers in Port Harcourt. The study adopted a correlational research design and collected primary data through a structured questionnaire in a cross-sectional survey. Data collected from three hundred and eighty-five (385) customers of twenty-one (21) deposit money banks was utilized in the final analysis. The P(r) served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 22.0. The study observed that social skills of service employees relates positively to all the metrics of brand commitment covered in the study. The study thus conclude that social skills of service employees predicts brand commitment and that brand commitment assessed through affective, forced, economic, normative, habitual and conformance commitment depends on social skills of service employees. The study recommends that deposit money banks in Port Harcourt that seek commitment from customers should encourage service employees to develop appropriate social skills and incentivize them to relate with customers in manners that facilitate the building of a strong sense of kinship and genuine accord.

This study examined the link between personal connection and customer citizenship behaviour. Personal connection was treated unidimensionally while customer citizenship behaviour was assessed through positive word of mouth, display of affiliation, sportsmanship and suggestion for improvement. The population of the study comprised customers of healthcare brands in south-south Nigeria. An explanatory research design was adopted, while a structured questionnaire served as the research instrument. Face, content and construct validity tests were employed to determine the validity of the instrument while its reliability was determined through the Cronbach's alpha test. The Spearman's rank order correlation served as the test statistic relying on SPSS version 24.0. The study observed that personal connection relates to customer citizenship behaviour as personal connection posted strong, positive and statistically significant correlation with all the measures of customer citizenship behaviour accommodated in the study, with personal connection and sportsmanship posting the highest coefficient. The study concluded that personal connection predicts customer citizenship behaviour or that customer citizenship behaviour assessed through sportsmanship, display of affiliation, suggestion for improvement and positive word of mouth depends on personal connection. The study recommends that healthcare providers that seek to elicit or enhance citizenship behaviour of customers should encourage and incentivize their service employees to get personally connected to customers by taking personal interest in customers' wellbeing, building strong sense of kinship, and creating genuine accord with them. Keywords: Customer citizenship behaviour, display of affiliation, personal connection, positive word-of-mouth, sportsmanship, suggestions for improvement.

This study examined the link between brand communication and brand awareness. The study adopted an explanatory research design and utilised data collected from three hundred and fifty-four (354) respondents through a structured questionnaire. The P(r) served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that brand communication associates positively with brand awareness through brand recognition, brand recall and brand distinction. The study thus concludes that brand awareness depends on brand communication and recommends that organisations (especially deposit money banks) that seek to improve consumers " awareness should build strong brands through effective brand communication.

This study examined the nexus between customer orientation of service employees and satisfaction of deposit money bank customers. The study assessed customer orientation of service employees through technical skills of service employees, social skills of service employees, motivation of service employees and decision-making authority of service employees. The study adopted an explanatory research design, while a self-administered questionnaire served as the research instrument. The linear regression analysis served as the test statistic relying on SPSS. The study observed that technical skills of service employees and social skills of service employees have positive and statistically significant relationship with customer satisfaction. The relationship between decision-making authority of service employees and customer satisfaction was found to be positive but statistically insignificant, while the relationship between motivation of service employees and customer satisfaction was found to be negative but statistically significant. The study thus concluded that satisfaction of deposit banks customers depend on customer orientation of service employees through technical skills of service employees, social skills of service employees and decision-making authority of service employees; and recommends that deposit money banks in Rivers State, Nigeria that seek to create satisfied customers should improve the technical and social skills of their service employees and delegate decision-making authority to them to perform of their duties.

