scholarly journals Segmenting consumers’ reasons for and against ethical consumption

2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 2237-2261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul F. Burke ◽  
Christine Eckert ◽  
Stacey Davis
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Consumerism ◽  
Ethical Products ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Ethical Purchasing

Purpose – This paper aims to quantify the relative importance of reasons used to explain consumers’ selection and rejection of ethical products, accounting for differences in ethical orientations across consumers. Design/methodology/approach – Reviewing previous literature and drawing on in-depth interviews, a taxonomy of reasons for and against ethical purchasing is developed. An online survey incorporating best–worst scaling (BWS) determines which reasons feature more in shaping ethical consumerism. Cluster analysis and multinomial regression are used to identify and profile segments. Findings – Positively orientated consumers (42 per cent of respondents) purchase ethical products more so because of reasons relating to impact, health, personal relevance, and quality. Negatively orientated consumers (34 per cent of respondents) reject ethical alternatives based on reasons relating to indifference, expense, confusion and scepticism. A third segment is ambivalent in their behaviour and reasoning; they perceive ethical purchasing to be effective and relevant, but are confused and sceptical under what conditions this can occur. Research limitations/implications – Preferences were elicited using an online survey rather than using real market data. Though the task instructions and methods used attempted to minimise social-desirability bias, the experiment might still be subject to its effects. Practical implications – Competitive positioning strategies can be better designed knowing which barriers to ethical purchasing are more relevant. The paper challenges the benefits in altruistic-based positioning and outlines shortcomings in communication about ethical products, including those relating to product labelling. Social implications – Through their purchase behaviours across a number of categories, ethical consumers aim to minimise the harm and exploitation of humans, animals and the natural environment. This research provides insights into the potential reasons why the uptake of ethical products is not being achieved and how it can be addressed to make improvements in making this movement more mainstream. Originality/value – This research examines an extensive list of reasons for and against ethical purchasing used by a general population of consumers. By forcing respondents to make trade-offs, this is the first study quantifying the relative importance of reasons utilised by consumers. It also highlights the value in using cluster analysis on best–worst scores to identify underlying segments.

A tool for measuring SMEs’ reputation, engagement and goodwill

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 170-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalind Heather Whiting ◽  
Paul Hansen ◽  
Anindya Sen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internet Presence ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
Scoring Tool ◽  
Google Search

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a rating and scoring tool for measuring small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) reputation, engagement and goodwill (REG), including internet presence and following on social media, by an exploratory study undertaken in New Zealand. Design/methodology/approach A discrete choice experiment (DCE) applying the PAPRIKA method via an online survey was conducted to determine weights representing the relative importance of six indicators related to SMEs’ REG. Usable responses were received from 159 people involved with SMEs. Cluster analysis to identify participants with similar patterns of weights was performed. Findings The six indicators, in decreasing order of importance (mean weights in parentheses), are: “captured” customer opinions about the business (0.28); contact with customer database (0.19); website traffic (0.16); Google Search ranking (0.15); size of customer database, (0.11); and following on social media (0.11). These indicators and weights can be used to rate and score individual SMEs. The cluster analysis indicates that participants’ age has some influence on their weights. Research limitations/implications Only 159 usable responses for the DCE. Practical implications The indicators and their weights provide a practical and inexpensive tool for measuring SMEs’ REG. Originality/value This is the first study to use a DCE to determine weights representing the relative importance of indicators included in a tool for measuring SMEs’ REG. The tool is innovative because it includes readily available indicators of firms’ internet presence and following on social media.

