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With the tremendous increase in the number of netizens, online consumer behavior has become an important issue nowadays. One of the important issues of online consumer behavior is e-consumer conformity. This paper aims to explore prominent factors of e-consumer conformity and its impact on consumer attitude, which helps marketers to understand this new business arena and involve this relationship to enhance their business.

For the purpose, convenience sampling was used with sample size of 510. Offline as well as online mode of survey was applied. The resultant hypotheses (based on the developed model depicting normative and informational consumer conformity effect on attitude) were examined by structured equation modeling.

The present study presents the different dimensions of e-consumer conformity and its difference in metro and non-metro cities on which marketers have to frame their strategies. The study revealed that the customer attitude is largely affected by others expectations (conformance with others expectations, NCC) rather others knowledge and expertise (ICC). Additionally, the comparison of virtual conformity behavior of metro and non-metro customers was made, and it was found that conformity behavior does not significantly differ in these two contexts.

Business saturation in metro cities, infrastructural growth and technological advancement in non-metro cities, companies are moving toward non-metro cities. Due to contextual differences existing between metro and non-metro market, it is difficult to trace the changes in the marketing policies and device the appropriate strategy accordingly for the marketers. In lieu of this, the present study presents the different dimensions of e-consumer conformity and its degree of difference in metro and non-metro cities on which marketers have to frame their strategies.

Good number of research has been conducted on consumer conformity in India; however, there is a scarcity of literature in virtual consumer conformity in India. This research is not only establishing the relationship between virtual consumer conformity and consumer attitude but also establishing the difference of virtual consumer conformity in metro and non-metro cities in India.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of environmental concern, perceived value, personal norms and willingness to pay on generation Z’s purchase intention for recycled clothing.

The data were collected from five Indian universities. A total of 497 usable responses were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for examining the validity and reliability of the scales. Further, the structural equation modeling was used to assess the relationship among the constructs.

Findings suggested that willingness to pay, environmental concern, perceived value and personal norms influence generation Z’s purchase intention for recycled clothing. Willingness to pay, environmental concern and perceived value were major predictors of purchase intention for recycled clothing.

This study holds much importance to the marketers of recycled clothing as it provides useful insights for formulating the appropriate promotional strategies. The study also contributes to the consumer behavior literature by addressing the existing research gap.

Most of the studies existing in this area have focused on the manufacturing side only except few which explored the consumption side of recycled clothing. Hence, the current study is an attempt to fill this research gap.

The current study has drawn attention to investigating the impact of social media influencers’ (SMIs) authenticity on followers buying behavior by using followers who have an ongoing relationship with an influencer and are knowledgeable about the influencer. The study further intends to reveal the mediating effect of parasocial interaction on the relationship between SMI's authenticity and followers' purchase behavior.

The study has analyzed data from an online survey of 458 participants (Instagram followers) using structured equation modeling (CB-SEM) to investigate the relationship among authenticity attributes, parasocial interaction and followers' purchase behavior.

CB-SEM results reveal that authenticity attributes positively influence followers' buying behavior. The findings from mediation analysis specify that parasocial interaction mediates the relationship between authenticity attributes (sincerity, truthful endorsement and visibility) and buying behavior excluding expertise, uniqueness attributes.

The findings of the study reinforce the need to use authentic influencers by the marketers for the brand endorsements. Further, the findings of the study can benefit marketers in implementing strategic practice of social media influencer marketing.

The study overcomes the limitations of preceding studies by using Instagram followers who are well-informed about SMIs and have an ongoing relationship with them. This study has uniquely combined the behavioral data from real influencer campaigns with followers' assessment of an influencer's authenticity.

Banking industry has no option but to remain observant and redraft the contagion playbook as per the situation evolves owing to COVID-19. Therefore, this study aims to develop a model to examine empirically how effectively complaints are handled to control customer retaliation and negative e-word of mouth (eWOM) in such a pandemic situation, where banking institutions are using social media as a key platform.

A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among 309 participants who had encountered service failure and experienced complaint handling on Facebook. This study draws upon prevailing literature to test a series of hypotheses through structural equation modeling.

The findings show that effective complaint handling has a negative influence on customer retaliation in the social media environment. As a result, customer retaliation was found to have a positive association with negative eWOM. Therefore, this study has revealed that effective complaint handling will lead to decrease in customer retaliation and negative eWOM.