The achievement and maintenance of sustained competitiveness in the present-day business-scape require firms to distinguish their offerings from those of competitors. This is especially so, given that most products in the marketplace are different only by their labels. Firms are thus increasingly realising the importance of brand positioning in their bid to achieve differentiation and superior performance. The focus of this study was to determine the nexus between brand positioning and marketing wellness. Marketing wellness was measuree in terms of brand awareness, sales growth and market share. The study utilized data collected from sixty-six (66) respondents consisting of branch managers, marketing managers and inside sales officers of deposit money banks using a structured questionnaire. The Spearman's Rank Order Correlation served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study found positive and statistically significant correlation between brand positioning and all the metricsof marketing wellness considered in the study, with brand awareness showing the strongest link with brand positioning. The study thus concludes that brand positioning influences marketing wellness and recommends that deposit money banks that seek improved marketing wellness measured in terms of brand awareness, market share and sales growth should employ brand positioning to gain a prime place in the minds of their target audience. INTRODUCTION The contemporary business environments present firms with fierce and aggressive competition on national and international fronts. Firms have found it very challenging to operate profitably due to the proliferation of products that are different only in brand names and an increasingly demanding customership. Brand differentiation is thus increasingly being seen as an essential avenue for companies to create and maintain competitive advantage. Thus, after a firm has selected its target market, it must decide how it wants to be perceived by the consumers in the chosen market. The firm has to effectively project itself and its products in the market, and in a manner that portrays it and its offerings the way it wants (Nwulu & Ateke, 2013). This process of creating an image for a firm or its product is anchored on positioning (Nwulu & Ateke, 2013). In growing and volatile markets where there is need to increase demand for products, it is often necessary for a firm and its products to be perceived as unique and contrastable from competing products. The challenge for the marketer in such markets is to win a " top of mind " or " top of choice " position in consumers' minds. Effective positioning provides a salient avenue for marketers to achieve this goal. Many products today look very much alike. Shrewd marketers thus use positioning not only to distinguish their firms and products from the competition, but also to etch a distinct impression in the minds of consumers. Successful branding therefore do not serve only as a proof of ownership, but also as unwritten warranty, mark of integrity, promise of intrinsic value and a whole assemblage of attributes that confer a favourable reputation on the firm and its products (Travis, 2000).

This study sought to determine the connection between perceived interactional fairness and repeat purchase intention of eatery customers in Port Harcourt. The study used respectfulness, truthfulness, propriety and justification as indicators of perceived interactional fairness. An explanatory research design was adopted, while a questionnaire served asthe research instrument. The Spearman's rank order correlation served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that perceived interactional fairness relates positively and significantly with repeat purchase intention. The study thus concludes that repeat purchase intention depends on the truthfulness, respectfulness, propriety and justification with which service employees in the surveyed eateries interact with customers; and recommend that eateries in Port Harcourt that seek to secure the repeat business of customers should train and encourage their customer-facing employees to adorn their interaction with customers with truthfulness, respectfulness, propriety and justification.

Product differentiation is proving increasingly difficult while consumers have become overly enlightened. The achievement of sustainable marketing success has thus become more challenging for firms now than ever before. However, to achieve and maintain sustained competitiveness, firms must distinguish their offerings from those of competitors. Corporate branding is the strategy firms are increasingly adopting to achieve this goal. The purpose of the current study thus, was to investigate the nexus between corporate branding and marketing success of QSRs. The study treated corporate branding unidimensionally and assessed marketing success in terms of brand awareness, brand preference and new product success. Data collected from three hundred and thirty-five (335) respondents consisting of patrons of QSRs through questionnaire was utilized in the final analyses. The P(r) served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study found that corporate branding and marketing success have positive and statistically significant association; as all the measures of marketing success covered in the study were found to be influenced by corporate branding. The study therefore conclude that corporate branding and marketing success are strongly correlated and recommends that QSRs that seek improved brand awareness, brand preference and new product success should engage in corporate branding.

The present day knowledge-based business-scape makes employees the main source of competitiveness for firms; they possess the knowledge that serve as catalyst for differentiating one firm's work from others. Committed employees thus constitute strategic assets for organizations. This study focused on determining the relationship between participation in decision making and organisational commitment of customer service representatives. The study utilised participation in decision making as a unidimensional construct while commitment was treated as a multidimensional construct consisting of affective, continuance and normative commitment. The study adopted an explanatory research design. It used a questionnaire to collect primary data and employed the P(r) as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that participation in decision making associate strongly with organisational commitment of customer service representatives. This is because participation in decision making posted strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with all the measures of organisational commitment accommodated in the study. The study therefore conclude that participation in decision making influences organisational commitment of customer service representatives, or that normative, continuance and affective commitment of customer service representatives depends on participation in decision making. The study recommends that firms seeking to build committed customer service representatives should engage this category of employees in making decisions, especially those that directly affect their jobs.

