Relation between Chinese consumers’ ethical perceptions and purchase intentions

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 670-690 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Kashif Javed ◽  
Ma Degong ◽  
Talat Qadeer

Purpose Most business-related studies on ethics focus on consumers in developed western economies but ignore developing economies. Therefore, to fill this void in the literature and address the concerns of prior studies, the purpose of this paper is to examine the ethical perceptions of Chinese consumers as an example of effective and efficient management of company/brand strategies in an economy experiencing rapid socioeconomic growth. Design/methodology/approach This study examines 328 Chinese consumers’ purchase intentions based on their ethical perceptions toward Apple and P&G through mediating (i.e. consumer–corporate identification (CCI) and brand trust) and moderating (i.e. consumer gender, age, education and residence) effects. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the constructs and overall model. Findings The ethical perceptions of consumers translate into purchase intentions, both at the corporate and product brand levels. Similarly, a significant direct relationship between CCI and brand trust reveals that corporate-level ethical identification is a trivial matter to customers, although these perceptions do apply to product brands under a corporate umbrella. Furthermore, to identify target groups of Chinese consumers who are receptive to ethical appeals, moderating variables were found to be useful. Originality/value The results confirm that the mediating role of CCI is more influential in the context of Chinese consumers’ ethical perceptions, followed by brand trust. In relation to demographics, ethical perceptions affect CCI and brand trust more positively in females and highly educated consumers in China. Similarly, the relationship between consumers’ ethical perception and their trust in brand is revealed more influential in urban residents than they do in rural. This broadens the applications and contexts of this research model. The results provide managerial guidance on enhancing potential ethical perceptions.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Geovany Carrión Bósquez ◽  
Leopoldo Gabriel Arias-Bolzmann

PurposeThis study aimed to identify whether attitudes and subjective norms influence green purchase intentions of university millennials, based on the Theory of Planned Behavior. It also analyzed whether purchase intentions resulted in actual purchases and the factors that influenced green purchasing inconsistencies.Design/methodology/approachThis was a cross-sectional quantitative study with 710 millennial participants, who were university students of the four most populated cities of Ecuador; however, only 126 (18%) participants were found to frequently consume organic products during the last months. The results were tested by the Cronbach's alpha coefficient to determine the instrument's internal consistency. Subsequently, an exploratory factor analysis was developed to verify if the questions were grouped into their corresponding constructs. Finally, the proposed research model's validity was verified through a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. SPSS 20 and AMOS 24 were used for the abovementioned statistical analyses.FindingsAttitudes and subjective norms influence green purchase intentions. Although university millennials have high purchase intentions, the majority (82%) did not result in actual purchases. It was determined that consumption habit is the main factor influencing green purchasing inconsistencies.Originality/valueThis is the first study to measure green purchasing inconsistencies in developing countries in South America (Ecuador), exposing that purchase intention is not the best predictor of actual purchases in developing economies. It also provides answers to previous studies that suggested determining levels of inconsistency and attitude-behavior gaps.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Li ◽  
Yangying Peng

PurposeThis research explores the path that social media influencers affect target consumers to purchase a certain brand posted in their contents.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 510 Weibo users in China, the conceptual model is tested by structural equation modeling (SEM) in Lisrel 8.8 statistical software.FindingsThis study examined that influencers' source characteristics stimulate consumers' positive attitudes (image satisfaction and/or advertising trust), in turn affect consumers' purchase intention. The expertise, originality and homophily of influencers positively affect two attitudes of consumers. The attractiveness only positively affects image satisfaction, and the interactivity only positively affects advertising trust. Besides that, this study also verified the mediating role of consumers' self-brand connection between the two attitudes and purchase intentions.Originality/valueBy distinguishing two different attitudes of consumers and incorporating consumers' self-brand connection, we proposed a complete theoretical framework for the overall mechanism of influence marketing based on communication–persuasion matrix.


