The paper provides a review and critique of the existing models in servicescapes to address the visual aesthetic aspects. A theoretical framework, which is widely used in landscape studies, is taken from environmental psychology and a model is proposed. This model explains the preference of customers for the visual aesthetics of servicescapes. Also, the moderating roles of consumption motives are also included in the model.

Configuring Customer-based Brand Equity by Brand Association, Personality and Image

Customer based brand equity (CBBE) has always played a pivotal role in maintaining customer relationship for a company. This research aims at studying the causal effect of the determinants brand association, brand personality and brand image on CBBE. The model developed is tested separately on a gender basis from the sample collected. The results establish that brand association is the strongest determinant of CBBE. The research also showed that the effect of brand personality on brand image was more for females than for males.

Validating the Hierarchical Model for Service Quality in Higher Education through Structural Equation Modelling

The present study tries to develop and empirically validate a model for service quality in higher education. The proposed model is based on a current conceptualisation of service quality, which suggests that service quality is a multidimensional and hierarchical construct. In the proposed model, service quality consists of four primary dimensions which are defined by several corresponding sub dimensions: (a) program quality: curriculum, academic processes, input quality, academic resources (b) quality of life: non academic processes, support facilities, campus, interaction quality (c) outcome quality (d) reputation. The authors test the conceptual model using structural equation analyses and the findings support the conceptualisation. The research has implications for institutions seeking to improve the quality of their services.

Counterfeiting in Supply Chains: An Evaluation of Supply Chain Contracts

Counterfeiting is a widespread phenomenon in many industries ranging from pharmaceutical, automobile/aerospace/electronic components to software products. Authorised retailers tend to sell counterfeit goods along with original products and order smaller quantities from manufacturers than actual market demand. In this paper we analyse the strategy of the manufacturer in terms of supply chain contract design to deal with counterfeiting retailers. In the first model we examine the role of a counterfeit cost structure in the pricing decision of a manufacturer in a wholesale price contract setting. In the second model we try to understand the optimal level of monitoring that a manufacturer