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Although graphic-based emoticons in mobile instant messenger (MIM) services became an important revenue source for their service provider, empirical research investigating factors influencing graphic-based emoticon purchase from the consumer's perspective is insufficient. The authors explore how user's achieved belongingness (acceptance or rejection) affects graphic based emoticon usage motivations and its purchase intentions.

A structural model is used to examine the relationship among individual's overall achieved belongingness, motivation factors of graphic-based emoticon usage in MIM such as perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived enjoyment for others, social norm and emoticon purchase intentions. The authors collected and analyzed survey data of 279 Korean KakaoTalk users.

The analysis shows that perceived acceptance/inclusion positively impacts perceived usefulness, enjoyment and enjoyment of others in graphic-based emoticon usage. Meanwhile, perceived rejection/exclusion positively impacts perceived enjoyment and enjoyment of others but negatively influences perceived social norms. Moreover, social norms and perceived enjoyment directly affect graphic-based emoticon purchase intentions. The authors also find that perceived enjoyment of others and perceived social norms in a serial causal order mediate the relationship between perceived acceptance/inclusion (and rejection/exclusion) and emoticon purchase intentions.

Additional research including users from other demographic groups, such as other age groups, is required to generalize our findings and to increase external validity.

Unique implications related to the role of user's achieved belongingness and perceived enjoyment of others in graphic-based emoticon usage in purchase intentions are found.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/ 10.1108/OIR-02-2020-0036

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze the rules on the formation of contracts under Korean law and the Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) in a comparative way and introduce the relevant proposed rules under the Amendment Draft of the Korean Civil Code (KCC). In addition, it attempts to compare and evaluate them in light of the discipline of comparative law.

In order to achieve the purposes of the study, it executes a comparative study of the rules as to the formation of contracts of the CISG, Korean law and the Amendment Draft of the KCC. The basic question for this comparative study is placed on whether a solution from one jurisdiction is more logical than the others and to what extent each jurisdiction has responded to protect the reasonable expectations of the parties in the rules as to the formation of contracts.

The comparative study finds that most of the rules under the CISG are quite plausible and logical and they are more or less well reflected in the proposals advanced by the KCC amendment committee. On the other hand, the other rules under the CISG which have brought criticisms in terms of their complexity and inconsistent case law invite us their revision or consistent interpretation. The drawbacks of the CISG have also been well responded in the Amendment Draft of the KCC. Nevertheless, it is quite unfortunate that the Amendment Draft of the KCC still has a rule that regards any purported performance with non-material alteration of the terms of an offer as an acceptance.

This study may provide legal and practical advice to both the seller and the buyer when they enter into a contract for international sales of goods. In addition, it may render us an insight into newly developed or developing rules in this area and show us how they interact with each other. Furthermore, it may be particularly useful in Korea where there is an ongoing discussion for revision of the KCC.

While recent academic research on entomophagy has predominantly focused on adults, the purpose of this child-centred research is to obtain a better understanding of young consumer acceptance of insect-based foods.

Two qualitative studies were conducted with a total of 43 French children aged 8–13 years. Study 1 (n = 22), based on semi-directive interviews, and Study 2 (n = 21), based on focus groups, included projective techniques and exposure to different types of insect-based products to help children express their feelings and thoughts.

The evidence shows that in Western children’s minds, insects are considered as culturally non-edible. Children predominantly reject insects as food because of their sensory properties and the disgust they arouse. However, their interest in eating insect-based food is embedded within experiential contexts specific to childhood, in particular the peer group, which makes insect-eating fun and challenging, and the family, which offers a protective and reassuring setting.

The authors advocate changing children’s sensory perception of insect-eating food through sensory and participatory activities. Manufacturers and policymakers should also draw on children’s peer culture to associate insect-eating with positive social experiences and foster peer influence.

Drawing on cognitive psychology theories and the literature in food science on food rejection, the authors contribute to emerging consumer research on alternative food consumption (AFC) focusing on cognitive, emotional and social factors of acceptance or rejection of insect-based foods by children.

