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1 – 10 of over 4000Carolyn Jia’En Lo, Yelena Tsarenko and Dewi Tojib
Corporate scandals involving senior executives plague many businesses. Although customers and noncustomers may be exposed to news of the same scandal, they may appraise dimensions…
Abstract
Purpose
Corporate scandals involving senior executives plague many businesses. Although customers and noncustomers may be exposed to news of the same scandal, they may appraise dimensions of the transgression differently, thereby affecting post-scandal patronage intentions. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how consumer-firm affiliation affects future patronage intentions by examining nuances in customers’ vs noncustomers’ reactions toward the transgressor’s professional performance and immoral behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
Four between-subjects experimental studies were used to test whether performance-relevant and/or immorality-relevant pathways drive customers’ vs noncustomers’ post-scandal patronage intentions. The results were analyzed using analysis of variance, parallel mediation and serial mediation.
Findings
The results demonstrate that performance judgment, and not immorality judgment, drive the relationship between consumer-firm affiliation and post-scandal patronage intentions (Study 1a), regardless of the order of information presented (Study 1b). Customers form more positive performance judgments because they give more weight to performance-related information (Study 2), demonstrating a sequential effect of consumer-firm affiliation on post-scandal patronage intentions only through the performance-relevant, and not immorality-relevant, pathway (Study 3).
Research limitations/implications
This research contributes to the literature on social distance and moral judgments. Future research should examine other deleterious outcomes such as brand sabotage and negative word-of-mouth, as well as potential moderators including repeated transgressions and prevalence of the infraction in other firms.
Practical implications
This research offers important nuances for understanding how performance and immorality judgments differentially operate and affect post-scandal patronage intentions. The findings highlight the strategic value of communicating the leader’s performance (e.g. professional contributions) as a buffer against potential declining patronage.
Originality/value
Offering new insights into the extant literature and lay beliefs which contend that harsh moral judgment reduces patronage intentions, this research uncovers why and how exposure to the same scandal can result in varying moral judgments that subsequently influence patronage intentions. Importantly, this research shows that the performance-relevant pathway can explain why customers have higher post-scandal patronage intentions compared to noncustomers.
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This study aims to investigate the relationships among monetary cost (stimulus), perceived greenwash fear, attitude and perceived behavioural control (organism-related factors…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationships among monetary cost (stimulus), perceived greenwash fear, attitude and perceived behavioural control (organism-related factors) and green hotel patronage intention (response) using the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 262 valid questionnaires were collected. Data were collected using the purposive sampling method and tested using the partial least squares (PLS) approach.
Findings
Monetary cost is positively related to only one organism-related factor which is perceived greenwash fear. All organism-related factors are positively related to response, which is green hotel patronage intention. Attitude mediates the relationship between perceived greenwash fear and green hotel patronage intention, as well as perceived behavioural control and green hotel patronage intention.
Research limitations/implications
A longitudinal study can be performed in the future to observe the actual green hotel patronage behaviour of customers.
Practical implications
Green hoteliers should focus on the development of communication strategies to enhance their corporate reputation. Green hoteliers also need to build trust by showing their green initiatives are genuine, identify consumers who are willing to pay more for green hotels and offer promotions with price incentives such as frequency discounts, coupons and rebates to increase interest and trialability.
Originality/value
Few studies have focused on the use of monetary cost as a stimulus in the S-O-R model to predict green hotel patronage intention. This study also tested the mediating effect of attitude, one of the organism-related factors, in the model.
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Majd AbedRabbo, Cathy Hart and Fiona Ellis–Chadwick
The purpose of this study is to explore the role played by digital channel integration in the town-centre shopping experience. It also explores how customers perceive the role of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the role played by digital channel integration in the town-centre shopping experience. It also explores how customers perceive the role of digital in the town-centres shopping journeys, improves shopping experiences and encourages positive future patronage behaviour. Ultimately, the aim is to identify the likely implications of a connected shopping experience on patronage intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research design using focus groups to explore customers' perceptions of connected town-centre shopping experiences was deployed. Then, data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify overarching themes.
