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1 – 10 of 155Lenka van Riemsdijk, Paul T.M. Ingenbleek, Marleen Houthuijs and Hans C.M. van Trijp
Next to organic food products, an assortment of ethical products is emerging in the supermarket that targets the large market segment of consumers that are open for ethical…
Abstract
Purpose
Next to organic food products, an assortment of ethical products is emerging in the supermarket that targets the large market segment of consumers that are open for ethical product choices but do not restrict themselves to them. The purpose of this paper is to examine the positioning strategies that marketers use to persuade consumers in this segment to buy animal-friendly products (AFPs).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors approach product positioning from a consumption values perspective from which they examine strategies that make animal welfare (AW) personally relevant to the buyer because they reinforce AW with suitable consumption value (functional, emotional, social, sensory, epistemic and/or ethical). Using data from 129 AFPs from a Dutch supermarket, the authors explore the positioning strategies of these products.
Findings
The results identified four different strategies used to position AFPs in a Dutch supermarket. They respectively call upon consumers’ emotions, functional or sensory perceptions, curiosity and sense of public welfare. The findings also show substantial category differences, with fresh products relying predominantly on emotional value and processed food on functional value.
Originality/value
This study is the first to empirically explore positioning strategies of AFPs on the basis of their consumption values. The study offers a novel perspective to understand how companies try to extend the market for AFPs, thus providing a basis for a new research agenda.
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Ellen van Kleef, Tanja Meeuwsen, Jetteke Rigterink and Hans Van Trijp
In many countries, schools move toward healthier canteen assortments by limiting the supply of unhealthy foods. The question arises whether this gives any undesirable side effects…
Abstract
Purpose
In many countries, schools move toward healthier canteen assortments by limiting the supply of unhealthy foods. The question arises whether this gives any undesirable side effects with students (e.g. compensation in purchases from school to outside retailers, reactance) and how to handle these so that operating school canteens remains financially viable. The purpose of this paper is to identify perspectives toward healthy school food assortments held by vocational education students and professionals within secondary and vocational schools with responsibility for school food policy (e.g. school canteen workers, teachers, school directors) in the Netherlands.
Design/methodology/approach
Four focus groups were conducted with students at a vocational school (n=25 in total). A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct discussions. The interview guide also included three school canteen scenario’s (A: 100 percent healthy food, B: 50 percent healthy/50 percent unhealthy foods and C: 100 percent unhealthy food) and a set of nine intervention strategies. A brief survey included questions on the same three scenario’s and nine intervention strategies. A web-based survey was conducted among 68 professionals responsible for school food policy and included their evaluation of the same canteen scenarios and interventions. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Content analysis was done on the qualitative data.
Findings
School food professionals were highly supportive of Scenario A (100 percent healthy food), as this formed a better fit with their policies and was believed to stronger encourage healthy eating. They did worry about financial feasibility given lower affordability and student reluctance to accept the assortment. Students were less in favor of Scenario A. Students discussed getting value for money and remaining freedom to make unhealthy choices. The authors discuss implications for policy makers who aim to implement measures to improve young people’s eating habits.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on creating healthier school food environments. This study uniquely examines a healthier school canteen from a viability perspective, including the views of students as primary customers. Given the need to progressively increase the number of foods complying to dietary guidelines in canteen assortments, this study provides insights into how and why assortment changes best can be implemented.
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Quang Ta Minh, Li Lin-Schilstra, Le Cong Tru, Paul T.M. Ingenbleek and Hans C.M. van Trijp
This study explores the integration of smallholder farmers into the export market in Vietnam, an emerging economy. By introducing a prospective framework, we seek to provide…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the integration of smallholder farmers into the export market in Vietnam, an emerging economy. By introducing a prospective framework, we seek to provide insight into factors that influence this integration process.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines the expected growth and entry of Vietnamese smallholder farmers into high-value export markets. We collected information from 200 independent farmers as well as from five local extension workers, who provided information on 50 farmers.
Findings
The study reveals that the adoption of new business models is more influential than the variables traditionally included in models of export-market integration in predicting expected growth and entry into high-value export markets. In addition, the results highlight divergent views between farmers and extension workers regarding the role of collectors, with farmers perceiving collectors as potential partners, while extension workers see them as impediments to growth.
