German Consumer Decision‐Making Styles

The lack of previous relevant consumer research in Germany, together with the need to test the generalizability of consumer decision‐making styles in different countries and with non‐student samples, prompted an investigation of German shoppers. The original U.S. eight‐factor model could not be confirmed completely, but support was found for six factors: Brand Consciousness, Perfectionism, Recreational/Hedonism, Confused by Overchoice, Impulsiveness, and Novelty‐Fashion Consciousness. Variety Seeking was novel to Germany and replaced brand loyalty and price‐value consciousness factors found in previous countries. Explanations for the differences are discussed as well as the marketing implications.     

Revisiting Perceived Risk in the Context of Online Shopping: An Alternative Perspective of Decision‐Making Styles

This study attempts to elaborate the consequences of perceived risk by taking the moderating effects of decision‐making style (i.e., involvement vs. heuristics) into account in the context of online shopping. The integrated model is tested repeatedly in diverse purchasing situations with different Web presentation styles and product categories. The findings indicate that perceived risk toward the Web site/product influences purchasing intention through cognition‐ and affect‐based attitudes. Moreover, the moderating effects of decision‐making style on the relationship between perceived risk and its consequences are conditional. Since perceived risk appears very crucial for promoting online shopping, the results of this study may provide an influential reference for academicians and practitioners when considering the role of perceived risk in Web site marketing. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effects of Lightness‐Location Congruency on Consumers’ Purchase Decision‐Making

A considerable body of psychological and neuroscientific research has demonstrated the existence of robust sensory correspondences between various features, attributes, or dimensions of experience in different sensory modalities. Despite findings indicating the importance of sensory correspondences to human information processing, research on purchase decision‐making has not to date focused sufficiently on this phenomenon. The present study examines how the lightness of packaging colors, and the location of products on a display shelf interact to affect consumers’ purchase decision‐making via perceived visual heaviness. As predicted, a display with light (dark) colored products positioned in the upper (lower) shelf positions increases shoppers’ perceptual fluency and facilitates their visual search, thus leading to the suggestion that “light” (heavy) locations are most appropriate for light (dark) colored products. Moreover, the lightness‐location congruent display is shown to influence people's choice behavior positively as well. This research also demonstrates that when consumers consider the lightness (in terms of their weight) of the products, they are more likely to choose light (vs. dark) colored products located in the upper shelf positions. These results therefore demonstrate that consumers’ purchase decision‐making may be promoted by in‐store environments designed to be congruent with their sensory correspondences.     

Decision Making by Low‐Literacy Consumers in the Presence of Point‐of‐Purchase Information

Low‐literacy consumers face disadvantages when making product choices. This article presents the results of two studies designed to explore differences in decision‐making behavior across consumer literacy levels, focusing on consumers’ ability to evaluate information in print ads and product packaging. The authors demonstrate that the presence of a visual decision aid at the point of purchase can improve choice for low‐literacy consumers.     

Entrepreneurial Orientation and International Performance: The Moderating Effect of Decision‐Making Rationality

This research examines how entrepreneurial orientation (EO) influences international performance (IP) of the firm taking into account the moderating effect of decision‐making rationality (DR) on the EO–IP association. Such an investigation is significant because it considers the interplay of strategic decision‐making processes supported by the bounded rationality concept in the entrepreneurship field. Drawing from a study on activities of 216 firms in the United States and United Kingdom, the evidence suggests that DR positively moderates the EO–IP association. The findings suggest that managers can improve IP by combining EO with rational (analytical) processes in their strategic decisions.     

Global Sourcing Decision‐Making Processes: Politics,Intuition, and Procedural Rationality

Global sourcing (GS) is a firmly established phenomenon in modern business practice that requires specific expertise from different organizational functions, such as purchasing, production, logistics, and research and development to analyze and select sourcing alternatives effectively. In this context, global sourcing decision‐making (GSDM) processes pose major challenges because two dimensions of functional politics, namely goal misalignment and power imbalance across functions, appear to influence procedural rationality in a manner not understood to date. Likewise, intuition also seems to play a role for the procedural rationality of GSDM processes. To elucidate the conditions under which procedural rationality is hampered or enhanced by politics and intuition, we studied five cross‐functional GSDM processes, in front of extant strategic decision‐making literature. We derive formal propositions on how functional politics and intuition influence the procedural rationality and present contingencies for the divergent role of intuition as well as functional politics in GDSM processes. Our research contributes to existing GS literature by providing a theoretical model of important microfoundations of how GSDM processes evolve. The findings also guide managers on how to structure GSDM processes such that GS projects can be conducted in a more rational fashion.     