Findings
Digital integration has the potential to serve discreetly different functions in the town-centre context: create interconnected information channels, facilitate improved connected shopping experiences, generate positive perceptions of a town, which subsequently shape future patronage intentions. The study also revealed expectations of digital integration are yet to be fully realised in the town-centre context and there are tensions between physical and digital domains to be overcome if digital integration is to positively influence patronage intentions.
Research limitations/implications
The nature of exploratory research tends to pose questions and open out a problem rather than provide definitive answers. This study has sought to highlight key issues and also provide points of departure for future studies. The significance and generalisability of the results are limited by the size and nature of the sample.
Originality/value
This study provides theoretical contribution to the town-centre literature by expanding the understanding of consumers' perceptions of the role of digital integration in shopping journey experiences and unlocks insights into its potential impact on future patronage intentions. Practical considerations for integrating digital in the town centre to create more connected shopping experiences.
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Sungjun (Steven) Park, Jin-Su Kang and Gideon D. Markman
Harmonizing religion and economic pursuits is treacherous because mixing the two rarely resonate with consumers, often resulting consumers’ greed perceptions. This paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Harmonizing religion and economic pursuits is treacherous because mixing the two rarely resonate with consumers, often resulting consumers’ greed perceptions. This paper aims to explore the antecedents and consequence of consumers’ greed perceptions in the context of for-profit religious-affiliated companies (FPRCs) and how they can harmonize religious and commercial missions by using different ad types (direct vs indirect appeal).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted two experiments: Study 1 was an online experiment with participants from the USA collected through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (n = 410) to reveal the overall mechanism. Study 2 was a field experiment (n = 292) to corroborate Study 1’s findings. The authors analyzed the data using a multigroup structural equation model.
Findings
First, consumers perceive greed against FPRCs’ dual identities incurred by their commercial activities. Second, when FPRCs obscure their religious identities by using third-party organizations (TPOs) as its promoter (i.e. indirect appeal), consumers’ greed perceptions decline, but this does not increase consumers’ future patronage intentions. Finally, in online and field experiments, consumers enhance their purchase intentions and behavior, respectively, under indirect appeal.
Research limitations/implications
First, further investigation of the cognitive dissonance mechanism when consumers face seemingly contradictory identities of organizations is crucial to identify bottlenecks in promoting FPRCs’ commercial offerings. Second, examining boundary conditions of indirect appeal is important to enhance our understanding of FPRCs’ advertising, such as consumers’ awareness of TPOs’ intentionality. Lastly, not every type of indirect appeal brings the same effects. Future studies may explore diverse forms of indirect appeal, such as using artificial intelligence-based algorithms without TPOs.
Practical implications
Despite heightened interest in supporting dual missions (i.e. purpose and profit), this study shows why doing well while doing good is inherently challenging in practice creating marketing liability. To deal with this, the present findings suggest that, first, rather than exposing an FPRC’s religious (or communal) identity upfront, providing subtle cues through a TPO of its religious affiliation can be persuasive to win the hearts of target customers. Second, given the short-term effectiveness of indirect appeal, FPRCs need to use both direct and indirect appeal flexibly, as each type of ad delivers a distinctive advantage. Lastly, indirect appeal is particularly effective in offline promotional activities in the context of FPRCs.
Originality/value
First, by meshing paradox theory, the authors show that dual identities of FPRCs expose them to a marketing liability that single-mission enterprises rarely face. Second, when FPRCs use indirect appeal, they face a tradeoff between mitigating greed perception and securing future patronage. Third, results from the online experiment and field experiment show when consumers’ intention and actual behavior align.