Fear of rejection is a feeling experienced by every human, which influences everyday life. It impacts an individual’s physical and mental health. But still there is no valid and reliable measure to assess prevalence of fear of rejection because of interpersonal relationships and social factors. This paper aims to serve the purpose of the establishment of psychometric properties of a scale that measures the fear of rejection.

Data was gathered from focus groups to establish item pool and construct the instrument. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the data collected by administering fear of rejection scale (FRS) and it uncovered the structure of the developed scale. Principal component analysis method was conducted by using direct oblimin rotation.

A two-factor structure, which includes interpersonal relationships and social factors, was obtained as a result of EFA. The internal consistency of the scale is highly acceptable with a = 0.93, which indicated that the scale is highly reliable. High reliability of subscales was attained as a = 0.90 and 0.86, respectively.

This research paper is original, which aims to assess the fear of rejection in terms of social and interpersonal rejection. The data collected is valid and authentic. The FRS is constructed with highly reliable results and is a psychometrically sound instrument.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of patronizing by salespeople when interacting with older consumers in a retail situation of shopping for a mobile phone. In addition to patronizing behavior, the impact of the age of the salesperson and gender of the consumer are explored.

The study is based on statistical analyzes of a between-participants controlled experiment collected via an online survey of 338 members of the German Senior Citizens League.

The study contributes to the field of services marketing by confirming that older consumers reject patronizing sales interactions and by showing that men are more tolerant of condescendence than women, especially when younger salespeople are involved.

A limitation of this study is the use of fictional situations with a selected number of manipulated variables in a simulated sales interaction.

Rejection of a patronizing sales interaction was found to be similar by both genders with an older salesperson. Furthermore, retail shops of technical appliances could prevent potential problems by being cautious of having younger male salespeople interacting with older women customers.

Research on the impact of condescending sales interaction as perceived by older consumers is scarce and has not previously considered the role of customer gender and salesperson age. Beyond investigating the perception of participants to patronizing, the role of the salesperson age and customer gender were investigated.

Highlights that the multiplicative risk model which forms the basis of auditing standards in both the USA and the UK only considers the risk of incorrect acceptance of an account balance. Points out, however, that when planning audit tests, the auditor also faces a risk of incorrect rejection of the sample under consideration if an unrepresentative sample is obtained. Incorporates the risk of incorrect rejection of the account balance into a theoretical risk model and investigates the relationship between the risks of incorrect acceptance and incorrect rejection using the power function of the test. Concludes that, first, the ability of an audit test to identify the magnitude of the error in the population, and especially its ability to identify material error reliably, is very important and, second, planning of effective audit testing should be undertaken, rather than relying on the extension of testing when results fail to meet expectations.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of Higher Education Commission (HEC) National Digital Library among research students in different universities of Pakistan.

The study framework was based on technology acceptance model (TAM). A sample of Pakistani university students completed the questionnaire measuring the effects of extraneous stimuli through cognitive responses on adoption of the HEC digital library. To test the research hypotheses, multiple regression analysis was used.

The findings revealed that: cognitive responses predicted students’ intention of using HEC digital library; extraneous variables significantly influenced cognitive responses; system characteristics directly influenced usefulness and ease of use; interface characteristics directly influenced cognitive responses; and individual differences significantly affected the ease of use. Similarly, system quality was identified with the highest direct effect on usefulness, whereas navigation had the highest influence on easy use of the HEC digital library of Pakistan. In addition, usefulness was explored with the highest effect on intention to use the HEC digital library of Pakistan. The findings revealed that individual behaviours influence the use of digital libraries which imply that acceptance of an information system (IS) involve cognitive idiosyncrasies. Findings of the study are useful for Pakistani academic librarians to enhance adoption and usability of the HEC digital library of Pakistan. The study extended cross-cultural validation of TAM and explored how that Pakistani university students utilize HEC digital library.

These findings have significant implications for librarians in developing countries, such as to evaluate usability of digital libraries from individuals’ perspective, create awareness, customize users’ interface and train students in navigational techniques. It may also facilitate librarians to improve their current levels of library assistance and emphasize the usefulness of digital libraries towards academic excellence. The findings equally suggest that individual behaviours influence the use of digital libraries because acceptance of an information system involves cognitive idiosyncrasies. This study explored all possible links between the study constructs and emphasized that findings are useful to enhance the adoption and usability of digital library in the developing countries.

