Territorial consumer behaviors on social media: a dark side of psychological ownership

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petru Dorin Micu ◽  
Christy Ashley
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Psychological Ownership ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Consumer Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Media Firms ◽  
Consumer Interactions

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether consumers experience territory infringements during interactions with other consumers on firm-managed social media pages and, if so, how consumers respond. In offline contexts, feelings of territoriality affect consumers’ responses to other people in ways that are detrimental to the firm. Less is known about the effects of territoriality in response to consumer-to-consumer interactions on social media. Firms need to understand the implications of these interactions as they encourage consumer engagement on firm-owned social media pages. Design/methodology/approach The current research examines whether territorial consumer behaviors occur in response to co-consumers on social media pages for a brand (Study 1) and a product (Study 2) using experimental studies. Findings The studies provide evidence that a perceived territory infringement by a co-consumer can provoke retaliation toward the co-consumer and reduce engagement on the firm-owned social media page. Psychological ownership toward the product or brand amplifies these effects. Research limitations/implications The findings were robust in the experimental scenarios that featured a brand and a product. However, future research should validate the results in a field study and include other brands and products. Practical implications The findings highlight conditions under which consumer-to-consumer interactions can decrease social media engagement on firm-owned social media pages. Originality/value The manuscript is the first to examine how territoriality and psychological ownership relate to negative consumer responses following consumer-to-consumer interactions on social media.

Can vague brand slogans promote desirable consumer responses?

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 282-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Strutton ◽  
Widyarso Roswinanto
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Brand Attitude ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Word Count ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Brand Recall ◽  
Definition Of

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the effects associated with the strategic use of vague, as opposed to precise, advertised brand slogans on various consumer responses. Design/methodology/approach – A content analysis study was conducted to explore the pattern of vagueness in advertising slogans from 1,441 consumer-oriented brands. Based on the resultant delineation/definition of vagueness, two experimental studies followed. Vignette advertising slogans were manipulated to achieve different level of vagueness. The initial 2 × 2 factorial between subjects design engaged vagueness level of brand slogans and consumers’ need for cognition as factors. Brand recall functioned as the dependent variable. The second experiment featured another 2 × 2 factorial design that used vagueness level and length of brand slogan as factors. Brand attitude, persuasiveness and purchase intention functioned as dependent variables. Findings – Vagueness level of advertising/branding slogans did not significantly affect brand recall. Interactions between vagueness level and length of advertisement slogans exercised significant effects on evoked thought, brand attitude and persuasiveness but not on purchase intention. At net, this study generated original theoretical and managerial insights about how and why desirable branding outcomes can be generated by managing the vagueness and word count of brand slogans, and a platform from which future research on this topic could be based. Research limitations/implications – First, the sample was limited to the southwestern USA. Second, in the slogan vignettes that were used, other cues were deliberately eliminated. A brand slogan essentially devoid of other cues may have been perceived as less realistic by respondents, thus reducing the relevance of their responses. However, a similar tradeoff always exists between more realistic states and controlled conditions. Practical implications – This study produces original theoretical and managerial insights about how and why several desirable branding outcomes are likely to result when vague, rather than precise, advertising slogans are deployed under certain manageable conditions. Each insight just referenced ensues from a study that itself was grounded in an extensive content analysis of contemporary print advertising slogans. This content analysis generated a substantial amount of practical and actionable insight about the treatment and use and management of slogans. This study demonstrates that the vagueness, precision and/or word count of slogans can be manipulated in ways that yield three communication outcomes that redound directly to the marketing interests of brand and advertising managers. Originality/value – The findings provide unique insight into how vagueness level of advertising slogans can be managed and how such a level can affect consumers’ perceptions.

Social media as complementary consumption: the relationship between consumer empowerment and social interactions in experiential and informative contexts

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mujde Yuksel ◽  
George R Milne ◽  
Elizabeth G Miller
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Consumer Behavior ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Consumer Empowerment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Complementary Role