Research limitations/implications
The prospective model presented in this study highlights the importance of policy interventions aimed at promoting new business models and addressing infrastructure and capital constraints for the sustainable transformation of agricultural sectors in emerging markets.
Originality/value
This is one of the first articles to apply a prospective approach to export-market integration and demonstrate its efficacy through an empirical study. The suggested prospective approach could facilitate the design of policies aimed at export-market integration within the context of dynamic, emerging markets.
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Francesco Bimbo, Alessandro Bonanno, Hans Van Trijp and Rosaria Viscecchia
Psychological factors, such as body image dissatisfaction and the negative feelings associated with it may be related to the adoption of unhealthy eating behaviours. Also, body…
Abstract
Purpose
Psychological factors, such as body image dissatisfaction and the negative feelings associated with it may be related to the adoption of unhealthy eating behaviours. Also, body image dissatisfaction may lower the likelihood of engaging in long-term healthy eating habits and in the level of attention paid to the quality of the food consumed. As a result, body image may be related to consumers’ choice to purchase and consume health-enhancing food products. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A pilot study of a small sample of Italian yogurt consumers was employed to explore if there is a relationship between respondents’ level of body image dissatisfaction and the number of health-enhancing yogurt choices. The data were collected by means of a virtual-shelf technique and were analysed using a negative binomial regression.
Findings
Results indicate that body image dissatisfaction is inversely related to the number of yogurt packages with health-enhancing features chosen from the virtual shelf. Also, respondents who read the nutrition label and those with more knowledge regarding leading functional yogurt brands, selected a higher number of functional yogurts from the virtual shelf compared, especially among women.
Research limitations/implications
The results indicate that body image dissatisfaction is inversely related to the number of yogurt packages with health-enhancing features chosen from the virtual shelf. Also, respondents who read the nutrition label and those with more knowledge regarding leading health-enhancing yogurt brands selected a higher number of health-enhancing yogurts options from the virtual shelf compared to others, especially among women.
Originality/value
The relationship between body image dissatisfaction and health-enhancing food choices has not been investigated in the consumer science and marketing literature. Additionally, this is one of the few papers that use a virtual shelf as a data-collection method.
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Mario Duarte Canever, Hans van Trijp and Ivo van der Lans
This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of different segmentation schemes as the basis of marketing strategy, with particular respect to supply‐chain decisions, and to propose…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of different segmentation schemes as the basis of marketing strategy, with particular respect to supply‐chain decisions, and to propose a new procedure capable of combining benefits sought and features available.
Design/methodology/approach
In a study of buyers and consumers of beef in Brazil, segments based on three approaches were derived by hierarchical cluster analysis, fine‐tuned by K‐means cluster analysis. The outcome was evaluated for the viability and actionability of the preferred procedure, both objectively and through interviews with managers in the beef‐supply business.
Findings
The results revealed that a segmentation scheme combining benefits sought and features available yields more homogeneous and actionable segments, and has real promise as an input to the formulation and implementation of supply‐chain strategy.
Research limitations/implications
This promising innovation in market segmentation requires further study, and testing in the marketplace.
Practical implications
The proposed system is a usable aid to decision making.
Originality/value
The paper proposes an original approach to market segmentation.
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Janneke de Jonge, Lynn Frewer, Hans van Trijp, Reint Jan Renes, Willem de Wit and Joke Timmers
In response to the potential for negative economic and societal effects resulting from a low level of consumer confidence in food safety, it is important to know how confidence is…
Abstract
In response to the potential for negative economic and societal effects resulting from a low level of consumer confidence in food safety, it is important to know how confidence is potentially influenced by external events. The aim of this article is to describe the development of a monitor that enables changes in consumer confidence in food safety and consumer food choice behaviour to be assessed in conjunction with changes in institutional activities and food safety incidents. Results of the first assessment of longitudinal data on consumer perceptions of food safety will be presented to provide the basis for the development of such a monitor. A better understanding of the interrelationships between antecedents and behavioural consequences of changes in consumer confidence in food safety over time will improve understanding of the effectiveness of public policy, and allow the development of best practice in risk communication and risk management.
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Ziaul Haque Munim, Dhanavanth Reddy Maditati, Sebastian Kummer and Hans-Joachim Schramm
This study aims to explore the gaps concerning the organizational operant resources (OORs) of logistics service providers (LSPs) expected in outsourcing relationships. The study…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the gaps concerning the organizational operant resources (OORs) of logistics service providers (LSPs) expected in outsourcing relationships. The study considers the views of both manufacturing firms (M-firms) and LSPs in India and DACH region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) seeking gaps within and across regions.
