Search results

This study offers a focus on the income dynamics of the sector, analyzing the evolution of the main profitability indicators (ROE, ROA, ROI and ROS) of 457 Italian companies in the 2008–2020 period. So, it is possible to verify the reactivity to the global financial crisis that began in 2008 and the first indications on the 2020 pandemic.

The analysis uses descriptive statistics tools and the ANOVA method of analysis of variance completed by Tukey's test, useful for identifying the existence of significant differences between geographical macro-areas of the country.

The results show positive dynamics in a sector that has been able to absorb the negative consequences of the great global crisis, improving its profitability over the years, albeit with differences in the macro-regions of Italy.

The study considers only the companies that survived the crisis, so, presumably, the strongest. In the future, other ratios should be considered to have a more complete view. It is a quantitative study based on the financial report data that neglects other important economic factors.

Public policies might use this study for a better intervention in support of the sector. Besides, internal management may compare company outcomes with average sector outcomes to identify improvement prospects.

The research represents a significant basis considering the risks deriving from the supply of low-cost Asian products that could significantly affect the profitability of Italian companies in the future.

The study contributes to the literature by providing a quantitative analysis of the dynamics of the sector, through the comparative information that may be deduced of balanced sheets in the course of the years.

This paper aims to investigate the antecedents of Muslim millennial’s purchase intention for halal-certified cosmetics and pharmaceutical products by expanding the theory of reasoned action (TRA) through the inclusion of religiousity (RG), halal knowledge and halal certification as the exogenous constructs in addition to TRA’s subjective norm, with attitude as the mediating variable.

A sample of 403 Muslim millennial customers of cosmetics and pharmaceutical products from the Greater Jakarta area, Indonesia. The data were analysed using partial least squares method.

Based on the study, attitude fully and/or partially mediates all the exogenous variables. RG and subjective norm are found to have no direct and significant relationship to purchase intention, but they indirectly affect the latter through attitude. Finally, both halal knowledge and halal certification have partial mediation with purchase intention through attitude as the mediating variable.

By understanding the relationships between the latent constructs, halal players in the industry could use the findings to better comprehend the urgency and importance of the halal aspects of their products, particularly halal certification, with regards to the Muslim millennials, and devise appropriate policies and strategies to capture the increasingly potential slice of the market.

The extant literature on halal products has mostly examined the food industry, and little attention has been given to the halal cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, inspite of its growing importance in Indonesia as the world’s largest halal market. Unlike earlier studies on the topic, this study also limits its focus on the Muslim millennial consumers, which is arguably the most potential and lucrative share of the halal market.

Brand management systems (BMSs) are of prime importance for brands to monitor effective brand management and enhance firms' performance. The existing scales take various conceptual bases and sometimes eliminate some dimensions, depending on the sector of activity. Based on praxis and a variety of sectors, the purpose of this paper is to identify stable dimensions of BMSs and make configurational patterns emerge according to firms' and sector's characteristics.

A total of 15 in-depth interviews (with a semi-structured questionnaire) were conducted with marketing and communication directors in five sectors of activity (cosmetics, convenience goods, industry, bank/insurance, media). Content analysis was used to examine the configurational patterns that emerged, following a strategy-as-practice approach.

A general BMS pattern emerged from the content analysis with three dimensions: brand identity and values-based, hierarchically based, and implementation based. Interestingly, typical configurations were identified on each dimension and distinct configurational patterns for five sectors.

Additional research on other sectors is suggested to further validate the findings as well as building a scale on the basis of the general pattern to analyze the effect of BMS on performance.

Configurational patterns represent a flexible, adaptive, and easy-to-apply way to approach and monitor BMS for researchers and managers.

This cross-sector research delineates innovative and integrated BMS dimensions and subdimensions emerging from practice and examines their universality. The key subdimension(s) for each dimension is (are) identified and related to recent research on BMS.

Built on the prototype and cue theories, the purpose of this study is to understand how a country's prototypical brand, a corporate brand that most consumers associate with a country (e.g. Samsung), contributes to forming two dimensions of country image – overall country image (i.e. macro country image) and product-specific country image (i.e. micro country image) – and how country image impacts the product quality evaluations of Korean cosmetics, along with the moderating effect of national culture.

Data were collected from 491 US and Chinese consumers ages 20 and older and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

The findings confirmed the positive influence of prototypical brand image on macro and micro country image. Macro country image also had a positive effect on micro country image. However, only micro country image yielded a positive influence on the quality evaluations of Korean cosmetics. Analyses of the moderating effect of national culture showed that the positive influence of prototypical brand image on macro and micro country image was found to be stronger in China than in the US.

These findings provided new theoretical perspectives for country image studies, and practical insights for companies and governments, especially those in countries whose country image is less distinctive, to help develop effective marketing strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse three drivers of the Islamic economy: global Muslim demography; operational sectors and demand; and faith-based consumerism.

This paper follows a constructivist approach to the Islamic economy, undertaken through an exploratory study of global Muslim population, the growth in opportunities in the Islamic economy and plurality of religious thought across the diaspora.

The research finds four trends (t) positively impacting the growth of the Islamic economy: (t1) above-nominal increase in global Muslim population, with greater intra-religious interactions of varying Muslim cultures; (t2) an increasing demand for a diversity of Shari’ah-compliant and halal products and services; (t3) improving socio-economic status of Muslims in developed and emerging countries; and (t4) a widening perspective of faith understanding and rising interest in religious literacy.

This research serves to inform global businesses of opportunities in Islamic economy sectors, highlighting global demographic change and informing how business is impacted through the plurality of Muslim faith interpretation.

