Unit pricing for multiple product sizes: identifying moderators and mediators of consumer evaluations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miyuri Shirai ◽  
Takuya Satomura

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the underlying process by which a brand’s unit pricing for multiple package sizes influences consumer evaluations by incorporating several mediators and moderators. Two-unit pricing tactics were examined: quantity discounts and surcharges. Design/methodology/approach Two online experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses. Study 1 examined the mediating role of consumers’ inferred motive for sellers in setting quantity discounts or surcharges in the relationship between the pricing tactics and consumer evaluations. Study 2 incorporated affect as a mediator, and price consciousness and unit price usage as moderators in this relationship. Findings The mediating role of inferred motive is supported. Motive is related to the sales volume. Furthermore, this mediation effect is more potent when consumers have stronger quantity discount belief. Further, the mediating role of affect is supported. It is more salient when consumers are frequent users of unit prices. Research limitations/implications This study compared two pricing tactics and did not include a control condition. The first digit of the unit price for the small package size was different between the pricing tactics. Practical implications When applying quantity surcharges to products, it is essential to provide additional information to consumers to preclude the possibility of negative evaluations. Originality/value This study makes a significant contribution by offering a deeper understanding of consumer responses to the pricing tactics. In particular, it reveals that pricing tactics trigger both cognitive and affective responses, which then influence evaluations of the pricing tactics. This elicited cognition is associated with deduction about sellers’ brand-size pricing behavior.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haejoo Han ◽  
Jisu Yi ◽  
Sunghee Jun ◽  
Sungsook Ahn

PurposeIn the context of influencer marketing, this study examines the effects of explicit advertising disclosure on consumers' inference regarding influencers' sincere recommendation intent, and its consequences for consumers' purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachIn Study 1, participants were randomly assigned to the conditions of explicit advertising disclosure (e.g. #AD, #Sponsored) and subtle advertising disclosure (e.g. #ThankYou), and indicated their inference regarding influencers' recommendation motives and their own purchase intentions. One-way ANOVA analysis reveals the effect of advertising disclosure on consumers' purchase intentions and the PROCESS model indicates the mediating role of consumers' inferences regarding influencers' sincere recommendation intent. In Study 2, we implemented a 2 (explicit vs. subtle advertising disclosure) × 2 (moderate vs. large size of followers) between-subjects design, using a two-way ANOVA analysis. We analyzed the moderated mediation effect via the PROCESS model.FindingsConsumers are less inclined to purchase products when influencers express explicit advertising disclosures, compared to when the advertising disclosures are subtle (Study 1). These negative effects of advertising disclosure can be caused by consumers' inferences regarding influencers' sincere recommendation intent in terms of posting content (Studies 1 and 2). Additionally, the negative effect is particularly prominent when an influencer has a large (vs. moderate) number of followers (Study 2).Originality/valueBy examining (1) the effects of explicit advertising disclosure on consumers' inference regarding influencers' persuasion motives and (2) the role of the influencer's number of followers, this research provides both theoretical and practical insights for understanding how best to implement influencer marketing.


2019 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 2054-2079
Author(s):  
Marlon Dalmoro ◽  
Giuliana Isabella ◽  
Stefânia Ordovás de Almeida ◽  
João Pedro dos Santos Fleck

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how the physical and sensory environmental triggers interact with subjective consumer evaluations in the production of shopping experiences, an under-investigated theme, despite its relevance. Design/methodology/approach An interpretative multi-method approach was used by combining video observation with camera eyeglasses and in-depth interviews with 30 customers of a department store. Findings Results offer a holistic framework with four-dimensional axial combination involving physical comfort, psychological comfort, physical product evaluation and sensorial product evaluation. Based on this framework, results highlight the role of comfort and products in producing shopping experience in ordinary store visits. Research limitations/implications The findings contribute both to consumer experience studies and to the retail marketing literature in shading a light on experience production in ordinary store visits. Specifically, we detail these visits not as a static response to a given environment stimulus, but as a simultaneous objective and subjective combination able to produce experience. Practical implications The results encourage managers to understand the experience production not just as an outcome of managerially influenced elements, like décor or odor. It involves considering subjective elements in the design of consumers’ physical and sensorial retail experiences. Originality/value Adopting an innovative method of empirical data collection, results generated a framework that integrates the objective shopping environment and subjective consumer responses. This research considers the role of comfort and product features and quality both physically and sensorially to develop experiences in a holistic manner in ordinary shopping visits.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Salim Chouaibi ◽  
Jamel Chouaibi ◽  
Matteo Rossi