scholarly journals Which cues cause consumers to perceive brands as more global? A conjoint analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 606-626 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah De Meulenaer ◽  
Nathalie Dens ◽  
Patrick De Pelsmacker
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Conjoint Analysis ◽  
Consumer Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Brand Name ◽  
High Involvement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the globalization (vs localization) of different cues (advertising copy, brand name, spokesperson, brand logo) influences consumers’ perceived brand globalness. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted conjoint analyses for two products differing in product category involvement (chocolates vs computer) with 200 consumers from the Netherlands. Additionally, based on cluster analysis, the authors divide respondents into two groups: local vs global consumer culture individuals, and the authors compare the results of the conjoint analysis for these two clusters. Findings – Advertising copy is most important in determining perceived brand globalness. The spokesperson and the brand logo determine perceived brand globalness more strongly for a low-involvement product, whereas the brand name is more important for a high-involvement product. Further, the spokesperson and the brand logo are relatively more important for global consumer culture individuals, while local consumer culture individuals find the brand name and advertising copy relatively more important. Practical implications – The most important cue to position a brand as global is the advertising copy. Brand managers of a low-involvement product and/or targeting global-minded consumers should concentrate on the spokesperson and the brand logo to position their brand. Managers of a high-involvement product and/or targeting local-minded people should focus on the brand name. Originality/value – While a number of researchers have emphasized the importance of perceived brand globalness for international consumer behavior, the present study is the first to the authors’ knowledge to investigate the relative importance of different cues in creating perceptions of brand globalness.

scholarly journals A cluster analysis of tourist attractions in Spain

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dana-Nicoleta Lascu ◽  
Lalita A. Manrai ◽  
Ajay K. Manrai ◽  
Allison Gan
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Cultural Tourism ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourist Attractions ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Bodies Of Water ◽  
Rich History ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Natural and cultural tourism are important motivators for international tourism. Spain has impressive tourist attractions that are outstanding on the natural and cultural tourism dimensions. The purpose of this paper is to identify traits of the most attractive destinations in Spain and to understand the relative importance of natural, cultural, and dual (natural and cultural) attractions to target consumers. Design/methodology/approach The authors compare the level of tourism in the 17 major regions of Spain and identify the key natural, cultural, and dual attractions using a two-step cluster analysis to ascertain the relative importance of the three types of attractions. Findings The findings of the cluster analysis suggest that natural attractions had the highest importance, followed by dual attractions, with cultural attractions having the lowest importance in affecting the level of tourism in a region. The study identified four categories of regions resulting from “high vs low” total number of attractions by “high vs low” levels of tourism (operationalized via the number of tourist-nights). The regions with high levels of tourism were either located in the bodies of water (a group of islands) or on ocean/sea(s) surrounding Spain. The study suggests placing greater emphasis on promoting cultural attractions in Spain. Practical implications The findings suggest that there is a need to put more emphasis on promoting the cultural attractions in Spain. Spain is a diverse country with huge potential for tourism from people all over the world, due to its diverse geography and rich history. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes 17 regions of Spain in relation to their tourism characteristics, identifying attractions that are not sufficiently leveraged, and suggesting strategies for identifying opportunities for the tourism industry in Spain.

scholarly journals Types of professionalization

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 298-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grazia Lang ◽  
Torsten Schlesinger ◽  
Markus Lamprecht ◽  
Kaisa Ruoranen ◽  
Christoffer Klenk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Organizational Development ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Hierarchical Cluster ◽  
Organizational Characteristics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Patterns ◽  
And Performance ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify types of professionalization in Swiss national sport federations (NSFs) and analyze organizational characteristics associated with specific types of professionalization. Such types reveal common patterns among the increasingly complex organizational designs of NSFs and thus contribute to the understanding of professionalization in NSFs. Design/methodology/approach An online survey of all Swiss NSFs was conducted to identify types of professionalization in these organizations using hierarchical cluster analysis, based on a multi-dimensional framework of professionalization. Findings The analysis revealed four types of professionalization: formalized NSFs managed by paid staff, NSFs managed by volunteers and a few paid staff off the field, NSFs with differing formalization and paid staff on the field, and moderately formalized NSFs managed by volunteers. The types differ in terms of the NSFs’ organizational characteristics, in particular, size, financial resources, Olympic status, and performance. Originality/value Applying factor and cluster analysis is a new approach to analyzing professionalization in NSFs that makes uncovering distinctive organizational patterns among a large number of NSFs possible. These results lay the foundation for understanding the professionalization of NSFs, counseling NSFs on their organizational development, and conducting future research on the design types of sport organizations.

