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Deals with the management of industrial crises, low‐probability, high‐impact events which typically affect companies involved in them, negatively. Specifically examines the role of three important factors, i.e. company’s reputation, the organizational response that it selects to adopt in order to deal with the crisis, and external effects that are faced during a product safety crisis. Emphasis is placed on determining the effects of an industrial crisis (caused by a harmful product) on the consumers’ attributions of company responsibility. It is shown that high reputation companies have generally an easier time dealing with industrial crises. In addition, companies faced with positive external effects and having voluntarily recalled the defects, are held the least responsible for the harm by consumers. Managerial implications are presented for high and low reputation companies involved in product safety crises, with emphasis placed on crisis prevention rather than mere reaction to it.

Companies as diverse as AT&T, Exxon, and Beech‐Nut have discovered that when a crisis occurs, rarely are a corporation's contingency plans designed well enough to effectively deal with the situation. In this case study of the Perrier crisis, a better job by the company's crisis management team could have saved both the company's and the product's reputation.

The purpose of this study is to provide a conceptual framework for studying the effects of online store atmosphere on consumer behaviour and a compilation of empirical studies from the time when research on web atmospherics emerged in the literature in 1999 until today.

A desk research approach is followed in order to concentrate empirical research on the effects of online store atmosphere on consumer behaviour from top academic journals and conference proceedings through an interdisciplinary research approach (i.e. marketing and information systems literature).

Extant research is concentrated and presented in a structured way. Online store atmosphere influences various aspects of consumer behaviour online. However, there are many open research issues on the effects of online store atmosphere on consumer behaviour.

The present study develops a parsimonious conceptual framework for studying the effects of online store atmosphere, summarises the knowledge on online store atmosphere in a structured and systematic manner, and identifies gaps and opportunities for advancing established knowledge. No single comprehensive collection of empirical research progress on online store atmosphere exists. The paper constitutes a valuable reference of compact information and future research suggestions for both academics and practitioners.

Investigates the conventional wisdom concerning consumer responses associated with product defect during a product‐harm crisis. Reports on an experiment relying primarily on three generally recognized factors: company′s reputation, external effects from regulatory agencies and the press, and organizational responses. Shows that over‐reliance on these areas may mask hidden variables which can prove counterproductive to crisis abatement.

This paper aims at developing profiles of consumers who have already conducted shopping through the Internet and of those who are interested to adopt Internet shopping as an innovation. Based on the theories and processes of consumer adoption decision and diffusion of innovations, the study measures demographic and behavioural characteristics, as well as perceptions and preferences of Greek consumers towards distance shopping in general and Internet retailing in particular. The survey conducted offers insightful preliminary empirical data based on which detailed profiles of Internet shoppers (“innovators”) and interested‐to‐adopt Internet shopping (“early adopters”) are developed. The empirical research findings of this study provide relevant managerial implications while setting the foundation for future research directions in this area.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the virtual store layout's perceived ease of use effects on consumer behaviour and the perceived differences of two layout patterns most commonly used in air travel web sites (i.e. grid and freeform layout).

Data were collected through a laboratory experiment from a total of 241 students at a business school. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to evaluate the research model and test the research

Results confirm and extend available knowledge regarding virtual store layout effects on shopper responses. However, findings imply that layout pattern affects perceived pleasure and not ease of use in the investigated sector. Additionally, the study confirms the moderating role of atmospheric responsiveness.

Managers should consider and apply the optimal level of ease of use at their web stores' virtual layout to facilitate and yet engage consumers during their online trip.

In the context of e‐tailing, past research examined store layout effects on consumer behaviour mostly through a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach. Elaborating on these research insights, the present research attempt employs an environmental psychology approach measuring the effects of perceived layout on consumer behaviour in the online travel industry through the S‐O‐R paradigm perspective.

Product‐harm crises have become an almost familiar phenomenon in today's business environment as technology becomes more vulnerable. Even if a product‐harm crisis is associated with the company that manufactured the defective product, the entire industry may be affected. Not only consumers of the affected company, but also consumers of competitors are affected by the crisis. The paper seeks to deal mainly with the situation of competitors and examines the potential opportunities and threats that may arise when another company in the same industry faces a product‐harm crisis.