Design/methodology/approach
This research employed a survey targeting executives from large M-firms and LSPs in both India and DACH. The perceptions about the importance and improvement expectations of 17 OORs are analyzed. A modified version of importance-improvement analysis (A-B), a novel comparative A-B analysis (CABA) method, has been proposed to identify the importance and improvement gaps in OORs between M-firms and LSPs within and across India and the DACH region.
Findings
There are more gaps between M-firms and LSPs in India compared to DACH. Cross-country comparisons reveal that LSPs in India and DACH have similar perceptions concerning the OORs, but M-firms in India have significantly higher improvement expectations than those in DACH.
Research limitations/implications
This study proposes an analytical approach that enables managers to identify improvement areas and better align with their outsourcing relationship partners. It also highlights aspects that need to be considered while entering emerging markets such as India.
Originality/value
The analysis approach using CABA is novel. Also, among the cross-country studies, this is the first to compare outsourcing relationships in India with the DACH region while involving both users' and service providers' perspectives.
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Anca E. Cretu and Roderick J. Brodie
Companies in all industries are searching for new sources of competitive advantage since the competition in their marketplace is becoming increasingly intensive. The…
Abstract
Companies in all industries are searching for new sources of competitive advantage since the competition in their marketplace is becoming increasingly intensive. The resource-based view of the firm explains the sources of sustainable competitive advantages. From a resource-based view perspective, relational based assets (i.e., the assets resulting from firm contacts in the marketplace) enable competitive advantage. The relational based assets examined in this work are brand image and corporate reputation, as components of brand equity, and customer value. This paper explores how they create value. Despite the relatively large amount of literature describing the benefits of firms in having strong brand equity and delivering customer value, no research validated the linkage of brand equity components, brand image, and corporate reputation, simultaneously in the customer value–customer loyalty chain. This work presents a model of testing these relationships in consumer goods, in a business-to-business context. The results demonstrate the differential roles of brand image and corporate reputation on perceived quality, customer value, and customer loyalty. Brand image influences the perception of quality of the products and the additional services, whereas corporate reputation actions beyond brand image, estimating the customer value and customer loyalty. The effects of corporate reputation are also validated on different samples. The results demonstrate the importance of managing brand equity facets, brand image, and corporate reputation since their differential impacts on perceived quality, customer value, and customer loyalty. The results also demonstrate that companies should not limit to invest only in brand image. Maintaining and enhancing corporate reputation can have a stronger impact on customer value and customer loyalty, and can create differential competitive advantage.
Mahafuz Mannan, Nusrat Chowdhury, Priodorshine Sarker and Riasat Amir
The purpose of this study is to provide an insight into the crucial antecedents of customer satisfaction and revisit intention in the context of dining restaurants in a holistic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to provide an insight into the crucial antecedents of customer satisfaction and revisit intention in the context of dining restaurants in a holistic approach, taking Bangladesh as a unit of analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design was cross-sectional. Data were collected from 30 dining restaurants in Dhaka city, Bangladesh. The proposed model was tested using partial least square structural equation modeling with a sample size of 600 respondents.
Findings
The antecedents of customer satisfaction (i.e. service quality, food quality, atmospherics, other customers and perceived value/price) were found to have significant positive effects on customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction and restaurant reputation were found to have significant positive effects on revisit intention, while variety seeking tendency was found to have a significant negative effect on revisit intention. Trust was found to partially mediate the customer satisfaction-revisit intention and restaurant reputation-revisit intention relationships.
Originality/value
This study is among the first to provide a holistic approach toward the crucial antecedents of customer satisfaction (i.e. service quality, food quality, atmospherics, other customers and perceived value) and revisit intention (i.e. customer satisfaction, variety seeking tendency, trust and restaurant reputation) in one structural equation model, and investigated their interrelationships in the context of dining restaurants. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that has investigated the mediating role of trust between the customer satisfaction-revisit intention and restaurant reputation-revisit intention relationships in the context of dining restaurants. From a market-specific context, this the first study to investigate and link the examined variables in the context of Bangladeshi dining restaurants.