To what extent does need for touch affect online perceived quality?

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (9) ◽  
pp. 950-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia San-Martín ◽  
Óscar González-Benito ◽  
Mercedes Martos-Partal
Keyword(s):  
Product Quality ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Purchases ◽  
Perceived Product Quality ◽  
Potential Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the potential impact of need for touch (NFT) on perceived product quality and the possible roles of purchasers’ social (subjective norms), personal (buying impulsiveness) and epistemic (e-commerce orientation) factors, as well as the likely interaction effect of the shopping channel. Design/methodology/approach The empirical study is based on 540 observations, analysed in a partial least squares structural equation model. Findings The link between the NFT and perceived quality tends to be negative, especially for online purchases. E-commerce orientation reduces the need to touch products, but subjective norms and buying impulsiveness have no significant effects. Research limitations/implications The NFT scale might be improved by adding more items. Some of the structural model coefficients indicate a low effect size. Finally, the results are limited to Spanish purchasers of the focal product. Practical implications Firms should appeal to purchasers’ e-commerce orientation to reduce the negative implications of a need to touch products among consumers shopping online. Originality/value The need to touch a product may be an obstacle to online purchases, yet few studies deal with its impact in online, relative to offline, contexts to evaluate product quality. This study also integrates personal, social and epistemic factors.

scholarly journals ‘Manufacturing is coming home’: does reshoring improve perceived product quality?

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1099-1113
Author(s):  
Fabio Cassia
Keyword(s):  
Product Quality ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perceptions ◽  
Fashion Brand ◽  
Equation Modelling ◽  
Perceived Product Quality ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeRecently, many firms have reshored manufacturing activities back to their home countries to increase customer perceptions of product quality. However, there is no evidence that relocating production to the home country improves customer-perceived quality. This study intends to address this gap by assessing the variations between pre- and post-reshoring product quality, as perceived by domestic customers.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a questionnaire, which used the case of an Italian fashion brand that had reshored its manufacturing from Romania to Italy as the stimulus. Two analyses of the collected data (n = 399) were conducted, applying both 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design and partial least squares–structural equation modelling (PLS–SEM) multigroup analysis.FindingsReshoring increased the level of perceived product quality only for customers that both were aware of the firm's past offshoring decision and had high levels of affective ethnocentrism. For all other customers, no significant variations between pre- and post-reshoring product quality were observed.Research limitations/implicationsThis study challenges previous findings, revealing that only a minor share of customers perceived products to be of higher quality after reshoring.Practical implicationsIncreasing customer-perceived quality may not be a sufficient motivation to select the reshoring strategy. In addition, when announcing reshoring strategies, producers should appeal to customers' emotions and not use rational arguments about objective product quality.Originality/valueThis is the first study to assess variations between pre- and post-reshoring customer-perceived quality and to identify factors that explain such variations.

Researchers’ awareness about plagiarism and impact of plagiarism detection tools – does awareness effect the actions towards preventing plagiarism?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sk. Mamun Mostofa ◽  
Mashiat Tabassum ◽  
S.M. Zabed Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Plagiarism Detection ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reported Study ◽  
Chi Square Test

Purpose This paper aims to analyse researchers’ awareness about plagiarism and impact of plagiarism detection tools on the actions that they take to prevent plagiarism. It also employs a structural model that examines whether awareness of plagiarism and anti-plagiarism tools have any significant effect on the actions taken by the researchers to avoid plagiarism. Design/methodology/approach A survey questionnaire was distributed to researchers at a large public university in Bangladesh. The survey accumulated 184 valid responses. Descriptive statistics were obtained to assess researchers’ awareness about plagiarism and impact of plagiarism detection tools and the actions taken by them. The reasons that may cause plagiarism were also identified. The awareness of the availability of the anti-plagiarism software that was being used by the university and its actual use by the researchers was gathered through the survey. Non-parametric Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests were conducted to investigate the differences in awareness levels and actions in terms of gender, age, discipline and current level of research. The chi-square test was carried out to examine the relationship between awareness about the availability of the anti-plagiarism software and its use by the researchers. Finally, the survey data were analysed using structural equation modeling to examine the effects of awareness of plagiarism and anti-plagiarism software on the actions taken by the researchers. Findings The study revealed that the level of awareness regarding plagiarism and impact of plagiarism detection software is generally high among the researchers. There are some significant differences between researchers’ demographic and personal characteristics and their awareness levels and actions with regard to plagiarism. The findings indicate that almost three-quarters of the researchers were aware about the anti-plagiarism tool that is being used, whereas more than half of the researchers indicated that they used the software to assess their works. The results of the structural equation model do not show a good fit, although there is strong statistical evidence that awareness about plagiarism and anti-plagiarism software has significantly impacted researchers’ actions towards preventing plagiarism. Originality/value There is no reported study on researchers’ awareness of plagiarism and its affiliated issues in Bangladesh. The findings of this study will not only provide useful insights regarding awareness about plagiarism but also assist university authorities to formulate relevant policy and take necessary actions against plagiarism in higher education institutions.

