scholarly journals The role of industries’ environmental reputation and competitive intensity on sustainability marketing strategy

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-24
Author(s):  
Mohammad Taherdangkoo ◽  
Beikpour Mona ◽  
Kamran Ghasemi

Purpose This paper aims to highlight a model of industry drivers (industries’ environmental reputation and competitive intensity) that affect the sustainability marketing strategy segmentation, targeting and positioning based on customers’ environmental concern and explore the circumstances under which such a strategy affects performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors examined 64 Iranian export companies, which adopted sustainability marketing strategies across seven different industries. Achieved data are analyzed using a structural equation model methodology. Findings The results indicate that industries’ environmental reputation is positively related to the sustainability marketing strategies based on customers’ environmental concern and leads to superior financial and market performance. They also posit that competitive intensity has no significant effect on sustainability marketing strategies. Research limitations/implications This study specifically examines the impact of industry drivers on sustainability marketing strategy and performance. Logically, there might be other factors affecting the sustainability or other value dimensions that are not addressed in this study. Practical implications This paper provides some understanding of how organizations strength their sustainability marketing strategy, and they have to consider what factors to adopt such strategy. This paper also facilitates a better understanding of the customers’ needs and concern as a factor influencing sustainability marketing strategy adoption and implementation. Identifying the customer segmentation and market targeting based on the industry’s environmental can lead to the business will normally tailor the marketing mix (4Ps) with the needs and expectations of the target in mind. Originality/value This paper strengthens the effect of environmental concern of customer to understand what influences the success of the sustainability marketing adoption and implementation by investigating the most influential factors such as industries’ environmental reputation and competitive intensity.

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 1124-1137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satish Mehra ◽  
Joshua T. Coleman

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of successfully coordinating infrastructural capabilities, such as technology, and structural capabilities, such as people, on the performance of service businesses. Effective coordination of these two types of capabilities is shown to impact the implementation of quality management practices and the design of marketing strategy, both of which when utilized properly, lead to enhanced organizational performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors surveyed retail banking firms for this study to analyze empirical data on infrastructural and structural capabilities. Results were corroborated on the basis of in-depth interviews with several banking managers to provide real world verification of the findings. Findings Results indicate that both infrastructural and structural capabilities positively impact the design of marketing strategy, while only structural capabilities impact the implementation of quality management practices. Both, successfully implemented quality management ideals and a well-designed marketing strategy, are shown to enhance overall organizational performance. Research limitations/implications Research was conducted on a specific sector of the service industry, the banking sector. Also, the relatively small size of the study sample may have impacted the outcome of research applicability in some large businesses. Continuously emerging financial regulations could not be incorporated in the study. On the positive side, strong managerial feedback provides guidance toward adopting the study results, and lays the foundation for future research. Originality/value As today’s rapidly evolving society pushes people out of service encounters, replacing them with efficient and cost-saving technology, roles of both the people and the technology in an organization must be fully understood. This paper shows that, despite the exponential growth of technological innovation, both people and technology are critical to enhancing organizational performance through sound quality management practices and supportive marketing strategies.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-169
Author(s):  
Cinthia Beccacece Satornino ◽  
Demetra Andrews ◽  
Rebeca Perren ◽  
Michael K. Brady

Purpose Previous research studies assume that influential consumers (“influentials”), who play a powerful role in the marketplace, are persuasive (or not) based on innate, static personality traits. By contrast, this paper proposes an emergence-based view of influentials. Grounded in dynamic self-concept theory, this research establishes that individuals possess an “influential” self-concept that can be activated by firm-originated communications. Specifically, the authors examine the impact of firm feedback on the three dimensions of influentials (and the corresponding traits and behaviors): who they are (propensity to connect with others), who they know (WOM) and what they know (expert power). Design/methodology/approach The study tests whether an influential self can be evoked by marketers using a longitudinal experimental test with data collected in three periods. The data are analyzed using a multi-mediation model and partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings The results reveal that even after controlling for the extroversion trait, firm-originated positive feedback increases perceived expert power of participants, which increases word-of-mouth behavior in a subsequent period, both directly and indirectly via an enhanced propensity to connect with others. Research limitations/implications Cultivating the influential self-concept requires time to ensure that the self-concept is sufficiently realized to become an enduring self-concept. Practical implications By cultivating influentials, practitioners are able to leverage diffusion mechanics and reduce costs and inefficiencies associated with traditional customer relationship management marketing strategies focused on finding them. Social implications These findings have implications across all domains that rely on the diffusion and adoption of ideas or products via influentials, including but not limited to public policy, politics, public health and sustainability, in that influentials can be evoked and leveraged to diffuse ideas in these important social domains. Originality/value This paper provides empirical evidence that firms can evoke influential consumer behavior challenging existing views of influence as a static personality trait. It casts a line to connect influential consumers to the nascent study of social emergence.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peerayuth Charoensukmongkol

