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1 – 10 of over 26000
Article
Publication date: 10 October 2021

SangGon (Edward) Lim and Chihyung “Michael” Ok

This study aims to provide a better understanding of how gift card receivers react to the types of gift cards. This study examined the effect of gift card types (intangible…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to provide a better understanding of how gift card receivers react to the types of gift cards. This study examined the effect of gift card types (intangible experiences vs less intangible experience vs tangible goods) on a recipient’s willingness to spend more through emotions and perceived effort (Study 1) and on feeling of appreciation (Study 2).

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 adopted a scenario-based 2 (tangible vs intangible) × 3 ($100 vs $200 vs $300) between-subjects design. Study 2 narrowed the scope of gift card type (intangible vs less intangible).

Findings

Receivers tended to perceive less effort in gift card selection and feel less emotion when receiving gift cards for intangible experiences than when receiving gift cards for both tangible and less intangible products. However, as face value increased, gift card receivers for intangible experiences felt more pleasure and, in turn, rated higher willingness to spend more money than face value than those with gift cards for tangible products.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies can rule out alternative explanations related to brand-related effects, previous experiences and personal preferences.

Practical implications

Service providers should put more effort into tangibilizing the intangibles to reduce receivers’ uncertainty. Also, they can increase their profitability by stimulating gift card receivers’ willingness to spend more money through pleasure.

Originality/value

Answering research calls for examining consumers’ perceptions of different gift card types, this study might be the first to unveil the differential effect of gift card types associated with the tangibility of products on purchase behavior and the underlying emotional mechanism.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 36 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 October 2020

Dong Woo Ko and Jihye Park

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of congruence between the ideal self-image of a game player and the game character on identification and interaction with…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of congruence between the ideal self-image of a game player and the game character on identification and interaction with the game character, perceived game power and performance, character attachment and willingness to spend money on the game character.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 347 online game players participated in an online survey posted via the nationwide crowdsourcing web service Mechanical Turk in the US. A structural equation modelling was conducted using a maximum-likelihood estimation procedure to test the relationships among the variables.

Findings

The results revealed a significant positive impact of congruence between a game character and the ideal self-image of a game player on identification and interaction with the game character, perceived game power, game performance, attachment to the game character and willingness to spend money on the game character.

Originality/value

Although significant research has been conducted in the area of online gaming, limited attention has been given to the strategic game content that stimulates a player's intention to purchase game items. Due to the challenges in sales growth in the game industry caused by business model shifts from a subscription-based model to a free-to-play one, it is important for marketing practitioners to motivate game players to continue playing the game and purchase game items. The results of this study provide valuable strategic insights to overcome the limitations of existing marketing strategies in the online game business.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 2001

Michel Laroche, Jasmin Bergeron and Guido Barbaro‐Forleo

Concerns related to the environment are evident in the increasingly ecologically conscious marketplace. Using various statistical analyses, investigats the demographic…

55565

Abstract

Concerns related to the environment are evident in the increasingly ecologically conscious marketplace. Using various statistical analyses, investigats the demographic, psychological and behavioral profiles of consumers who are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products. Finds that this segment of consumers were more likely to be females, married and with at least one child living at home. They reported that today’s ecological problems are severe, that corporations do not act responsibly toward the environment and that behaving in an ecologically favorable fashion is important and not inconvenient. They place a high importance on security and warm relationships with others, and they often consider ecological issues when making a purchase. Managerial implications for green marketers and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Details

Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 18 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0736-3761

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 June 2022

Sigita Doblytė and Aroa Tejero

Public willingness to pay for extra public benefits and services may demonstrate a tension between the common good (more services) and economic motives (higher taxes for all). In…

Abstract

Purpose

Public willingness to pay for extra public benefits and services may demonstrate a tension between the common good (more services) and economic motives (higher taxes for all). In this article, the authors present an analysis of this trade-off by drawing upon the Bourdieusian theory of social reproduction and habitus.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing the European Social Survey (2016), the authors first examine the patterns of relationships between the agents' position in the social structure and their attitudes across care regimes in Europe. The authors then analyse whether this link is mediated by agents' individual trajectories and dispositions, such as their beliefs towards equality or tradition, political orientation, or religiosity.

Findings

The findings support the importance of both sociation and individuation in habitus formation, albeit to varying degrees across the regimes. Individual attitudes are therefore shaped not only by interests of reproducing or maximising social positions but also by more reflexive propensities to think about the common good.

Originality/value

In this article, the authors draw upon the theory of social reproduction and habitus by Pierre Bourdieu, who has been thus far rarely employed in the study of welfare attitudes. The article also contributes to the literature that studies the trade-off between the expansion and financing of reconciliation policies.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 43 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 December 2022

Esther L. Kim and Sarah Tanford

Cross-selling becomes critical for business success as pent-up travel demand drives travelers to spend more on vacations. The primary purpose of this research is to identify if an…

Abstract

Purpose

Cross-selling becomes critical for business success as pent-up travel demand drives travelers to spend more on vacations. The primary purpose of this research is to identify if an unexpected discount leads to consumers' additional purchases online. This research proposes effective cross-selling strategies across hospitality sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

Two experiments were conducted to investigate factors that influence travelers' add-on spending. Study 1 determined the psychological mechanism of unexpected discounts on hotel customers' additional spending by individual thinking styles. A 2 (discount: none vs surprise) x 2 (thinking style: holistic vs analytic) quasi-experimental design was utilized. Study 2 applied the identified pricing strategy by individual thinking styles to cruise line add-on selling. A 2 (discount: none vs surprise) x 2 (product type: hedonic vs utilitarian) x 2 thinking style (holistic vs analytic) quasi-experiment was used.