This study carries an understanding of effective complaint handling efforts by leading banks in the social media environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study recommends that customized and effective efforts by the banks can influence customer retaliation and negative e-WOM.

The study is conducted during COVID-19 pandemic considering the impact of COVID-19 on banking sector, which is a new phenomenon. This study has highlighted how banks have modified their working methodology during pandemic situation by using Facebook as a prominent platform to redress customers’ issues and complaints.

This paper aims to explore surprising facets of consumer delight behavior. The study is the empirical juncture of three studies based on consumer survey on the Indian television market. Study 1 traces the existence of greenies in India among brownies prevailing around the globe by using the surprise-delight model. Study 2 is a pre-intervention research design confirming greenies preferences to television attributes such as screen technology, annual energy cost saving, screen resolution, screen size and free gifts. Study 3 signifies a price intervention design by allowing customers to include their preference by replacing the annual energy cost saving with price.

This paper is a harvest of studies based on discriminant analysis for identifying green and brown customers and a two-level conjoint analysis for identifying attributes contributing to green behavior.

The empirical generalization of a study comes out with unique findings of the greenies and brownies and their preference and attitude toward green attribution and substitution. A “preferential green shift” appeared as a vital output owing to knowledge–attitude–practice from these consecutive studies. This gap exists because of the price factor. The authors suggest the measures for improvement in product offering by targeting and positioning green products from the findings and the preferential green shift.

Future research may focus on other segments of products such as automobiles, i.e. cars. Despite the availability of the non-probabilistic sampling technique, the probabilistic sampling technique can be used. Finally, a larger sample size could have given a better generalization of results.

The gap in knowledge–attitude–practice was evident. This gap was caused by the presence of “price” concern. The study revealed that heavy consumer durable buyers are aware of the benefit of green, but the reality of price cannot be ignored and finally make a purchasing decision on the basis of price criteria. Hence price is recommended as another criterion to be considered in the technology acceptance models.

The paper aims to explore the informational role of futures volume in the simultaneous relationship between option volume and spot volatility to forecast the volatility of the underlying asset.

The generalized method of moments is used to estimate the simultaneous equations of endogeneity between spot volatility and option volume. Futures volume is specified as an exogenous variable in both legs of the estimation of simultaneous equations. However, the future volume is also tested as a dependent variable to prove preference for investment by informed investors in futures along with options.

The result indicates that futures volume has a significant association with the bi-directional simultaneous equation estimation between spot volatility and option volume. Moreover, the result of this paper proves that informed investors also prefer futures markets over the spot market. However, there is no change observed in the relationship between option volume and spot volatility due to either call or put options or moneyness.

The possible role of futures volume in the simultaneous equations between spot volatility and option volume has not yet been researched. This paper pioneers in demonstrating that futures volume is an exogenous variable in the simultaneous equation modeling between spot volatility and option volume. Moreover, in the contemporaneous as well as predictive relationships between spot volatility and option volume, futures volume as an exogenous variable is significant in forecasting spot volatility. In addition to this, the current paper uniquely provides evidence of investment in futures also over the spot market by informed investors.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and rank different dimensions of strategic orientation and firm’s performance using the approach of interpretive structural modeling.

The study uses interpretative structural modeling and the MICMAC technique to establish a hierarchical relationship among different dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation and manufacturing performance of Indian SMEs.

The final outcome of interpretative structural modeling and the MICMAC analysis revealed a relationship between the variables under study along with the categorization of all in two different categories, depending upon their driving power and dependency, which decision-makers can also use while devising their strategy to improve performance.

To date, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no significant contribution about such interrelationship was reported; therefore, this study is one of its types to fill this gap.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of market orientation on performance and to figure out the mediator effect of incremental innovation on this relationship with an implementation on Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Following a survey among 333 owners/managers of SMEs in Indian, six research propositions were framed. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and regression analysis was used for the purpose of data analysis.

The outcome of the study demonstrates a significant effect of market orientation on SMEs performance. In addition, the mediating effect of innovation between market orientation and business performance was not supported in the context.

This study uses cross-sectional research, which limits the ability to test the causality; hence, such studies should be replicated in other settings also to get more evidences about the relationship.

The research will help managers especially in manufacturing SMEs of developing countries to understand benefits of being market-oriented to improve performance.

The study attempts to enrich the market orientation literature especially in developing economies. It identifies the significant effect of interfunctional coordination on performance of small and medium enterprises working in more volatile environment. Further, the study also examines mediating role of innovation between market orientation and performance linkage.

