Conspicuous consumption: impact of narcissism and need for uniqueness on self-brand and communal-brand connection with public vs private use brands

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reza Fazli-Salehi ◽  
Ivonne M. Torres ◽  
Rozbeh Madadi ◽  
Miguel Ángel Zúñiga

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of self-related traits on consumer self-brand connection (SBC) and communal-brand connection (CBC) in public vs private consumption. Marketing practitioners will benefit by understanding the consumer traits that can be triggered and focused on in advertising campaigns. Moreover, it is important to know which traits have a significant impact on each product category section (i.e. public vs private use). Design/methodology/approach An experiment used a between-subjects design with two randomized blocks of publicly used brands and privately used brands. Within each block, the relationship between independent variables (narcissism and need for uniqueness [NFU]) and dependent variables (SBC, CBC and purchase intention) were analyzed using SmartPLS. Findings The results showed that narcissism has a significant positive impact on consumers’ SBC for publicly consumed products, no effect was found for CBC. NFU shows a significant positive impact on SBC and CBC for both categories. The results also showed a positive impact for SBC on purchase intention, no effect was found for CBC. Research limitations/implications Future research can examine brand names that people favor the most and test whether individuals’ narcissism and NFU is influential on their SBC and CBC with the brands, regardless of the exposure to the visual cues provided in this paper. Moreover, there are more behavioral outcomes that need examination. For example, it would be fruitful to see whether attitude toward the ad, or brand attitude are affected by consumers’ narcissism and NFU. Practical implications The results contribute to the effectiveness of advertising in different industries. For instance, brand managers and marketing practitioners can benefit by understanding which product types are more attractive to consumers based on their tendency toward uniqueness. Moreover, narcissism is another common trait that can be used to target consumers. Thus, certain product types may be more attractive to consumers based on their narcissism tendencies. Originality/value Despite the popularity of SBC and CBC research, there is limited knowledge about the consumer traits which can stimulate and enhance these concepts. As such, an important question that needs to be addressed is: “What consumer personality traits lead to higher SBC and CBC?” When it comes to self-concept, a limited number of studies exist that explore the actual types of personality or self-concept that generate a desired connection between the “self” and brands.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwa Rabe Mohamed Elkmash ◽  
Magdy Gamal Abdel-Kader ◽  
Bassant Badr El Din

Purpose This study aims to investigate and explore the impact of big data analytics (BDA) as a mechanism that could develop the ability to measure customers’ performance. To accomplish the research aim, the theoretical discussion was developed through the combination of the diffusion of innovation theory with the technology acceptance model (TAM) that is less developed for the research field of this study. Design/methodology/approach Empirical data was obtained using Web-based quasi-experiments with 104 Egyptian accounting professionals. Further, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and the chi-square goodness-of-fit test were used to analyze data. Findings The empirical results indicate that measuring customers’ performance based on BDA increase the organizations’ ability to analyze the customers’ unstructured data, decrease the cost of customers’ unstructured data analysis, increase the ability to handle the customers’ problems quickly, minimize the time spent to analyze the customers’ data and obtaining the customers’ performance reports and control managers’ bias when they measure customer satisfaction. The study findings supported the accounting professionals’ acceptance of BDA through the TAM elements: the intention to use (R), perceived usefulness (U) and the perceived ease of use (E). Research limitations/implications This study has several limitations that could be addressed in future research. First, this study focuses on customers’ performance measurement (CPM) only and ignores other performance measurements such as employees’ performance measurement and financial performance measurement. Future research can examine these areas. Second, this study conducts a Web-based experiment with Master of Business Administration students as a study’s participants, researchers could conduct a laboratory experiment and report if there are differences. Third, owing to the novelty of the topic, there was a lack of theoretical evidence in developing the study’s hypotheses. Practical implications This study succeeds to provide the much-needed empirical evidence for BDA positive impact in improving CPM efficiency through the proposed framework (i.e. CPM and BDA framework). Furthermore, this study contributes to the improvement of the performance measurement process, thus, the decision-making process with meaningful and proper insights through the capability of collecting and analyzing the customers’ unstructured data. On a practical level, the company could eventually use this study’s results and the new insights to make better decisions and develop its policies. Originality/value This study holds significance as it provides the much-needed empirical evidence for BDA positive impact in improving CPM efficiency. The study findings will contribute to the enhancement of the performance measurement process through the ability of gathering and analyzing the customers’ unstructured data.