Findings

The findings indicate that an unexpected discount increases holistic thinkers' overall travel spending, regardless of add-on types. Although the unexpected discount effect on analytic thinkers' overall spending was significant, an unexpected discount enhanced their intentions to purchase a hedonic add-on.

Practical implications

Hospitality operators can improve cross-selling strategies with a surprise discount offer. Offering add-on items in the same transaction with a cabin booking will increase add-on purchases. Hotels can make add-on purchases more appealing by emphasizing the experiential aspects of a hotel stay.

Originality/value

This research broadens knowledge of cross-selling by linking add-on purchases to discount pricing on a primary product. The findings provide new strategies to stimulate add-on purchases and maximize profitability.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. 6 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 September 2021

Hendy Mustiko Aji and Wiwiek Rabiatul Adawiyah

As it gains more popularity, e-wallets drive its users to spend more. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore how and why e-wallets may encourage excessive spending

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Abstract

Purpose

As it gains more popularity, e-wallets drive its users to spend more. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore how and why e-wallets may encourage excessive spending behavior among young adult consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory sequential or QUAL-QUANT design, combining qualitative and quantitative, is used in this study. It is a type of mixed-method design consisting of both the core and supplementary methods. The qualitative method is conducted in Study 1 using online focus group discussion to answer “why” and “how” questions, whereas the quantitative method is used in Study 2 to test or examine the hypothetical model. The questionnaires are extracted from focus group discussion in Study 1, which is further tested for validity and reliability and model estimation in Study 2. The model is evaluated using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Study 1 extracted four keywords to affect young adults spending behavior, easiness, promotions, self-control and perception of having more money (the illusion of liquidity). In Study 2, it is found that those four variables significantly affect spending behavior. Interestingly, it is also found in Study 2 that the illusion of liquidity mediates the relationship between self-control and spending behavior.

Research limitations/implications

During the COVID-19 pandemic, where a physical meeting is not encouraged, focus group discussion is conducted online via Zoom. Perhaps, this condition can be one limitation this study faced.

Originality/value

This study offers a theoretical contribution to the literature by exploring how and why e-wallet payment is connected to excessive spending behavior among young adult consumers. This study also provides a model that further explains the relationship between young adults’ spending behavior by adding the illusion of liquidity as the mediating variable.

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2001

Ann Marie Fiore, Seung‐Eun Lee, Grace Kunz and J.R. Campbell

Mass customisation, defined as the mass production of individually customised goods and services, aims at providing products and services that are more suited to the needs or…

2058

Abstract

Mass customisation, defined as the mass production of individually customised goods and services, aims at providing products and services that are more suited to the needs or desires of today’s fragmented consumer markets. Mass customisers should identify how needs or desires of the fragmented market shape the customisation of not just the product and service, but also the mass customisation experience. Towards this end, the authors examined whether an individual’s preferred level for environmental stimulation defined as optimum stimulation level (OSL) was associated with the types of products, services and experiences desired from mass customisation of apparel. As the authors hypothesised, OSL had significant positive correlations with willingness to use co‐design services to create a unique design, trying co‐design as an exciting experience, overall commitment to using co‐design, and trying body scanning as an exciting experience. OSL did not have significant correlations with the more banal willingness to use body scanning services for better fitting products or overall commitment to using body scanning. There was also a significant positive correlation between OSL and interest in customising experiential products, but not between OSL and interest in customising utilitarian products, as hypothesised. Results support research of the influence of OSL on consumer behaviour. Implications for the industry include considering experience aspects and environmental stimulation when developing a mass customisation programme.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2016

Ingrid Y. Lin

Among the many studies relating to servicescapes, the emphasis has mainly been on the effect of specific environmental attributes on customer perceptions, emotions and behaviors…

