The Effects of Impression Management on Coupon Redemption across Cultures

This research examines the effects of impression management on consumers’ coupon redemption and suggests different underlying mechanisms with respect to cultural self‐construal. Four studies show that, when primed with impression management, individualistic (vs. collectivistic) consumers are more likely to redeem coupons, because individualists believe that coupon redemption creates the impression of being smart. On the other hand, collectivistic consumers are less likely to redeem coupons when coupon usage is visible to others, because they believe that coupon redemption gives the impression of being cheap. These findings are explained within the context of cultural self‐construal and regulatory focus theory.     

Predicting Unethical Behavior: A Comparison of the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior

This study is a comparison of the validity of theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behavior as applied to the area of moral behavior (i.e., illegal copying of software) using structural equation modeling. Data were collected from 181 university students on the various components of the theories and used to asses the influence of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on the intention to make unauthorized software copies. Theory of planned behavior was found to be better than the theory of reasoned action in predicting unethical behavior. A modified version of the theory of planned behavior, with a causal path linking subjective norm to attitude, provided a significant improvement on model fit. The results indicated that perceived behavioral control is a better predictor of behavioral intention then attitude. The direct effect of subjective norm on behavioral intention was not significant, but the indirect effect through attitude was highly significant. Applicability of the theory of planned behavior for moral behavior and the implications for future research are discussed.     

Appraisal processes in the enactment of intentions to use coupons

Although much research has been performed on the role of intentions in consumer behavior, relatively little attention has been given to the processes intervening between intentions and behavior. Because coupon usage behavior requires planning and implementation effort with respect to intermediary acts or means, the behavior is considered problematic. This article proposes a model for explaining how consumers enact intentions once they decide to use coupons. Enactment of intentions is hypothesized to be a function of three appraisal processes: self-efficacies, instrumental beliefs, and affect toward intermediate acts or means. These three appraisal processes are hypothesized to combine multiplicatively to influence the target behavior, coupon usage. Also, one's prior history of coupon usage is expected to be an important determinant of coupon usage. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.     

Category-specific coupon proneness: The impact of individual characteristics and category-specific variables

In seeking to enhance the effectiveness of coupon promotions, researchers have long sought to identify “coupon prone” consumers. Previous measures of coupon proneness have not examined differences in coupon usage across product categories and have ignored the confounding effect of coupon attractiveness. An Item Response Theory (IRT)-based framework overcomes these limitations and yields category-specific estimates of propensity to redeem coupons that are independent of coupon attractiveness. The authors utilize an IRT-based model to estimate consumers’ category-specific propensities to redeem coupons for two product and two service categories, and investigate how coupon proneness varies across consumers and across categories as a function of individual characteristics and category-specific variables.The authors find that category-specific measures of propensity to redeem coupons achieve an average accuracy of 89 percent in predicting redemption intentions. Propensity to redeem coupons is also found to be related to category-specific brand loyalty and perceived coupon availability, as well as to individual characteristics such as general coupon proneness, value consciousness and price consciousness. These findings highlight the importance of studying coupon proneness at the category level and suggest that the IRT-based approach has considerable promise as a methodology for studying coupon usage. Using the approach proposed in this study, marketers can forecast the impact coupons are likely to have in their particular category, rather than relying on general coupon proneness measures to predict coupon redemption rates at the category level. The study's findings can also be used to identify categories and consumer segments where coupon promotions are likely to have a larger impact, and have important implications for managers planning joint couponing strategies.     

Omnichannel retailing operations with coupon promotions

This paper explores an omnichannel retail system under which the retailer offers coupons via online channels for market share and profit. It investigates the action mechanism of coupon promotion on omnichannel price and operational decisions by employing a theoretical model. Three coupon distribution modes are investigated; a scenario in which the omnichannel retailer does not offer coupons, offers coupons with a common face value, or offers coupons with a different face value. The results show that the distribution of coupons does not always lead to increased market share. Rather, market volume may be reduced if the competition between different channels is intense. When conducting a coupon promotion, the retailer always charges a higher price, but if the negative effects of coupon promotion for the competitive channel are relatively large, the retailer will reduce their price. Larger cross-selling revenue comes from ‘Buy Online, Pick Up in Store’ channel, indicating a stronger willingness to offer coupons and higher profits for the retailer. If the retailer takes the channel characteristics and consumers' channel preferences into consideration and offers different coupon face values across channels, they will derive higher profits.     