The focus of this study was to determine the association between employee competency development and organisational resilience. Employee competency development was treated unidimensionally, while organisational resilience was measured using situation awareness, management of keystone vulnerabilities, adaptive capacity and resilience ethos. The study adopted an explanatory research design and used a questionnaire to collect primary data. Deposit money banks in Port Harcourt constituted the population of the study. Primary data collected from ninety-four (94) executives of twenty-two (22) deposit money banks, comprising of top and middle level managers were used in the final analyses of the study. The accidental sampling technique was employed to arrive at the test units. The study utilised the P(r) as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that employee competency development associates significantly with organisational resilience as the variable posted strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with all the measures of organisational resilience covered in the study. The study concludes that employee competency development influences organisational resilience; and that organisational resilience in terms of situation awareness, management of keystone vulnerabilities, adaptive capacity and resilience ethos depends on employee competency development and recommends that organisations (especially deposit money banks) that desire resilience that enhances sustainable growth should develop the competencies of their employees.

The issue of diversification of business interests which conduces to business portfolio as a strategy in surviving environmental uncertainties and upheavals has continued to draw requisite academic attention. This paper reviews two classical strategy options in business portfolio management notably, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the General Electric (GE) 'matrix and their marketing strategy implications. In view of the litany of literary perspectives regarding the relevance of BCG and General Electric in marketing strategy application, we conclude that BCG and General Electric models are useful instruments and play vital rotes in the success of marketing strategy. INTRODUCTION Human deprivations and inadequacies are better served through organized production as an alternative to subsistence engagement. The essence of industrial organizations is the greater accumulation and appropriation of productive resources for better and more profitable exploitation of existential opportunities. This format of productive engagement presupposes the existence of collaboration in terms of resources acquisition and ownership in the form of joint stock or shareholding interests. Of course, the measure of success of this enterprise is the satisfaction of the social and economic needs of society while ultimately attaining organizational self interest which is to create value for its shareholders as represented by the market price of the company's stock (Van H., 1990). Rayburn (1983) earlier contends that the primary goal of a business is to produce goods and or services and sell at prices which recover all costs and yield an adequate return on invested capital. Thus, in order to run a successful business and create exchanges that will both satisfy the societal demand and fulfill the objectives of the firm, one needs a profound knowledge of the nature and character of the market. Understanding the market for purposes of making profitable investment is the primary and dominant factor in the quest to satisfy organizational and societal demands.

The QSR industry in Nigeria has witnessed the emergence and disappearance of several actors. Some stride the industry for a couple of years; others fade away as quickly as they surfaced. Yet there are QSRs that have thrived and endured in the industry. Several factors could be responsible for this phenomenon. However, the current study investigated the extent to which employee empowerment can account for resilience of QSRs. ECD, DoA and EPDM are used as indicators of employee empowerment. The study adopted an explanatory research design and used a questionnaire to collect primary data; while the Spearman's rank order correlation (rho) was employed as the test statistic. The study relied on SPSS version 20.0 for data analyses. The study observed that employee empowerment associates strongly with resilience of QSRs as all the dimensions of employee empowerment posted strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with resilience of QSRs. The study concludes that employee empowerment informs resilience of QSRs, or that resilience of QSRs depends on DoA, EPDM, and ECD; and recommends that QSRs that desires resilience in the business-scape must continually update the competencies of their customer-contact employees, involve them in decision-making and give them adequate powers to perform tasks and discharge duties assigned to them.

The aim of this study was to determine the nexus between frontline employee competence development and responsiveness of QSRs, using training, coaching and mentoring as dimensions of competence development. Responsiveness was treated unidimensionally. The study adopted an explanatory research design and used a questionnaire to collect primary data; while the Spearman's rank order correlation served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study observed that frontline employee competence development associates strongly with responsiveness of QSRs as all the dimensions of competence development posted strong, positive and statistically significant relationship with responsiveness. The study concludes that frontline employee competence development informs responsiveness of QSRs, or that responsiveness of QSRs depends on mentoring, training and coaching of frontline employees. The study recommends that QSRs that seek to be responsive to changes in their operating environments must continually update the competencies of their frontline employees through mentoring, training and coaching.

