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1 – 10 of over 7000To show that Chinese consumers are constantly redefining and revaluing goods along the axes of the real and the false, with little regard for legal definitions of brand…
Abstract
Purpose
To show that Chinese consumers are constantly redefining and revaluing goods along the axes of the real and the false, with little regard for legal definitions of brand authenticity or “fakeness.”
Methodology/approach
The data was collected through interviews, focus groups, observations, and casual conversations over 16 months of ethnographic research in Beijing, China.
Findings
In their everyday consumption practices and navigation of a complex and often dangerous marketplace, Chinese consumers categorize products based on their perceived “truth.” The paper introduces a typology that describes these local categories and explains their utility for consumers.
Research limitations/implications
The data was primarily conducted in an urban capital with a highly educated and high-average-income populace, thus it does not represent all Chinese consumers or a statistical sample.
Practical/social implications
This paper explains how the same globalizing processes that helped brands establish themselves in the Chinese market now threaten the capability of all brands to gain and retain the trust of consumers
Originality/value
By explaining how new calculations of value are being produced under glocalized regimes of manufacture and distribution, this research makes an important contribution to our understandings of brands and their limits.
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Juan (Gloria) Meng and Suzanne Altobello Nasco
The purpose of this paper is to apply Lichtenstein et al.'s price perception model to American, Chinese and Japanese cultures, to test the measurement equivalence across three…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply Lichtenstein et al.'s price perception model to American, Chinese and Japanese cultures, to test the measurement equivalence across three cultures, and to compare the price perception constructs across three cultures using equivalent instruments.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire is used to collect information on more than 500 student respondents from America, China, and Japan.
Findings
Utilizing structural equation modeling, a 21‐item version of Lichtenstein et al.'s scale is created that has good fit across the three cultures. In progressively constraining tests, good model fit is found when constraining or partially constraining the factor loadings, error correlations, factor variances, and correlations between factors to be equal across three cultures tested. In addition, after creating price perception subscales, no significant differences emerge between Chinese, Japanese, and US consumers on value consciousness or price/quality schemas. Significant differences emerge on price consciousness, prestige sensitivity, and sales proneness.
Practical implications
The 21‐item scale of Lichtenstein et al.'s price perception model can be generalized to both China and Japan. The primary conclusions (i.e. that Chinese consumers reported significantly higher price and prestige sensitivity, compared to USA and Japanese consumers, while US consumers showed higher levels of sales proneness than Chinese and Japanese consumers) provide a rationale for international retailers to develop different pricing and promotional strategies when expanding their business into these three cultures.
Originality/value
A 21‐item scale to measure five of Lichtenstein et al.'s price perception constructs that has been validated through measurement invariance tests and compared across consumers in China, Japan, and the USA is provided.
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The purpose of this paper is to test the difference among foreign and domestic cosmetics firms in terms of types of strategic innovations they chose in the Chinese market, and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test the difference among foreign and domestic cosmetics firms in terms of types of strategic innovations they chose in the Chinese market, and the difference between domestic large-sized cosmetics firms and cosmetics small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) about types of strategic innovation they choose in the Chinese market.
Design/methodology/approach
The independent-sample t-test was used to compare foreign and domestic cosmetics firms and domestic SMEs and large-sized cosmetics firms.
Findings
Foreign and domestic cosmetics firms should not choose the same type of strategic innovations, and it also showed that Chinese domestic large-sized firms and SMEs should not choose the same types of strategic innovations.
Research limitations/implications
China is the exclusive place of focus. Only 19 types of strategic innovations were analyzed. There may be other variables that have not been addressed in the study.
Practical implications
Though other large-sized companies achieved considerable profitability or growth by using some types of strategic innovations, the same types may not contribute to the same profitability or growth for SMEs. Although foreign cosmetics companies had great growth and profitability in the Chinese market, domestic large-sized companies should not blindly follow them as their needs and situations are different.
Originality/value
From this t-test analysis, it is clear that foreign cosmetics firms and domestic cosmetics firms chose different types of strategic innovation in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, domestic large-sized cosmetics firms and SMEs chose different types of strategic innovation.