2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Jérôme Lacoeuilhe ◽  
Didier Louis ◽  
Cindy Lombart ◽  
Blandine Labbé-Pinlon

PurposeThe research aim is to investigate the impacts of comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their store brand (SB) products with those of equivalent national brand (NB) products. More specifically, this research examines if consumers perceive retailers as legitimate when they use comparative ads to compare the prices of their SB products to those of equivalent NB products, and how effective are these comparative ads in terms of actual purchases. This research also explores for which SB type (economy, standard or premium) and consumers are comparative ads most effective.Design/methodology/approachThis research investigates consumers' reactions to comparative ads used by retailers to compare the prices of their SB products with those of similar NB products through an experiment within a store laboratory. A between-subject design has been used. The participants of the first/second/third group (n1 = 93/n2 = 92/n3 = 91) were exposed to ads comparing the prices of retailer's economy/standard/premium SB food products with their equivalent NB food products, in the same product category. The participants of each group carried out a shopping trip in the store laboratory.FindingsConsumers consider retailers legitimate when they use comparative ads. This favourable evaluation improves their attitude towards these ads. However, the impact of retailers' legitimacy of (1) means, (2) objectives and (3) historical legitimacy on consumers' attitude towards comparative ads depends on the SB type (economy, standard and premium). By contrast, comparative ads are effective in terms of consumers' attitude towards these ads and towards SBs, along with purchase intention and actual purchases of these brands, whatever the SB type. Lastly, this research highlights that comparative ads for SBs are mainly directed at consumers with high levels of price consciousness and resistance to NBs.Research limitations/implicationsThis research only tested the impact of direct comparative advertising and an extrinsic attribute (price). The research experiment was conducted on a convenience sample, which limits its external validity.Practical implicationsThis research encourages retailers to use comparative advertising for their SBs (economy, standard and premium) for several reasons. First, this study suggests that comparative advertising is an effective tool for retailers to shape or improve consumers' attitude towards SBs, via their attitude towards comparative ads. Second, this research proposes that comparative advertising contrasting the prices of SB products with those of NB products could increase retailers' in-store sales of their SBs. Lastly, this research underlines that comparative advertising is particularly effective for consumers with high levels of price consciousness and resistance to NBs.Originality/valueThis research supplements previous research in the field of SBs and comparative advertising. Previous research on comparative advertising has examined NBs exclusively (Dianoux et al., 2013; Beard, 2018). Comparisons between SBs and NBs are lacking. This research thus validates the use of this specific form of communication for SBs, given the paucity of studies of the effects of the use of mass media communication on SBs (Nenycz-Thiel and Romaniuk, 2014; Gendel-Guterman and Levy, 2017).


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Changli Feng ◽  
Ruize Ma ◽  
Lin Jiang

PurposeWith the rise of service economy, many companies are attempting to gain a competitive advantage through service innovation. However, the existing research has not drawn consistent conclusions about the relationship between service innovation and firm performance. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to provide a quantitative review on the service innovation-performance relationship based on research findings reported in the extant literature.Design/methodology/approachStudies from 46 peer-reviewed articles were sampled and analyzed. A meta-analytic approach was adopted to conduct a quantitative review on the relationship between service innovation and firm performance, and the effects of any potential moderators were further explored.FindingsThe results found that service innovation has a significant positive impact on firm performance. Additionally, the relationship between service innovation and firm performance is influenced by measurement moderators (economic region and performance measurement), and contextual moderators (firm type, innovation type, customer factors and attitudes toward risk).Originality/valueThe meta-analysis has been used to explore the relationship between service innovation and firm performance, and the findings have contributed to the literature on service innovation, as well as providing future research directions.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (8) ◽  
pp. 1003-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer YM Lai ◽  
Simon SK Lam ◽  
Cheris WC Chow

