Purchase decision: does too much choice leave us unhappy?

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 1248-1265 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-Chia Tang ◽  
Yi-Ching Hsieh ◽  
Hung-Chang Chiu
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emotional Factors ◽  
Willingness To Purchase ◽  
Virtual Store

Purpose The purpose of this study is to determine how and when choice variety influences consumers’ willingness to purchase, according to a personal emotion perspective. The choice paradox indicates that although having many choices can be beneficial, it can also cause customer decision paralysis and unhappiness. This article proposes that the desire and motivation to process information vary from person to person, and emotional factors are relevant. Design/methodology/approach With a 2 × 2 experimental design, this study examines the influence of the interaction of choice variety with need for cognition (NFC) on positive and negative emotions, and then tests the mediating effects on purchase intentions. The sample includes 214 college students, assigned randomly to self-assessment questionnaires. Findings Both high NFC respondents in the high variety condition and low NFC respondents in the low variety condition exhibit more positive emotions than low NFC respondents in the high variety condition but not more than high NFC respondents in the low variety condition. Positive (negative) emotions increase (decrease) consumers’ purchase intentions. Research limitations/implications The experiment was conducted in a virtual store, which may not match real-life store environments or reflect participants’ actual purchase behaviours, so additional research should consider the influence of involvement further. Practical implications The results offer suggestions for developing more effective communication with emotions, increasing involvement to maintain consumers’ positive emotions and relieve their confusion, and managing product variety. Originality/value This article meets the identified need to study how choice variety influences consumers’ willingness to purchase from a personal emotion perspective.

The role of emotions and social influences on consumer loyalty towards online travel communities

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 534-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Ruiz-Mafe ◽  
Jose Tronch ◽  
Silvia Sanz-Blas
Keyword(s):  
Social Presence ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Social Influences ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Subjective Norm ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interpersonal Influences ◽  
Online Travel

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the role of emotions and social influences on loyalty formation towards online travel communities. Design/methodology/approach The individual (perceived risk) and social (subjective norm and social presence) antecedents of emotions as well as the impact of emotions on attitude and loyalty towards online travel communities are tested through structural equation modelling techniques. The sample consists of 385 active users of online travel communities in Spain. Findings Data analysis shows that perceived privacy and security risk elicit negative emotions such as stress, frustration and fear towards the online travel community. Normative influences (subjective norm) and feeling the presence of other community members (social presence) boost positive emotions towards the online travel community. Interpersonal influences have a positive effect on subjective norm but not external influences. Positive and negative emotions affect preferences towards the online travel community (attitudes) as proposed by social impact theory. Subjective norm and attitude have a direct influence on loyalty towards an online travel community, confirming previous research grounded on theory of reasoned action models. Originality/value Despite the crucial impact of consumers’ affective states on loyalty formation, research on social media is mainly focused on the technological nature of consumer information exchanges, neglecting other drivers of consumer behaviour beyond the technology employed. This paper develops a model that integrates the relationships between consumer emotions and their individual (perceived risk) and social (social presence and subjective norm) antecedents and outcome variables (attitude and loyalty). The role of social influences is analysed, assessing the conjoint impact of one-way communication (interpersonal influences and mass media) and Web 2.0 communications (social presence) on positive emotions and loyalty formation towards the online travel community.

Cognitive and social mechanisms: the role of emotions in creativity through work-based learning from a functionalist perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei Liu ◽  
Jing Wei Li ◽  
Qi Wei Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Employee Creativity ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Mediation Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
Chinese Company ◽  
Positive And Negative Emotions

Purpose From a functionalist perspective, this study aims to examine empirically how positive and negative emotions can exert influence on creativity in the workplace. This study built and tested a theoretical framework that delineates the effect of emotions on employee creativity through different learning mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach Field surveys were conducted in a Chinese company and data were collected from 340 employee-supervisor dyads. Findings The results indicate that positive emotions were positively related to task-related learning and interactional learning, both of which promote employee creativity. Task-related learning mediated the association between positive emotions and creativity. Nevertheless, negative emotions hindered employees from interactional learning and were negatively associated with creativity. Interactional learning mediated the association between negative emotions and creativity. Moreover, the interaction between positive and negative emotions was negatively associated with task-related learning. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on emotions and employee learning by demonstrating the value of using a functionalist perspective through different procedural mechanisms for employee outcomes and exploring the mediation effects of different learning behaviors in promoting creativity.

Role of brand attachment in customers’ evaluation of service failure

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Luis Saavedra Torres ◽  
Monika Rawal ◽  
Ramin Bagherzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Brand Attachment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Coping Tactics ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of brand attachment as a relevant construct in customers’ evaluation after they face a service failure which impacts future consumer behaviors. It mainly answers the research question: does brand attachment cushion or amplify the effect of service failure on customers’ negative emotions? Design/methodology/approach A 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design was conducted. Data analysis was performed with ANOVA and moderated mediation. Findings Customer’s feelings toward a brand (brand attachment) that existed before a service failure occurred can regulate customer’s negative emotions especially when consumer attribute service failure to a controllable cause. This process minimizes the effect of service failure in customer’s satisfaction and consequently increase customer behaviors like word of mouth and loyalty intentions. Research limitations/implications Adding perceived intentionality as a service failure’s attribution could provide another layer of explanation of customer behavior. Also, an expanded study using a sector characterized by higher cost of change and permanent consumption could provide result’s generalizability. Practical implications Brand attachment should be included in the customer service strategy. In a service failure situation, brand attachment becomes part of the “service customer policy” helping customers to regulate their negative emotions. Originality/value This study fills the knowledge gap regarding the role of customers’ positive emotions toward brands when a service failure occurs. The current study extends branding literature by differentiating brand attachment role from coping tactics.

scholarly journals Features of Social Play in 8- to 11-Year-Olds in China: Exploring Children’s Own Perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
RAO Zhen ◽  
Jenny GIBSON ◽  
Bill NICHOLL
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Pretend Play ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Social Play ◽  
Chinese Children ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Natural Settings

This paper presents a small-scale exploratory study investigating social play among 8- to 11-year-old Chinese children. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six self-selected pairs of children in six natural settings (two homes, two parks, and two playgrounds). Children’s responses to the interview questions and their spontaneous play activities during the interview were audio-recorded and analysed thematically based on transcription. Pretend play and games with rules were found to be two popular types of social play among these children. Three features of social play activities were identified: combination of real-life elements and creation, combination of variation and consistency, and combination of conflicts and compromises. According to children’s own perspectives, being appropriately challenged, being fair, and having autonomy were important for them during play. Children also reported positive emotions during play and negative emotions when not having opportunity to play. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.

The impact of religious salience on purchase intentions: evidence from the UAE

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1339-1350
Author(s):  
Catherine Nickerson ◽  
Anup Menon Nandialath
Keyword(s):  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Consumer Behaviour ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Causal Mediation ◽  
Multicultural Environment ◽  
Religious Salience ◽  
Causal Mediation Analysis ◽  
Willingness To Purchase ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of religious salience on consumer purchase intentions in the multicultural environment of the UAE, more specifically on the willingness of a Muslim consumer to purchase a product labelled or packaged to include an Islamic appeal, i.e. an appeal with a heightened religious salience. While some attempts have been made in the literature to examine the impact of religious salience on purchase intentions, research amongst Muslim consumers remains under-explored. Design/methodology/approach The authors used a randomized survey experiment administered to 148 Emirati educated female nationals. The survey consisted of pairs of advertisements, where each advertisement promoted the same product and the same brand, varying on whether they included an Islamic appeal or not in the labelling, packaging or slogan. The respondents were asked about their attitude to the different versions of the advertisements, as well as their willingness to purchase the product. The authors used causal mediation analysis to explore the mechanisms through which causal effects on purchase intentions are determined. Findings This study shows that including an Islamic appeal, and therefore increasing the religious salience in product promotion, leads to higher purchase intentions amongst Muslim consumers. The authors also identified a number of additional moderating factors that influenced the consumer’s purchase intentions, such as product and/or brand awareness and the type of product being promoted, as well as the nature of the artefact that was included in the ad as the Islamic appeal. Finally, the causal mediation analysis suggests that Islamic appeals increases product attractiveness, which in turn leads to higher purchase intentions. Originality/value This paper investigates the effect of religious salience on consumer behaviour and their purchase intentions. This paper makes an empirical contribution to understanding consumer behaviour with particular relevance to retail hubs with a majority Muslim population.