A comparison of three models to explain shop‐bot use on the web

An ongoing requirement in the 21st century is that marketers must understand the impact of the network economy on buyer behavior. Although new models will certainly be developed, it seems reasonable that existing models of buyer behavior will still apply. This study uses structural‐equations modeling to test if three popular models of behavioral intent—the theory of reasoned action, the theory of planned behavior, and the technology acceptance model—work in a network context. It recommends the technology‐acceptance model as superior to the others in the current network context, and also shows how to check and account for the presence of common method bias in a single source instrument. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

An exploratory investigation into how socioeconomic attributes influence coupons redeeming intentions

In this study, we examine the effects that opportunity cost, income effect, coupon proneness and devaluation effect have on coupon redemption intention. Overall, the results of a survey received from approximately 2250 respondents suggest that prospect of savings and coupon proneness are positively associated, while opportunity cost is inversely associated with coupon redemption intention. The results are consistent across several sub-samples of grocery stores, which further underline the robustness of our hypotheses. Our analyses are more exhaustive than and therefore, contribute to, extant literature on promotions using coupons, because we base our study on behavioral, social and economic factors that influence coupon redemption intentions.     

Consumer Response to Coupon Advertising

Because coupon advertising has both the characteristics of advertising and sales promotion, it may have distinctive effects on consumers that cannot be explained solely by coupons or advertising. Past studies present contradicting results as to the consumers' response to coupon advertising. Our experiment shows that while the coupon may be an incentive for loyal consumers of competing brands, it may be a distractor for brand-loyal consumers in processing the coupon advertising. For multi-brand users, coupons do not appear to have any distinctive effects on processing the coupon advertising. An empirical investigation of an integrated consumer response model to coupon advertising indeed shows that there are various interactive effects between the coupon and the main advertisement. These results may provide guidelines for making targeting and promotion decisions, especially for an internationally well-known brand that is entering a new market where local or other international brands are already serving the customers.     

Comparing the effectiveness of rewards and individually targeted coupons in loyalty programs

Loyalty programs (LP) and rewards are ubiquitous in retailing, designed to increase customer expenditures and retention, gather abundant customer-level data, and design individually targeted coupons. Although studies have analyzed the individual impacts of LP rewards and targeted coupons on shopping trip incidence and expenditures, they have not compared the two instruments. By investigating the LP of a leading German grocery retailer that uses both LP rewards (points to redeem for free products) and individually targeted coupons, the current study establishes a comparison of their profitability and relative contributions to increasing shopping trips and expenditures. The investigated LP also relies on in-store kiosks to interact with customers, so they can decide when to redeem LP points and request coupons. By jointly modeling the effects of LP point redemptions and coupons on shopping trip incidence and expenditures, using their decision to access the kiosk as a dependent variable and rich data that span thousands of customers over 60 weeks, this study reveals that both instruments increase shopping trip incidence, kiosk access, and expenditures. The LP point redemptions have a stronger effect on shopping trip incidence; coupons have a stronger effect on kiosk access. Although a single redemption of LP points leads to a greater increase in expenditures than a single coupon redemption (€1.46 vs. €0.48), coupons yield three times greater expenditures after controlling for usage frequency; lower discounts also contribute to coupons’ higher profitability. Therefore, LP point redemptions and individually targeted coupons are complementary tools for retailers. This empirical study provides practical insights and pertinent managerial implications regarding the management and design of modern LPs.     

