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21 – 30 of 137Russell Tronstad and James Unterschultz
Quality traits desired by consumers may not be adequately captured by beef industry standards associated with grid or value‐based pricing alone. Aims to demonstrate this…
Abstract
Purpose
Quality traits desired by consumers may not be adequately captured by beef industry standards associated with grid or value‐based pricing alone. Aims to demonstrate this shortcoming by examining strategies of selected companies in North America at the four supply chain levels of cow‐calf genetics, feedlot feeding, processing, and retailing that have been proactive in producing desirable beef attributes efficiently to better meet consumer beef demand.
Design/methodology/approach
The vertical alliance between Ralphs retailing, Sunland Beef processing, and a handful of feedlots using narrowly defined beef genetics are examined to illustrate how consumer market research and coordination throughout the supply chain may address many shortcomings associated with current value‐based pricing of beef criteria.
Findings
Better information sharing and coordination between seedstock and retail industries could help assure that consumer preferences of beef palatability and consistency are met while meeting high production efficiency standards.
Practical implications
Cow‐calf, feedlot, and packing industries need to better track and manage information flows of genetic‐management paths from consumer to seedstock producer in order for the beef industry to be more competitive.
Originality/value
Experiences of our case companies suggest that the beef industry will need to look beyond the North American grid or value‐based pricing of beef in order to maintain or improve market share with competing pork and poultry sectors.
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M. Nusrate Aziz and Osman Bin Mohamad
The purpose of this paper is to identify some well-set instruments in Islam that can efficiently alleviate poverty, solve social problems and reduce social inequality through a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify some well-set instruments in Islam that can efficiently alleviate poverty, solve social problems and reduce social inequality through a new operational framework called “Islamic social business (ISB)”.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a conceptual research that is based on Al-Quranic principles as well as contemporary social welfare philosophies, such as, augmented stakeholder theory, social enterprise and social business. Al-Quran, Al-Hadith and existing traditional and Islamic literature are consulted for this study.
Findings
The study proposes an efficient system of Islamic wealth sourcing and management to make the process of poverty alleviation sustainable. Other social problems for disadvantaged people, such as, health-, shelter-, literacy- and environmental-related issues are also addressed in the proposed system. The study identifies the inefficiency in the current practices and makes some propositions that are in conformance with Islamic principles and implementable by Islamic institutions all over the world. The authors propose a theoretical framework and operational propositions for ISB.
Practical implications
In following this study, social policymakers, Islamic financial institutions, Islamic social enterprises and Islamic charity organizations will find organized guidelines to initiate “new entities” or “reshape existing entities”.
Social implications
The study will be effective in solving social problems, alleviating poverty and reducing social inequality.
Originality/value
This is the first study that identifies all the potential Islamic sources of funding and the efficient management thereof through ISB. The study also proposes an ISB model and makes several propositions for different types of ISB.
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Juliet Memery, Robert Angell, Phil Megicks and Adam Lindgreen
This study aims to investigate how attributes associated with local food (intrinsic product quality; local support) motivate purchase behaviour. Previous research assumes…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how attributes associated with local food (intrinsic product quality; local support) motivate purchase behaviour. Previous research assumes heterogeneity in consumer motivation, but this has never been formally assessed. As such, the influence of local food attributes in motivating product use is integrated into a model in which consumer values and personal characteristics/situational variables are specified as moderators.
Design/methodology/approach
Eight hypotheses are tested using data collected from a quota sample of respondents recruited via an online panel of 1,223 shoppers. A three-stage analysis is used using structural equation modelling. Moderation effects are tested using both latent interactions and multiple-group analysis.
Findings
Shoppers purchase local food more frequently as a consequence of local support rather than intrinsic product quality. Unpicking these relationships reveal that local support has an amplified effect when local identity is higher, and when the shopper is either female or of an older age (55 years plus). Surprisingly, the influence of intrinsic product quality is equivalent by gender, age and location (rural/urban).
Practical implications
Marketers promoting locally produced foods should focus on both the intrinsic attributes of local food as well as the role it plays within the local community. The latter is more likely to be successful with communications aimed at women and older consumers.
Originality/value
With previous studies focusing on how local food attributes influence favourable consumer behaviours, the current study unpicks these relationships by examining heterogeneity in responses. This is the first study to concurrently use attributes, values and personal characteristics/situational variables in explaining shopping behaviour for local food.
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Zaira Camoiras-Rodriguez and Concepción Varela
This study aims to increase the understanding of the drivers of mobile shopping, by analyzing when and how two personality traits – value consciousness and shopping enjoyment …
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to increase the understanding of the drivers of mobile shopping, by analyzing when and how two personality traits – value consciousness and shopping enjoyment – impact mobile shopping intention through usefulness and ease-of-use perceptions.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the conditioned indirect effects, path analysis is used.
Findings
The results indicate that both consumers’ value consciousness and shopping enjoyment have a positive indirect effect on mobile shopping intention. However, shopping enjoyment is related only through usefulness, whereas value consciousness is related via both usefulness and ease of use. The results also suggest the need to consider boundary conditions when examining the impact of personality traits.