How emotions affect restaurant digital ordering experiences: a comparison of three ordering methods

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Y. Leung ◽  
Han Wen
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Restaurant Industry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Expectancy Disconfirmation ◽  
Quick Service ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of consumption emotion in the digital food-ordering experience by comparing the performances of the three digital ordering methods in an experimental design. Design/methodology/approach A research model was developed based on the Feelings-as-Information (FaI) theory and the expectancy-disconfirmation theory. A 3 × 2 between-subjects lab experiment was conducted to compare the three digital ordering methods (online, mobile or chatbot) in two different types of restaurants (quick-service or full-service). Findings The results indicate that the chatbot ordering method evoked more negative emotions and less positive emotions than the other two methods. The online ordering method worked the best for quick-service restaurants, whereas the mobile ordering method was most suitable for full-service restaurants. Both positive and negative emotions (comfort and annoyance) significantly mediated the relationships between the ordering method and internal responses (satisfaction and behavioral intention). Only one negative emotion (anger) significantly mediated the relationship between the ordering method and order amount. Originality/value This is the first study that attempts to explore and compare consumers’ emotional responses resulting from restaurant digital ordering experiences in the context of the three food-ordering methods. The use of the FaI theory strengthens the theoretical foundation of research on emotion in the hospitality field. This study also pioneers the application of chatbot technology in the restaurant industry.

Drawn to Pain

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellen Winner
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Painful Experience ◽  
Aesthetic Distance ◽  
Sad Music

Aristotle said we don’t like to look at painful things in life but get pleasure from seeing these things in art. This chapter examines what research tells us about why we willingly expose ourselves to sad music, paintings of suffering, horror movies, and tragic narratives. Studies show that the sadder we feel when experiencing these forms of art, the more we enjoy the experience and the more moved we feel. Thus, when we experience art with painful content, we experience positive as well as negative emotions. The positive emotions are made possible because of aesthetic distance. That is, we know that our emotions are caused by art, not “real life.” In addition, the experience of negative emotions promotes meaning making as we try to make something positive out of a painful experience. And meaning making is an important function of art.

scholarly journals Effect of Cognitive Variables and Emotional Variables on Urban Residents’ Recycled Water Reuse Behavior

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Gao ◽  
Zhiguo Li ◽  
Kashif Khan
Keyword(s):  
Water Reuse ◽  
Positive Emotion ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Cognitive Factors ◽  
Urban Residents ◽  
Cognitive Variables ◽  
Recycled Water ◽  
Emotional Factors

Urban residents’ perception of recycled water reuse is the foundation for the realization of recycled water reuse behavior. However, even though the perception factor is equipped, it does not mean that urban residents will use recycled water continuously for sure. Therefore, in this research, the authors try to put cognitive factors and emotional factors into a unified behavioral process. Based on this theory framework, the paper will interpret the initiation, formation and continuing process of recycled water reuse behavior of urban residents. On the basis of previous studies, this study established a theoretical model to study the influence of cognitive factors and emotional factors on recycled water reuse behavior of the residents. Based on the data of 325 samples, the direct and indirect relationship between the variables in the model is verified through path analysis and mediation analysis. The empirical results show that: firstly, the urban residents’ perception of recycled water reuse can activate their emotion for recycled water, and the emotion includes both positive emotion and negative emotion; secondly, although the recognition of recycled water can stimulate both positive and negative emotional factors, there are great differences between positive and negative emotions on the initiation, formation and sustainability of recycled water behavior. Negative emotion has a certain effect on the initiation of recycled water reuse behavior, but it has no significant effect on the formation and sustainability of recycled water reuse behavior. By contrast, positive emotion has no significant effect on the initiation of recycled water reuse behavior, but it has a significant effect on the formation and sustainability of recycled water reuse behavior. That is to say, at different stages, the recycled water reuse behaviors are affected differently by positive emotions and negative emotions. Thirdly, compared with negative emotional variables, positive emotions have a greater impact on individual recycled water reuse behavior. Positive emotional variables can significantly mediate the impact of cognitive variables on recycled water reuse behavior habits. In other words, positive emotions play a vital role in the sustainability of recycled water reuse.