The purpose of this paper was to determine the connection between consumer knowledge and purchase intention of healthcare product consumers. The study treated consumer expertise, consumer experience and product familiarity as dimensions of consumer knowledge. The study was conducted with healthcare product consumers in Rivers State as the target population. Data collected from three hundred and eighty five (385) respondents was utilised in the final analyses of the study. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation served as the test statistics; while the SPSS version 20.0 was relied upon for data analyses. The study found that consumer knowledge correlates with purchase intention positively and significantly too. All the dimensions of consumer knowledge posted positive and statistically significant relationship with purchase intention, with consumer expertise posting the strongest relationship with purchase intention. The study concludes that purchase intention depends on consumer expertise, experience and product familiarity and recommends that healthcare product marketers that desire increased patronage for their products should strive to enhance consumer knowledge through consumer education that builds consumer expertise and improve their experience and familiarity with the product.

A cardinal objective of marketing is to create value for customers and to capture value from customers in return. Building strong brands facilitate the achievement of this objective, since strong brands win customers' preference through the assurance of value. The focus of this study is to examine the association between brand value and marketing wellness. Marketing wellness is measured as new product success, sales growth and market share. The study utilized data collected from sixty-six (66) respondents comprising of branch managers, marketing managers and inside sales officers of deposit money banks using a structured questionnaire. The P(r) was employed as the test statistic. All the statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS version 20.0. The study found positive and statistically significant correlation between brand value and all the indices of marketing wellness considered in the study, with market share showing the strongest link with brand value. The study thus concludes that brand value influences marketing wellness and recommends that banks that seek marketing wellness measured in terms of market share, new product success and sales growth should build strong brands that consumers will hold in high repute and which assure value for consumers.

The aim of this study was to determine the association between complaint satisfaction and post-complaint behaviour of patrons of eateries in Port Harcourt. The study adopted a correlational research design; and utilized a structured questionnaire for primary data collection. Data collected from four hundred and fifteen (415) respondents at the convenience of the researchers was used in the final analysis of the study. The Spearman's rank order correlation (rho) served as the test statistic, relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study found that complaint satisfaction has statistically significant association with all the measures of post-complaint behaviour considered in the study. Importantly, the study found that complaint satisfaction has strong positive association with repeat purchase intention and word-of-mouth. The association between complaint satisfaction and commitment, and that with trust is found to be moderate. The study thus conclude that complaint satisfaction and post-complaint behaviour are significantly associated, and recommends that eateries in Port Harcourt that desire repeat purchase, favourable word-of-mouth, commitment and trust from their customers should handle customer complaints effectively when issues arise, so as to inform complaint satisfaction.

A strong brand image is an essential business asset in the modern day business environment. This is because a strong brand image provides an effective way to get the brand noticed amidst the rush and clutter in the daily media. The aim of current study was to determine the nexus between celebrity endorsement and brand image in the fastfood industry. In other to achieve the objective of this study, four research hypotheses were formulated and tested using the Spearman's Rank Order Correlation (rho), relying on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Data for the study was collected through questionnaire, and data collected from four hundred and eighteen (418) customers of fastfood firms in Port Harcourt was used in the final analysis. The study found a positive and significant association between celebrity endorsement and all the metrics of brand image considered in the study. Importantly, the study discovered a strong and positive correlation between celebrity endorsement and brand awareness, while the relationship between celebrity endorsement and brand personality is found to be moderate. The paper therefore concluded that celebrity endorsement is a needful communication strategy for building a strong brand image, and recommends that marketers must be careful enough to ensure a good endorser-brand fit so as to raise the unique selling proposition of the firm to new heights.