Practical implications
Mobile retailers need to conduct market segmentation based on users’ personalities when trying to increase their customer base.
Originality/value
Despite the relevance of personality traits on individual behavior, studies on the effects that different aspects of personality have on the participation of individuals in mobile commerce are very scarce and show inconsistent results regarding their impact. Thus, this study tries to contribute to the mobile commerce research by analyzing the interplay between two customer characteristics and two mediating variables: ease-of-use and usefulness perceptions.
Propósito
Esta investigación busca aumentar la comprensión de los antecedentes de las compras móviles, analizando cuándo y cómo dos rasgos de personalidad – conciencia de valor y disfrute por la compra – afectan a la intención de compra móvil a través de las percepciones de utilidad y facilidad de uso.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Para comprobar los efectos indirectos condicionados propuestos se emplea un análisis path.
Hallazgos
Los resultados indican que tanto la conciencia de valor como el disfrute por la compra de los consumidores tienen un efecto indirecto positivo en la intención de compra móvil. Sin embargo, el disfrute por la compra se relaciona sólo a través de la utilidad, mientras que la conciencia de valor se relaciona tanto a través de la utilidad como de la facilidad de uso. Los resultados también sugieren la necesidad de considerar factores moderadores al examinar el impacto de los rasgos de personalidad.
Implicaciones para la gestión
Los minoristas a través del móvil que quieran aumentar su base de clientes necesitan segmentar el mercado en base a la personalidad de los usuarios.
Originalidad/valor
A pesar de la relevancia que tienen los rasgos de personalidad en el comportamiento de los individuos, los estudios sobre los efectos de distintos aspectos de la personalidad sobre la participación de los individuos en el comercio móvil son muy escasos y muestran resultados inconsistentes. Así, este estudio intenta contribuir a la investigación sobre comercio móvil analizando la relación entre dos características del consumidor y dos variables mediadoras: las percepciones de facilidad de uso y utilidad.
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Angeline Gautami Fernando, Bharadhwaj Sivakumaran and L. Suganthi
Second-hand/used goods channels compete with existing traditional channels to satisfy consumers’ needs that are unmet by traditional retail networks. However, most studies on…
Abstract
Purpose
Second-hand/used goods channels compete with existing traditional channels to satisfy consumers’ needs that are unmet by traditional retail networks. However, most studies on online shopping have largely ignored online second-hand/used good purchases. This study aims to use Thaler’s mental accounting model, principal–agent perspective and contamination theory to highlight the differences in the value sought by online new goods and second-hand shoppers.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual framework linking perceived uncertainty, perceived acquisition value and e-loyalty was developed and tested using structural equation modelling. The moderating effects of product type (new vs second-hand) and frugality were also included.
Findings
The paper found strong support for the model. Results showed that online second-hand shoppers were more uncertain and perceived lesser levels of acquisition value when compared to new goods shoppers. They were also less frugal. Online shoppers are also more likely to buy products with sensory attributes (experience goods) in new goods websites and products with non-sensory attributes (search goods) from second-hand websites. The authors recommend various ways in which managers can increase perceived value for the online shopper.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies can extend this investigation by including transaction value or other hedonic values to verify their impact on acquisition value and e-loyalty. While the authors found support for the notion that consumers who buy used goods online are less frugal, there is some research that could point to the opposite. Hence, research can investigate this topic in depth in more countries to throw more light on this.
Practical implications
To sustain themselves in a competitive online market, retailers need to understand the value sought by consumers. This study provides empirical evidence of the importance of acquisition value for new goods and second-hand shoppers.
Originality/value
No recent research has compared the value sought by online second-hand and new goods shoppers. This study contributes to the understanding of the acquisition value perceived by consumers in online new goods and second-hand shopping channels.
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Alistair Williams, Glyn Atwal and Douglas Bryson
The purpose of this paper is to consider the design of experiential marketing strategies within the luxury beer category.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the design of experiential marketing strategies within the luxury beer category.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is exploratory in order to provide a broad, grounded starting point within the context of a changing luxury landscape.
Findings
Consumer responses to the craft beer consumption experience can be applied to the four dimensions of experiential value as defined by Mathwick et al. (2001): consumer return on investment; perceived excellence value; perceived playfulness; and perceived aesthetic value.
Practical implications
This analysis suggests that the degree to which a luxury beer brand is able to deliver experiential value will largely determine its market success.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to study experiential marketing within the context of the luxury beer category.
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Yohan Bernard, Laurent Bertrandias and Leila Elgaaied-Gambier
To encourage sustainable consumer practices, public policy makers introduce new ecological measures, including mandatory programmes that require companies to provide environmental…
Abstract
Purpose
To encourage sustainable consumer practices, public policy makers introduce new ecological measures, including mandatory programmes that require companies to provide environmental information about their products, even if the information is not flattering. Few academic studies consider the potential impacts of such mandatory eco-labels on consumer behaviour; the purpose of this paper is to seek to identify conditions in which a generalized eco-label in stores might modify consumers’ purchase choices.