Purpose This paper examines the effect of improvisational behavior of entrepreneurs on firm performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Thailand during the economic crisis following the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also explores external factors in terms of competitive intensity and internal factors in terms of financial and human resources possessed by firms that could enhance the impact of improvisational behavior on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach A self-administered online questionnaire survey was used to collect the data from the random sample of 312 SMEs in Thailand. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings The analysis supports the positive relationship between the improvisational behavior of entrepreneurs and firm performance. Moreover, the moderating effect analysis shows that the positive impact of improvisational behavior on firm performance tends to be stronger for firms that encountered a higher level of competitive intensity and for firms that possessed a higher level of financial and human resources. Originality/value This research extends the knowledge from prior research by confirming some moderating factors that could strengthen the benefit of improvisational behavior during the crisis.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faruk Anıl Konuk

PurposeThe main purpose of the study is to examine the moderating influence of motherhood on the linkage between feeling guilty and willingness to buy organic food.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected using a questionnaire from female consumers and analyzed with structural equation modeling.FindingsThe structural equation model results revealed that food safety concern and environmental concern influence feeling guilty about buying conventional food products. The empirical findings also supported the positive effect of feeling guilty on willingness to buy organic food. Additionally, for mother consumers, the impact of food safety concern and environmental concern on feeling guilty was greater than non-mother consumers. Similarly, moderator analyses revealed that the influence of feeling guilty on willingness to buy organic food is significantly higher for mothers.Originality/valueReferring to the attitude-behavior-context (ABC) theory, the current research aimed at filling the knowledge void by examining how motherhood moderates the relationship between feeling guilty and willingness to buy organic food. Hence, understanding the moderation role of motherhood provides newer insights into consumer behavior and marketing literature. The results of the research can help both organic food producers and retailers to develop successful marketing strategies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-195 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilyn Giroux ◽  
Frank Pons ◽  
Lionel Maltese

Purpose In the highly saturated sports industry where sport teams represent a complex offering loaded with intangible and tangible attributes, it is important to implement appropriate marketing strategies that will ultimately contribute to the development of strong brand equity. In this paper, the authors focused on the relationship between brand variables and marketing activities on the development of brand equity. More specifically, the purpose of this paper is to study the impact of brand personality on the evaluation of marketing promotional activities and the impact on the brand equity. Design/methodology/approach Respondents (2,400) were recruited through an online survey and data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings The survey revealed that the congruence between the brand personality and the promotional activities has a positive impact on its evaluation and on brand equity. In addition, the results showed that consumers who consider the financial strength of the team as an important factor evaluate more positively the value of congruent and incongruent promotional activities. Practical implications Brand managers should maintain consistency between their brand personality and their promotional activities in order to maintain and increase their brand equity. Originality/value The results contribute to the literature by investigating the impact of brand personality on the evaluation of promotional activities. Also, it examines an important factor (financial consciousness) that could influence how fans react in front of an incongruent promotional activity. This research brings a better understanding of the impact of brand personality on marketing strategies and brand equity.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Hosseinikhah Choshaly ◽  
Marva Mirabolghasemi

Purpose Viral marketing through the internet is an important and cost-effective way to promote products. This study aims to examine the impact of viral marketing strategies (level of information, level of entertainment, irritation level and source credibility) on the purchasing intention of eco-labelled products. Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of a total of 200 shoppers in Hyperstar store in Tehran located in the Tehran Pars area. Data is analysed using descriptive analysis and structural equation modelling technique using Smart partial least squares 3.0. Findings Findings indicate that informativeness, entertainment and source credibility are positively related to the purchase intention of eco-labelled products, whereas, irritation is negatively related to the purchasing intention of eco-labelled products. Practical implications This study provides directions for green marketers to develop meaningful communication tools to make customers more knowledgeable about eco-labelled products and tries to promote some of the positive associations that consumers have through green viral communication behaviours. Originality/value This study offers empirical insights from the perspective of an emerging economy on the determinants of purchase intention of eco-labelled products.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gloria Jiménez-Marín ◽  
Araceli Galiano-Coronil ◽  
Luis Bayardo Tobar-Pesántez