The impact of tourists' emotions on satisfaction and destination loyalty – an integrative moderated mediation model: tourists' experience in Switzerland

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 509-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samaan Al‐Msallam
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Destination Loyalty ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of tourists' emotional responses toward a particular destination on tourists' satisfaction and destination loyalty. Perceived quality adds as a moderator variable.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a quantitative data collection method, with distributing the questionnaire to 346 tourists of 43 nationalities in four main tourist attractions in Switzerland. The structural equation modeling approach and bootstrapping technique were used to empirically test the study hypotheses.FindingsThe results confirm the negative impact of negative emotions. The mediating role of the tourists' satisfaction was documented. As expected, perceived quality dampened the negative effect of negative emotions on tourists' satisfaction. However, surprisingly, it does not serve as a moderator in the relationship between positive emotions and tourists' satisfaction.Practical implicationsThis study resulted in a set of practical marketing recommendations. Tourism marketers are encouraged to keep positive emotions high among tourists, aimed to increase their satisfaction toward the destination and revisit it again in the future and also, pay more attention to the quality of the destination as an essential tool to reduce the impact of negative emotions.Originality/valueMany studies in tourism literature studied associations between positive emotions and tourists' behavior. The present study is drawing more attention to negative emotions. In addition, this study tries to address the gap in the tourism literature regarding the modified impact of perceived quality on the relationship between emotions and tourists' satisfaction.

scholarly journals The mediating effect of consumers’ price level perception and emotions towards supermarkets

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Celil Cakici ◽  
Sena Tekeli
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Price Level ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Price Sensitivity ◽  
Theoretical Construct ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Price Perception ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study aims to reveal the impact of consumers’ price sensitivity on their purchase intention within the scope of supermarkets. Besides, the study aims to examine the impact of consumers’ price sensitivity on their price perception level and emotions and the impact of consumers’ price level perception and emotions toward supermarkets on their purchase intention. It also aims to detect the mediating effects of consumers’ price level perception and emotions toward supermarkets between their price sensitivity and purchase intention.Design/methodology/approachThe quota sampling method was used to form the study sample. The population was 20–69-year-old consumers. The study sample included 513 consumers, 276 of whom were men, and 237 of whom were women. Data were collected via a questionnaire by the researchers in Mersin’s (Turkey) five central counties. Explanatory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation models were used to analyze data.FindingsConsumers’ price sensitivity, perception of cheapness, perception of expensiveness and positive emotions toward supermarkets affect their purchase intention. Besides, price sensitivity affects their perception of cheapness while it does not affect their perception of expensiveness. It influences negative emotions, but not on positive emotions. Consumers’ perception of cheapness and perception of expensiveness have impacts on positive emotions toward supermarkets. It was additionally discovered that perception of cheapness and perception of expensiveness affected negative emotions toward supermarkets. A contributed finding was that perception of cheapness had a partial mediating role between price sensitivity and purchase intention.Practical implicationsThe study provides managerial implications in terms of understanding consumers’ behavioral changes, developing effective pricing strategies and achieving competitive advantages over the other retailing companies.Originality/valueThe study illustrates that consumer behavior can be explained by a theoretical construct considering the price perception levels and emotions toward supermarkets in examining the effect of consumers’ price sensitivity on their purchase intention. Therefore, it contributes to explain consumers’ behavior by bringing the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) model into a theoretical construct.

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