2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (12) ◽  
pp. 2868-2884 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ou Wang ◽  
Simon Somogyi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impacts of innovation-adoption characteristics on Chinese consumers’ adoption of online food shopping. It also examines consumers’ online purchase preferences for specific food categories and the consumer segments shopping for food online in China. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through a web-based survey (n=643, in three cities: Beijing, Guangzhou and Chongqing). Descriptive analysis, cluster analysis, factor analysis and structural equation modeling were employed for data analysis. Findings Participants had strong online purchase intentions toward snack and imported food, while they had weak online purchase intentions toward fresh food products such as meat, eggs, vegetables, fish and seafood. Two consumer segments were found: online-food-conservative (42 percent) and online-food-pioneer (58 percent). Factor analysis resulted in an adjusted factorial structure of the innovation-adoption characteristics, which was considered more appropriate within the context of Chinese consumers when shopping for food online. Path analysis found that Chinese consumers’ attitudes and/or purchase intentions were positively linked to their perceived incentives and negatively associated with their perceived complexity for online food shopping. Originality/value This is the first study to explore consumer segments, consumption psychology (innovation-adoption characteristics) and product preferences related to online food shopping with a sample from China, the largest e-commerce country. The findings can help food producers and marketers to better understand Chinese consumers’ online food shopping behaviors in order to meet the needs of consumers and have further success in this major market.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manish Das ◽  
Victor Saha ◽  
M.S. Balaji

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of middle-class consumers’ need for uniqueness (CNFU), consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII), inspiration and behavioral intentions toward masstige products. Specifically, this study examines the differential effects of CNFU dimensions, the underlying mechanism of consumer inspiration and the moderating role of CSII in the purchase intentions toward masstige products. Design/methodology/approach Two studies were carried out to test the proposed relationships. Study 1 examines the differential effect of CNFU dimensions and the mediating role of consumer inspiration for data collected from Tier 1 cities in India. Study 2 replicated Study 1 findings for the jewelry masstige products and tested the moderating role of CSII for data collected from Tier 2 cities. Structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings The study findings confirm the differential effects of CNFU dimensions on inspiration and its mediating role in masstige products’ purchase intentions. Furthermore, the study found that CSII moderates the effect of CNFU dimensions on inspiration toward masstige (jewelry) purchase intentions. Status does not determine masstige purchase intention. Research limitations/implications The present study was carried out in the emerging market of India. Future studies should replicate the study findings in other emerging markets. Practical implications The study findings have important implications for marketers of masstige brands in developing effective marketing strategies in the emerging markets. Originality/value The study is among the few studies to investigate the differential role of CNFU dimensions and inspiration for masstige brands in an emerging market context.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Shahin Sharifi

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the influence of the trilogy of emotion – cognition, affection, and conation – on future purchase intentions in consumers of products of high involvement. Design/methodology/approach – The author employed two studies on two different products to test the influence of emotion on future purchase intentions in study one and to replicate the results of study one in study two, using structural equation modeling. In study two, brand awareness is regarded as a mediator. Findings – The results indicate that cognition can influence future purchase intentions, and that affection meaningfully influences future purchase intentions. Additionally, the researcher found that the impact of affection on future purchase intention is stronger than that of cognition on future purchase intentions. Moreover, brand awareness meaningfully influenced cognition, affection, and conation directly, and future purchase intentions indirectly. Practical implications – Encouraging conditions in which consumers have good thoughts and feelings about a prior purchase can bolster future purchase intentions, empowering the potent in future purchase for the brand involved. Originality/value – This research validates the impact of emotion – more specifically cognition and affection – on future purchase intentions under mediating role of brand awareness, in a country with growing markets. Hence, it adds to the literature of post-purchase important findings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 3761-3778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu Lu ◽  
Christina Geng-Qing Chi ◽  
Rong Zou

Purpose This paper aims to examine the primary determinants of Chinese consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions of imported organic wines. Design/methodology/approach This study used a multi-stage data collection via multiple sampling techniques. Data were collected from close to 2,000 Chinese wine drinkers across 33 provincial-level administrative units in China. The consumer data were subject to a two-step structural equation modeling analysis. Findings Chinese consumers express favorable attitudes and are interested in making a purchase. The results also reveal distinct influences of cognitive and emotional determinants on consumers’ positive attitudes and purchase intentions of organic wines. Health benefits and symbolic value positively influence consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions. Emotional assessment of organic wines, despite exhibiting a positive effect on attitudes, does not drive Chinese consumers’ purchase decisions. Originality/value China has become a world leader in consuming wines, especially wines imported from traditional wine producing countries. The increasing health concerns have also prompted Chinese consumers toward favoring organic products. Despite the evident shift in Chinese consumers’ travel expenditure toward food and wines and the growing wine consumption while dining out, existing research is scant in explaining the decision drivers of Chinese consumers’ organic wine purchase. A greater and deeper understanding of Chinese consumers’ purchase decision of organic wines not only provides marketing intelligence for countries exporting wines to China but also is meaningful for international destinations to capture a lucrative market to support local attractions and hospitality businesses.