Purpose – Previous studies have often yielded mixed results in relation to the similar-to-me effect on extra-role behaviors. Based on social exchange theory, the purpose of this paper is to uncover the contribution of personality similarity to organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), a type of extra-role behaviors. Design/methodology/approach – Questionnaire surveys were conducted in a multinational bank in Hong Kong. The participants were matched sample of 403 customer service representatives from 81 teams and their corresponding team supervisors. Findings – Personality similarity to peers and supervisors had a positive impact on individual OCB (OCB-I) and organizational OCB (OCB-O), respectively, through better communication and social integration. Moreover, personality similarity to peers was related only to OCB-I, whereas personality similarity to supervisor was associated only with OCB-O. Research limitations/implications – Subordinates perform different facets of OCB depending on the subjects they are similar to in terms of personality. Being similar to others could facilitate communication and social integration, which in turn promote OCB targeted at similar individuals. The importance of distinguishing the similarity effects of peers and supervisors separately as well as scrutinizing the effects of different forms of OCB warrants future research attention. Practical implications – Managers can promote OCB by enhancing communication and social integration among employees and supervisors. Social implications – As OCB enhances organizational effectiveness, the economic development of society in general will eventually benefit from having more effective organizations. Originality/value – This study addresses the inconsistent findings of previous studies regarding the impact of similarity on OCB. It demonstrates the contribution of personality similarity to OCB beyond the confounding effects of judgment bias. It also advances theory by studying personality similarity to peers in addition to the commonly studied similarity to supervisors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 380-398
Author(s):  
Ramesh Kumar ◽  
Raiswa Saha ◽  
Sekar P.C. ◽  
Richa Dahiya

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to measure the influence of peers, and the Government and non-governmental organization (NGO) initiatives on an individual’s attitudinal drivers such as environmental knowledge and environmental concern, which are the reasons for their green purchasing intentions. This concept was applied among the Indian young consumers. Design/methodology/approach For the research, a structured online questionnaire was used to obtain responses from 342 Indians from various cities. The participants were 20-25 years of age. SPSS software package was used to refine the data while SmartPLS was used to test the validity of the hypotheses. Findings The findings revealed that the Government and NGO initiatives along with peer influence do have a significant effect on a consumer’s environmental knowledge and environmental concerns. Further, this study found a significant positive effect of environmental knowledge and environmental concern on perceived value. In turn, the perceived value had a direct positive impact on green attitude leading to green purchase intention. Practical implications This paper provides critical insights for marketers, as well as for governmental agencies and NGOs promoting the conservation of the environment through environmental-friendly practices. These parties aim to generate greater awareness among consumers and impart knowledge about the benefits of green practices. Originality/value The studies measuring the impact of external factors on green consumption are scarce. Even the few studies available have measured the direct impact of external factors on green purchase intention. Governmental and NGO initiatives along with peer influence are the stimuli impacting operational factors such as environmental knowledge, environmental concern, perceived value, and green attitude, which, in turn, lead to the response of green purchase intention. This study provides new insights to this relationship by using a stimulus – organism – response framework.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Šerić ◽  
Josip Mikulić

PurposeThis paper examines the development of customer-based brand equity through communication consistency in a luxury hotel segment. Communication consistency is considered as a basic principle of the integrated marketing communications (IMC) approach.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical research was conducted among 223 guests during their stay in five-star deluxe luxury hotels in a Mediterranean country. Data are analyzed through the PLS technique and impact-asymmetry analysis.FindingsCommunication consistency is found to have a strong positive impact on all brand equity dimensions, especially on brand trust, brand image and perceived quality. The impact-asymmetry analysis further revealed negatively asymmetric relationships between communication consistency and six out of seven brand equity dimensions, except for affective commitment.Research limitations/implicationsSome restrictions related to the measurement scales should be mitigated in future research.Practical implicationsCommunication consistency is confirmed as a core management practice in luxury hotel business. Marketing professionals operating in this industry are therefore confronted with increasing challenges of efficient management of IMC.Originality/valueThis work addresses several research calls from the most recent marketing and hospitality literature. The analysis of the impact of communication consistency has extended our knowledge on the potential of IMC in creation of a strong brand. Obtained insights into the shape of the relationship between communication consistency and seven different brand equity dimensions help to better understand the process of brand equity building in a luxury hotel setting.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 1651-1674
Author(s):  
Eun Young Park ◽  
Jung Min Jang

