The effect of human model image backgrounds on consumer responses: empirical evidence from a Chinese apparel e-retailer

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruijuan Wu ◽  
Yan Li

PurposeThe objective of this study was to examine the effects of human model backgrounds (concrete backgrounds vs. solid backgrounds) on consumer responses (attention and attitude) and to determine the mechanism and boundary conditions behind such effects.Design/methodology/approachThe research consisted of one eye-tracking experiment and two experimental studies.FindingsThe results showed that consumers notice faster and pay more attention to the central figure against solid backgrounds. However, concrete backgrounds elicit more favorable attitudes toward products, and mental imagery mediates the effects of image backgrounds on consumers' attitudes. The authors also found that the situation moderates the relationship between image background and attitude.Originality/valueThe study also supplements the literature on the effects of image backgrounds on consumer responses and the literature on online presentation using human models. Last, the study combines questionnaires with an eye-tracking experiment to obtain a clearer and more comprehensive understanding of the results.

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 699-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiumei Zhu ◽  
Mingxu Bao

Purpose The significant performance implications of individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership have been documented for established firms, but the issue of whether they are complementary or substitutive still remains a puzzle, and whether their relationship differs in new firms remains unanswered. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership in different organizational structures in new firms. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on survey data of 209 questionnaires from 63 teams in 63 new firms in China. Findings The results suggest that individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership are substitutive when the organizational structure is mechanistic, and are complementary when the structure is organic. Originality/value The study contributes to the debate on the relationship between individual-focused and group-focused transformational leadership by comparing organizational structure characteristics and offering a comprehensive understanding of the issue.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-98
Author(s):  
Ruijuan Wu ◽  
Xiaoqian Ou ◽  
Yan Li

PurposeThe objective of this study is to examine the effect of human model facial presentation (a smiling facial expression vs a neutral facial expression vs no facial presentation) on consumers' approach behavior and to determine the mechanism and boundary conditions behind such effects.Design/methodology/approachThe research consisted of four laboratory experiments.FindingsThe results of four studies showed that a smiling facial expression led to the highest score for approach behavior. Pleasure and arousal mediated the effect of facial presentation on approach behavior. In the relationship between facial presentation and approach behavior, the moderating effects of emotional receptivity and the situation were significant. To be specific, for participants with high emotional receptivity, smiling facial expressions led to the highest approach behavior; for participants with low emotional receptivity, neutral expressions led to the highest approach behavior. In a browsing situation, the approach behavior of participants in response to a smiling facial expression was the highest. However, no significant differences were found in approach behavior under the three conditions regarding a purchasing situation.Originality/valueThis study supplements the literature on human model presentation and enriches the study of facial expressions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 697-717
Author(s):  
Hsin Hsin Chang ◽  
Kit Hong Wong ◽  
Tsun Wei Chu

Purpose Based on the Mehrabian–Russell theory, the purpose of this paper is to view the attributes of advertorial information as a stimulus in an online environment to examine the emotional states of consumers and their sequential behavioral responses. Moreover, materialism is proposed as a moderator in the relationship between advertorial attributions and emotion. Design/methodology/approach By adopting a quantitative approach, 421 consumers with browsing forums or blog experience participated in the study. SEM techniques were adopted for the formal data analysis. Findings There was a causation found among control, arousal and pleasure. Advertorial attributes influenced the consumers’ emotional states via control, and emotional states directly affected the information acceptance and purchase intention. Materialism partially moderated the relationship between the advertorial information attributions and emotional states. Practical implications Advertorial editors should provide detailed product information with credible sources in a positive manner and should attach videos or interesting pictures to avoid boredom and attract reader attention, especially in the case of materialists. In addition, editors should also provide some related hyperlinks for consumers to stimulate their further reading and then should observe the number of clicks and shares to estimate the popularity of the advertorial, so adjustments can be made if necessary. Originality/value This paper confirmed the causation of pleasure, arousal and the validity of the dominance (PAD) emotional model and found a partially moderating effect of materialism on the relationship between the attributes of advertorials and the emotional states of consumers.


2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 473-482
Author(s):  
Seth Ketron ◽  
Kelly Naletelich

Purpose Service delays are of significant concern to both consumers and companies – delays cost both groups billions of dollars and lead to consumer frustration and switching activity. Therefore, determining means of overcoming negative consumer reactions to delays is important, and the authors propose that anthropomorphic facial expressions could be one of those means. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to test the effects of anthropomorphic cues (namely, happy and sad faces) on consumer responses to service delays, depending on whether service providers are at fault for those delays. Design/methodology/approach Three experimental studies test the proposed effects. Findings Happy faces alongside messages about delays appear to provide no significant benefit to repatronage intentions compared to a non-anthropomorphic (control) condition, whether the service provider is or is not to blame. Meanwhile, sad faces are harmful when the provider is not to blame but can somewhat bolster repatronage intentions when the provider is at fault. Further, perceived sincerity of the facial expression and patience with the provider mediate these effects. Research limitations/implications The findings offer important insights into how anthropomorphic cues, including emojis, can influence consumer responses to service delays. The work, thus, offers clarity around instances in which anthropomorphism might lead to negative consumer responses. Practical implications Managers can use the findings to increase patience and mitigate potentially negative consumer responses when service delays occur. Originality/value This work adds clarity to the literature on anthropomorphism by showing how blame attributions for service delays can lead to different consumer responses to anthropomorphic cues. The findings also show how anthropomorphism can help to mitigate negative consumer responses to service delays.