The purpose of this paper was to uncover current challenges of production and marketing of agricultural produce in Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State. The data used in the study was collected from one thousand seven (1,700) farmers and farm produce marketers in the area, and was analysed using frequencies and percentages. Principally, the study discovered that absence of government incentives for farmers, illiteracy of farmers and inadequate funding are among the major challenges of farmers while lack of/poor market information system, irregular power supply for preservation of produce and high costs of marketing functions are discovered to the major challenges of agricultural produce marketing. The study therefore concluded that adequately monitoring and stimulating agricultural production and produce marketing has become a necessity due to the fact that in spite of government's commitment to growing the agricultural sector, several factors continue to be obstacles in the effective and efficient production and marketing of agricultural produce and therefore recommends that agencies of government at various levels saddled with the responsibility of promoting agriculture and NGOs which seek to stimulate growth in the agricultural sector should encourage farming and agropreneurship by putting in place, facilities that incentivize agricultural and agro-allied businesses, that other financial institutions should augment the efforts of the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) in financing agriculture and agropreneurship, and that a systematic marketing information system should be evolved in order that farmers, agro-produce marketers and other agropreneurs can have easy access to sources of products and ready markets for such products.

Celebrity endorsement has been around as a marketing communication tool for a long time and its use has continued to be on the rise despite the huge resources it demands. This is because it enables marketers to create awareness for their brands and leverage on the popularity and fan following of celebrities in favour of their brands. The current study investigated the nexus between celebrity endorsement and brand awareness. The study utilized data collected from three hundred and eighteen (318) customers of fastfood firms in Port Harcourt and employed the Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient (rho) as the test statistic, relying on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The findings are that celebrity endorsement is positively and significantly associated with brand recognition and brand recall. The study thus concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship between celebrity endorsement and brand awareness; and recommends that fastfood firms in Port Harcourt which seek to remain competitive through enhanced brand recognition and brand recall should employ celebrity endorsement as a strategic marketing communication tool in presenting their marketing messages to their audiences.

Enhancing marketing performance, and by extension, corporate performance is the reason for every marketing programme or action of all business organizations. However, the stark reality is that, it is not every marketing effort that enhances the chances of achieving this objective. Thus, efforts have always been expended to determine how exactly the marketing programmes and activities of the firm affect its marketing performance. This study investigated the relationship between CIM and marketing performance in the manufacturing industry, using customer satisfaction, new product success rate, market share and ROI as indicators of marketing performance. The study utilized data collected from eighty-seven (87) executives, comprising of sales, marketing, product, and R&D managers from thirty-four (34) manufacturing firms that are registered with the Rivers state branch of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN). Data analyses was done using descriptive statistics while the hypotheses were tested using the Spearman's Rank Order Correlation (rho), relying on SPSS version 20.0. The study discovered that CIM is positively and significantly correlated with all the metrics of marketing performance considered in the study. The study therefore concluded that CIM is a viable strategy for driving marketing performance and recommends that firm which crave improved marketing performance should make CIM a part of their long term business strategy.

To achieve and sustain a distinct position and competitive advantage is the desire of every business organisation in the modern day marketplace. However, owing to globalization and its attendant proliferation of technologies and products, differentiation even when achieved is difficult to sustain. In the business environment, having an edge over the competition is a marked way of gaining a larger market share and ultimately making more profit. In the drive to achieve an edge over the competition and enjoy the largess that follows, firms have looked to various business strategies for answers; one of such strategies used by creative and proactive firms is excellent customer service. This paper explored the concept of customer service and its role in enhancing the competitiveness of a firm. The paper concluded that excellent customer service is a necessary prerequisite for a firm to achieve and sustain an edge over its competitors. The paper therefore recommends that firms should take time to train and retrain their staff (especially frontline staff) on customer service knowledge, interactive skills and interpersonal skills to improve their interactions with customers.