Coupons and private labels: A cross-category analysis of grocery products

This article examines the influence of coupons on private label shares of grocery products. The impact of national brand and private label coupons, distributed by manufacturers and retailers, is examined. A consumer framework and a typology of coupon effects are developed to explain different types of coupon usage behavior. Aggregate scanner panel data on 480 product categories are used in the analysis. Both the type of coupon and the method of distribution (by manufacturer or by retailer) are found to be important determinants of private label share response. Couponing activities by the national brand manufacturer are negatively related to private label share, thus indicating that they may be effective deterrents of private label penetration. However, couponing activities related to private labels do not help increase private label shares. The surprising finding is that national brand store couponing activity is positively related to private label share.     

New business start-up and subsequent entry into self-employment

The present research focuses upon new businesses which are started from scratch. The theories of reasoned action and planned behavior are used to formulate hypotheses concerning self-employment intentions and subsequent entry into self-employment. The hypotheses are tested using longitudinal data from 297 Norwegian business founders. The results suggest that salient beliefs concerning self-employment determine attitudes toward self-employment, that attitude and subjective norm determine intentions to become self-employed, and that intentions to become self-employed determine actual entry into self-employment. The findings strongly support the theory of reasoned action, but provide no support for the extension of the theory represented by the theory of planned behavior.     

Do Shoppers Like Electronic Coupons?: A Panel Data Analysis

Past research has yielded valuable insights into the drivers of traditional coupon redemption, but the applicability of these results to electronic coupons remains an open question. We investigate the determinants of electronic coupon redemption, employing a large panel dataset for five product categories (detergent, milk, cookies, shampoo, and orange juice) for the period 2003-2005. Our findings reveal that education and employment positively influence redemption rates and our analysis indicates that these findings are not due to unobserved individual effects. The focus is on comparing coupon-use discrepancies between national and private label brands when the characteristics of coupons are taken into account. A higher face value appears to be a critical element in electronic coupon format, and this gives rise to more purchases for nonperishables (shampoo and detergent). Results also show significant seasonal variations in milk and orange-juice coupon usage. Furthermore, the distance of consumers from the redemption location has a significantly negative effect, whereas the expiration date has no evident effect. The implications for electronic coupon research and practice are discussed.     

An innovation resistance theory perspective on mobile payment solutions

Mobile payment solutions (MPSs) are experiencing growth and popularity across the globe because of their convenience and other benefits in performing transactions. However, despite these circumstances and the benefits offered, MPSs are still suffering from challenging situations related to their adoption and usage. The main challenge MPSs have faced in retail is because of the presence of consumer resistance toward their use. The present study investigates the different consumer barriers toward the intentions to use and recommend MPSs. The current study examines the adoption and usage of MPSs through the lens of innovation resistance. We developed the research model based on the innovation resistance theory (IRT) and tested it using a large cross-sectional study with 1256 MPS users. The study findings suggest that usage, risk, and value barriers are negatively associated with intentions to use MPSs. On the other hand, only usage and value barriers have a negative association with users’ intention to recommend MPSs. In comparison, the tradition and image barriers did not share any association with the user intentions. The study offers different implications for practitioners and researchers.     

Incorporating consumers' motivations into the theory of reasoned action

Consumers are motivated to engage in activities for many varied reasons. The present study broadens the theory of reasoned action model to include three variables reflecting motivations: hedonic involvement, self‐expressive involvement, and self‐concept congruity. It is suggested that eagerness to engage in a behavior encapsulates emotional commitment, and including this affective variable would further broaden the cognitive approach taken to model a consumer's intention to engage in a behavior. A model that links hedonic involvement, self‐expressive involvement, self‐concept congruity, subjective norm, and attitude toward the behavior to both intentions and eagerness is proposed. In addition, eagerness is posited as a mediator linking these three new variables to intentions. The models are tested with the use of data from 717 adults. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Coupon characteristics and brand choice

The effects of coupons on brand choice and repurchase behavior were examined in a laboratory panel experiment. Each of the 122 consumers purchased a candy bar on 10 different occasions; on the seventh purchase occasion, each consumer received an announcement of a new candy bar and one of four versions of a coupon. Results showed that whether or not a consumer will use a coupon depends on the size of the coupon offer, how easily the consumer can redeem the offer, how brand loyal the consumer is, and whether or not the consumer is deal prone. We also found, after statistically adjusting for our censored sample, that loyalty and coupon Characteristics influence whether or not a consumer will continue to purchase a formerly discounted brand. Information aggregation theory (Tybout & Scott, 1983) explains better than attribution theory how the coupon affects repurchase decisions.     