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the interaction between consumer empowerment and social interactions as fundamental social media elements. It demonstrates their relationship in both experiential and informative social media setting where social media complements an offline consumer activity. The study aims to contribute to the literature on social media by demonstrating its complementary role on offline activities through these fundamental elements. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports three experimental designs that manipulate the empowering and the socializing elements of complementary activities to show their effects on both the complementary online and the complemented offline activities. Findings – The paper presents three empirical studies that reveal the effects of two fundamental social media elements (i.e. empowerment and socialization) on consumers’ responses toward consumption episodes that consist of complementary online and complemented offline activities. It reveals that that these elements increase positive consumer responses toward both the online and the offline activities through psychological empowerment. However, the interaction between the elements changes with respect to specific empowerment types. Research limitations/implications – The paper contributes to the literature on social media by demonstrating its complementary role on offline activities through its empowering and socializing elements. It bridges research on consumer empowerment and socialization in a way that reveals their interaction beyond the extant definitions of empowerment resulting from enhanced communication among consumers. The paper also demonstrates the complementary role of social media on offline consumer behaviors through the effects of these two fundamental elements.The participants of the experimental studies are presented with hypothetical scenarios and asked about their behavioral intentions. Thus, future studies should address the research questions in real-world settings. Practical implications – The paper includes implications for social media usage as a complementary activity to offline real-life consumer behavior through the effects of consumer empowerment and social interactions. Thus, it may benefit marketers seeking to optimize the empowering and socializing components of their social media strategies. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study how social media may affect real-life consumer behavior. It also identifies the interaction between the empowering and the socializing elements of social media offerings in both experiential and informative settings.

Using social media posts as resources for engaging in value co-creation

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 898-922 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Sorensen ◽  
Lynda Andrews ◽  
Judy Drennan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Community Interactions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Good ◽  
Consumer Responses

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how organizations create focal engagement objects through posts to their social media community members and how the members engage with these posts in ways that potentially co-create value. Of additional interest is the use of platform, tone and language to determine how they potentially influence value co-creation. Design/methodology/approach The research method is netnography. Two Australian-based cause organizations were selected for the study, and posts were collected from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube platforms used by the communities, as well as likes, clicks, shares and retweets. Data was examined using content and thematic analyses. Findings Findings for the characteristics of the posts indicate how platforms need to be member-centric and that post tone and language can be used for engaging members effectively. Three consumer engagement objects were thematically derived from the posts: events, donations and fundraising, and social justice that includes shout-outs and thunderclaps. In turn, consumer responses evidenced engagement sub-processes of co-developing, acknowledging, rewarding, sharing, advocating, adding momentum and learning. The likes, clicks, shares and retweets assisted in determining the amount of community interactions with posts in the cause brands’ communities. Research limitations/implications This research is limited to the extent it involved two cases. As with any cross-sectional research, the findings are snapshots of interactions on the two sites over the two-week data collection periods. Theoretical implications provide a deeper insights into value co-creation by empirically examining how organizations and their supporters employ and use post resources to co-create value collectively, and how the characteristics of the posts and behavioral interactions potentially facilitates this. Practical implications Managerially, this investigation will assist both commercial brand and cause brand organizations to plan and adapt their social media strategies to enhance supporters’ engagement with posts in this digital environment. Social implications The social implications of this study are that it provides an understanding of how cause organizations can harness online communities for value co-creation to generate social good. Originality/value The study is both original and adds value to the research community. The findings presented provide an insightful conceptual framework to guide future research into this important area of consumer engagement with resources in social media communities leading to potential co-creation of value.

Social media and consumer engagement: a review and research agenda

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 268-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Barger ◽  
James W. Peltier ◽  
Don E. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Antecedents And Consequences ◽  
Area Of Concern ◽  
Definition Of

Purpose In “Social media’s slippery slope: challenges, opportunities and future research directions”, Schultz and Peltier (2013) asked “whether or how social media can be used to leverage consumer engagement into highly profitable relationships for both parties”. The purpose of this article is to continue this discussion by reviewing recent literature on consumer engagement and proposing a framework for future research. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews the marketing literature on social media, paying particular attention to consumer engagement, which was identified as a primary area of concern in Schultz and Peltier (2013). Findings A significant amount of research has been conducted on consumer engagement since 2010. Lack of consensus on the definition of the construct has led to fragmentation in the discipline, however. As a result, research related to consumer engagement is often not identified as such, making it difficult for academics and practitioners to stay abreast of developments in this area. Originality/value This critical review provides marketing academics and practitioners insights into the antecedents and consequences of consumer engagement and offers a conceptual framework for future research.