Improving the performance of their sales force is a major concern of marketing and management executives; and several training programmes and workshops involving a great deal of resources are continually expended to address this concern. Many books and articles have been written on selling and salesmanship, each marshalling out " the best " techniques that salespeople should adopt to perform optimally. This paper is however intended to suggest Social Grace as just another skill that salespeople can acquire and apply in their interactions with the customer or prospect to help their performance on the sales job. Introduction Marketing and Management executives have been concerned about how to improve the performance of their salespeople over the years; and volumes of books and a plethora of articles have been written with various recommendations on how to achieve this goal. Many motivational principles and persuasive techniques have been imparted to salespeople through sales training and workshops to enable them perform optimally, yet the aim cannot be said to have been achieved wholly. Also, salespeople with a view to standing out of their fold, being noted as the most effective, and to meet and surpass quotas have tried various techniques; from the orthodox to the very innovative.

Rivalry among firms in the same industry; and sometimes across industries is a common feature of the business landscape in any economy. When most of the firms in an industry offer the same or very similar products to the same customers; then the question of how to distinguish themselves and their products from one another arise. Often, firms in such situation employ various strategies to achieve differentiation. While some efforts at differentiation may be centred on the product itself; some strategies are aimed mostly at the mind or perception of the consumers. In this regard, firms resort to various communication tools to influence how consumers perceive their products in relation to those of the competitors. In Nigeria, firms in addition to the traditional positioning strategies in literature have evolved novel ways of fighting the battle of differentiation; and in this paper, some of this new positioning strategies employed by some firms in Nigeria are identified; while positioning risks to be avoided are also identified. Introduction In an increasingly saturated and competitive market where firms are exposed to national and international players; in an ever expanding and rapidly changing business environment characterized by turbulence and volatility occasioned by globalisation, modernization and information and communication technology; and in an increasingly enlightened market where consumers are exposed to greater doses of information and are presented with varying array of choices; companies can no longer live on the pretext that customers treat or view as the same, all the products in the market or do purchase any product presented to them without comparing with competing brands. The business organisation today is faced with more challenges than its predecessors but is also furnished with better tools to surmount these challenges.

This study investigated the relationship between Coaching as a component of Customer Involvement Management (CIM) practice and Customer Retention (CR) in the Hospitality industry in Rivers and Bayelsa States of Nigeria. Data collected from a total of one hundred and forty-five (145) top level managers drawn from seventy-nine (79) luxury brand hotels were used in the final analysis. The data collected was analyzed using simple percentages, weighted averages, and graphs at the primary level of analysis, while the hypotheses were tested using the Spearman's rank order correlation coefficient (rho). All computations were performed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 17.0. The study discovered a positive and significant relationship between coaching as customer involvement management practice and customer retention. The study therefore concluded that Coaching as a customer involvement management practice is a prerequisite for firms that seek customers not just for transactional exchanges, but also for enduring and mutually satisfying relational exchanges. It was therefore recommended that firms should put in place adequate machineries that will enable the integration of the customers in their value creation and delivery processes. It was also recommended that firms should endeavor to produce products that capture the opinions and suggestions of their customers as this will bond them more to the firm.

Rapid variations in customer requirements, market conditions and pressures from competitors have continued to instigate shifts in the business landscape. Yet, the fundamental principle of survival has continued to spell the programmes and activities of marketers. Firms are increasingly faced with the challenge of fulfilling the value requirements of customers and investors amidst scarce resources; yet they are expected to keep their businesses in good health. The current study sought to examine the nexus between collaborative marketing and business wellness of Global System of Mobile-communication (GSM) service providers in Nigeria. The study adopted an explanatory research design and employed the use of questionnaire as instrument of primary data collection. Data collected from ninety-eight (98) respondents was utilized in the final analysis. The study employed descriptive statistics at the primary level of analysis, while the P(r) was used to test the hypotheses, relying on SPSS version 20.0. Based on the analyses, the study found that collaborative marketing through resource sharing and risk sharing positively correlates with business wellness, through sales growth, market share and profitability. The study therefore concluded that business wellness is significantly influenced by collaborative marketing; and recommends that GSM service providers in Nigeria that seek to improve the wellness of their businesses should invest in collaborative marketing initiatives that allows resource sharing and risk sharing arrangements.

