Understanding the Green Energy Consumer

A threefold increase in crude oil prices over the last five years, growing concern about climate change, and public policies promoting renewable energy have begun to cause a fundamental transformation of the housing industry. In this phase of discontinuous change, it is essential for both incumbent heating marketers as well as new entrants to understand shifting customer preferences. This article provides critical insights for successful creation of customer value with new residential energy technologies.     

Understanding Consumer Ethnocentrism in Developing Countries: Case Bangladesh

ABSTRACT

This article argues that the traditional belief that “consumer ethnocentrism is a phenomenon of developed countries only” is no longer true. To establish this argument, our study assesses the applicability of the Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CETSCALE) to Bangladesh by judging the unidimensionality feature of the same. The methodology is based on a sample of 788 respondents collected from 27 districts in Bangladesh. Statistically significant results show that for three chosen sociodemographic groups, namely, students, job holders, and businesspersons, the original CETSCALE is to a large extent applicable as those groups have shown positive attitudes in retaining 12 to 14 items of the 17 items of the original scale. However, the groups and the respondents as a whole did not agree with the unidimensionality feature of the CETSCALE. Moreover, the results of the study show that Bangladeshi consumers in greater extent prefer to see “Made in Bangladesh” tags when buying consumer products that Bangladeshi businesses can produce locally—a significant potential threat to international business that multinational companies need to address.     

Rules Theory: Understanding The Social Construction Of Consumer Behaviour

This paper explores the potential of rules theory to make intelligible the socially constructed reality of consumer behaviour. Rules theory, which is grounded in Systems theory and later Wittgensteinian language philosophy offers a technology for accessing the meaning and action that characterise consumer behaviour. Two forms of rule can be used to interpret consumer behaviour, constitutive rule and regulative rule. The former are socially constructed rules of meaning; the latter are socially constructed rules of action. Rules theory also acknowledges that meaning and action have potential for contextual variation. Rules theory serves as a metatheoretical counterpoint to the positivistic paradigm which dominates the consumer behaviour literature.     

Understanding the Pro-plaintiff Bias in Consumer Protection Legal Processes

Using information from the Peruvian administrative consumer system from 1998 to 2010, the paper assesses hypotheses taken from selection theory in the context of legal disputes (Priest and Klein, The Journal of Legal Studies 13(1):1, 1984) and political science. Hypotheses from selection theory regarding the influence of plaintiff stakes, informational asymmetry and, to a lesser extent, litigation costs on both selection decisions and trial outcomes were confirmed. In addition, the results corroborate other implications of selection theory, such as the non-random nature of selection processes. However, no evidence has been found regarding the theory’s prediction that the share of plaintiff victories at trial will converge to 50%. The results also show that in the Peruvian consumer protection system, plaintiffs win more often than do defendants, suggesting the pre-eminence of pro-consumer trial standards over other factors. Moreover, the evidence confirms the hypotheses taken from “party capability theory” (Galanter, Law & Society Review 9(1):95–160, 1974) regarding the influence of litigant characteristics on consumer protection legal outcomes. Finally, the results also demonstrate the relevance of ideological and attitudinal factors as determinants of consumer administrative trial decisions.     

Understanding the Enforcement Malfunction of Consumer Legislation in Serbia

The new Serbian Law on Consumer Protection was passed in October 2010, and its enactment and general outlook may be attributed to the continuous political pressure and financial and technical support by the European Union (EU). This paper outlines several factors that may have contributed to the weakness of enforcement in Serbia, so that while consumer legislation is fairly harmonized with the EU acquis, national standards of consumer protection lag behind those in the EU. These tentative explanations of the enforcement malfunction include (1) the lack of institutional capacity to receive the professional and technical support of the EU, (2) external pressure as the main incentive for legislative change, (3) the lack of belief in the social relevance of legislative changes as such, (4) the deficiency of the enforcement mechanisms and the lack of appreciation of their importance, and (5) the absence of cooperation between the stakeholders and institutional resistance to change. Consumer protection is not an exceptional field characterized by the risks of enforcement failure. Moreover, the difficulties described in the article are not limited to Serbia, as they also happen in other jurisdictions, even if in different shapes and forms. The success of aligning the national norms to those of the EU and the success of legal transplants in general are always quite uncertain. In that sense, the case of consumer policy in Serbia should be understood as an instance that may illuminate a class of phenomena.     

It's Only Once,So Let's Indulge: Testing Ordinary vs. Extraordinary Experience within Marketing Messaging,Temporal Distance,and Consumer Indulgence

Prior research has inadequately examined how the nature of an experience (ordinary/extraordinary) influences consumption, with exceptions exploring outcomes of spending and happiness. This research extends prior work to examine if the nature of an experience within marketing messaging influences actual consumption, is moderated by temporal distance, and is mediated by goal orientation. Results show the nature of an experience within marketing messaging influences consumption through direct manipulation and use of an unrelated greeting card slogan prime (Pilot, Study 1), with extraordinary experiences increasing indulgence. Study 2 replicates prior results with actual consumption to show that extraordinary (ordinary) experiences within marketing messaging lead participants to eat more (fewer) candies. Study 3 builds on construal theory by examining temporal distance (moderator) and goal orientation (mediator) to show that extraordinary (ordinary) experiences 1 month in the future lead to a lower (higher) focus on goals that results in higher (lower) guilt‐related affect.     

Customer Experience Management in Retailing: Understanding the Buying Process

Retailers recognize that greater understanding of customers can enhance customer satisfaction and retail performance. This article seeks to enrich this understanding by providing an overview of existing consumer behavior literature and suggesting that specific elements of consumer behavior—goals, schema, information processing, memory, involvement, attitudes, affective processing, atmospherics, and consumer attributions and choices—play important roles during various stages of the consumer decision process. The authors suggest ways in which retailers can leverage this understanding of consumer behavior. Each of these conceptual areas also offers avenues for further research.     

对第三方物流作用的认识

物流这一概念,随着它对商品生产、流通和消费的影响,日益明显并越来越引起人们的注意。物流一词在我国也越来越多地使用。从本质上说企业在市场上的表现主要是由产品的质量、价格以及产品的供求关系三个因素决定,其中任何一个因素对企业的竞争能力都起着重要的影响作用,而这三个因素都分别直接受到物流的影响。物流对企业在市场上能否取胜的决定作用变得越来越明显。     

Consumer normalcy: Understanding the value of shopping through narratives of consumers with visual impairments

This paper extends our understanding of the symbolic and experiential value of shopping. By exploring the narratives of consumers with visual impairments, consumer normalcy is shown to be an important value of shopping implicit in discussions of shopping experiences. The informants often achieve consumer normalcy, which they reveal consists of four dimensions: participating or being-in-the-marketplace (I am here), achieving distinction through the marketplace (I am me), demonstrating competence and control (I am in control), and being perceived as an equal in the marketplace (I belong). The consumer normalcy construct reveals to readers how shopping experiences contribute to identity and the tension between acceptance by others and individual agency. Reality differs between informants, but their collective realities inform how consumers realize their self and consumption aspirations by shopping.     

Understanding Firm, Physician and Consumer Choice Behavior in the Pharmaceutical Industry

This paper argues that the pharmaceutical industry represents an exciting opportunity to carry out academic research. The nature of the industry allows researchers to answer new questions, develop new methodologies for answering these questions as well as to apply existing methodology to new data. The paper opens with some industry background, then provides a brief overview of some important research areas and discusses the open questions in each area. Issues of data type and availability are also discussed. This paper is based on a session (with the same title and participants) that was part of the Sixth Invitational Choice Symposium hosted by the University of Colorado and held at Estes Park, Colorado during June 4–8, 2004.     

Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility and Product Perceptions in Consumer Markets: A Cross-cultural Evaluation

The concept of corporate social responsibility is becoming integral to effective corporate brand management. This study adopts a multidimensional and cross-country perspective of the concept and analyses consumer perceptions of behaviour of four leading consumer products manufacturers. Data was collected from consumers in two countries – Spain and the UK. The study analyses consumers’ degree of interest in corporate responsibility and its impact on their perception about the company. The findings here suggest a weak impact of company-specific communication on consumers’ perception. The implications of this study are relevant to companies for strengthening their social responsibility associations with the consumers. Dr. Jaywant Singh is Senior Lecturer at Kingston University, London where he teaches consumer behaviour and international marketing. His research interests include customer loyalty, product variants, new brands, corporate social responsibility, and consumer panel data. He received his PhD in marketing in 2004. Dr. Maria de Mar Garcia de los Salmones is Lecturer at University of Cantabria (Spain). Her current research interests include corporate social responsibility, brand image and consumer behaviour. She received her PhD in business administration in 2002. Dr. Ignacio Rodriguez de Bosque is Professor of Marketing at the University of Cantabria (Spain). His current research interests include Business Communication, relationship marketing and distribution channels. He has published in several international journals such as Tourism, Management, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services and Industrial Marketing Management.     

正确理解《与贸易有关的投资措施协议》

<正> 《与贸易有关的投资措施协议》(以下简称为TRIMs协议)是第一个将国家对外资的管辖权纳入多边条约规范的协议。从目前看,我国对TRIMs协议的研究还不够深入,对TRIMs协议的调整范围和确立的投资新纪律的理解,欠缺准确性与完整性,容易造成对TRIMs协议的误解。关于TRIMs协议的调整范围 TRIMs协议第1条规定了协议的调整范围,该条指出,“本协议仅适用于与货物贸易有关的投资措施”。要准确理解该条规定,首先必须明确何谓“投资措施”和“与贸易有关的投资措施”。 TRIMs协议对何渭“投资措施”并未作任何解释,而国内有学者认为,投资措施有广义与狭     

线下环境因素对消费者体验意愿的影响

本文以刺激-机体-反(S-O-R)馈范式的理论框架为基础,结合体验营销理论、环境因素理论以及让渡价值理论,依据296份有效的样本数据,利用SPSS软件和LISREL软件进行数据处理,运用结构方程模型进行检验假设,分析了各线下体验环境要素对消费者体验意愿的影响机制。研究结果显示:线下体验商店(或展厅)的环境刺激对消费者体验意愿存在明显的间接影响效应,且商店环境中的设计因子的间接影响效应最大,而社会因子的间接影响效应最小;当消费者受到不同的环境因子刺激时,不同特征的消费者所产生的价值感知和体验成本感知存在明显的差异。     

The Effects Of Information Sources On Consumer Reactions To Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Prescription Drug Advertising: A Consumer Socialization Approach

This study examines the process by which, and the extent to which, consumers' reliance on mass media and interpersonal channels for health information is associated with consumer responses to direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. By analyzing nationally representative survey data collected among a U.S. adult population, this study finds that those who rely more on mass media and interpersonal channels for health information form more positive attitudes toward DTC advertising. In addition, reliance on interpersonal channels for health information leads consumers to have more active discussions with their health professionals about the drug advertised. Implications for pharmaceutical marketing practitioners and DTC advertising researchers are discussed with reference to the heated debate surrounding DTC advertising in the wake of the recent Vioxx recall incident.     

The Ethical Attribute Stigma: Understanding When Ethical Attributes Improve Consumer Responses to Product Evaluations

Although several articles have investigated ethical product attributes, earlier research has not empirically examined different benefits offered by ethical attributes (i.e., symbolic or utilitarian benefits). This study demonstrates that ethical attributes have functional benefits as well as symbolic benefits. More importantly, when the ethical attribute benefit is congruent with the product category benefit, ethical attributes improve product evaluations. In addition, products with a higher degree of physical contact with consumers are affected more positively by benefit congruity of ethical attributes. For products with lower degree of physical contact, benefit congruity of ethical attributes still has a positive impact, but not for consumers who have strong price–quality beliefs.     

以新制度经济学范式理解消费结构演变的力作

田学斌博士的专著《家庭消费结构演变的制度分析》日前已由中国社会科学出版社出版。该书是以新制度经济学范式理解消费结构演变的颇具创新性的一部力作,是制度经济学和消费经济学学科交叉研究的一项有价值的成果。诚如何炼成教授所言,作者的工作“填补了一个空白”。通观全书,     

A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Effects of Corporate Social Marketing on Consumer Behavior

This theoretical paper develops a conceptual framework that explains how companies can influence consumer behavior in terms of both social and business benefits through their corporate social marketing (CSM) initiatives. Drawing from the source credibility literature, the article asserts that the effectiveness of CSM depends largely on the corporate credibility of a company in supporting a social cause (“CSM credibility”). Based on this assertion, the framework identifies ten different antecedents of CSM credibility, which are organized into (1) attributes of the company, (2) attributes of the CSM initiative, and (3) attributes of the cause. Furthermore, this framework shows that CSM credibility affects the two examined consequences, intended prosocial behavior and consumer loyalty. Several research and managerial implications are developed based on the propositions specified in the framework.     

Consumer Law and the Environment: From Consumer to Citizen

This paper addresses the question of the relationship between consumer law and the protection of the environment. In contradiction to those who see the goals of consumer protection and environmental protection as being close to each other, this paper presents the relationship as one of conflict rather than one of harmony. Consumer law as an expression of the consumer society promotes goals which sometimes run counter to the environmental interest. This clearly comes to the fore when analysing the main consumer rights and their relationship to environmental issues. However, despite this basic incompatibility, the book of consumer law also contains some small stories of environmentally constructive behaviour. The telling of these good stories would require us to transcend the boundaries of traditional consumer law and to replace "the consumer" by "the citizen" who is interested not only in his own consumption but in all aspects of social life. In support of this development certain consumer law measures can be used to raise the awareness of consumers regarding environmental issues.     

Students' Emotional Experience at the University: An Alternative Approach to Understanding Students as Consumers

This study offers an alternative perspective to understand students as consumers. This proposition is evaluated by analyzing the relationship between students’ emotional experience at a university and their perception of loyalty to this institution. Students from a Latin-American business school responded to a survey that included the Consumption Emotion Set and a loyalty assessment (n = 1,393). Data was analyzed using Rasch models. The findings show that positive emotions motivate student loyalty, whereas negative emotions harm student loyalty. The students’ experiences should be conceptualized at the institution as a brand and addressed through services and (nonacademic) activities in students’ lives.