Customer evangelists: Elevating hospitality through digital competence, brand image, and corporate social responsibility

Mahnaz Mansoor, Justin Paul, Tariq Iqbal Khan, Rawan Abukhait and Dildar Hussain
Additional contact information
Mahnaz Mansoor: University of Bradford
Justin Paul: UPR - University of Puerto Rico
Tariq Iqbal Khan: University of Haripur (PAKISTAN)
Rawan Abukhait: Ajman University
Dildar Hussain: ESC [Rennes] - ESC Rennes School of Business

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: In the contemporary digital landscape, the frontline employees' proficiency in forging relationships holds immense strategic importance for organizational success. This study examines the impact of frontline employees' digital competence, proactive assistance, and relationship-building on customer brand evangelism with the mediating role of brand image and the moderating role of perceived corporate social responsibility. The research utilizes a time-lagged data collection approach, employing a multistage random sampling method to gather data from patrons visiting both five and four-star hotels. The data collection spans two points in time, separated by a four-week interval. This study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS v. 4 to analyze the proposed relationships, ensuring robust analysis for complex models. Findings suggest that the digital competence, proactive support, and interpersonal skills of frontline staff significantly contribute to the emergence of brand evangelists directly and through the mediation of corporate image. This study highlights the pivotal function of frontline employees within the domain of sales and marketing, particularly in the context of hospitality management, in influencing customer perceptions and cultivating brand evangelism.

Keywords: Digital competence; Proactive Assistance; Relationship building; Evangelism; Brand; Image; Corporate Social Responsibility (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-04
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Published in International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2025, 126, pp.104085. ⟨10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104085⟩

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04926023

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2025.104085

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().