To remain competitive in the marketplace is a strategic goal of firms. Firms thus manage their resources in ways that enable them to achieve this all important goal because competitiveness is key to a firm's survival and prosperity in the contemporary business environment. This paper investigated the relationship between salesforce management and competitiveness of insurance firms in Port Harcourt. The investigation utilised data collected from ninety eight (98) respondents drawn from twenty one (21) insurance firms. The instrument of data collection was a self-made research questionnaire while the Spearman's Rank Order Correlation (rho) served as the test statistic, relying on the SPSS version 20.0. The study found positive and statistically significant relationship between all the dimensions of salesforce management considered in the study and firm competitiveness. The study thus concluded that salesforce management through salesforce compensation, salesforce training and salesforce supervision informs firm competitiveness and recommends that insurance firms in Port Harcourt which seek to remain competitive should look to salesforce compensation, salesforce training and salesforce supervision as important salesforce management functions that must be given adequate attention in the firms' long-term plans.

ard as firms try to render hitch free service to customers, service failures still do occur, which triggers complaint behaviors; and the expertise with which such complaints Har e handled determines the health of a firm's relationship with its customers. This study sought to determine the connection between customer complaint management and relationship quality. The study used customer satisfaction, trust, commitment and conflict resolution as metrics of relationship quality. Adopting a descriptive research design, the study utilized questionnaire as instrument of primary data collection. Data collected and used for the study was drawn from one thousand and twenty (1,020) respondents drawn from twenty (20) money deposit banks in Port Harcourt. The test statistic used in the study was the Spearman's Rank Order Correlation (rho), relying on SPSS version 20.0.The findings are that complaint handling has positive and statistically significant correlation with conflict resolution, customer satisfaction and trust, while the relationship between complaint handling and commitment is found to be positive but weak. The study concluded that complaint handling drives relationship quality through conflict resolution, customer satisfaction and trust, and recommend that firms which crave quality relationship with their customers must design appropriate complaint handling schemes that do not only effectively address customer complaints when they arise, but also ensures conflict resolution, customer satisfaction and build trust. The study also recommends that firms must train their customer service personnel to be creative, constructive and professional in handling customer complaints in order to resolve conflicts quickly and satisfactorily.

Business firms desire to enjoy the continued patronage of customers because customer patronage is the bedrock of the success of the firm. No firm can exist without customer patronage; firms are thus always challenged to contrive initiatives that attract customers to them. This paper investigated the relationship between customer service management and patronage of GSM services in Rivers State. The investigation utilised data collected from six hundred and eighteen (618) respondents drawn from customers of the major GSM service providers. The instrument of data collection was a self-made research questionnaire while the Spearman's Rank Order Correlation (rho) served as the test statistic. All the analyses carried out relied on SPSS version 20.0. The study found positive and statistically significant relationship between customer service management and patronage of GSM services. The study thus concluded that patronage of GSM services depends on customer service management and recommends that GSM service providers in Rivers State which seek continued and improved patronage should evolve effective customer service management initiatives. The study also recommends that since customer service management is found to influence customer patronage, firms should train their customer service personnel and encourage them to be creative, constructive and professional in dealing with customers.

Service failure is a phenomenon that has continued to characterize service industries. Though firms strive to deliver excellent service, human and nonhuman errors have made zero-defect service delivery a mere wish. Complaint handling serve as a cogent remedy for customer issues arising from unsatisfactory service deliveries. The current study examined the link between complaint handling and post-complaint satisfaction of customers of eateries in Port Harcourt. The study adopted a descriptive research design and employed the use of questionnaire as the instrument of inquiry. Data collected from four hundred and fifteen (415) respondents was utilized in the final analysis of the study, using the Spearman's rank order correlation (rho) as the test statistic and relying on SPSS version 16.0. Based on the analyses, the study found that complaint handling and post-complaint satisfaction have a positive and significant correlation; as all the dimensions of complaint handling considered in the study were found to have strong positive links with post-complaint satisfaction. The study thus concludes that post-complaint satisfaction is significantly influenced by complaint handling through customer-firm interaction, complaining accessibility and compensation policy; and recommends that eateries in Port Harcourt that desire a satisfied customer base should promote friendly, polite and honest interactions with complaining customers and institute accessible complaint procedures to enable customer lodge complaints when the need arise.