Does effects of brand origin misperception jeopardize brand equity?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Hsiang Tseng ◽  
Nga Cheng Chan ◽  
Matthew Tingchi Liu ◽  
Chieh-Yu Lin

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the effects of brand origin (BO) misperception (hereafter BOM) or non-identification on brand equity. Besides, the current study investigates the moderating role of brand strength in the relationship between BOM and brand equity.Design/methodology/approachThe current study adopted a 4 (BO identification: favorable BOM vs adverse BOM vs non-identification vs correct identification) × 2 (brand strength: strong vs weak) between-subjects design. A total number of 547 participants performed assessments on the automotive brand. The current study selected three strong brands and three weak brands for tests. In the experiment, respondents had to associate the brand with its country of origin. The assignment of BO conditions was based upon respondents' natural responses provided. ANOVA was used for data analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that as compared to correct BO identification, BOM (either adverse or favorable) or non-identification exerts a more negative impact on brand equity. Moreover, the study demonstrates that brand strength moderates the effect of perceived BO on brand equity.Originality/valueThis study provides empirical support to the notion that BOM is detrimental to brand equity. Specifically, when adverse BOM occurs, a strong brand suffers more from the negative consequences resulted than a weak brand does. Conversely, when consumers misattribute the BO to a country with a stronger image than its real origin (i.e. favorable BOM), the resulting negative effect is reversed. Moreover, the non-identification of BO hurts the brand equity of both strong and weak brands.

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-330
Author(s):  
Bogdan Oprea ◽  
Dragos Iliescu ◽  
Vlad Burtăverde ◽  
Miruna Dumitrache

Purpose Boredom at work is associated with negative consequences, therefore it is important to investigate whether employees engage in job crafting behaviors that reduce boredom and what are the individual differences associated with these behaviors. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire study was designed to examine the mediating role of job crafting in the relationship between conscientiousness and emotional stability and boredom among 252 employees (Study 1) and in the relationship between Machiavellianism and psychopathy and boredom among 216 employees (Study 2). Findings The results showed that conscientiousness is negatively related to work-related boredom. This relationship is mediated by job crafting. Neuroticism and psychopathy are positively associated with boredom at work, but these relationships are not mediated by job crafting behaviors. Research limitations/implications The study was based on self-reported measures, which might raise questions of common-method bias, and the research samples contained mostly women and young employees, which raises questions about generalizability of our findings. At the same time, the cross-sectional design does not allow causal inferences. Practical implications Organizations can select employees based on their personality for jobs that predispose to boredom and give them enough autonomy to be able to craft them. Moreover, they can identify employees who need support to manage their boredom and include them in job crafting interventions. Originality/value Traditionally, boredom at work has been considered as resulting from characteristics of tasks and jobs. The findings indicate that some employees can make self-initiated changes to their work in order to reduce their boredom and possibly its negative consequences.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 477-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mayoor Mohan ◽  
Fernando R. Jiménez ◽  
Brian P. Brown ◽  
Caley Cantrell

Purpose This paper aims to explore the relationship between brand functionality and consumer-based brand equity. Design/methodology/approach A mixed-methods approach was adopted including a qualitative study and multiple survey-based studies. Mediation and moderated-mediation paths were tested using PROCESS and three-stage least squares simultaneous estimation models. Findings Study 1 finds that consumers perceive highly functional brands can enhance their self-competence to perform a task. This phenomenon is labelled brand skill and defined as the extent to which consumers perceive their own performance as emanating from their use of a particular brand. Study 2 finds that brand skill mediates the relationship between brand functionality, brand connection and consumer-based brand equity, while a post hoc study showed that these relationships are robust among private meaning brands. Study 3 demonstrates that these mediated relationships are moderated by the type of dominant benefit the brand provides (i.e. hedonic-versus utilitarian-dominant benefits). Research limitations/implications Based on self-determination theory, brand skill is posited as the link between brand functionality, brand connection and consumer-based brand equity. Practical implications Brand managers are urged to not overlook the role of brand functionality in favor of other non-functional brand dimensions. Brand functionality enhances consumers’ perceived self-competence and fosters brand connection, especially for brands that offer superior utilitarian benefits. Originality/value This is the first study that empirically examines the process by which brand functionality leads to consumer-based brand equity and the role brand skill plays in making that connection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 2717-2735
Author(s):  
Kavitha Haldorai ◽  
Woo Gon Kim ◽  
Kullada Phetvaroon ◽  
Jun (Justin) Li