Intellectual capital disclosure on Twitter – empirical evidence from the world’s largest companies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Łukasz Bryl ◽  
Justyna Fijałkowska ◽  
Dominika Hadro
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Philosophy ◽  
Business Units ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to examine intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) on Twitter by 60 of the world’s largest companies and explains the main themes communicated to stakeholders. The second objective is to determine which topics provoke most stakeholders’ reactions. Design/methodology/approach The authors perform content analysis on more than 42,000 tweets to examine ICD practices along with the reactions of stakeholders in the form of retweets and “favorites” toward the information disclosed. Findings Intellectual capital (IC) is an important theme in corporate disclosure practices, as more than one-third of the published tweets refer to IC. The world’s largest companies focus on relational capital information, followed by human and structural capital. The main IC themes disclosed were management philosophy, corporate reputation and business partnering. Tweets related to IC are of greater interest to stakeholders than other tweets and provoke more reactions. There is no complete consistency between the topics most intensively disclosed by companies and those that elicit the most vivid responses from the addressees. Practical implications This study offers an understanding of the world’s largest companies’ practices that refer to ICD via social media and has implications for organizations in the creation and use of communication channels when developing a dialogue with stakeholders on topics regarding IC that may lead to better management of IC performance. Originality/value This paper is a response to the call for studies on ICD via social media, which is strongly highlighted in the recent literature concerning future research on IC and until now was almost absent in the field of business units. This research provides in-depth insights into the use of Twitter to disclose IC elements and indicates which fields and topics of this disclosure provoke stakeholders’ reactions, which is a novelty in ICD studies.

Is this mine? Psychological ownership and the social media follower

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline S.L. Tan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Psychological Ownership ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Currency ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine psychological ownership (PO) experienced by followers of social media influencers toward both influencer and the product. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using face-to-face semi-structured interviews that were conducted with 30 respondents and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings The study demonstrated that the PO experienced by the follower changes under different conditions resulting from perceived value, social currency and follower activity. Social currency plays a vital role in determining the target of PO, often affecting the narrative by the follower. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the transference of PO between product and influencer as experienced by the follower. It provides an understanding on PO that is experienced in different levels of intensity and changes depending on the motive of the follower; hence, transference of PO occurs and it is not a static.

Understanding the gendered nature of developing country MSMEs’ access, adoption and use of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D)

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-295
Author(s):  
Elisa Mohanty ◽  
Anindya Jayanta Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Purpose The widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has had a significant effect on various groups and communities of people including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and their owners/managers. The current study aims to analyze recent literature regarding adoption of ICTs by MSMEs. Further, it tries to locate gender within this broader context of diffusion of ICTs among MSMEs. Design/methodology/approach Using the thematic analysis approach, the research articles pertaining to six leading journals on ICTs, gender and entrepreneurship published during the time period from 2011 to 2019 are reviewed. Findings The literature selected for the study has been discussed under two primary categories, viz. “adoption of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) for business purposes” and “insights on gender in ICT4D use by MSMEs.” Research limitations/implications The context-dependent nature of ICT use can enable future entrepreneurs to assess the scope of specific ICTs in given areas of operation. The gendered nature of ICTs helps to evaluate as well as question the empowerment potential of ICTs. The study emphasizes the need to account for historical specificities and transnational linkages in understanding access, adoption and use of ICT4D by women MSME entrepreneurs. Originality/value The study bridges together literature on ICT4D use by MSMEs and the role of gender in ICT-mediated entrepreneurial environments. While unraveling the interplay of power dynamics in such environments, the scope for future research in terms of tapping into the content of information exchanges and exploring the implications of “dark side of internet” for women MSME entrepreneurs is also indicated.

Groupon: let's make a deal?

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-38
Author(s):  
Susan White
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Initial Public Offering ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Public Offering ◽  
Media Firms ◽  
Term Performance

