The four-factor model of product design: scale development and validation
Journal of Product & Brand Management
ISSN: 1061-0421
Article publication date: 27 November 2018
Issue publication date: 4 December 2018
Abstract
Purpose
In the modern era, the significance of product design has increased because customers’ priorities in the evaluation of products have changed from product price to product design. Companies consider product design to be one of the most important sources of competitive advantage and standards for evaluating their performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to develop and validate a new scale to measure product design along with its dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive literature review and consumer interviews and surveys were conducted to generate an initial item pool. Exploratory factor analysis was used to reduce the initial item pool, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed for measurement validation. A total of four separate studies were conducted for the conceptualization and operationalization of a product design scale.
Findings
Using data from three samples, the authors develop and validate a new scale to measure product design along affective, cognitive, ergonomic and reflective dimensions. Furthermore, the results provide strong evidence of the reliability, discriminant validity, measurement invariance and nomological validity of the four product design dimensions. Finally, the effects of these product design dimensions on harmonious and obsessive brand passion were assessed. The results show that the affective and reflective dimensions appear to be prominent for capturing the obsessive brand passion, whereas the cognitive and ergonomic dimensions are capable of increasing harmonious brand passion.
Originality/value
This is the first study that develops and validates the measurement of product design as a four-dimensional construct that can be transferred to a scale and applied across a wide range of product categories.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research is sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 71672068 and 71272125.
Citation
Gilal, N.G., Zhang, J. and Gilal, F.G. (2018), "The four-factor model of product design: scale development and validation", Journal of Product & Brand Management, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 684-700. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-11-2017-1659
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited