Magic odd numbers: The effect of numerical parity on variety-seeking

Numbers are widely employed to convey product and other marketing related information and thereby influence consumer judgment and behavior. Drawing on the literature of numerical cognition, associative learning, goal activation, and variety-seeking, the current research examines how numerical parity affects consumers' variety-seeking behavior. Across one Implicit Association Test (IAT) and four experiments, we demonstrate that consumers associate odd (vs. even) numbers with changeability (vs. stability) in their minds (Study 1). We further find that exposure to product and other marketing related information that is presented with odd (vs. even) numbers increases consumers' tendency to seek variety in subsequent purchase decisions, and that this effect consistently appears in the voluntary selection of a set of options (Study 2a), the preference for diversified products (Study 2b and 3), and the choice of diversified product bundles (Study 2c). We further demonstrate that desire for change underlines this effect, such that exposure to odd numbers (vs. even numbers) activates consumers' desire for change, which in turn elevates their subsequent variety-seeking behavior (Study 3). The findings of the current research not only contribute to the literature, but also provide marketers with effective ways to facilitate consumers' variety-seeking behavior, such as by strategically using odd numbers in their marketing efforts.     

The influence of customer loyalty program design on the relationship between customer motives and value perception

Despite the strong use in marketing practice, the effectiveness of loyalty programs is still heavily questioned among researchers. In our study we present an empirically tested framework that views customer loyalty programs (CLPs) with their differing designs as a moderating tool in a means-end relationship between customer motives and value. By disentangling customer value perceptions of loyalty programs we contribute to the remaining question of the efficacy of CLPs and set the road for further research. Our results support the argument that CLPs can be an effective tool and are not only something that adds to the value of a product or service, but rather creates value by itself. However, this is only the case for programs that target prevailing customer motives and hence provide a higher level of perceived value.     

Morality or economic interest? The impact of moral motives and economic factors on the purchase of fair trade groceries

In this article, we compare the impact of moral motives and economic factors on the purchase of fair trade groceries. Moral motives are measured by three different constructs, which are derived from different theoretical perspectives: one from the classical theory of attitude, one from the subjectively expected utility theory and one from the norm‐activation model. The empirical results of the analysis show that moral motives as well as economic factors are important determinants for explaining the purchase of fair trade groceries. Furthermore, the study indicates that the impact of moral motives is greater than that of economic factors, and among the moral factors, the personal norm is especially explanatorily powerful.     

On melodic contour and number preferences: The effects of musical melody on the processing of numerical information

In this paper, we utilize three exploratory studies to examine the effects of musical melody on accompanying numerical information used in an advertisement. We find that when melody (i.e., in the form of melodic “contour”) corresponds to—or is congruent with—the numerical information in an ad, consumers will have greater recall and more favorable predispositions toward that information. These favorable predispositions, in turn, may impact such downstream variables such as purchase intentions. We posit that “contour” effects occur because individuals process the scalar steps between musical notes in a manner similar to the way they process the differences between numbers in common numerical stimuli such as customer service numbers, prices, purchase amounts, and so forth. This expectation implies that there is cognitive consistency in terms of the spatial representation of number and the spatial depiction of pitch. Thus the latter may impact the former by facilitating ease of processing, thereby leading to a number familiarity effect.     

The effects of age cues on preferences for organic food: The moderating role of message claim

Organic food, a form of green consumption, is a growing industry, with consumers purchasing for both altruistic and egoistical motives. However, there is limited research into how marketers can develop advertising strategies to promote organic food. The present research examines how age cues influence consumer preferences for organic food. Across two experimental studies, this research demonstrates that consumers exposed to a younger cue show higher preferences for organic fruits when evaluating an altruistic claim. More importantly, this research draws upon psychological reactance theory to test the opposite effect, such that consumers exposed to a younger cue show lower preferences for organic fruits when evaluating an egoistic claim. Further, the emotions of compassion and anger are established as the mediators of the interactive effect between age cue and message claim on consumer preferences for organic food. These findings thus offer theoretical and managerial implications for the use of age cues and motivational claims, specifically in promoting organic food.     

The effects of emotion and need for cognition on consumer choice involving risk

Building upon previous research, this article proposes that the effect of mood on risk-taking is moderated by the individual’s need for cognition. The hypothesized effect of mood and the need for cognition are tested with different types of consumer choices in three studies. Consistent with the hypotheses, the results indicate that the subjects in happy mood tend to be risk-aversive while the subjects in sad mood incline to take risks. Furthermore, the mood affects risk-taking behavior more for the low-NFC subjects than for the high-NFC ones. Finally, implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

The moderating effects of need for cognition and cognitive effort on responses to multi-dimensional prices

We investigate how need for cognition and cognitive effort associated with multi-dimensional pricing combine to influence demand. Experiment 1 shows that individuals with low (vs. high) need for cognition are less likely to purchase products that list price and relative discount separately. The direction of the effect of need for cognition on demand is found to depend on whether consumers’ inaccurate arithmetic generally leads them to overestimate or underestimate final prices. Therefore, experiment 2 finds that individuals with low (vs. high) NFC are more likely to purchase products that list price and relative surcharge separately. As expected, the effect is eliminated for absolute discounts or surcharges and mediated by recalled purchase prices.     

