Effect of value perceptions on luxury purchase intentions: an Indian market perspective

India is witnessing a phenomenal growth in the luxury market segment. However, empirical studies in this domain are few and far between. The main objectives of this study are, firstly, to build and empirically test the theoretical framework designed to measure the effect of value perceptions on intention to purchase luxury fashion brands among Indian consumers. Secondly, to determine the role of gender in understanding the relationship between luxury value dimensions and purchase intention. This study employed researcher controlled sampling and questionnaires were administered through the personal interview from actual users of luxury fashion brands. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test proposed hypotheses using AMOS. The statistical analysis indicated that conspicuous value was the most significant predictor of purchase intention among Indian luxury consumers followed by hedonic value and social value. The results of the study also revealed that gender does not play moderating role in the relationship between luxury value dimensions and purchase intention among Indian consumers.     

The effect of dynamic integrated resort experience on Croatian customer behavior

This paper aims to gain knowledge on customers’ experience toward integrated resorts in Croatia. Customer perception toward integrated resorts was collected via face‐to‐face survey. The multidimensional experiential values and behaviors of 354 customers were studied. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Croatian customers are engaged with the integrated resort experience. This engagement influences their satisfaction and behavioral intention. Specifically, customers with high playfulness and service expectations tend to engage positive behavioral intention toward the integrated resort brand. This paper offers the first insight into the relationship between experiential value and behavioral intention in the integrated resort setting.     

Examining customer perceptions of restaurant restroom cleanliness and their impact on satisfaction and intent to return

Competition in the Canadian restaurant industry is unyielding. Restaurant cleanliness is one of the most important aspects when a customer evaluates restaurant quality and return intention. In particular, restaurant restroom cleanliness (RRC) is often considered the central factor that leads to overall perception of cleanliness. This study examined how RRC affects restaurant customers. Restroom appearance had the greatest impact on cleanliness followed by personal hygiene items. In addition, RRC impacted customer satisfaction and did not vary based on customer segmentation. However, older restaurant patrons were more likely to report RRC issues than younger patrons. The research demonstrates that RRC is an essential element to the success and viability of a food service operation and is an important aspect of academic research in foodservice operations. Future directions for both industry and academic research in this area are discussed.     

Rethinking guanxi and performance: Understanding the dark side of Sino–U.S. business relationships

Previous studies on guanxi (關係) have focused on how guanxi contributes positively to business relationships, without addressing the pivotal role that guanxi plays in managing the dark-side of business relationships. To address this knowledge gap, this study specifically investigates guanxi’s influence on conflict, opportunism, and switching intention in Sino–U.S. business relationships and examines how guanxi mediate the positive effect of performance as well as the negative effect of uncertainty on such dark-side constructs. Drawing on data from over 270 Chinese firms, the findings reveal that guanxi is undermined by relationship uncertainty but enhanced by performance, guanxi also reduces the dark-side of Sino-US business relationships. Chinese buyers’ guanxi with U.S. suppliers significantly lessens their switching intention, opportunistic behavior, and the perceived levels of conflict in Sino-US relationships. The findings explain how guanxi is employed as a tool to reduce the burden associated with the dark-side of business relationships and give relevant implications.     

Affective Effects of Offering Options on Persuasiveness of Fear Appeals

Research on fear level and options available for consumers to reduce their level of threat was undertaken to determine what effect these variables have on attitudes, purchase intentions, and emotions besides fear. Using an experimental design, it was found that higher levels of fear induce elevated levels of anger and disgust. There was also a positive correlation between fear and positive attitudes and purchase intention, but only in cases where more options were offered. This suggests that if advertisers want to induce a high level of fear in audiences, offering multiple options to reduce fear can lead to more positive attitudes and purchase intention.     

Chatbots in e-commerce: The effect of chatbot language style on customers’ continuance usage intention and attitude toward brand

The utilization of chatbots has grown in popularity in recent years, leading to an increasing interest among academics and practitioners. This study investigates the effect of chatbot language style on customers' continuance usage intention and attitude toward brand. Two scenario-based experiments were conducted to examine the underlying mechanism. The results show that when chatbots adopt an informal (vs. formal) language style, customers’ continuance usage intention and brand attitude increase through the mediating role of parasocial interaction. Further, this study identifies brand affiliation as a pertinent moderator, such that the effect of chatbot language style is attenuated for people who have no prior relationship with the brand. The findings contribute to the existing chatbot literature and offer practical implications for brand managers to develop optimal language strategies when deploying chatbots in e-commerce.     

New generation commerce: The rise of live commerce (L-commerce)

Live commerce (L-commerce) is an emerging distribution channel that has transformed consumer shopping preferences. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers’ need for non-face-to-face (NFTF) commerce increased rapidly. However, unlike face-to-face (FTF) commerce, NFTF commerce has disadvantages. It lacks interactivity. The newly emerged L-commerce addresses this deficiency using real-time streaming technology. It is positively evaluated in various business segments. This study investigated the structural relationships between the characteristics of L-commerce, customer satisfaction, repurchase intention, and customer loyalty to L-commerce. The moderating effects of security and privacy (SP) and the perceived price advantage (PPA) were further examined. The findings represent a priori research that empirically proves the effectiveness of L-commerce.     

Moderating Price Sensitivity of Low-Uncertainty Daily Eco-Friendly Products: Creating Benevolence Trust and Reducing Uncertainties

For low-uncertainty daily eco-friendly products like eco-shampoo, consumers' willingness to pay a higher price can be the biggest barrier to hinder their purchase. In this research, we propose that benevolence trust does have a significant effect in mitigating this barrier. This research also shows that benevolence trust can reduce uncertainties and feelings of anxiety and increase feelings of optimism, symbolic benefits, and perceived price value while adopting daily eco-friendly products. Above all, the research findings show that further reduction of uncertainties plays a key role in driving consumers' willingness to pay a higher price when purchasing low-uncertainty daily eco-friendly products. The findings were also supported by a practical case study.     

Destination image and tourist behavioural intentions: A meta-analysis

This article aims to understand the relationship between destination image and tourist’s behavioural intention. In this study, we used a meta-analysis to synthesize the effects of destination image from 87 studies. The results reveal that destination image plays significant role in predicting tourist’s intentional behaviour, in different magnitudes. To be more precise, overall and affective images have the greatest impact on behavioural intention, followed by cognitive image. Of the different dimensions of behavioural intentions, destination image has the greatest impact on intention to recommend. Implications are provided for destination management and tourism researchers based on meta-analysis.     

Job security as a threatened resource: reactions to job insecurity in culturally distinct regions

As downsizing and restructuring have become global phenomena, the impact of job insecurity on employee attitudes has received significant attention. However, research examining the role of cultural dimensions has been largely unexplored. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory, we investigated whether the relationships between both quantitative job insecurity (i.e. the perceived threat of job loss) and qualitative job insecurity (i.e. the perceived threat of losing valued job features) and employee attitudes (job satisfaction and turnover intention) differ in culturally distinct regions. This was examined using representative employee samples from two regions of Switzerland which differ in societal practices uncertainty avoidance and performance orientation: the German-speaking (n = 966) and the French-speaking (n = 307) regions. Our research indicates that whereas the relationship between quantitative job insecurity and turnover intention is stronger in the French-speaking region where there is higher societal practice uncertainty avoidance, the relationship between qualitative job insecurity and job satisfaction is stronger in the German-speaking region where there is higher societal practice performance orientation.