Australian customer willingness to pay and wait for mass-customised products

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hassan Daronkola Kalantari ◽  
Lester Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Market Segments ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mass Customisation ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
To Receive

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find out how consumers constantly trade off the potential extra cost of mass customisation with the additional time they have to wait to receive their customised products. Design/methodology/approach The authors examine this issue by using conjoint analysis to estimate the trade-offs using a sample of Australian consumers. The authors use cluster analysis to form market segments in the three product categories examined. Findings The segments demonstrate that there are groups of customers who are quite willing to trade-off price with waiting time. The results have significant implications for Australian manufacturers who are contemplating moving into mass customisation. Originality/value Many researchers have investigated the issue of a customer’s readiness to buy a customised product. In particular, they have examined whether customers are willing to pay extra for a mass-customised product, whether they would spend some time to design it, as well as wait to receive it. There has been no study that has examined all three factors simultaneously. The results of this study can help manufacturers form a better understanding of customer willingness for purchasing mass-customised products.

Exploring consumer preferences for hedonic and utilitarian food attributes

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (12) ◽  
pp. 3039-3063 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Maehle ◽  
Nina Iversen ◽  
Leif Hem ◽  
Cele Otnes
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Product Attributes ◽  
Food Category ◽  
Environmentally Conscious ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the relative importance of four main attributes of food products for consumer’s choice. These are price, taste, environmental friendliness and healthfulness, tested across hedonic and utilitarian food products (milk and ice-cream). The weighting of attributes involved in food choices is a complex phenomenon, as consumers must consider contradictory requirements when making their choices. Consumers’ decision-making processes might also be influenced by food category. Some food products are mostly consumed for pleasure, whereas others are consumed because of their nutritional value. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs a choice-based conjoint technique, which addresses how consumers make trade-offs across a set of product attributes. Findings – The results indicate that price and taste attributes are rated as the most important for both hedonic and utilitarian food products. However, when the authors group consumers according to their product preferences, the relative importance of product attributes changes. Specifically, the importance of environmental friendliness and healthfulness is much higher among the health-conscious and environmentally conscious segments than for other segments. Originality/value – To the knowledge, this is the first study comparing the importance of this combination of product attributes (price, taste, calorie content and eco-label) across hedonic and utilitarian foods in a choice-based conjoint setting. Moreover, a new way of grouping consumers according to their ethical-value profiles enables the authors to create a psychographic description of these segments, and to relate it to their food attribute preferences.

Using two-step cluster analysis to identify homogeneous physical activity groups

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharyn Rundle-Thiele ◽  
Krzysztof Kubacki ◽  
Aaron Tkaczynski ◽  
Joy Parkinson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Central Business District ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cluster Analytic ◽  
Business District

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to: first, illustrate how market segmentation using two-step cluster analysis can be used to identify segments in the context of physical activity; second, identified segments are used to offer practical implications for social marketers working in the area of physical activity. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 1,459 respondents residing within 20 kilometres of the Melbourne Central Business District participated in an online survey. The questions in the survey included items relating to respondents’ health perceptions, health knowledge, attitudes, intentions to start a new physical activity, demographics, place of residence and self-reported physical activity. Two-step cluster analysis using the log-likelihood measure was used to reveal natural groupings in the data set. Findings – This research has identified four distinctive segments in the context of physical activity, namely: Young Disinteresteds, Successful Enthusiasts, Vulnerables and Happy Retirees. Research limitations/implications – The study was conducted in March and some sports were not in season at the time of the study, therefore future research should extend the current sample to take seasonality and geography into account and to ensure the clusters are fully representative of the Australian population. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature by outlining a two-step cluster analytic approach to segmentation that can be used by social marketers to identify valuable segments when developing social marketing programmes.

Giving light to mega-event planning: residents' perceptions on total eclipse weekend