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand the perception and purchase intentions of Spanish consumers towards sustainable fashion and to see if this can guide the marketing strategy for sustainable fashion. Design/methodology/approach A mixed methodology has been designed to test the categories: knowledge, environmental concern, product-related features and social influence. Findings The results of this study suggest that some implications and advice on sustainability marketing strategy could help companies to develop sustainable fashion for Spanish consumers. Originality/value The originality of this study lies in the focus on sustainability to achieve happiness and satisfaction of people as a form of governance from a social point of view.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyen Van Tam ◽  
Nguyen Quoc Toan ◽  
Vu Van Phong ◽  
Serdar Durdyev

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the impact of primary building information modelling (BIM)-related factors, extracted from the literature on the subject, on construction project performance.Design/methodology/approachBased on data collected from 134 BIM users, this study used structural equation modelling to assess the impact of these factors in five main BIM-related factor clusters.FindingsThe results of the analysis confirmed the reliability and validity of the research design and outcomes. The findings indicated that the BIM-related external factors cluster is the most influential cluster affecting construction project performance. BIM-related project factors and BIM-related technological factors also had a significant impact on project performance. These were followed by the BIM-related management factors cluster, while the BIM-related human factors cluster had a low impact on project performance.Research limitations/implicationsThis study will contribute to fostering BIM adoption and implementation in the construction industry in developing countries.Originality/valueThis study has filled a crucial knowledge gap by providing information on manageable primary BIM-related factors affecting construction project performance.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodan Zhang ◽  
Maiju Guo

PurposeAs globalization promotes mobility and tourism around the world, the substitution effect of outbound tourism on domestic tourism becomes increasingly apparent. Knowing how to increase customers' loyalty toward domestic tourism is an urgent and critical question for policymakers and tourism managers, especially from the perspective of customer segmentation. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how consumer expertise affects domestic tourism loyalty. This paper also provides comprehensive research for understanding differences between married and unmarried consumers in responses to the impact of expertise on loyalty.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a survey of 384 individuals. We use Partial least squares (PLS), a variance-based structural equation model, and statistical comparison to test research hypotheses.FindingsResults suggest that consumer expertise has a “double-edged sword” effect on domestic tourism loyalty. On one hand, it increases the perceived benefit of domestic tourism and reduces consumers' motivation to switch to outbound tourism, resulting in a higher level of domestic tourism loyalty. On the other hand, consumer expertise improves consumers' switching ability and switching opportunity to travel abroad, leading to a lower level of domestic tourism loyalty. Furthermore, this paper documents that married and unmarried customers present heterogeneous attitudes in the decision process. We found that married customers are less sensitive to the impact of consumer expertise on the perceived benefit and the impact of consumer expertise on switch ability. However, married customers are more sensitive to both the impact of perceived usefulness on the switch motivation, and the impact of switch motivation, switch opportunity and switch ability on domestic tourism loyalty.Research limitations/implicationsOur findings enrich the literature on consumer expertise and loyalty. Future studies may consider examining similar relationships by utilizing multiple research methods as well as testing the research findings and mechanisms in different contexts.Practical implicationsThis research provides practical guidance for cultivating and maintaining domestic tourism loyalty, such as consumer segmentation in terms of tourism knowledge and information.Originality/valueThis paper examines the relationship between consumer expertise and loyalty in the context of tourism and uncovers the mechanism behind it. More importantly, to our knowledge, this paper is the first to identify consumers' marital status as a key factor that influences the process of how consumer expertise affects domestic tourism loyalty.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesca De Canio ◽  
Elisa Martinelli ◽  
Emiro Endrighi

PurposeEnvironmental concern is getting increasing importance in consumer shopping decisions. Nevertheless, to date, sustainable packaged foods are not always the first option when consumers go shopping. This paper analyses how environmental concern moderates the role played by external factors – preference towards sustainable retailers and trust in sustainable producers – in determining consumer purchase intentions for sustainable packaged foods. Consumer involvement in eco-friendly labels, increasingly present in food packages, is investigated as indirectly impacting pro-environmental purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey administered to a sample of Italian food shoppers is used for the empirical analysis. A total of 278 structured questionnaires were modelled using a structural equation modelling approach.FindingsFindings show that producers and retailers' policies in favour of sustainability are key in determining consumers' sustainable purchase intentions. Further, coherent uses of labels and logos in light of sustainability can support consumer purchase decisions. Relevant is the influence played by the environmental concern in both supporting pro-environmental purchase intentions and in amplifying the trust in sustainable producers-purchase intentions path.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on sustainability showing how producers and retailers may together influence consumers' pro-environmental purchase intentions. Findings extend the retail literature on the impact of producers and retailers' policies on consumers' sustainable purchases. Further, environmental concern is investigated in its moderating role on the impact of external factors on consumers' pro-environmental purchase intentions.


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