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how workplace ostracism influences employee work engagement. It further examines the mediating role of workplace belongingness and moderating role of intrinsic work motivation. Design/methodology/approach Data was collected from 402 hotel employees from Thailand. A second stage moderated-mediation is used to test the relationship between workplace ostracism and employee work engagement. Findings Workplace ostracism negatively impacts employee work engagement and workplace belongingness mediates this relationship. The negative effect of workplace ostracism on employee work engagement through workplace belongingness is stronger for employees high on intrinsic motivation. Practical implications Hotel firms should make social connection an organization-wide strategic priority. They can include workplace ostracism as workplace harassment in their policy. Originality/value Besides contributing to the nascent literature on workplace ostracism in the hospitality industry, the present study extends research on workplace ostracism by empirically testing the relationship between workplace ostracism and employee work engagement. By using workplace belongingness as a mediator, a better understanding is provided regarding “why” workplace ostracism relates to employee work engagement. By introducing intrinsic work motivation as a moderator, scholars can gain a better understanding in regard to “whom” workplace ostracism negatively relates to employee work engagement.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1146-1166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Li ◽  
Ling Yuan ◽  
Lutao Ning ◽  
Jason Li-Ying

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the meditating role of psychological ownership which includes both organisation-based psychological ownership (OPO) and knowledge-based psychological ownership (KPO) on the relationship between affective commitment and knowledge sharing. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is an empirical study based on structural equation modelling, with a sample of 293 employees from 31 high-technology firms in China. Findings – The result indicated that affective commitment had a significant positive effect on OPO but no effect on KPO; OPO was positively related to both common and key knowledge sharing, while KPO exerted a negative impact on both; common knowledge sharing was positively related to key knowledge sharing; the relationship between affective commitment and key knowledge sharing was multi-mediated by OPO and common knowledge sharing. Originality/value – OPO and KPO play an essential role in transferring the effect of employees’ affective commitment to common knowledge sharing and key knowledge sharing, which unravels the blackbox of how effective commitment affects knowledge sharing.


Author(s):  
Haocheng Luo ◽  
Jiarong Chen ◽  
Shengnan Li ◽  
Yangang Nie ◽  
Guodong Wang

With the development of science and technology, buying has become much easier. At the same time, however, impulsive buying has many negative consequences for college students, and the causes of impulsive buying should therefore be explored. To explore the relationship between social exclusion and impulsive buying and its underlying mechanism, this study used the Social Exclusion Scale, Self-Esteem Scale, Risk Preference Scale, and Impulsive Buying Scale to investigate the roles of self-esteem and risk preference in the relationship between social exclusion and impulsive buying among 768 college students (387 were female, Mage = 20.25 years). The results were as follows: (1) when controlling for gender, age, family monthly income, and monthly living expenses, social exclusion significantly and positively predicted impulsive buying; (2) self-esteem played a mediating role between social exclusion and impulsive buying; (3) risk preference moderated the relationship between the second half of the mediating path and the direct path. These results reveal the mechanism underlying impulsive buying in college students, that is, social exclusion will predict the decrease of college students' self-esteem, and low self-esteem will further predict college students' impulsive buying which is a way for them to gain a sense of self-worth. Relatively low risk preference can well alleviate the negative impact of social exclusion and low self-esteem on impulsive buying. What’s more, these results have implications for impulsive buying interventions. Schools should aim to create a good peer atmosphere by making certain rules that help to reduce social exclusion and parents and education departments should cultivate students’ risk awareness to avoid risk behaviors in college students, such as impulsive buying behavior.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 262-283
Author(s):  
Dong Liang ◽  
Xia Wang

Purpose Online reviews have been indicated to play an important role in consumers’ decision-making process, as supported by numerous studies. However, none of them has considered the neighborhood effect of online reviews. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of neighbor store’s reviews on central store’s, along with the moderating effects of store density and product similarity. Design/methodology/approach Using data from dianping.com, this study conducts economic analysis accounting for endogeneity. Findings The results show that the neighbor store’s reviews exert a negative impact on that of central stores. Nevertheless, the relationship is moderated by store density and product similarity, such that the negative effect is stronger if there are a lot of stores around the central store, or if the neighbor store and central store provide similar products. Originality/value This study is the first to investigate the neighborhood effect of online reviews.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fayez Ahmad ◽  
Francisco Guzmán