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-221
Author(s):  
Carole B. Sox ◽  
Mary M. Sox ◽  
Jeffrey M. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mega Events ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Strategic Execution ◽  
And Cluster Analysis ◽  
Mega Event ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeMega-events have been the topic of unprecedented consideration within recent research. Research on the residents' perspectives, however, is still in the infancy stage, yet a key contributor to the overall legacy planning considerations and process. This research investigates resident perceptions toward a mega-event to assist with planning/execution of such events in addition to advancing knowledge within this area.Design/methodology/approachFor this research, an online survey was utilized to reach out to residents in the host city during the mega-event, Solar Eclipse Weekend. Factor analysis and cluster analysis were used to analyze the results.FindingsUsing exploratory factor analysis, 305 online surveys were analyzed. Using varimax rotation, factor analysis determined four significant factors: environment, local engagement, tourism support, and infrastructure. Cluster analysis was then conducted identifying three clusters of residents labeled neutralists, supporters and enthusiasts.Practical implicationsThe practical implications should be of assistance to professional event planners, city governments and destination marketing organizations. Through utilization of the information provided, community participation should be sought after throughout the planning phase and into the management and execution of large events to best gain resident support.Originality/valueThis research further explored residents' perspectives of a mega-event. While this area of research has been noted in strategic approaches to planning, managing and executing mega-events, the research on stakeholders (such as residents') perspectives is still in the infancy stage. This research contributes to advancing industry planning approaches and strategic execution, in addition to advancing academic knowledge within this area.

The role of Islamic values on green purchase intention

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siti Hasnah Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Middle Class ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Muslim Country ◽  
Green Products ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Consumerism

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of religious values (RGV) on green purchase intention (GPI) among middle-class Muslims in Malaysia. The demand for environmentally green products is growing to facilitate the changing consumption pattern due to the substantial interest in ethical consumerism. Despite the potential impact of RGV on ethical consumption, it is difficult to find studies that embark on linking RGV towards this type of consumption, especially in a developing Muslim country such as Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire survey that was distributed using the purposive sampling method. The final useful sample consists of 140 middle-class Muslim participants. The partial least squares (PLS) structural equation was used to develop the model showing the relationship between RGV and intention to purchase green products for middle-class Muslims in Malaysia. Findings – The results suggest that there is an indirect association between RGV towards attitude and GPI. RGV directly influence natural environmental orientation and environmental concern. In turn, consumer attitude towards green purchase directly affects the respondents’ GPI via the mediator role of nature orientation, green concern and knowledge. The results, besides indicating the suitability of the PLS in statistical analysis, also contribute to a better understanding of how RGV influence GPI among the Muslim middle class. Research limitations/implications – The model developed is specific to the Muslim population in Malaysia. Therefore, the model might only be able to be generalized to nations that have a similar culture to the Muslims in Malaysia or Muslim middle class in other developing countries. Practical implications – RGV are important in influencing green consumption behaviour. The environmental problem cannot just be solved with knowledge and technology but must be backed with moral and ethical imperatives. The ethical awareness and consciousness, backed up by legislation and prohibition, can encourage green behaviour not only from the individuals but also at the social group level. The enforcement of the law and the government play an important role in the implementation of green policies for the protection and conservation of mother Earth. Originality/value – This paper confirmed that behaviour is influenced by individual-level attributes, as well as by the conditions under which people live.

Religiosity, idealism, and ethical consumption: the mediating effect of perceived customer effectiveness and moral obligation

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdallah Alsaad ◽  
Abdulazeez Y.H. Saif-Alyousfi ◽  
Hamzah Elrehail
Keyword(s):  
Moral Obligation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Purchasing Intention ◽  
Sustainable Marketing ◽  
Ethical Purchasing

Purpose The cognitive processes through which religiosity and idealism affect ethical consumption have received little attention in prior research. This study aims to explore the influence of religiosity and idealism on ethical purchasing intention through moral obligation and perceived customer effectiveness (PCE). Design/methodology/approach The study analyses data from 149 Muslim participants in Saudi Arabia, using structural equation modelling. Findings The results reveal that religiosity leads to PCE but not to moral obligation and that idealism leads to both PCE and moral obligation. Mediation analysis indicated that PCE mediates the effect of both religiosity and idealism, although moral obligation only mediates the effect of idealism. Research limitations/implications This research enriches the understanding of ethical consumption and contributes to the debate on how religiosity and idealism affect ethical consumption. It also has significant implications for theory and the development of sustainable marketing initiatives. Marketing campaigns and other promotional activities may focus on the interconnection between ethical purchase and the religious and ideology dimensions of consumers. Also, while formulating a communication strategy, it is necessary to emphasize the religious dimension of the sustainable use of the product. Originality/value Moral obligation and PCE have been shown as cognitive and psychological mechanisms explaining the links between religiosity or idealism and ethical purchasing behaviour.

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