Based on this research, businesses can better align their services with the socio-economic environment and faith sensibilities of Muslim consumers.

The paper provides a first look at the activity across Islamic economic sectors and disaggregates their activity and potential for growth across Muslim-majority and Muslim-minority markets. In particular, three areas were examined – demography, emergent Muslim lifestyles and religiosity.

This study analyzed the multilevel barriers and facilitators of technological eco-innovations.

The authors carried out an in-depth case study in a Brazilian cosmetics company, recognized for its eco-innovative initiatives, which has the technological eco-innovation of products as a central sustainability strategy.

The results contribute to the existing literature, showing that multilevel analysis is effective for minimizing barriers and increasing facilitators, especially through the company's adoption of an eco-innovation strategy and planning methodologies. The authors identified four groups of barriers: market, raw material, governmental and company's internal factors; and four groups of facilitators: legislation, market and technological innovation, communication and environmental management.

The original research results contribute both to the literature and to the companies that aim to implement eco-innovative measures. The results showed that the adoption of innovation strategies and planning methodologies by the company can minimize barriers and enhance facilitators. In addition the fact is that barriers and facilitators of implementing eco-innovations are dynamic factors that require continuous monitoring since they can be a barrier in one circumstance and a facilitator in another.

This paper aims to analyze the impact of brand management system (BMS) practices on subjective and objective performance in both service- and product-oriented sectors.

Based on a “grounded-in-practice” approach to BMS, a comprehensive formative BMS scale is developed and its validity is assessed. The impact of BMS on subjective brand performance (i.e. predictive validity) and on objective financial performance is assessed. Data are collected from a sample of 298 brand managers and marketing directors in five business sectors (cosmetics, convenience goods, industry, bank/insurance and media) and from a financial database. Path analysis and multigroup analysis are performed to test mediating and moderating effects.

The results reveal that subjective brand performance (perceived brand performance) mediates the relationship between the BMS and objective financial performance of the firm and on each of the three BMS dimensions; and product-oriented (vs service-oriented) sector positively moderates the relationship between the BMS and subjective brand performance.

The paper offers insights into adapting brand management practices along all BMS dimensions to achieve better business performance and improve objective financial performance in product-oriented activities. It highlights the role of brand management implementation, as well as the role of brand management in hierarchical relationships, in improving performance in service activities.

The formative BMS scale offers a tool which can be used to improve strategic decisions and give practical guidance on product vs service sector specificities. The indirect impact of a BMS on financial objective performance reinforces the legitimacy of brand managers and marketing managers.

This paper shows the impact of the BMS on objective financial performance by using a “grounded-in-practice” BMS scale. It also affords explanation on sectoral effects of brand management practices and their consequences on subjective and objective performance.

Aims to interrelate two lines of research: market orientation and strategic groups identification. Suggests that degree of market orientation of an enterprise should be connected to its competitive strategy and, also, to its final levels of performance. Identifies, in a highly competitive Spanish sector, groups of homogeneous enterprises with regard to their market orientation degree to see if the identified groups differ significantly in the competitive strategy mainly followed by their members and, also, in their economic profile. Uses cluster methodology and the analysis of variance. Also applies multidimensional scaling to visually represent the position of each enterprise in a perceptual space. Recommends some guides to get a market orientation status and also a competitive position in the competitive space.

The goals of this paper are to determine the effectiveness of product sampling in terms of usage, to draw a consumer profile who is reactive to free samples and to determine product characteristics that would lead to free samples usage.

An experiment and a questionnaire inquiry were conducted. An outlet database was also used. Perfume, skin care and make‐up samples were given away to 500 women. In order to test the hypotheses logit models were employed.

Launching product sampling campaigns is quite effective as free samples usage appears to be high (72 per cent). Managers should give away samples of new products involving important advertising budgets. They also should offer samples of product types with a high‐penetration rate. In addition, it is better to sample well‐known brands rather than unknown ones. Moreover, the authors recommend targeting family brand users when offering free samples. Also, it is not profitable to target consumers with low‐annual spending within the product category. Finally, the authors suggest giving away samples to non‐working housewives.

This is the first paper to examine the determinants of free samples usage. Moreover, the study considers three methods of data collection. Finally, it has interesting practical and theoretical implications.

This study discusses the application of Insider Action Research to the systematic integration of an environmental perspective into industrial product innovation processes and projects. Applying Insider Action Research, it aims at a broader integration between top-down and bottom-up and soft and hard perspectives in the intersection of ecodesign and innovation and project management disciplines.

The research design is based on action research and specificities from Insider Action Research to capture the change and transition aspects involving two main action research cycles. The longitudinal five-year research was carried out within a Brazilian cosmetics company. The outcomes of these cycles are analysed including customisation of ecodesign tools and related application, and views of different stakeholders of the challenge for the transition.

This paper describes an action research application aiming at faster learning loops in the field of sustainable innovation management. As a second contribution, an Ecodesign Transition Framework (ETF) is proposed, combining both technical and soft sides. The proposed framework is structured in three levels (strategic, tactical and operational), with two complementary perspectives of a mature ecodesign pattern and a transition pathway.

The action research led to the intended outcomes both on the applied side, with increased diffusion of ecodesign in the company, and on the research side, with the ETF formulation and application. Practitioners interested in sustainable innovation can follow the ETF procedures, challenges faced, lessons learnt and conclusions.

The Insider Action Research addressed the literature gap to better relate the recommendations in the field to business reality. The resulting ETF brings a novel perspective for integrating environmental considerations in the product innovation process of a company. It organises the soft issues to be considered for the necessary transition towards such integration, consolidating and advancing previous theoretical views of ecodesign, with associated new practical implications.