scholarly journals Here, there and everywhere: a study of consumer centrism

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 715-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melvin Prince ◽  
Mark A.P. Davies ◽  
Mark Cleveland ◽  
Dayananda Palihawadana
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Product Positioning ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Lower Magnitude ◽  
Negative Links ◽  
Theory Framework ◽  
Combined Data

Purpose A first objective is to add insight into how constructs of ethnocentrism, xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism relate to each other. Knowledge of how these constructs overlap or work together in affecting consumer preferences will offer global marketers insights for designing appropriate marketing strategies. The second objective is to extend this knowledge by examining the correspondence of these three constructs to a nomological network of dispositional concepts pertinent for product positioning and market segmentation. The third objective is to empirically examine the extent to which the measures, construct structure and associative relationships are robust in different national research settings. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Surveying British and American consumers, this study examines and analyzes the correspondence of these identity-relevant constructs within a nomological net of pertinent concepts: consciousness-of-kind, global consumption orientation, materialism and natural environment concern. Findings The hypothesized negative links between CET-XEN and CET-COS, and the predicted positive connection between XEN-COS were all confirmed on the latent factor results for the combined data set. The negative correlation between CET-XEN was of a considerably lower magnitude than that for CET-COS. Originality/value To date, no research has used an identity theory framework and simultaneously examined in a cross-cultural context the interrelationships of consumer ethnocentrism consumer xenocentrism and cosmopolitanism – and their differentiating linkages to a multiplicity of consumer dispositions.

Being moral and doing good to others

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felix Septianto ◽  
Bambang Soegianto
Keyword(s):  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Moral Judgment ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Moral Identity ◽  
Qualitative Comparative Analysis ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Moral Emotion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Judgment Process ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

Purpose Although previous research has established that moral emotion, moral judgment, and moral identity influence consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior (e.g. donating, volunteering) under some circumstances, these factors, in reality, can concurrently influence judgment process. Therefore, it is important to get a more nuanced understanding of how the combinations of each factor can lead to a high intention to engage in prosocial behavior. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach This research employs fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to explore different configurations of moral emotion, judgment, and identity that lead to a high consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior. Findings Findings indicate four configurations of moral emotion, moral judgment, and moral identity that lead to a high intention to engage in prosocial behavior. Research limitations/implications This research focuses on the case of a hospital in Indonesia; thus, it is important not to overgeneralize the findings. Nonetheless, from a methodological standpoint, opportunity emerges to broaden the examinations in other service and cultural contexts. Practical implications The findings of this research can help the hospital to develop effective combinations of advertising and marketing strategies to promote prosocial behavior among its customers. Originality/value This paper provides the first empirical evidence on the existence of multiple pathways of moral emotion, judgment, and identity that lead to a high consumer intention to engage in prosocial behavior. The implications of this research also highlight the importance of cultural context in understanding consumer behavior.

Reviews’ length and sentiment as correlates of online reviews’ ratings

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 544-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryam Ghasemaghaei ◽  
Seyed Pouyan Eslami ◽  
Ken Deal ◽  
Khaled Hassanein
Keyword(s):  
Sentiment Analysis ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Reviews ◽  
Service Companies ◽  
Consumer Review

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify and validate reviews’ length and sentiment as correlates of online reviews’ ratings; and second, to understand the emotions embedded in online reviews and how they associate with specific words used in such reviews. Design/methodology/approach A panel data set of customer reviews was collected for auto, life, and home insurance from January 2012 to December 2015 using a web scraping technique. Using a sentiment analysis approach, 1,584 reviews for the auto, home, and life insurance services of 156 insurance companies were analyzed. Findings The results indicate that, since 2013, consumers have generally had more negative emotions than positive ones toward insurance services. The results also show that consumer review sentiment correlates positively and review length correlates negatively with consumer online review ratings. Furthermore, a two-way ANOVA analysis shows that, in general, short reviews with positive sentiment are associated with high review ratings. Practical implications The findings of this study provide service companies, in general, and insurance companies, in particular, with important guidelines that should be considered to increase consumers’ positive attitude toward their services. Originality/value This paper highlights the importance of sentiment analysis in identifying consumer reviews’ emotions and understanding the associations and interactions of reviews’ length and sentiment on online review rating, which can lead to improved marketing strategies.