Synopsis Groupon, an online coupon company, was one of many companies that considered an initial public offering (IPO) during what might be a second technology/internet/social media IPO boom in 2011. Some companies chose to postpone their IPOs, while others took advantage of the media attention focussed on technology companies, and in particular, social media firms. Should investors hop on the tech IPO bandwagon, or hold off to better evaluate the long-term prospects of tech companies, and in particular social media companies? Would the valuation of Groupon justify an investment in IPO shares? Research methodology The case was researched from secondary sources, using Groupon's IPO filing information, news articles about the IPO and industry research sources, such as IBIS World. Relevant courses and levels This case is appropriate for an advanced undergraduate or MBA corporate finance or investment elective. Most introductory finance classes do not have the time to cover later chapters in a finance textbook, where information about IPOs is generally found. It could also be used at the end of a core finance course, where the instructor wanted to introduce this topic through a case study of a hard-to-value internet-based company to illustrate the difficulties in setting IPO prices. The case could also be used in an equity analysis class, an entrepreneurial finance class or an investment class, to spur discussion about valuing an internet company and choosing appropriate investments for pension fund investing. This case could also be used in a strategy class, focussing on the five forces question, and eliminating the valuation question. Theoretical basis There is a great deal of literature about IPOs and their long-term performance. An excellent source is Jay R. Ritter's research, http://bear.warrington.ufl.edu/ritter, which has a longer time period and more data than could be contained in this case. IPO puzzles include persistent undervaluing of IPOs; in other words, the offer price is lower than, and sometimes substantially lower than, the first day close price. A second issue is the generally poorer long-run performance of companies after their IPO when compared to similar firms that did not do an IPO.

What is rogue marketing? An exploration of how hard seltzer sparked a social media phenomenon

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cortney L. Norris ◽  
D. Christopher Taylor ◽  
Scott Taylor Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Behavioral Outcomes ◽  
Product Category ◽  
New Product ◽  
Viral Marketing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Marketing Messages

Purpose This study aims to introduce, explicate, offer a framework and provide future research directions for a phenomenon herein named rogue marketing. Rogue marketing is explored vis-à-vis a phenomenon that occurred over the summer of 2019 with a new product category, hard seltzers. It is proposed that rogue marketing occurs when an unaffiliated individual creates and posts an informal message about a brand on social media that becomes viral. Although the post is not funded or endorsed by the company that owns the brand, reaching viral status results in free and unexpected advertising (positive or negative). Design/methodology/approach Rogue marketing is first explored through a comparative analysis with company produced advertisements. Then, the company’s response to rogue marketing is gauged through both qualitative and quantitative data. The sample of 210 respondents was recruited from students enrolled in college hospitality courses and through posts made on social media. Findings Rogue marketing is found to be somewhat more compelling than company produced advertisements and those who found the rogue marketing message more compelling had stronger sentiments regarding the company’s response. Research limitations/implications This exploratory study of rogue marketing provides a conceptualization and starting framework for future research concerning this phenomenon. Originality/value Rogue marketing is a new phenomenon and is distinct from influencer marketing and viral marketing in its characteristics. Additionally, the company’s response to rogue marketing messages may influence behavioral outcomes.

Investigating the adoption of social media in the construction industry: empirical evidence from project teams in China

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guofeng Ma ◽  
Shan Jiang ◽  
Jianyao Jia
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Project Teams ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Content Type

PurposeA lack of reliable and effective communication tools poses major barriers impeding the performance of construction projects consisting of diverse participants. Although some construction project teams (CPTs) begin to apply social media (SM) as an available approach for project management the entire mechanism of SM adoption in this specific context remains understudied. Therefore, this study aims to adopt a CPT's lens to investigate the critical antecedents and associated effects underlying SM adoption in the construction industry.Design/methodology/approachBased on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) theory, a conceptual model was proposed and tested by empirical data collected from 159 CPTs in China. Structural equation modeling technique was employed for data analysis.FindingsThe results demonstrate that all the five extracted TOE-based antecedents including two technological factors (i.e. compatibility and expected cost), one organizational factor (i.e. top management support) and two environmental factors (i.e. project partner collaboration and project fit) are crucial to the adoption of SM in CPTs. Besides, SM acceptance is found to mediate the relationships between organizational and environmental factors and SM use. Moreover, SM use significantly predicts the communication effectiveness of CPTs.Research limitations/implicationsA questionnaire study based on cross-sectional data from China may only unveil the logic of SM adoption in the context of Chinese construction industry within a shorter time interval. It is recommended that future research could develop longitudinal studies among various construction practitioners in different countries to further specify and generalize the current findings.Originality/valueThis paper provides a comprehensive understanding of SM adoption in the construction industry by exploring the preadoption antecedents and postadoption effects from the perspective of project teams. The empirical findings advance the current web-based project management literature and afford new insights for construction practitioners into better managing SM application to reap its full capabilities in projects.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document