For the purposes of this paper, an experiment was conducted that relied on four important influential factors of crisis management (i.e. corporate reputation, crisis scope, external effects, and organisational responses). The crisis was described through a hypothetical scenario. Consumer attitudes towards competitive products were used to determine impending prospects and threats.

The paper's results demonstrate that consumers are very receptive in buying competitor brands, especially when the extent of the crisis was medium or high and the company involved in the crisis had shown low levels of social responsibility.

Previous research studies on crisis management mainly focus on the affected company and how it confronted the crisis. The paper approaches crisis management from the competitor's perspective. Because a crisis may influence the entire sector, adequate preparation and effective crisis management skills are essential assets for competitors.

This paper aims to examine consumer reactions during product-harm crises by measuring the impact of perceived risk, blame and trust on consumer purchase intentions. Moreover, the role of perceived crisis severity is examined as affecting the three main endogenous variables of the conceptual framework.

The study uses the real-scenario approach for empirically testing the proposed conceptual framework. Participants were called to assess the story of a defective product (i.e. a soother that was recently recalled).

Results of the equation modeling demonstrate that perceived severity significantly influence trust and blame while it does not affect perceived risk. In addition, trust, blame and perceived risk notably affect purchase intentions.

Based on the study’s results, companies could implement appropriate strategies for reducing the negative consequences of a product-harm crisis.

The paper presents four key originality traits: Crisis management from the consumer perspective has received little attention. The relationship between trust, perceived risk and purchase intentions has not been explored in the crisis management field. Attribution of blame is a new variable added to the perceived risk-trust-purchase intention model. Perceived severity is examined as a moderator affecting the main endogenous variables of the conceptual framework.

The aim of the present study is twofold. First, it measures Facebook users’ experience in a holistic way by taking into account the various dimensions of Facebook experience (i.e. entertainment, flow, escapism, challenge, learning, socializing and communitas); second, it tests the effects of these dimensions in relation to consumers’ brand engagement on Facebook.

Two online surveys were conducted using self-administered questionnaires. Respondents were recruited through the snowball sampling technique.

The findings suggest that the different experiential elements of Facebook usage have varying effects on the two brand engagement factors (consuming and contributing) on Facebook. Specifically, the passive element (consuming) is positively influenced by the dimensions of flow and communitas (i.e. feelings of belongingness), while escapism is found to be a negative predictor. The active element of engagement (contributing) is positively affected by dimensions such as entertainment, flow, socializing and communitas.

Brand managers should design Facebook pages for their brands that entertain and immerse consumers, while enabling them to socialize and bond with others to increase levels of consumers’ engagement with brands on Facebook. However, brand managers should be cautious regarding the fantasy experience (escapism) offered by their Facebook pages, as this can distract consumers from the content of the brand page.

To date, most studies on Facebook usage have been conducted under the uses and gratifications framework, while the various elements that comprise Facebook users’ experience have not received sufficient attention in previous conceptualizations of Facebook experience. In addition, the present study enhances the research by examining consumers’ brand engagement on Facebook as a potential consequence of the various Facebook experience dimensions.

This paper aims to investigate the consumer responses associated with crises in the hotel industry. More precisely, the current research explores the factors that affect consumer attitudes (i.e. impressions, perceived social responsibility, and future purchases) during a hotel crisis.

An experiment was conducted relying on four factors: the hotel's reputation, the extent of the crisis, external effects from regulatory agencies, and press and organisational response. Respondents were randomly assigned to 36 treatment groups (three levels of crisis extent×two levels of hotel corporate reputation×two levels of external effects×three levels of hotel response). Scenarios were developed, each describing one of the 36 treatments.

The results revealed that reputation, external effects and organisational response significantly influenced consumers. Specifically, consumers were more likely to have a positive impression of a hotel in crisis, to perceive the hotel as being more socially responsible, and to revisit the hotel when it was highly reputed, accepted responsibility, and was viewed favourably by the media. The extent of the crisis was found to be an insignificant factor.

Hotel managers could incorporate the results of this study into their crisis management plans. As consumer attitudes are explored, the hotel might begin to achieve more effective crisis management strategies.

There is a lack of research investigating hotel crisis management from the customer's perspective. By adopting effective crisis management practices, hotel managers could reduce the negative outcomes of crises such as fires.