scholarly journals Changes in commissioning home care: an English survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-14
Author(s):  
Sue Davies ◽  
Jane Hughes ◽  
Karen Davies ◽  
Elizabeth Dalgarno ◽  
Rowan Elaine Jasper ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Home Care ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Home Care Workers ◽  
Combined Data

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine changes in the nature, form and range of commissioning arrangements for home care. Design/methodology/approach Data from two discrete national surveys of English local authorities with social service responsibilities were used. In the first, undertaken in 2007, responses from 111 of the 151 local authorities (74%) were received; in the second, undertaken in 2017, responses from 109 local authorities (72%) were received. A combined data set of 79 complete cases, 52% of local authorities, was created. Percentage point differences across the two time periods were calculated and tested to identify significant changes and a systematic analysis of the free-text responses regarding intended changes to the commissioning process in each data set was undertaken. Findings Findings identified substantial changes in some aspects of the commissioning of home care in the 2007-2017 decade. Collaboration between stakeholders had increased, particularly regarding the identification of future needs. Improved conditions of service and remuneration for home care workers were evident within the commissioning process. Standardised charges for home care (regardless of time and day) had also become more widespread. Initiatives to prompt providers to deliver more personalised care were more evident. Originality/value This paper describes the evolution of commissioning arrangements for home care in localities in response to national policy initiatives. It provides guidance to commissioners in meeting the needs of current service users and emphasises the importance of collaboration with stakeholders, particularly providers, in securing future capacity.

Cultural branding in India: the case of Godrej “Storwel” cupboards (1944-1991)

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-241
Author(s):  
Harini Alladi
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Marketing History ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cultural Resonance ◽  
Iconic Status ◽  
Industry Culture ◽  
Cultural Branding

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline the marketing history of the Godrej Storwel steel cupboard before India’s economic liberalisation in 1991 to find possible reasons for the brand’s iconic status and strong presence in the Indian public memory. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses archival material, secondary sources and the idea of cultural branding to analyse the marketing strategies used at various points in the history of Godrej Storwel. Findings Godrej Storwel found cultural context in the two decades following India’s independence (1947) as a product that addressed the social and economic anxieties of the country, as well as embodied its aspirations at the time. In the following decades up to 1991, the product did not find similar cultural resonance with its consumers. Research limitations/implications The unavailability of sales records of the Godrej steel cupboards meant that certain conclusions could not be made concrete. Social implications Because Godrej Storwel has had such a long lifespan, it serves as a useful medium through which changing trends in marketing in India can be viewed. The paper is a good point of reference for those researching the steel industry, storage product histories and marketing in India and could encourage corporates to archive their histories. Originality/value While a lot of nostalgia surrounds the Godrej Storwel in India, this is the first work that attempts to place the product and its marketing strategies in the context of Indian industry, culture and consumption.

Activity apprehension in experiential purchases

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chadwick J. Miller ◽  
Adriana Samper ◽  
Naomi Mandel ◽  
Daniel C. Brannon ◽  
Jim Salas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Consumer Experience ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Customer Journey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Experiential Purchases ◽  
Post Purchase ◽  
First Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine how the number of activities within a multi-activity experience influences consumer preferences before and after consumption. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses are tested using four experiments and a secondary data set from a river cruise firm that includes first-time river cruise purchases by consumers from this firm between January 2011 and December 2015 (n = 337,457). Findings Consumers prefer experiences with fewer (vs more) activities before consumption – a phenomenon, this paper calls “activity apprehension” – but prefer experiences with more (vs fewer) activities after consumption. A mediation analysis indicates that this phenomenon occurs because the highly perishable nature of activities makes consumers uncertain about their ability to use all the activities within the experience (usage uncertainty). Practical implications Evaluations of a multi-activity experience depend on both the number of activities and on whether the consumer is at the pre- or post-consumption stage of the customer journey. As such, firms looking to sell multi-activity experiences should design and promote these experiences in a way that minimizes activity apprehension. Originality/value This study is the first to demonstrate that consumer perceptions of an optimal experience depend on both the number of included activities and on the stage of the customer journey (i.e. pre- or post-purchase). It further contributes to the consumer experience literature by examining an unexplored activity characteristic, perishability, in shaping experiential purchase decisions. Finally, it demonstrates a new way in which experiential purchases differ from tangible product purchases.