The application of the theory of reasoned action on services of Islamic rural banks in Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ihsan Effendi ◽  
Miftahuddin Murad ◽  
Ahmad Rafiki ◽  
Mitra Musika Lubis
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Theory Of Reasoned Action ◽  
Reasoned Action ◽  
Public Awareness ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Product Knowledge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Services

Purpose The Islamic rural banks have the potential to grow in Indonesia. It is important to learn and study the consumer behaviors toward the Islamic rural banks’ services to plan for future strategies. The purpose of this paper is to test the applicability of the theory of reasoned action in predicting the customers’ decision to use the Islamic rural banks’ services. Design/methodology/approach The descriptive and structural equation model analyses were used to analyze the data. A random sampling technique is adopted with a sample size of 180 consumers of the Islamic rural banks. There are variables to be tested such as Sharia system compliance, product knowledge on Sharia, promotion, services, attitude, subjective norms, intention and customer decisions to use the Islamic rural banks’ services. Findings The results found that the Sharia system compliance, promotion, services, attitude, subjective norms and intention variables have a significant effect on the use of services at Islamic rural banks. Only product knowledge on Sharia variable has been found to be insignificant. Originality/value The model can be used to prepare better strategies to attract more customers as well as increase public awareness toward Islamic rural banks’ products and services. The results are useful as a benchmark for policymakers to improve the establishment of Islamic rural banks particularly in Indonesia.

scholarly journals How port aesthetics affect destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty?

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-228
Author(s):  
Chin-Shan Lu ◽  
Hsiang-Kai Weng ◽  
Shiou-Yu Chen ◽  
Chi Wai Chiu ◽  
Hiu Yan Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Measurement Instrument ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Destination Image ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourist Satisfaction ◽  
Culture Design

Purpose This study aims to examine the linkages between port aesthetics, destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach To achieve this objective, the authors surveyed 247 tourists in Hong Kong. Using factor analysis and structural equation model (SEM) to identify the constructs of port aesthetics and analyze its relationship with destination image, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty. Findings Five-port aesthetics constructs were identified, namely, leisure and culture, design and cognition, atmosphere, recreational facilities and memory. The results of SEM revealed the following: port aesthetics positively influenced destination image; destination image positively influenced tourist satisfaction; and tourist satisfaction had a positive influence on tourist loyalty. This research also found that the indirect effect of port aesthetics on tourist loyalty via destination image and tourist satisfaction. Originality/value While the environmental qualities of a port could potentially affect destination image, tourist satisfaction and loyalty, this study developed and validated a measurement instrument of perceived port aesthetics from a tourist’s perspective. Specifically, this research proposed a structural model to explain the relationships between port aesthetics, destination image, tourist satisfaction and loyalty.

The impact of subjective norms, eWOM and perceived brand credibility on brand equity: application to the higher education sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-74
Author(s):  
Charitha Harshani Perera ◽  
Rajkishore Nayak ◽  
Long Thang Van Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Structural Equation Model ◽  
Brand Equity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Subjective Norms ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Credibility

PurposeThe growing competitive environment in which higher education institutes are immersed has caused them to strengthen their competitive position of a brand and its equity in emerging countries. However, there are several contradictions between the empirically approved determinants and the dimensions of brand equity in higher education. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structural relationship between subjective norms, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), perceived brand credibility and brand equity, taking cross-culturally comparisons between Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.Design/methodology/approachA survey was used to collect data from a sample of 800 undergraduates of private higher education institutions in Sri Lanka and Vietnam in 2019. These data were gathered using purposive sampling and analyzed using a structural equation model. A total of 768 questionnaires were considered valid. In testing the hypothesis and structure among the variables, structural equation modelling was used to determine the relationship between subjective norms, eWOM, perceived brand credibility and brand equity for the higher education institutes in emerging countries.FindingsFor the conceptual framework, the author found that this structural equation model complies with the empirical data. The structural equation model shows that subjective norms, eWOM and perceived brand credibility were significantly related to brand equity. Perceived brand credibility was found to be the mediating variable. Further, the location was found to moderate the relationship between perceived brand credibility and brand equity, highlighting that Vietnamese students are more relying on perceived brand credibility in creating brand equity than their Sri Lankan counterparts.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted at private higher education institutes in Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Future research could benefit from perceptions of undergraduates in public higher education institutes. This study discusses the implications of developing branding strategies for higher education institutions.Originality/valueThe current research contributes to the services marketing and branding literature in the higher education context. The paper presents the crucial elements in building brand equity for higher education institutes to fill the existing gaps in higher education branding literature. The findings of the current study provide strategies to improve the higher education sector.