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Jiayi Lyu, Cora Un In Wong, Zhuo Li and Lianping Ren
This study aims to understand how retailscape of pop-up stores could influence young Chinese tourists’ emotional response and their subsequent shopping intention in the context of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand how retailscape of pop-up stores could influence young Chinese tourists’ emotional response and their subsequent shopping intention in the context of luxury retailing.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was chosen. Building on the theoretical framework of the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) theory, a pop-up store retailscape behavior model was developed to explore the effect of retailscape on young Chinese tourists’ emotional response and patronage intention in a luxury retail setting. In total, 226 structured questionnaires were collected onsite.
Findings
The multiple regression analysis reveals that a luxury pop-up store’s retailscape has a positive influence on young Chinese tourists’ emotional response, but it only has a partial influence on their patronage intention. In addition, the result suggests that young Chinese tourists’ emotional response positively influences their patronage intention in luxury pop-up stores.
Practical implications
The study reveals how retailscape influences behavior among the younger generation, and the results provide important references for the luxury retailers in future design and management of pop-up stores so as to attract and retain the interest of the younger generation.
Originality/value
This study puts retailscape effect under scrutiny in the context of luxury pop-up stores which attract young Chinese tourists, who are regarded as one of the major patrons supporting exclusive retail brands in the world. The stimuli element in the S–O–R model is, thus, reexamined in the context of luxury pop-up stores.
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Ying Zhang, Ann Marie Fiore, Ling Zhang and Xiaogang Liu
To examine the relationships among website design features, consumer experience responses and patronage intention toward online mass customization (OMC) apparel websites.
Abstract
Purpose
To examine the relationships among website design features, consumer experience responses and patronage intention toward online mass customization (OMC) apparel websites.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 312 useable online surveys were obtained from Mainland China consumers. Multi-item scales were adopted to measure eight constructs: visual design; information quality; entertainment, aesthetic, educational, escapist experiences; flow; and patronage intention. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to determine factor structures and to test the hypothesized relationships among website design features, 4Es (entertainment, aesthetic, educational and escapist experiences), flow and consequent purchase intention toward OMC apparel websites.
Findings
All hypotheses, but one, were supported. OMC website visual design; information quality; and entertainment, aesthetic and educational experiences had a positive effect on consumer patronage intention.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations include using a sample of consumers from major cities in China; results cannot be generalized to all Chinese consumers. Websites were not actively navigated. Additionally, the present study examined only two dimensions of OMC website quality, visual design and information quality; more tangible and specific features could be considered in future research.
Practical implications
The findings provide website designers and marketers with insights into experiences that may lead to an increase in patronage intention toward OMC websites.
Originality/value
The study provides evidence that flow helps explain the impact of experiential value (i.e. 4Es) from website design features on patronage intention.
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Parinda Doshi, Priti Nigam and Bikramjit Rishi
This paper aims to validates a framework using the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) to study the effect of values, i.e. Functional Value (FV), Social Value (SV), Emotional…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to validates a framework using the Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) to study the effect of values, i.e. Functional Value (FV), Social Value (SV), Emotional Value (EV) and Monetary Value (MV), on the Patronage Intention (PI) of Social Network Users (SNU’s) with mediating role of Perceived Usefulness (PU).
Design/methodology/approach
A survey method was used to collect responses from 302 SNUs, and the variance-based structural equation method was used to understand the relationships among the constructs.
Findings
The results found a significant positive effect of FV and EV on Perceived Usefulness (PU) and MV and PU on Patronage intention (PI) of SNUs. Further, PU partially mediated the relationship of EV with PI.
Originality/value
This study used the UGT to understand the effect of values on the PI of SNUs. This research study contributes to the existing social networks/social media literature.
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Sherry L. Lotz, Mary Ann Eastlick, Anubha Mishra and Soyeon Shim
This paper aims to apply concepts from “flow” paradigm to examine factors contributing to participation in entertainment and shopping activities at, and future patronage intent…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to apply concepts from “flow” paradigm to examine factors contributing to participation in entertainment and shopping activities at, and future patronage intent toward, entertainment shopping malls.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 342 consumers via mall intercepts conducted at two major entertainment shopping malls located in major metropolitan areas in the US states of Arizona and California. A self‐administered questionnaire was provided to subjects to complete while shopping at the mall. Data analysis was conducted using standard error of mean.