Purpose The purpose of this paper demonstrate that purchase intention toward a cause-related marketing (CRM)-enhanced product can be positively correlated with consumers’ social responsibility consciousness (SRC) and can be increased or decreased merely by changing the evaluation mode. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct three experimental studies with two levels of SRC (high vs low) × two evaluation modes (joint evaluation (JE) vs separate evaluation (SE)) between-subjects design. The dependent variable is purchase intent toward the CRM-enhanced product. Findings The results indicate that consumers with high SRC are more likely than those with low SRC to purchase a CRM-enhanced product when two products are presented side by side (JE). However, consumers’ SRC level does not impact purchase intention when they see only one product (SE) independently (Study 1). The authors confirm that the proposed effect is mediated by perceived price fairness toward the product (Studies 2 and 3). Research limitations/implications Future research on CRM-enhanced products should carefully consider that the impact of individuals’ SRC level was in very different directions depending on the evaluation mode. In addition, further investigation is needed to address generalizability issues regarding samples and hypothetical stimuli. Practical implications These findings offer recommendations to help practitioners design effective marketing communications about CRM practice for target markets. Originality/value To the authors best knowledge, the current study is the first attempt to explore the crucial role of SRC, presentation mode and their interaction on purchase intention toward CRM-enhanced products.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Herolinda Murati-Leka ◽  
Besnik Fetai

Purpose The purpose of this paper will be on finding and analyzing the impact of government on the information and communication technology (ICT) companies’ innovation performance. The study aims to conduct in-depth research about the government as an integrated actor of the innovation ecosystem (IE), not a sole member. This would be the core finding toward doing further research about the impact of the innovation ecosystem in the ICT sector in Kosovo. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative research has been considered the most suitable data collection method. Furthermore, in this study, it is used convenience sampling as a technique of the sampling process. The sample size of this study is 106 participants. The participants are owners or representatives of ICT companies in Kosovo. Since the study is conducted using the deductive approach, the questionnaire is considered to be the most suitable instrument for gathering data. Findings This paper provides empirical insights that the company’s size and the dedicated department for research and development have no impact on how the company takes advantage of public funding from the government. Furthermore, the authors of the paper found out that government has a positive impact on companies’ introduction of new products and services, while the impact of the government on a company’s financial performance was insignificant. Research limitations/implications The future research direction should be firstly on studying other IE actors and their impact on companies’ innovation performance and secondly on measuring the IE actors as a set of actors to have a broader picture on how IE impacts the companies’ innovation performance. Practical implications The scientific contribution of this study will be on mapping, analyzing and proposing government policies in accordance with the findings of this study that would lead to a more comprehensive and sustainable IE in Kosovo. Originality/value This study tries to fulfill an identified need to study the impact of interconnected actors of an innovation ecosystem and to show how they affect each other. In this study, it is taken for research one fragment of a set of actors.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yulan Qi ◽  
Anna Che Azmi

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that affect the adoption of electronic invoices and in turn the impact of these factors on the tax compliance process efficiency of companies. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was distributed to 276 users who adopted electronic invoicing. Partial least squares regression was used to analyze the collected data. Findings This study found that perceived benefits and trust in e-government had a positive influence on the adoption of electronic invoices. At the same time, the adoption of electronic invoice was found to have a positive impact on the overall efficiency of the tax compliance process. Moreover, the factors affecting adoption of electronic invoices can have a mediating effect on that adoption and tax compliance process efficiency. Research limitations/implications This study only explored these influencing factors on companies that have adopted electronic invoicing. Future research should distinguish between adopters and non-adopters. Practical implications The results of this study can guide tax authorities and other electronic invoice suppliers when promoting the adoption of electronic invoicing. Social implications This research can provide guidance to tax authorities to improve their own electronic invoice system by creating a workforce that have the skills to strengthen citizen’s trust in the electronic invoice system. Originality/value This study contributes to the electronic adoption literature by examining those factors that impact tax compliance processes efficiency.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohua Zhang ◽  
Dwight Merunka

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of territory of origin (TOO) associations for consumers’ perception of product authenticity and empirically tests the chain of effects, from TOO associations to perceived authenticity, and to consumers’ self-brand connections. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental method and a partial least square approach were adopted. Hypotheses were tested on data collected across 665 Chinese consumers. Findings – Results demonstrate that TOO exerts a positive impact on perceived product authenticity, which in turn leads to stronger consumers’ self-brand connections. In addition, compared with country of origin (COO) information, TOO has a unique positive impact on perceived authenticity and a direct positive effect on consumers’ self-brand connections. Also, the positive impact of TOO on perceived authenticity is enhanced through consumers’ familiarity with the TOO and through congruence between the product category and the TOO. Research limitations/implications – One possible outcome of TOO (perceived authenticity) and one product category (lavender soap) were considered in this study. Originality/value – Given the diminishing relevance of COO associations, this study demonstrates that TOO is an appealing alternative strategy for strengthening brand equity.


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