Selection of Islamic banking in a multicultural context: the role of gender and religion

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanna ElMassah ◽  
Heba Abou-El-Sood
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Market ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Business Strategies ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Islamic Banking ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multicultural Context ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose As the popularity of Islamic banking and financial instruments continues to rise globally, a recurring empirical question is what specifically makes consumers choose Islamic banking. This paper aims to investigate the determinants of bank type selection, especially in culturally diverse settings where the Islamic banking sector is well-established. It further examines whether consumers’ gender/religion influences their choices. One intuitive prediction is that Muslim consumers opt for Islamic banking products as “ethical” because of conviction-related reasons. However, the reality is not necessarily straightforward. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses structural equation modeling to examine data collected from a survey questionnaire of 790 respondents in an emerging market setting. Further analysis is made based on gender and religion to remove related bias. Findings Results suggest that overall consumer awareness significantly affects the selection of Islamic banking products. The positive effect of awareness is more significant for Muslim consumers relative to non-Muslims. Interestingly, social stimuli and bank attributes have an insignificant effect on the banking choices of both Muslims and non-Muslims. Practical implications Results suggest that Islamic banks’ marketing managers should adopt differentiated strategies for men and women, focusing on the core benefits of the service or personal interactions with consumers, respectively, along with a focus on different aspects of personal service for each gender. Awareness should be enhanced by adopting informative and effective marketing strategies to attract and retain consumers in the competitive bank environment. Islamic banks (IB) should pay attention to the religious effect without considering it as the sole variable motivating potential customers. They should design segmented and customized marketing strategies based on gender-religion market segmentation to suit different groups’ needs. Originality/value The findings fill a gap in the literature and provide Islamic bankers with insights to help design and articulate their business strategies to appeal to consumers in a multicultural context. Examining an integral part of gender and religion mitigates biased estimates due to the omission of variables. The study contributes to the existing literature on customer preferences for IB with a relatively large, new data set.

Pursuing premium: comparing pre-owned versus new durable markets

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chadwick J. Miller ◽  
Daniel C. Brannon
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Durable Goods ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Product Line ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nondurable Goods ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Vintage Clothing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether consumers in pre-owned durable goods markets (such as pre-owned automobiles) purchase products with higher premium/luxury positioning in a vertical line-up compared to consumers in new durable goods markets. The moderating role of brand loyalty on choice is also investigated. Design/methodology/approach The hypotheses are tested using a data set that includes the sales of new and pre-owned vehicles from an independently owned automotive dealer in the Northwestern USA during the first nine months of 2017 (N = 200). An ordered logit regression is used to estimate the relationship between consumers’ purchase of pre-owned vs new vehicles and the premium-level of the model that they choose, while controlling for the vehicle price. Two experimental robustness tests are conducted to provide empirical evidence of the proposed theoretical process. Findings Consumers who purchased pre-owned vehicles chose models with higher premium/luxury positioning compared to consumers who purchased new vehicles, even when controlling for price. This effect was moderated by brand loyalty, such that consumers’ premium-level of purchase was magnified if they previously owned a vehicle of the same brand. The results of an experimental robustness test indicated that consumers’ preference for pre-owned vehicles with higher premium/luxury positioning was because of greater perceptions of the quality along the dimensions of versatility, performance and prestige. Practical implications Sellers of complex durable goods (e.g. automobiles) should consider segmenting their upselling strategies for pre-owned vs new products. They should specifically focus more effort on the upselling of pre-owned durables as buyers appear more likely to pursue premium/luxury alternatives compared to new durables. Further, they should focus upselling efforts for pre-owned durables on brand loyal consumers. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work is the first to examine consumers’ desire for pre-owned durable goods with premium/luxury positioning in a vertical product line-up. Further, it is also the first to explore the role of brand loyalty in shaping consumer preferences for premium/luxury pre-owned durable goods. As such, it makes an important contribution to an emerging literature exploring the appeal of premium and luxury pre-owned goods. Much work in this area has focused on the motivations that consumers have for buying pre-owned premium and luxury nondurable goods, such as vintage clothing or accessories. By contrast, the present research investigates the appeal of premium/luxury positioning for complex, pre-owned durable goods (vehicles), which are more difficult for consumers to evaluate at the point-of-purchase.