Findings
Supporting flow theory, results suggest that future mall patronage intention is most directly influenced by participation in mall entertainment activities followed by shopping activities. Entertainment and shopping participation are indirectly and positively influenced by patrons' intrinsic motivations, freedom of choice to patronize the mall, and perceptions of challenges and skills in participating in mall activities through their effects on mood states.
Research limitations/implications
Results demonstrated that mall patrons do experience “flow‐like” mood states which influence activity levels in pursuing both mall entertainment and shopping. A study limitation included the focus on one mood state which pointed toward a need to investigate other mood states of mall shoppers.
Originality/value
This paper examines four antecedents, derived from flow theory, that may influence entertainment mall patrons' flow‐type mood states which, in turn, may drive their participation in mall shopping and entertainment activities.
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Paraskevas Argouslidis, Dionysis Skarmeas, Antonios Kühn and Alexis Mavrommatis
This paper aims to propose a framework for psychological reactance–triggered adverse effects of variety reductions in grocery product categories on shoppers’ patronage intentions.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a framework for psychological reactance–triggered adverse effects of variety reductions in grocery product categories on shoppers’ patronage intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper tests this framework in two field studies with European shoppers.
Findings
Participants perceived mild (let alone aggressive or conspicuous) variety reductions as a threat to their prior freedom of choice (i.e. a precondition for the occurrence of domain-specific reactance). Through lower satisfaction with the reduced variety and anger towards the grocer, this threat, in turn, fostered adverse patronage intentions. Such effects depended on product category nature (utilitarian vs hedonic) and shoppers’ intrinsic need for variety, attitude towards private-label items and general proclivity towards experiencing reactance.
Research limitations/implications
By applying psychological reactance theory to a variety reduction context, this paper offers new implications for assortment reduction research. Certain limitations call for future reactance theory–framed inquiry.
Practical implications
The findings caution against traditional grocers’ drastic variety reduction policy and highlight conditions enabling assortment rationalisation without severely affecting freedom of choice.
Originality/value
Drawing on notions such as “the tyranny of choice”, critics have urged traditional grocers to drastically reduce variety. However, this paper shows that shoppers perceive variety reductions as threats to their prior freedom, which traditional grocers themselves educated them to expect and enjoy.
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Madhurima Deb and Vibhas Amawate
This study aims to gain insight on evaluation of cause-related marketing (CrM) campaigns by the millennial with focus on skepticism, brand identity and patronage intention.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to gain insight on evaluation of cause-related marketing (CrM) campaigns by the millennial with focus on skepticism, brand identity and patronage intention.
Design/methodology/approach
To attain the above objective a conceptual model was developed and tested using structural equation modeling and confirmatory factor analysis.
Findings
The finding suggests that sub-segments exist among millennial segments. They can be classified into hedonic, utilitarian, individualistic and collectivists. Compared to utilitarian and individualistic customers hedonic and collectivists were found to evaluate CrM campaign more favorably. Utilitarian and individualistic depict skepticism toward CrM campaign.
Practical implications
The in-depth knowledge gained about millennials is expected to benefit academicians and marketers alike. Academicians will be enriched by the knowledge of the micro-segments that exists among the millennial and how that had differential impact on their skepticism while evaluating CrM campaign. The marketers involved in the designing and implementation of the CrM campaign will be benefited from the in-depth knowledge of segments with lower and higher levels of skepticism. Such knowledge gained will help them develop more effective CrM campaign.
Originality/value
One of the contributions of the present study is that it extends the existing knowledge about millennials, particularly in the context of CrM campaign evaluation integrating it with other important variables such as skepticism, brand identity and patronage intention.
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