Purpose This paper aims to investigate whether a message from a brand with stronger brand equity generates more trust than a message from a brand with lower brand equity, and thus is more likely to encourage consumers to write online reviews. This paper also explores what happens when consumers become aware that brands are trying to persuade them to write a review. Design/methodology/approach Through three experimental studies, where participants were randomly assigned to a brand that has either a stronger or weaker brand equity, participants’ intention to write reviews was measured. Trust in the message was measured to study its mediating role, and persuasion knowledge of the participants was manipulated to investigate its moderating effect. Findings The findings confirm that consumers are more likely to write online reviews when a message comes from a brand that has stronger brand equity, trust in the message mediates the relationship between brand equity and consumer intention to write an online review, and persuasion knowledge has a differential effect on consumer intention to write reviews. Originality/value The study adds to the brand equity and online review literature by providing evidence that a higher level of consumer trust on brands that have stronger brand equity leads to an increased intention to write a review for the brand. It also shows that consumers’ awareness of the motive of the brand is more beneficial for brands with strong brand equity, contributing to persuasion knowledge literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey Sharpe ◽  
Nicole Hanson

PurposeThis study examines the relationship between corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) and firm-level sales and estimates the potentially mitigating role of advertising.Design/methodology/approachTo test their hypotheses, the authors conduct an empirical investigation using a sample of 381 US firms engaging in socially irresponsible behavior.FindingsThe results of this investigation indicate that while sales are negatively impacted during the year of a CSI event, they generally recover in the year immediately following the event. In addition, advertising is shown to mitigate the negative impact of CSI on sales in both the event year and the year immediately following. The authors also consider whether differences exist between CSI firms with and without advertising. From this comparative analysis, it is observed that CSI firms which advertise tend to experience more severe declines in sales. Also, such firms tend to recover from the negative implications of CSI sooner.Originality/valueThis paper provides a novel and empirical approach to assessing the relationship between CSI events and firm-level sales while quantifying the mitigating effects of advertising. Furthermore, the unique contributions and practical findings of this research generate strong support for the significant role advertising can play in helping firms recover from CSI-based brand crisis events and help to establish a promising path for future research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Luisa Farnese ◽  
Francesco Zaghini ◽  
Rosario Caruso ◽  
Roberta Fida ◽  
Manuel Romagnoli ◽  
...  

Purpose The importance of an error management culture (EMC) that integrates error prevention with error management after errors occur has been highlighted in the existing literature. However, few empirical studies currently support the relationship between EMC and errors, while the factors that affect EMC remain underexplored. Drawing on the conceptualisation of organisational cultures, the purpose of this paper is to verify the contribution of authentic leadership in steering EMC, thereby leading to reduced errors. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a cross-sectional survey study. The sample included 280 nurses. Findings Results of a full structural equation model supported the hypothesised model, showing that authentic leadership is positively associated with EMC, which in turn is negatively associated with the frequency of errors. Practical implications These results provide initial evidence for the role of authentic leadership in enhancing EMC and consequently, fostering error reduction in the workplace. The tested model suggests that the adoption of an authentic style can promote policies and practices to proactively manage errors, paving the way to error reduction in the workplace. Originality/value This study was one of the first to investigate the relationship between authentic leadership, error culture and errors. Further, it contributes to the existing literature by demonstrating both the importance of cultural orientation in protecting the organisation from error occurrence and the key role of authentic leaders in creating an environment for EMC development, thus permitting the organisation to learn from errors and reduce their negative consequences.


2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 973-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Zhang ◽  
David Morand

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between status-leveling symbols (i.e. the symbols used by organizations to remove, blur, or downplay hierarchical distinctions) and employees’ work attitudes, as mediated through perceptions of trust, justice, and leader-member exchange. The study intends to provide some empirical support relative to the role of symbolic-leveling symbols as a social influence process in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, the authors developed a measure of organizational status leveling by focussing on three symbols – physical space, dress, and forms of address. Data were collected from 147 employees who were enrolled in a part-time MBA program. The paper used path analysis to test the hypotheses. Findings – Results fully supported the theoretical model except the mediating role of justice perceptions in the relationship between status-leveling symbols and affective commitment. Practical implications – The results of the study provide guidance for design of physical workspaces and setting or reinforcing norms regarding forms of address and dress codes. Such practices need to be integrated with other high-involvement HR practices so as to create and sustain the culture desired by the organization. Originality/value – The paper is the first to measure status-leveling symbols in organizations, and the first to investigate the linkages between symbolic-leveling symbols and relevant work-related outcomes.


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