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The literature contains relatively little prescriptive guidance for establishing supply chain strategies in the luxury fashion marketplace. The focus has been on fashion rather…
Abstract
Purpose
The literature contains relatively little prescriptive guidance for establishing supply chain strategies in the luxury fashion marketplace. The focus has been on fashion rather than luxury fashion and the purpose of this paper is to identify and explore the critical supply chain success factors to consider when entering the Chinese luxury fashion marketplace.
Design/methodology/approach
Given the lack of research in this area an exploratory and in-depth case study was conducted with a niche UK textile manufacturer.
Findings
Findings from the case study suggest there are four critical success factors to consider when developing a business strategy to enter the Chinese luxury fashion marketplace.
Practical implications
The findings could guide managers that are developing a business case for entering the Chinese luxury fashion marketplace.
Originality/value
This case study provides novel insights to transformations in global supply chain strategy as luxury consumption is moving towards the east, which creates new challenges and demands for European manufacturers to respond, to sustaining a competitive advantage.
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Data has become one of the most significant instruments in e-commerce innovation. Benefits to the entire society can be summarized as following: from the government’s perspective…
Abstract
Data has become one of the most significant instruments in e-commerce innovation. Benefits to the entire society can be summarized as following: from the government’s perspective - to assess the impact of e-commerce to the economy; for merchants - to understand consumers’ needs; and for consumers - to be offered with the right product he/she is looking for. The digital revolution in the past five years has shown the need to offer more differentiated services than the physical stores, when consumers are not able to try and touch products. It is for this reason that e-commerce has continuously developed and transformed Research Online, Purchase Offline into a true experience. Considering the future of e-commerce is to enhance economic development and growth, this research will discuss the disruption of Research and Development through big data. The core objective of this research is to propose a predictive model to deeply understand consumer behavior by analyzing new regulations and transaction records.
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Woon Kian Chong, Mathew Shafaghi and Boon Leing Tan
The purpose of this paper is to critically explore business‐to‐business critical success factors (B2B CSFs) for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the Chinese…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to critically explore business‐to‐business critical success factors (B2B CSFs) for small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the Chinese B2B marketplace, evaluate the findings, and use the generated CSFs to propose a framework to assist in the marketing management of B2B in China. The proposed framework provides a guideline for academics and practitioners and highlights the significant role of each factor in developing and sustaining effective B2B electronic commerce (B2B e‐commerce) practice for SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed framework is constructed by combining the empirical findings and B2B literature. The quantitative (online survey) was targeted at, proprietors, chief executive officers, managing directors, general managers, sales/marketing managers and export managers in selected SMEs that participated in B2B electronic marketplace (B2B e‐marketplace) in China. The data received from the recipients were processed on SPSS to conduct factor analysis to identify whether a factor structure underlies the correlations between a number of variables.
Findings
The findings are indicative of two sets of internal and external critical factors, including: successful customer relationships, supply chain facilities, global competition, information system/information technology (IS/IT) infrastructure and performances, information visibility, top management support and commitment, government encouragement and commitment, security and trust, and cultural consideration.
Practical implications
SME managers can derive a better understanding and measurement of marketing activities that appropriately balance between traditional and B2B e‐commerce practice. At the same time, the CSF can be integrated into the companies to determine the level of marketing performance in B2B e‐marketplace.
Originality/value
The paper's findings provide new theoretical grounds for research into B2B relationships in the digital business environment. The paper also provides an empirical assessment of the essential components in B2B e‐commerce adaptation, and implications for the means to prioritize CSF.
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Chengbo Wang, Zhaofang Mao, James O'Kane and Jun Wang
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a research exploring the important strategic elements and their prioritisation for e-retailers’ home delivery logistics process efficacy…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce a research exploring the important strategic elements and their prioritisation for e-retailers’ home delivery logistics process efficacy improvement.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was completed through focus group, survey and importance-performance analysis.
Findings
The research identified, confirmed and prioritised a set of explicitly important strategic elements currently deemed important by e-retailers for ensuring the efficacy of their home delivery logistics process in Chinese marketplace, and also referential to the other similar emerging marketplaces.
Research limitations/implications
The research contributes positively to the enrichment of the theoretical knowledge pool of e-retailers’ logistics performance improvement.