6784

Abstract

Purpose

Among the many studies relating to servicescapes, the emphasis has mainly been on the effect of specific environmental attributes on customer perceptions, emotions and behaviors. Many servicescape studies have not included visual servicescape aesthetics and the overall significance that visual aesthetics hold for a particular consumer in his or her relationship with the servicescape. Yet, servicescape appearance represents the central channel for the formation of consumer–product (e.g. servicescape) relationships. Limited studies have examined consumers’ visual servicescape aesthetics comprehension and appreciation (VSACA) or consumers’ relationship with a specific servicescape and how consumers evaluate a servicescape from a visual aesthetics perspective. This study aims to operationalize and measure VSACA and to examine the validity of a proposed comprehensive model that encompasses the direct effects of VSACA on perceived perceptual experience quality (PPEQ), pleasure and arousal; PPEQ, pleasure and arousal on satisfaction; satisfaction on willingness to pay more; and the mediation effects of PPEQ, pleasure and arousal on the relationship between VSACA and satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an experimental design study with two treatments. Fictitious boutique hotel lobby and classic hotel lobby video clips were created with the appropriate manipulation of visual aesthetics attributes. A random sample of 600 individuals over the age of 18 was drawn from a nationwide (USA) list purchased from a third-party commercial list service. After preliminary analysis, about 12 per cent were eliminated because of unusable responses or missing data. The data from 550 participants were used in the final analyses – 218 males and 332 females. Participants were asked to view a video clip of a hotel lobby online. After viewing the video clip, subjects completed an online survey instrument. The hypothesized model was then tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results of this study suggest that individuals’ VSACA directly influences their PPEQ, pleasure and arousal. PPEQ and pleasure also directly influence satisfaction and indirectly mediate the relationship between VSACA and satisfaction. Finally, satisfaction directly affects willingness to pay more. Additional new findings are also discussed in the paper.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by focusing primarily on the individuals’ VSACA of a hotel lobby; non-visual components were not considered as part of the VSACA construct. Results should, therefore, be generalized to other similar settings with caution. Future research can integrate both visual and non-visual servicescape aesthetics comprehension and develop a new scale to measure them. Future research can also build on the support of the current proposed theoretical model by testing it in different service contexts and across different groups of participants.

Practical implications

This research provides evidence to hotel service providers that VSACA plays an important role in influencing consumers’ emotions, satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The results imply that understanding customers’ simultaneous cognitive-emotional processing of servicescape aesthetics is crucial. Hotel developers and managers can engage potential customers in the designing and planning of a servicescape by conducting focus group research prior to the actual implementation of the servicescape attributes and construction.

Originality/value

This study represents the first research to extend and investigate the concept of visual aesthetics comprehension in the context of the hotel lobby servicescape beyond just product goods. This study contributes to the services marketing literature by confirming the importance and powerful direct effects of VSACA on individuals’ PPEQ, pleasure, arousal and willingness to pay more. Moreover, PPEQ and pleasure mediate the relationship between VSACA and overall satisfaction.

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2023

Ranendra Sinha and Subrahmanyam Annamdevula

This study aims to intend to contribute to the literature by testing the effect of scepticism on green consumer behaviour through environmental concern, knowledge, value and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to intend to contribute to the literature by testing the effect of scepticism on green consumer behaviour through environmental concern, knowledge, value and willingness to pay more in the Indian context. Thus, the comprehensive model with new directions of antecedents of green consumer purchase behaviour and direct and indirect effects was examined using structural equation modelling.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the hypo-deductive research design to test the proposed structural model. Cross-sectional data were collected through a predesigned questionnaire from the households living in Visakhapatnam city using a purposive sampling method. The proposed theoretical model was tested using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results support five antecedents’ direct and indirect effects on green purchase behavioural intentions and actual buying behaviour, except for the indirect effect of green scepticism on green purchase behaviour (GPB). Similarly, scepticism is responsible for significant variation in GPB.

Practical implications

The present study’s findings imply the role of scepticism on GPB, and the policies of adopting green products need to be addressed. Green buying is an obscure task; however, it can be evident by adding eco-friendly aspects and persuading consumers of a win-win situation for themselves, the environment and the company.

Originality/value

This study adds to the field of knowledge by exploring and testing the factors affecting GPB, which was not emphasized earlier in the Indian context and second, by developing a theoretical consensus on testing the antecedents of GPB. The results strengthen the argument that scepticism is an antecedent that drives GPB.

Article
Publication date: 5 May 2015

Sharmin Attaran and Bilge Gokhan Celik

The purpose of this study is to explore environmental attitudes and how such attitudes, when combined with a specific cost, can affect environmental behavior. Environmental…

1976

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore environmental attitudes and how such attitudes, when combined with a specific cost, can affect environmental behavior. Environmental attitudes are important to study due to the rising belief by building occupants that they are owed safe, healthy, environmentally responsible, and comfortable living environments. Universities around the world are responding to such demands as the majority of prospective college students and their parents claim that the environmental record is a determining factor in their selection of a university. Therefore, this study examines the environmental responsibility levels of a sample student population and to explore how these scores, along with gender, impact their willingness to pay for studying and living in green buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey consisting of three parts was administered to undergraduate university students to measure environmental responsibility, willingness to pay and demographic variables. Statistical analyses including ANOVA, t-tests and correlation were conducted to explore relationships among variables.

Findings

Results of statistical analyses show a direct correlation between environmental responsibility and willingness to pay for green buildings, as defined by a leading green building assessment system. Results also show that female students are more environmentally responsible than males.

Practical implications

Successful generalizations of the findings of this research may lead to better marketing of green buildings to the general public.

Originality/value

Findings present a unique opportunity for university administrations to develop more focused messages when communicating their environmental record with current and potential students.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 26000