Brand personality, brand equity and revisit intention: an empirical study of a tourist destination in Iran

2016 ◽  
Vol 71 (3) ◽  
pp. 205-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Salehzadeh ◽  
Javad Khazaei Pool ◽  
Samaneh Soleimani
Keyword(s):  
Brand Equity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Brand Personality ◽  
Likelihood Estimation ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Statistical Population ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Revisit Intention ◽  
City Tourism

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how brand personality and brand equity affect intentions to revisit a city tourism destination. Design/methodology/approach Statistical population of this research consisted of those visitors who traveled to Pool city in Iran during Spring 2015. A structural equation model test with maximum likelihood estimation was performed to test the relationship among the research variables using 367 participants. Findings The empirical results from the structural model suggest that brand personality and brand equity positively influenced revisit intention. Furthermore, brand personality was a direct antecedent of brand equity. Originality/value An integrated model of brand personality, brand equity and revisit intention was tested in a tourism city in the context of a developing economy. The combination of a developing country context and the significance of destination brand enhance the contextual contribution of the paper.

Does sustainability drive to create store equity? A proposal through image, quality and loyalty

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Sánchez-González ◽  
Irene Gil-Saura ◽  
Maria-Eugenia Ruiz-Molina
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Retailers ◽  
New Research ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe present research aims to analyse the retailer's commitment to sustainable development (RCSD) perceived by the consumers and how it contributes to store equity creation through image, perceived quality and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachA primary research was conducted through a structured questionnaire to analyse the relationships between the variables included in the proposed model. The fieldwork was conducted in 2019, obtaining responses from 617 retail consumers from four cities in Ecuador – Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca and Machala – obtained. A structural equation model is estimated with the partial least squares technique.FindingsThere is evidence in favour of the contribution of sustainability to store equity. The positive influence of RCSD on perceived quality and the impact of the latter, together with store image, contribute to loyalty, which emerges as a critical construct in building store equity.Research limitations/implicationsSome limitations of the present study – geographic scope limited to Ecuador, analyses restricted to food retailers and pre-COVID-19 data collection – may open new research opportunities replicating the study in other regions for other retail activities and in the post pandemic context.Practical implicationsThe retailer's actions demonstrate a commitment to economic, social and environmental sustainability. As a result of this, the establishment's perceived quality improves, which is of interest to academics and retail management professionals.Originality/valueThe present research provides evidence on the chain of effects that explains the positive contribution of RCSD to store equity creation in grocery retailing.

scholarly journals The relationship between involvement, destination emotions and place attachment in the Porto wine cellars

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 401-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasco Ribeiro Santos ◽  
Paulo Ramos ◽  
Nuno Almeida
Keyword(s):  
Place Attachment ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Behavioural Intentions ◽  
Wine Tourism

Purpose This paper aims to measure the role of involvement, destination emotions and place attachment in the behavioural intentions of wine tourists when visiting Porto wine cellars. Design/methodology/approach An interceptive survey was conducted with wine tourists during their visits to four Porto wine cellars. A convenience sample of 918 international visitors was obtained. A structural equation model using partial least squares analysis was used to test the hypothesis and the validity of the constructs and model. Findings The structural model results indicated that wine tourists’ personal involvement and their wine involvement have a significant and direct influence on destination emotions and place attachment in Porto wine cellars during the visits, which determines their future behavioural intentions. Research limitations/implications The generalizability of the results may be limited owing to the sample and the data collection method and the short time frame of the data gathering. Practical implications There is a growing potential for researchers and managers to achieve benefits from the proposed model that will support the efforts for wine tourism theory and practice, such as brand positioning strategies and formulation of sharper marketing strategies. Originality/value This is the first study to demonstrate the combined use of personal and wine involvement on destination emotions along with place attachment in a wine tourist behaviour context. This approach extends the scope into a wine tourism context because the combination of these three constructs has never been held in the area of wine tourism destinations.