2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 498-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Aldogan Eklund ◽  
Miralem Helmefalk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework of visual-tactile interplay and consumer responses in brand, product and servicescape contexts. Design/methodology/approach This paper performs a literature review of visual-tactile interplay by reviewing prior research in marketing and psychology. Findings The review reveals that visual-tactile interplay provokes various consumer responses depending on whether brands, products or servicescapes are used. The paper develops a comprehensive conceptual framework mapping out visual-tactile interplay and the relationship with consumers’ cognition, emotions and behaviors. Research limitations/implications A conceptual model was developed with a novel view on how visual and tactile cues can together influence consumer responses. Practical implications This paper shows how visual-tactile interplay is successful in brand, product and servicescape contexts and provides practical insight for firms into how to provoke consumers’ cognitive, emotional and behavioral responses. Originality/value This paper contributes to existing literature by developing a conceptual framework and model of visual-tactile interplay and consumer responses by drawing on research in marketing and psychology.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 398-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larissa Carine Becker ◽  
Cristiane Pizzutti

Purpose Most customers want to interact, whether on social networks or on company websites. This study aims to examine the relationship between customer-to-customer (C2C) interaction and value, considering the roles of social anxiety and the retail environment. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents three written-scenario experimental studies, where C2C interaction and the retail environment are manipulated, and social anxiety levels are measured. The settings and the measures are changed across the experiments to increase the results’ validity. Findings A three-way interaction among C2C interaction, social anxiety and retail environment has impacts on experience value and other value-related variables (satisfaction and positive mood). In the offline retail environment, as social anxiety levels increase, the effects of C2C interaction on these variables become weaker. In the online retail environment, as social anxiety levels increase, these effects become stronger. Research limitations/implications This paper contributes to the literature in three ways. First, it investigates the downside of positive C2C interactions when considering social anxiety and the retail environment where they occur. Second, this paper amplifies the literature about value by extending it to other consumers who can affect the service experience. Finally, this study explores online C2C interaction in a retail environment, an aspect that has been neglected in the research about online interactions. Practical implications This paper suggests strategies to manage C2C interaction for customers of varying levels of social anxiety in offline and online retail environments to maximise value for them. Originality/value This paper challenges the widespread idea that a positive C2C interaction always leads to value. By considering social anxiety and the retail environment in C2C literature, this paper explains why and when it is a false notion.


Author(s):  
Mellina da Silva Terres ◽  
Kenny Basso

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents of the patient’s initial trust in the doctor. In this sense, it is proposed that trust in the hospital plays a mediating role in the relationship between the physical evidence in the service environment and the patient’s initial trust in the doctor. Design/methodology/approach Two experimental studies with factorial between-subjects design with random assignment were used. The data were analyzed through an analysis of variance. Findings The results show that design and social factors affect the patient’s initial trust in the doctor through his trust in the hospital. The results also showed that reputation and recommendation affect the initial trust. Originality/value This is the first study to consider antecedents of patient’s initial trust in the doctor. Most of the studies about trust focuses on investigating trust in situations where there is a prior relationship; however, this study arises some evidences that trust starts to be constructing even before the patient properly meets the doctor. These findings are valuable because they highlight the importance of physical evidences, reputation and positive word-of-mouth for building initial trust.


2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aristides Isidoro Ferreira ◽  
Joana Diniz Esteves

Purpose – Activities such as making personal phone calls, surfing on the internet, booking personal appointments or chatting with colleagues may or may not deviate attentions from work. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to examine gender differences and motivations behind personal activities employees do at work, as well as individuals’ perception of the time they spend doing these activities. Design/methodology/approach – Data were obtained from 35 individuals (M age=37.06 years; SD=7.80) from a Portuguese information technology company through an ethnographic method including a five-day non-participant direct observation (n=175 observations) and a questionnaire with open-ended questions. Findings – Results revealed that during a five-working-day period of eight hours per day, individuals spent around 58 minutes doing personal activities. During this time, individuals engaged mainly in socializing through conversation, internet use, smoking and taking coffee breaks. Results revealed that employees did not perceive the time they spent on non-work realted activities accurately, as the values of these perceptions were lower than the actual time. Moreover, through HLM, the findings showed that the time spent on conversation and internet use was moderated by the relationship between gender and the leisure vs home-related motivations associated with each personal activity developed at work. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature on human resource management because it reveals how employees often perceive the time they spend on non-work related activities performed at work inaccurately. This study highlights the importance of including individual motivations when studying gender differences and personal activities performed at work. The current research discusses implications for practitioners and outlines suggestions for future studies.


IMP Journal ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 512-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luitzen De Boer ◽  
Poul Houman Andersen

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to contribute to further advancing of IMP as a research field by setting up and starting a theoretical conversation between system theory and the IMP. Design/methodology/approach The approach is based on a narrative literature study and conceptual research. Findings The authors find that system theory and cybernetics can be regarded as important sources of inspiration for early IMP research. The authors identify three specific theoretical “puzzles” in system theory that may serve as useful topics for discussion between system theorists and IMP researchers. Originality/value Only a handful of papers have touched upon the relationship between system theory and IMP before. This paper combines a narrative, historical analysis of this relationship with developing specific suggestions for using system theory as a vehicle for further advancement of IMP research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 368-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidija Breznik ◽  
Robert D. Hisrich

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the relationship between dynamic capabilities and innovation capabilities. It links dynamic capability with innovation capability and indicates the ways they can be related. Design/methodology/approach – The relationships between dynamic and innovation capability were investigated through a systematic literature review. Findings – The review indicates that common characteristics exist between of the both fields, which demonstrate six relationships. Additionally, findings show some inconsistencies and even contradictions. Originality/value – In this paper, the authors have compared dynamic capabilities, a relatively new approach in the field of strategic management, with innovation capabilities, a widely recognised crucial domain for sustained competitiveness. Since both areas address issues that are essential to today's environment, future research should seek to clarify both concepts, by undertaking some new research and developing comprehensive and unambiguous framework.


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