2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-352
Author(s):  
Eunyoung (Christine) Sung

Purpose This paper aims to investigate factors affecting the relationship between consumers’ brand trust and purchase intentions after exposure to targeted mobile app ads during holiday periods, including the mediating roles of consumers’ ad attitudes, different discount levels and their interactions; and the moderating roles of the anticipated gain (loss) (i.e. access to discounts) associated with mobile app usage (non-usage). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 559 respondents who were randomly assigned to six groups based on a 2 (ad type: new, holiday-themed vs regular product) × 3 (promotion level: 0% vs 20% vs 40%) between-subjects design. Regression analysis and structural equation modeling techniques are used to test the hypothesized mediators and moderators. Findings Consumers with high brand trust are likely to purchase both new and regular products. Consumers with low brand trust are most responsive to mobile app ads for regular products when offered a high discount. Ad attitudes across all discount rates and product types mediate the relationship between brand trust and purchase intentions; the anticipated gain associated with using a mobile app (i.e. access to discounts) moderates the effect of attitudes toward ads promoting regular products when a high discount is offered. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is one of the first studies to explore how interactions among important factors in contexts involving mobile apps and holiday promotions influence and mediate the relationship between brand trust and purchase intentions. This study also reveals an important boundary condition that moderates consumers’ responses to targeted mobile app ads in the context of holiday marketing.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 610-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Huaman-Ramirez ◽  
Dwight Merunka

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine how brand attachment is related to brand experience. The model tests the partial mediating role of brand trust and the moderating role of age and income. Design/methodology/approach A total of 334 participants consuming brands with an experiential offering completed an online questionnaire in a cross-sectional study. The data were analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and advanced methods such as the heterotrait–monotrait ratio and the Henseler’s multigroup analysis were used. Findings Brand experience is positively related to brand attachment, more so for younger consumers. This relationship holds for both hedonic and utilitarian brands. Results demonstrate the partial mediation of brand trust in this relationship, especially for utilitarian brands, and with a weaker indirect relationship for high-income consumers. Research limitations/implications The research was conducted in one country (Peru). Generalizability of results should be established by carrying out additional studies in other settings or countries. Practical implications Experiential marketing both as a positioning strategy and through marketing operations may help brands to increase consumer attachment. This may be managed both through the direct effect of favoring positive experiences and through the enhancement of brand trust. This is particularly the case for target markets composed of young and low-to-medium-income consumers. Originality/value Results confirm the impact of brand experience on brand attachment for both utilitarian and hedonic brands, and establish both the mediating role of brand trust and the moderating role of age and income. These are new insights on the process itself and on boundary conditions of an important established relationship.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd Ahmad Al-Hawari ◽  
Shaker Bani-Melhem ◽  
Faridahwati Mohd. Shamsudin

Purpose This study aims to build on the trait activation and interactionist perspective theories to investigate the effect of frontline employees’ (FLEs) willingness to take risks on hotel guest loyalty by assessing the mediating role of their innovative behaviors. It also examines whether decentralization strengthens the positive impact of willingness to take risks on innovative behavior and, subsequently, customer loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The authors collected multilevel data from various sources – hotel FLEs (n = 183), hotel operation managers (n = 46) and hotel guests/customers (n = 266) – from five-star hotels operating in Dubai. Structural equation modeling and PROCESS macro (version 3.5) were used to analyze the data. Findings The findings showed that willingness to take risks indirectly (via innovative behaviors) affects guest/customer loyalty positively. This effect is strengthened when the hotel is decentralized. Practical implications This study provides insight into how hotel managers can foster customer loyalty. More specifically, they can do so by establishing employees’ innovative behaviors triggered by employees’ positive personality traits and by giving employees more autonomy. Originality/value The present study addresses recent calls to investigate the positive impact of FLEs’ personality traits, attitudes and behaviors on customer loyalty.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahraa Sameer Sajwani ◽  
Joe Hazzam ◽  
Abdelmounaim Lahrech ◽  
Muna Alnuaimi

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to investigate the role of the strategy tripod premises, mediated by future foresight and its effect on merger effectiveness in the higher education industry.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative survey method was implemented, with the data provided by senior managers of 14 universities that went through a merger from the years 2013–2016. The proposed model was tested using partial least squares (PLS) of structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that government support, competitive intensity and knowledge creation capability relate positivity to merger effectiveness, and these relationships are mediated by future foresight competence.Originality/valueThe study provides a better understanding of merger effectiveness in the higher education industry by identifying the role of future foresight competence in the application of strategy tripod and its contribution on merger effectiveness. Results indicate that future foresight competence contributes to the merger effectiveness and enables the effective implementation of the strategy tripod dimensions in higher education mergers.


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