The influence of self-concept on ad effectiveness: Interaction between self-concept and construal levels on effectiveness of advertising

This study examines the role of self-concept in consumer responses to advertising messages. Specifically, this study postulates that matching advertising message framing (concrete vs. abstract) with consumers’ self-concept (actual vs. ideal self) should yield positive ad evaluation. Results from an experimental study suggest that individuals primed into their actual self evaluated the concrete ad message more favorably than they did the abstract ad message. In contrast, those primed into their ideal self responded more favorably to the abstract ad than to the concrete ad. Implications from the study and suggestions for future research are provided.     

The Effect of Implicit Moral Attitudes on Managerial Decision-Making: An Implicit Social Cognition Approach

This article concerns itself with the relationship between implicit moral cognitions and decisions in the realm of business ethics. Traditionally, business ethics research emphasized the effects of overt or␣explicit attitudes on ethical decision-making and neglected intuitive or implicit attitudes. Therefore, based on an implicit social cognition approach it is important to␣know whether implicit moral attitudes may have a substantial impact on managerial ethical decision-making processes. To test this thesis, a study with 50 participants was conducted. In this study the participants were asked to work on a deliberative managerial ethical decision-making task, in which they had to decide on one of two options. Implicit moral attitudes towards the two options were measured using the implicit association test (IAT). A semantic differential scale was used to diagnose explicit moral attitudes towards the two options. Each step taken within the deliberative decision-making process, as well the decision itself, was assessed using a scoring model-based decision analysis and a decision-making questionnaire. The results of this study show that implicit moral attitude has a great influence on the deliberative ethical decision-making process. The derived conclusion is that complex and deliberative decision-making processes in the context of business ethics can be affected by implicit social cognitions such as implicit moral attitudes.     

The effects of physical activity calorie equivalent labeling on dieters' food consumption and post-consumption physical activity

Effective body weight management requires dieters to engage in healthy eating and physical activity. This research explores the influences of physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) labeling on dieters' food consumption and post-consumption physical activity. PACE indicates the amount of physical activity required to burn off food energy intake. This labeling aims to raise awareness on energy balance by highlighting an immediate link between food intake and exercise. This research shows that when exposed to PACE labeling, dieters (but not non-dieters) reduce their food consumption, increase their post-consumption physical activity, and are considerably motivated to achieve energy balance. This occurs because PACE labeling active energy balance-goal for dieters and influences their food consumption and subsequent physical activity. Implications for consumer well-being and policymakers are discussed.     

Distributed group support: The effects of voting Tools on group perceptions of media richness

Decision groups distributed both temporally and geographically encounter a multitude of coordination problems. This experiment used a set of GDSS Tools called List and Vote, and alternative interaction management procedures, as mechanisms for coordinating distributed groups using a computer conferencing system and for structuring group processes. The study examined media richness using a modification of the adjective-pairs developed by Zmud, Lind, and Young (1990). The Tools significantly improved subjective perceptions of media richness. The attempted manipulation of the presence or absence of sequential procedures for the most part was not effective in creating significant differences in group perception of media richness.     

The effects of business- and non-business-targeting terrorism on FDI to the MENA region: The moderating role of political regime

This study investigates the effects of terrorist attacks on foreign investment by stressing the importance of both business- and non-business-targeting terrorism in the host country. Building on North’s strand of institutional theory, we argue that both forms of terrorism represent exogenous risks likely to generate high levels of non-ergodic uncertainty for MNEs and subsequently deter foreign investors. Further, we hypothesize that these effects may be moderated by host-country political regime type, which serves as a gauge for a favorable investment environment for MNEs operating in institutionally fragile markets. Using panel data on fifteen MENA countries over the period 2001–2018, we find empirical support for our hypotheses whereby hybrid political regimes, namely anocracies, strengthen the negative effects of both business- and non-business-targeting terrorism on FDI. Our work contributes to the research on FDI and exogenous risks by offering a more fine-grained conceptualization of terrorism, as well as by highlighting the moderating role of host-country hybrid regimes.     

Authoritarian leadership and task performance: The effects of leader-member exchange and dependence on leader

This study examines how and when authoritarian leadership affects subordinates’ task performance. Using social exchange theory and power dependence theory, this study proposes that authoritarian leadership negatively influences task performance through leader-member exchange (LMX). This study further proposes that the effect of authoritarian leadership on LMX is stronger when a subordinate has less dependence on a leader. A two-wave survey was conducted in a large electronics and information enterprise group in China. These hypotheses are supported by results based on 219 supervisor-subordinate dyads. The results reveal that authoritarian leadership negatively affects subordinates’ task performance via LMX. Dependence on leader buffers the negative effect of authoritarian leadership on LMX and mitigates the indirect effect of authoritarian leadership on employee task performance through LMX. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.