Practical implications
The research findings guide/inform the strategy development and implementation for e-retailers entering and/or operating in Chinese marketplace. And the findings can also be referential to the e-retail strategy development for entering and operating in other emerging markets similar to China’s. This point is particularly meaningful for those e-retailers that want to expand the outreaching and increase the popularity of their businesses in the global marketplace.
Originality/value
Corresponding to the much needed further research on e-retailing home delivery performance improvement, the research provides findings that add substantial new insights into the field, with a particular focus on China, as one of the emerging developing marketplaces.
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This paper aims to illustrate the concept of “consumer nationalism” and its implications for corporate reputation management in China.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to illustrate the concept of “consumer nationalism” and its implications for corporate reputation management in China.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper discusses three incidents involving companies from different countries of origin as cases in point to explore Chinese consumers' infusion of national identity into the public discourse concerning multinational businesses in the Chinese market.
Findings
It is demonstrated that the emotional power of nationalism is a critical component of the political marketplace in contemporary China and at times becomes central to Chinese consumers' relationship with global brands. Consumer nationalism controversies put the involved companies and brands in the spotlight of confrontation with local citizenry. The salience of consumer national advocacy underscores the tensions and contradictions in China's encounter with globalization.
Research limitations/implications
Conceptually, this paper presents evidence for the necessity to take into account nationalism in understanding contemporary Chinese consumer behavior.
Practical implications
The paper discusses lessons learned through the cases and make three general recommendations on communication strategies for managing consumer nationalism in the Chinese market.
Originality/value of paper
The paper locates the conceptual home for the social phenomenon of national advocacy in the process of consumption and its implications for corporate reputation management.
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Liangjun Zhou, Jerred Junqi Wang, Xiaoying Chen, Chundong Lei, James J. Zhang and Xiao Meng
Building upon the framework of glocalization, the purpose of this paper is to summarize the development of National Basketball Association (NBA) in Chinese market, explore its…
Abstract
Purpose
Building upon the framework of glocalization, the purpose of this paper is to summarize the development of National Basketball Association (NBA) in Chinese market, explore its successful and unsuccessful places, and propose strategies of glocalization for the NBA as well as other overseas sport leagues.
Design/methodology/approach
The current case study was organized by summarizing the developmental history of NBA in China, analyzing its current promotional practices, investigating into its marketing strategies, and extrapolating practical references for other sport leagues aiming to penetrating into the Chinese marketplace.
Findings
The current case study concluded that when facing the current challenges, the NBA needs to bring authentic American cultural commodities while adding Chinese characteristics to accommodate local fans. Meanwhile, the NBA management needs to continue seeking ways to work out and through the differences in government models and cultural contexts between China and USA. In addition, this study suggested that the research framework of glocalization would be an ever intriguing inquiry needed for other sport organizations or leagues seeking expansion to overseas markets.
Originality/value
A thorough case study with the NBA that has achieved huge successes in Chinese markets will provide valuable implications for sport leagues to broaden their overseas markets.
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Keywords
Haijun Bao, Boying Li, Jiaying Shen and Fangfang Hou
Retaining customers is very important for the survival of e-commerce sellers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the roles of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools…
Abstract
Purpose
Retaining customers is very important for the survival of e-commerce sellers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the roles of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools, interactivity, trust and perceived effectiveness of e-commerce institutional mechanisms (PEEIM) in influencing customer’s repurchase intention in the Chinese online e-commerce marketplace.
Design/methodology/approach
The research model is empirically tested using survey data analyzed with partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
This study confirms the positive relation between customer satisfaction and trust in the seller, which further contributes to repurchase intention. Results also support the positive influences of effective use of an instant messenger and feedback system on customer perceived interactivity, which helps enhance trust in the seller. PEEIM demonstrates interesting results regarding its moderating effects.
Research limitations/implications
In the future, researchers can extend the study to other e-commerce platforms and take trust transfer effects and product categories into consideration.
Practical implications
This study highlights the importance to manage trust, PEEIM, interactivity and CMC tools in e-commerce platforms, assisting practitioners to develop appropriate business strategies and processes to retain customers.
Originality/value
This study extends previous investigations by integrating trust and PEEIM with interactivity and testing the model in the context of the Chinese online marketplace.
Details