Design/methodology/approach
Two quasi-experimental studies (n=333, 126) manipulate environmental information with a simple, traffic light – shaped eco-label. The measures focus on respondents’ choice or purchasing intentions, perceptions of the environmental harmfulness of each product, and individual characteristics (i.e. environmental concern, price sensitivity, familiarity with environmental information about the product category).
Findings
The presence of an eco-label influences consumers’ beliefs about products’ environmental harm and thus choice. The effect of perceived harmfulness on choice is moderated by environmental concern and price sensitivity, though combined effects arise for only one of the two product categories tested (dish soap, not yoghurt). With a third product category (paper towels), Study 2 confirms the influence of familiarity with environmental information.
Research limitations/implications
Familiarity with environmental information accounts for some differences across product categories, but other factors also come into play. These results must be interpreted carefully due to the use of a fictive eco-label.
Originality/value
This paper examines the potential effects of a generalized, mandatory programme. It also addresses the lack of consistent label effectiveness across product categories, with a possible explanation based on perceived familiarity with environmental information.
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Abhishek Dwivedi, Morgan Miles, Eddie Oczkowski, Jay Weerawardena, Lester W. Johnson and Dean Wilkie
Relational engagement is offered as a framework to describe how buyers and sellers conduct exchange. Relational engagement is conceptualized as a higher-order construct comprising…
Abstract
Purpose
Relational engagement is offered as a framework to describe how buyers and sellers conduct exchange. Relational engagement is conceptualized as a higher-order construct comprising three dimensions: legal bonds, knowledge exchange and co-production. This paper aims to examine the efficacy of the construct by testing its influence on buyer–perceived seller brand equity.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey of 401 US-based industrial buyers was conducted. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Empirical analysis supports the proposed conceptualization of relational engagement, as well as its influence on seller brand equity through influencing buyer-perceived relationship effectiveness.
Practical implications
Relational engagement offers a template to sellers for engaging organizational buyers. A relational engagement strategy has favorable implications for seller brand equity.
Originality/value
Relational engagement offers a comprehensive strategic perspective on inter-organizational exchange, moving beyond tactical approaches. The framework reflects the continuum of exchange, incorporating transactional-dominant and relationship-dominant forms of inter-organizational marketing practices.
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Liu Fan, Ja‐Chul Gu, Yung‐Ho Suh and Sang‐Chul Lee
The purpose of this research is to develop and test a model explaining users’ intention to adopt online games in China. Through theories from diverse fields of information systems…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to develop and test a model explaining users’ intention to adopt online games in China. Through theories from diverse fields of information systems research, the authors aim to examine and validate antecedents of users’ intentions to play online games.
Design/methodology/approach
The model proposes subjective norms and perceived control as antecedents to technology acceptance model (TAM) related beliefs, while suggesting convenience of operator, reality of design, provision of information and sense of belonging as antecedents of flow. The authors study the causal relations between the antecedents and usage intention by using structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the causalities in the proposed model.
Findings
The results indicate that perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), flow and subjective norms are direct predictors of Chinese online games users’ intentions. Subjective norm and sense of belonging are shown to be important predictors of PU, while provision of information reveals an important negative influence on PU. At the same time, system quality shows no significant influence on PU. Perceived control and convenience of operator are both antecedents of PEOU. Furthermore, except for the sense of belonging, the proposed four antecedents of flow are tested for their effect on PU.
Originality/value
This research systematically includes relevant antecedents in MIS research to test online game users’ intention to adopt online games. It also provides some managerial insights that can guide Chinese online game companies to improve their games to attract users, and help foreign online game companies to make strategic plans to enter the huge Chinese online game market.
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Building on the social identity theory perspectives, by analyzing multiple qualitative case study data of successful and award‐winning women small business owner‐managers, this…
Abstract
Purpose
Building on the social identity theory perspectives, by analyzing multiple qualitative case study data of successful and award‐winning women small business owner‐managers, this study aims to find that, in the Sri Lankan context, social identities of women play an important role.
Design/methodology/approach
Social identities are understood to be individuals' popularity, reputation, worthiness, social recognition, competence, and power. Social identities act as self‐motivators for women to maintain excellence in quality standards, positive image, and venture into innovations. Women's social identities portrayed them as trustworthy entrepreneurs, while attracting new clients and building confidence within new clients early in the internationalization process of their small businesses.
Findings
This study concludes that the social identity of women entrepreneurs enabled them to break glass ceilings and emerge as competent entrepreneurs who can be successful in international markets. Therefore, favorable policies and an in‐depth research are needed to recognize and build women's social identities as entrepreneurs and provide supportive environment promoting internationalization of women's small businesses.
Originality/value
It is the author's belief that the findings will support developing a new research agenda to further explore a new dimension of social identity as an important constituent of future theories of internationalization of women‐owned SBs.
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