Determining the causal relationships that affect consumer-based brand equity

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 944-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Marcelo Torres ◽  
Mário Gomes Augusto ◽  
João Veríssimo Lisboa
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Brand Equity ◽  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Causal Relationships ◽  
Causal Order ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the causal relationships among the dimensions that explain consumer-based brand equity, and to determine the importance of each dimension in the assessment of overall brand equity. Design/methodology/approach – A research instrument proposed by Yoo and Donthu was applied to undergraduate students of the University of Coimbra. Two leading brands in the Portuguese beer market were used in the study. Respondents were randomly assigned to one brand and were asked to rate all items on seven Likert-type scales. Based on Aaker’s conceptual framework, a structural equation model (SEM) was designed to analyse the proposed relationships. Findings – A causal order between brand equity dimensions was established. The results suggest that the positive effects of perceived quality and brand awareness on overall brand equity are mediated by brand loyalty. Research limitations/implications – Although the exclusion of brand associations’ dimensions in the SEM improves the validity of the constructs, it should be regarded as a limitation, given its importance in brand equity building. Practical implications – Marketing managers should focus on brand loyalty in order to increase overall brand equity, and should give special attention to perceived quality, since it is the factor with the strongest impact on brand loyalty. Originality/value – The identification of the causal relations among brand equity dimensions and the analysis of their influence in overall brand equity, not yet clearly validated in the literature.

The effect of service quality on foreign participants’ satisfaction and behavioral intention with the 2016 Shanghai International Marathon

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 91-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Xiao ◽  
Xiaoling Ren ◽  
Pei Zhang ◽  
Antonnette Ketlhoafetse
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Behavioral Intention ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
City Image ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sports Events ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine foreign participants’ service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intention during the 2016 Shanghai International Marathon, and to gain a better understanding of the impact of service quality on their satisfaction and behavioral intention. Design/methodology/approach An English questionnaire was originally designed on the basis of the literature review of service quality, overall satisfaction and re-participation intention to assess the purpose of the study. Data were collected from 308 foreign runners including 61.7 percent (n=190) of male and 38.3 percent (n=118) of the female. Structural equation modeling was employed to check the proposed model and to test the impact of service quality on foreign participants’ overall satisfaction and behavioral intention. Findings A positive correlation was captured between the following: service quality and overall satisfaction (r=0.752, p<0.01), overall satisfaction and behavioral intention (r=0.876, p<0.01), and between service quality and participants’ behavioral intention (r=0.760, p<0.01). Furthermore, the service quality of Shanghai International Marathon had an indirect effect on foreign participants’ behavioral intention. The structural model fits the data well (R2=0.823). Research limitations/implications First, the sample size was small and was just drawn from one event, which can be taken with caution in the context of the generalization of findings. Second, the results are specific to 2016 Shanghai International Marathon participants and cannot be generalized with other events in China or around the world. Practical implications The results are practical for the marathon event organizers to better understand foreign participants’ needs and improve their services. This study has a significant importance to the sports events organizers, especially the organizers of the Shanghai International Marathon in terms of a better understanding the level of their service. This study will also help the event organizers to adapt their strategies and their efforts to increase Shanghai International Marathon foreign participants’ satisfaction and intention to repurchase or to share with others. Social implications This study contributes to the foreign participant’s satisfaction literature. In fact, many studies were carried on event spectators’ satisfaction while rare studies were carried on event participants’ satisfaction, especially marathon foreign participants’ satisfaction, and this study will supplement studies related to sport events participation. This will be convenient for sports managers and scholars to better understand the impact of service quality on participants’ satisfaction and behavioral intention in the field of sports events management. Meanwhile, the results were extremely useful to Shanghai during the process of constructing a “world-famous sports city” and “modern international metropolis”. Originality/value Little literature focus on foreign participants of Shanghai International Marathon, which is important in the process of shaping city image and building world-famous city. Are foreign participants satisfied with the Shanghai International Marathon? Which aspect of the service quality is of greater value for them? What are the influencing factors of their behavioral intention and word-of-mouth communication? What are the specific impact paths among the service quality, overall satisfaction and behavioral intention variables? To examine the objectives, the study was designed to target foreign participants’ service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intention. Besides, structural equation model was applied in this study to explore the path relationship between service quality, satisfaction and behavioral intention specifically.

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