Preliminary Evidence for the Neurophysiologic Effects of Online Coupons: Changes in Oxytocin,Stress, and Mood

Coupon use saved consumers $2.9 billion on packaged goods in 2012 with over 90 million Americans using online coupons. Besides saving money, why is coupon use so widespread? An experiment was run where participants (N = 90) shopped online and one‐half received a coupon worth $10. It was found that those who received a coupon had a 14% increase in oxytocin (OT), an 8% decrease in the stress hormone adrenocorticotropin, a 4% decrease in heart rate (HR), a 27% decrease in respiration, a 4% decrease in skin conductance levels, and a 90% increase in high‐frequency HR variability. These factors showed almost no change for those who did not receive a coupon. The findings indicate that coupons elicit physiological reactions similar to having a positive social interaction. In addition, self‐reported happiness correlated with the change in OT (r = 0.43). These findings provide new insights into why online coupon use is so pervasive.     

Examining the dimensionality of coupon proneness: a random coefficients approach

Many previous studies have sought to measure consumers’ coupon proneness but have tended to assume that this trait is unidimensional in nature, i.e., an individual's coupon proneness is the same for all types of coupons. It is argued in this study that because consumers differ in the products they shop for and in the types of coupons they are exposed to, their coupon proneness is likely to vary across different coupon types, i.e., is likely to be multidimensional. The authors test this proposition using the item response theoretic (IRT) model proposed by Bawa et al. (J. Marketing Res. 34 (1997) 517). In the Bawa et al. study a single coupon proneness parameter was estimated for each individual. The current study extends the IRT model via a random coefficients approach and estimates separate coupon proneness parameters for different coupon types. The results indicate the presence of distinct segments among consumers, with some consumers displaying a generalized coupon proneness tendency across coupon types and others displaying type-specific coupon proneness.     

Gender differences in low‐risk single‐occasion drinking: an application of the theory of planned behaviour

This study examines the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in the context of adhering to the UK low‐risk single‐occasion drinking (LRSOD) guidelines. Additionally, gender differences were explored. A convenience sample of 110 female students and 107 male students provided information about their LRSOD behaviour, as well as views, attitudes and intention regarding keeping to the LRSOD limit. Results of this study show the theory of reasoned action rather than the TPB to be pertinent, accounting for 24% of the variance for the female sample and 36% for the male sample. Gender differences are evident in terms of perceived pressure from government and educational campaigns as well as perceived likelihood of positive consequences of adhering to the LRSOD guidelines. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

Truth or Consequences: A Study of Critical Issues and Decision Making in Accounting

This study applies a theoretical framework, the theory of reasoned action, to the examination of unethical decision making in job-related situations encountered by CPAs. A survey methodology was employed in which respondents were asked to use both self-reported and randomized response techniques for reporting unethical behavior. The results indicate that individuals are unwilling to accurately report either unethical behavior or intention, particularly in situations where there is no question as to the unacceptability of the action or the potential penalty as presented in the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. Implications for the accounting profession and research are discussed.     

Following brands on Twitter: an extension of theory of planned behavior

Due to its immediacy and efficiency, Twitter has recently emerged as a form of marketing communication tool that offers unique advantages for two-way communication between marketers and consumers. This study examines brand-following behavior on Twitter using the Ajzen's model of theory of planned behavior (TPB). Results show that attitude toward brand following, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and brand attachment are positively associated with intention to follow brands on Twitter. Consumers’ intention to create (i.e., intention to tweet at brands) and disseminate (i.e., intention to retweet the links of brands) brand-related information, as well as purchase intention, are the outcomes of intention to follow brands on Twitter. Overall findings suggest that TPB model can be used to predict Twitter users’ brand-following behavior. More importantly, our finding that brand attachment drives consumer intention to follow brands on Twitter extends the TPB framework. This study provides both theoretical and managerial implications.