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct and indirect links between environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices and financial performance using the mediate role of green innovation.Design/methodology/approachTo test the current study hypotheses, the authors applied linear regressions with a panel data using the Thomson Reuters ASSET4 and Bloomberg database from a sample of 115 UK and 90 Germany companies selected from the ESG index over the period 2005–2019.FindingsThe results show that the strengths ESG increase the firm value and the weaknesses decrease it. In addition, the authors find that green innovation fully mediates the relationship between ESG practices and financial performance in UK and Germany.Practical implicationsThe findings provide interesting implications to academics practitioners and regulators who are interested in discovering ESG score, financial performance and green innovation. The results also provide insights to regulators and the board of directors on future growth opportunities for the company and the country.Originality/valueThis study is unique in examining the mediation effect of green innovation on the relationship between ESG practices and financial performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bao Liu

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the differential effects of two external search strategies on radical innovation (RI) and incremental innovation (II) and explore the mediating role of knowledge integration capability (KIC).Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the data collected from a sample of 241 firms from Chinese electronic information industry. The author conducted a hierarchical regression analysis using SPSS and PROCESS to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe results showed that both external search breadth and depth have positive effects on RI/II performance. The author also found that the effect of search breadth on RI is greater than that on II, and the effect of search depth on RI is less than that on II. Moreover, the author discovered that KIC fully or partially mediates the relationship between external search strategies and RI/II.Originality/valueThe paper provides a finer grained understanding concerning the difference in the impacts of the two external search strategies on RI/II performance. The paper also adds to the existing literature by explaining the path in which external knowledge search influences RI/II through the mediation effect of KIC.


Author(s):  
Gaurav Goyal ◽  
Harsh Vardhan Samalia ◽  
Piyush Verma

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of process simplification on the relationship between process integration and upstream supply chain flexibility in Indian automotive organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe three-step mediation analysis was performed using SPSS macro PROCESS to assess the mediating role of process simplification on the relationship between process integration constructs: top management commitment and supplier relationship; and upstream supply chain flexibility.FindingsThe results indicate a complete mediation effect of process simplification between supplier relationship and upstream supply chain flexibility, while partial mediation effect is noticed between top management commitment and upstream supply chain flexibility.Practical implicationsFor Indian automotive managers, the study suggests that for improving the upstream supply chain flexibility, organizations must have a strategy towards improving the simplification of supply chain processes by upgrading technology and providing training to their suppliers. This understanding will help the automotive managers to simplify their upstream supply chain processes for gaining competitive positioning and maximizing the organizational profit.Originality/valueThis study has considered the mediating role of process simplification (a relatively less studied variable) specifically in the context of its impact on upstream supply chain flexibility. Also, the presented study explores this role in the Indian automotive domain which further enhances its value for both practitioners and researchers alike.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuliang Zhao ◽  
Yanhong Jiang ◽  
Xiaobao Peng ◽  
Jin Hong

PurposeBecause the mechanism of how knowledge sharing affects organizational innovation is still unclear, the study focuses on the relationship between knowledge sharing and organizational innovation performance, with a focus on mediating role of absorptive capacity and individual creativity.Design/methodology/approachOn the basis of the knowledge base view and organizational learning theory, the study propose a model to verify the impact of inbound and outbound knowledge sharing on organizational innovation performance based on previous research. It also analyzed how these effects were mediated by individual creativity and absorptive capacity. The study collected 166 samples to verify the theoretical model.FindingsResults corroborate that inbound knowledge sharing cannot directly promote organizational innovation performance, and absorptive capacity has a full mediation effect between inbound knowledge sharing and organizational innovation performance. Knowledge outbound sharing, individual creativity and absorptive capacity can improve innovation performance. In addition, absorptive capacity and individual creativity have direct and significant impacts on organizational innovation performance. Moreover, absorptive capacity plays a partial mediate role between individual creativity and innovation performance. Finally, this study discusses the policy implications of the study and describes possible future research directions.Originality/valueThe paper creatively divides knowledge sharing into inbound knowledge sharing and outbound knowledge sharing and verifies that knowledge sharing does not directly affect organizational innovation performance. The mediating role of absorptive capacity and individual creativity was analysis.