From service engagement to product purchase: cross-buying behavior in hospitality contexts

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 2325-2343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang Ma ◽  
Chao Zhang ◽  
Yonggui Wang
Keyword(s):  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Major Product ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Monetary Value ◽  
Service Engagement ◽  
Hotel Customers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the transformation from service engagement through hotel consumption behavior to subsequent product purchases and identify marketing strategies to facilitate this transformation. Design/methodology/approach Using a 1.5-year data set of transactional data from a typical hotel firm, the authors examined 4,999 valid purchase events via ordinary least squares regression to test the hypotheses proposed. Findings Contrary to studies indicating that heavy hospitality users are resistant to external change, the authors found that hotel service engagement (in terms of recency, frequency and monetary value) significantly informed subsequent product purchases. Effects varied based on customized solutions and product purchase channel. Practical implications Product managers in hospitality should target customers who have recently patronized hotels as well as hotel customers with high monetary value and frequency. Managers can adopt distinct marketing strategies (e.g. customized solutions and purchase channels) to sell hotel customers more products. Originality/value Prior studies have framed the cross-selling of hospitality services as a vital revenue management strategy from hotel firms’ or frontline employees’ perspectives. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to test how hotels cross-sell tangible products by targeting customers engaging in hotel consumption and by examining two major product marketing strategies that may facilitate or hinder this cross-selling process.

Ethical food labels in consumer preferences

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (8) ◽  
pp. 1801-1814 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Bissinger ◽  
Daniel Leufkens
Keyword(s):  
Willingness To Pay ◽  
Consumer Behaviour ◽  
Consumer Preferences ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Price Premium ◽  
Average Price ◽  
Food Labels ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ground Coffee

Purpose Since fairtrade labels are upcoming market instruments, the purpose of this paper is to identify and quantify consumers’ willingness to pay for fairtrade coffee products and tea. Thereby, this paper contributes to the discussion in favour of a non-private regulation of ethical food labels (FLs). Moreover, the paper provides information about the consumer behaviour of the German buying public. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis is based on homescan panel data of 13,000 representative German households, which includes actual purchase data of ground coffee, single-serve coffee, espresso, and tea for a five-year sample period from 2004 to 2008. As a methodological approach, the hedonic technique is used to model coffee and tea prices as a function of time, store, and product characteristics. Findings Regarding the variables of interest branding a product leads to an average price premium of 22.1 per cent, while the organic FL achieves an average price premium of 34.3 per cent. The highest average price premium of 43.1 per cent is ceteris paribus paid for fairtrade labels. In the case of fairtrade labels, tea products earn the highest implicit prices with 74.0 per cent, followed by ground coffee (54.9 per cent), espresso (24.7 per cent), and single-serve coffee (18.9 per cent). Originality/value The present analysis supplements the discussions around the willingness to pay for fairtrade certified products by the German buying public, a product differentiation between coffee products and the introduction of labelled tea. As the data set includes daily purchases, it allows analysis of consumer behaviour on a disaggregated level, given detailed information on prices, stores, origins, FLs, and so on.

scholarly journals Spinoffs versus non-spinoff entrepreneurs

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Jin Park ◽  
Young Won Park
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Industry Type ◽  
Positive Performance ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
Industry Experience

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the role of spinoff entrepreneurs in the post-bubble Japan and ultimately to facilitate policy reforms that benefit entrepreneurs most in need of support. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts a survey of Japanese entrepreneurs from 2003 to 2013. Exploiting the survey questions, the authors separate spinoff startups from the non-spinoff startups. Using this data set, this study first performs a logistic regression, followed by a chi-squared independence test between spinoff startups and firm performance. Findings This study finds that while both human and social capital predict the probability of a firm’s positive performance, industry experience was the strongest predictor for the probability of performance. Originality/value As Garvin (1983) stated, most research on spinoffs are limited to both industry type and location. The theoretical contribution of this study is to broaden the applicability of current entrepreneurship theories by considering industries beyond technological startups. The practical value of this study is to begin evaluating policies and their interaction effect with cultural context.

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