El objetivo del estudio es examinar el efecto de la orientación al mercado en el desempeño empresarial así como el efecto mediador de la innovación incremental en una muestra de PYMEs indias.

Utilizando una muestra de 333 propietarios/gestores de PYMEs en India se desarrollan seis proposiciones que se contrastaron mediante análisis factorial confirmatorio y análisis de regresión lineal.

Los resultados muestran un efecto significativo de la orientación al mercado en los resultados de las PYME. Además, se corrobora el efecto mediador de la orientación al mercado.

El estudio usa datos de sección cruzada lo que limita su capacidad para contrastar causalidad, por lo que sus resultados deberían ser contrastados en otros contextos para obtener mayores evidencia acerca de las relaciones.

Este trabajo ayudara a los gestores de las PYME manufactureras en países en desarrollo a entender el beneficio para la empresa de la orientación al mercado.

Este estudio plantea la existencia de mediadores en la relación entre la orientación al mercado y los resultados empresariales en países en desarrollo.

Innovación incremental, Orientación al mercado, Mediación, PYMEs

Revisión general

O objetivo do estudo é examinar o efeito da orientação do mercado sobre o desempenho e também descobrir o efeito mediador da inovação incremental nessa relação com uma implementação em PMEs indianas.

Após uma pesquisa com 333 proprietários/gerentes de PMEs na Índia, seis proposições de pesquisa foram elaboradas. A análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC) e a análise de regressão foram utilizadas para fins de análise dos dados.

O resultado do estudo demonstra um efeito significativo da orientação para o mercado no desempenho das PMEs. Além disso, o efeito mediador da inovação entre a orientação para o mercado e o desempenho dos negócios não foi apoiado no contexto observado.

Este estudo utiliza a pesquisa transversal que limita a capacidade de testar a causalidade, portanto, tais estudos devem ser replicados em outros locais também para obter mais evidências sobre a relação estudada.

A pesquisa ajudará os gerentes, especialmente na manufatura de pequenas e médias empresas dos países em desenvolvimento, a entenderem os benefícios de serem orientados para o mercado para desta forma melhorar o desempenho.

O estudo é um dos que aborda o papel da mediação na orientação para o mercado e no relacionamento de desempenho nos países em desenvolvimento.

Inovação incremental, Orientação Para o mercado, Mediação, P ME

Revisão geral

The study aims to examine the customers' revisit intention toward the green restaurants after service failure based upon service failure attributions. The study further intends to investigate the moderating effect of green self-identity on customers' post-service failure behavioral intentions.

A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 327 participants who had experienced service failure while dining in green restaurants. The study draws upon the prevailing literature to examine the relationship among the constructs using structural equation modeling (SEM).

The findings of the study have confirmed that service failure has an adverse effect on customers' revisit intention toward the green restaurants. However, customers with green self-identity appear less anxious about service failure as findings indicate customers revisit green restaurant even after service failure.

The study provides a clear indication to the managers of the green restaurants that a better understanding of service failure attributions may facilitate in preventing service failure in a prompt and reasonable manner. It will not only contribute to building the brand reputation, but also ensure that customers stay with the brand for a longer duration.

The study is unique in a way that it is the first of its type to establish a relationship between service failure attributions and customer satisfaction in the emerging South Asian market, such as India in the context of green restaurants. Besides, this is the only study to use green self-identity as a moderator between the relationships of customer satisfaction and revisit intention.

The current study aims to investigate the various consumption motives (hedonic, gain and normative) responsible for strengthening consumers' intentions toward purchase behavior for electric vehicle (EV).

A total of 411 valid survey responses were collected using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to investigate the empirical fit of the hypothesized framework.

The results of structural equation modeling revealed that all three motives were positively correlated with purchase intentions for EV. Hedonic motives were found to have the strongest influence on purchase intentions. In addition, gain and normative motives were also found to be significant predictors of EV buying behavior. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between gain, normative and hedonic motives. Moreover, personal moral standards seem to have a significant and positive impact on the positive emotions associated with buying EV.

The results of current research can be useful for marketers while designing promotional strategies for all the high-involvement green products. Marketing professionals and policymakers can use these results to build effective marketing strategies for EVs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from personal vehicle use.

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study in the South Asian region that explores consumers' motives for EV purchase behavior. Further, this is among a few studies, which have attempted to investigate the impact of hedonic, gain and normative motives on green purchase behavior in the context of high involvement green products.