2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 452-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Baghi ◽  
Veronica Gabrielli ◽  
Silvia Grappi

Purpose Taking the consumer perspective, this paper aims to investigate the effect of counterfeiting awareness on consumer advocacy behaviour towards the brand in a specific context, that is, the luxury brand context. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted two surveys among actual and potential consumers of the original brand. Study 1 demonstrated the mediating role of customer-based brand equity between the consumers’ awareness of brand counterfeits and their advocacy behaviour towards the genuine brand. Study 2 showed the moderating role exerted by consumers’ emotional attachment to the brand in this framework. Findings This work showed specific mechanisms underlying consumer responses to counterfeits, revealing a wide framework able to uncover important positive spillover effects on counterfeited brands. Research limitations/implications This framework should be tested on additional brands and integrated with further processes and individual variables to extend our knowledge about consumer responses to counterfeits. Originality/value This research recognises counterfeiting as a consumer-led process. The results showed the ambivalent nature of counterfeiting, that is, a threat and an opportunity for the counterfeited brand. In fact, actual and potential consumers are prone to protect the genuine brand. The consequent advocacy behaviour is stimulated by the attempts of consumers of fakes to take possession of the brand experience, and these activate actions of self-protection among consumers of the original brand. Interesting managerial implications are drawn.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeunjae Lee ◽  
Myoung-Gi Chon

PurposeThis study aims to examine the effects of transformational leadership on employees' internal (i.e. voice) and external (i.e. megaphoning) communication behaviors and to explore the mediating role of employees' communal and exchange relationship norms with their organization.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted with full-time employees working in various industry sectors in the USA.FindingsTransformational leadership significantly increased employees' voice behaviors and their positive and negative megaphoning behaviors. Communal relationship norms exerted a significant mediation effect on employees' communicative behaviors and exchange relationship norms had positive impacts on employees' megaphoning behaviors.Originality/valueThis study is among the first attempts to test the effect of transformational leadership style on employees' communicative actions within and outside of a company and the mediating role of exchange-communal relationship norms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shehnaz Tehseen ◽  
Farhad Uddin Ahmed ◽  
Zuhaib Hassan Qureshi ◽  
Mohammad Jasim Uddin ◽  
Ramayah T.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to examine the influence of two dimensions of entrepreneurial competencies, namely, strategic competency and ethical competency on the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs); and second, to explore the role of network competence as a mediator among these understudied variables.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this study were collected from wholesale and retail-based SMEs in Malaysia through a standard structured questionnaire. PLS–SEM approach was utilised to analyse the data.FindingsAlthough the findings did not reveal a direct effect of strategic and ethical competencies of entrepreneurs on SMEs’ growth, these competences, however, were found to be influential in driving their growth when network competence was used as a mediator.Originality/valueThe existence of a mediation effect between strategic and ethical competencies and SMEs’ growth via network competence has provided insights which add new knowledge to the extant entrepreneurship and SMEs’ performance literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-108
Author(s):  
Maryam Tofighi ◽  
Bianca Grohmann ◽  
H. Onur Bodur

Purpose This paper aims to examine to what extent congruity between ethical attributes (i.e. product attributes with positive implications for the environment, human rights, social issues and animal welfare) and brand concept (i.e. the unique meaning associated with a brand in consumers’ minds) influences consumers’ evaluations of brands offering ethical attributes. Design/methodology/approach Four studies involving North American consumers empirically tested the moderation effect of brand concept on consumer evaluations of ethical attributes and the mediating role of perceived congruity. Findings This research finds an interactive effect of ethical attribute type and brand concept on brand evaluations, such that congruent ethical attribute–brand concept pairings (i.e. a utilitarian [symbolic] ethical attribute offered by a brand with a utilitarian [symbolic] brand concept) result in more favorable brand evaluations (Studies 1, 2, 3 and 4). Consumers’ perceptions of congruity between ethical attributes and brand concepts mediate this interactive effect (Studies 2 and 3). Moreover, a positive congruity effect of ethical attributes and brand concepts emerges at higher levels of conspicuous brand consumption (Study 4). Research limitations/implications It is important to acknowledge that the current research did not specifically consider the case of utilitarian and symbolic ethical attribute offerings by luxury brands. This is a question that is left to future investigations. Practical implications For marketing managers, findings indicate that brands gain from ethical attribute introductions only when these attributes are congruent with the brand concept. In addition, brands benefit to a greater extent from offering congruent ethical attributes when brand consumption is conspicuous. Originality/value The findings of this research contribute to the literature on the effect of ethical attributes on consumers’ responses to brands and highlight the importance of brands’ choice of ethical attributes.


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