This study is the first attempt that empirically assessed the adoption of digital libraries in terms of Pakistani research students. The study validated TAM in the context of Pakistani university librarianship that extended the cross-cultural validation of TAM. Furthermore, the study focused on real constructs instead of dummy variables and predicted significant effects on acceptance and rejection of digital libraries.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of banana peel into cake (a bakery product that may add bananas) and panettone (a product that never is added to bananas) formulations on consumers' acceptance and perceived attributes and the effect on the technological properties of the product.

Bakery products were produced with banana peel in the formulation and control samples without residue. Volunteers scored their acceptance and checked all attributes applied to the four samples in the blind and informed tests. The texture, color, proximate composition and bake properties were measured.

The acceptance of both cakes, with and without banana peel, was not affected when consumers were informed that there was a residue in both cakes. Relative risk indicated that information had no influence on acceptance. Panettone with banana pulp showed a reduction in acceptance when volunteers were informed of the presence of banana peel. Risk analysis showed a significant relative risk of product rejection when consumers were aware of information. The addition of banana peel enhanced panettone chewiness and crumb hardness, reduced bake loss of cakes, reduced the volume of both products and changed some color parameters of both products.

Banana peel is a source of functional compounds, but it is not clear how consumers react when informed that the food presents it.

The purpose of this paper is to explore black market retailing, with a focus on Colombia’s San Andresitos.

The authors use grounded theory methodology to develop a theoretical framework that explains how consumers rationalize their acceptance, rejection, or tolerance of black market retailing. The authors obtained qualitative data based on reader responses to newspaper articles on San Andresitos and used the responses as qualitative data in comparative analysis to derive a “strategy family” theoretical framework.

The framework advances rationalization techniques that consumers employ to accept, reject, or tolerate the San Andresitos.

Colombians are divided on the legality of the San Andresitos. Although half the informants note the wrongfulness of the San Andresitos, the other half offer reasons to accept or tolerate them.

Legitimate (i.e. lawful) retailers operating in Colombia, or planning to enter, need to realize that local and national government officials support the San Andresitos. Colombia’s legitimate retailers must co-exist with the black market and dissuade consumers from patronizing unauthorized vendors or purchasing illicit goods.

Colombia’s acceptance of its black markets results in consumers inadvertently supporting crime, terrorism, and even bodily harm via the San Andresitos. However, the San Andresitos enable lower-income consumers to gain access to otherwise unattainable merchandise and provide employment through lower-skilled labor.

This paper is one of the first to explore black markets. From a transformative service research perspective, this research reveals how consumers, retailers, and government officials participate in Colombia’s black market, and how their activities serve to harm consumer well-being.

Seeks to advocate adopting the comparative case study method and system dynamics modeling to inform theory and to prescribe executive actions for successfully managing new products built using radically new technologies.

Reviews NPD theory and research on the dynamic processes including feedback loops and the hidden demons (hard to identify weak linkages that have large downstream impacts) in radically new innovation, manufacturing, diffusion and adoption/rejection processes; examines the IMDAR process model (innovation‐manufacturing‐diffusion‐adoption/rejection) of new products.

Several alternative routes of tacit and explicit interorganizational behaviors and decisions lead to NPD successes and failures; while executives believe surveys identifying specific factors are important particularly for NPD success, none of these factors is necessary or sufficient by itself for explaining success – specific cases of NPD success occur in the absence of any one of the identified success factors – embracing a system dynamics rather than a main effects view of NPD success and failure provides solid grounding for useful theory and practice in NPD.

Does not provide an empirical comparison between cross‐sectional data‐based modelling versus system dynamics analysis. Business and industrial marketing research that embraces complexity and examines decision and actions over multiple time periods is still in its infancy.

Most successful companies suffer from their success: they fail to remain watchful, mindful, and active with regard to new technological developments that seemingly have minor relationships to their industries.

This paper offers a theory‐of‐the‐firm system dynamics approach to inform new product executives to think beyond check‐lists and embrace multiple‐path thinking.