Toward a Model of Understanding Strategic Decision‐Making in Micro‐Firms: Exploring the Australian Information Technology Sector

This study explores strategic decision‐making (SDM) in micro‐firms, an economically significant business subsector. As extant large‐ and small‐firm literature currently proffers an incomplete characterization of SDM in very small enterprises, a multiple‐case methodology was used to investigate how these firms make strategic decisions. Eleven Australian Information Technology service micro‐firms participated in the study. Using an information‐processing lens, the study uncovered patterns of SDM in micro‐firms and derived a theoretical micro‐firm SDM model. This research also identifies several implications for micro‐firm management and directions for future research, contributing to the understanding of micro‐firm SDM in both theory and practice.     

Consumer Shopping Styles and Online Shopping: An Empirical Study of Indian Consumers

ABSTRACT

The generalizability and applicability of the Consumer Shopping Inventory (CSI) scale on Indian sample in predicting online shopping behavior was examined. CSI scale has been adapted by researchers to validate its applicability in different countries. Results revealed new factors and different segments of consumers were identified by factor analysis. The findings posit that the original U.S. eight-factor model could not be confirmed completely on Indian sample. However, the study found support for five factors: quality-conscious shopper, fashion-conscious shopper, uninterested shopper, impulsive shopper, and brand-conscious shopper. Online shopping behavior was categorized under convenience, information availability, and cost factors. Demographic factors do not influence consumers' decision to shop online. Consumers shopping online frequently and Impulsive shoppers are likely to look at convenience factor of online shopping. Information availability was important for fashion-conscious shoppers, consumers frequently shopping online, and impulsive shoppers. Brand-conscious shoppers and quality-conscious shoppers were not likely to purchase online.     

Conflict,Participative Decision‐Making,and Generational Ownership Dispersion: A Multilevel Analysis*

This study examines how participative decision‐making and generational ownership dispersion affect conflict in a sample of privately held U.S. family firms. Our study utilizes a hierarchical linear model approach to investigate “cross‐level” effects between variables from different levels of analysis. Participative decision‐making among family members was found to be associated with cognitive and relationship conflict. Furthermore, the relationship between participative decision‐making and conflict as individual‐level variables was moderated by generational ownership dispersion, a firm‐level variable. When ownership was dispersed through multiple generations, participative decision‐making was found to be positively related to cognitive and relationship conflict; however, in one‐ and two‐generation ownership firms participative decision‐making was found to be negatively related to cognitive and relationship conflict.     

Trading Off Fish Health and Safety: Female Decision‐Making Processes toward the Risk of Methylmercury in Fish

This study takes a qualitative, point‐in‐time look at 26 females’ decision‐making processes toward trading off the risks of mercury and the health benefits of a seafood diet. The data revealed five different decision‐making processes, with 17 of the 26 participants indicating their fish consumption patterns did not change. Of the nine who changed their fish consumption in some way, six specifically reduced the amount of tuna they ate. Similarly, participants who were most at risk—women of childbearing age and those with young children—expressed fish consumption changes more frequently than others, especially in the amount of tuna they consumed.     

The Deal Structuring Stage of the Venture Capitalist Decision‐Making Process: Exploring Confidence and Control*

This exploratory study examines the deal structuring stage of the venture capitalist decision‐making process. Here, the primary issues of concern are investor confidence and potential control of a venture in relation to the level of financing the investor provides and the structure with which the funding is delivered. Confidence comes in support of the entrepreneur, the venture itself, or a combination of the two, prior to capital transfer, but after the initial “invest or not invest” decision has already occurred. Findings support a multicriteria perspective of the pre‐investment decision‐making process and a distinct difference between entrepreneur confidence and venture confidence in the deal structuring stage.     

An Investigation of Egyptian Consumers’ Attitudes Toward Ethical Issues in Advertising

This article investigates Egyptian consumers’ attitudes toward ethical issues in advertising held by a sample of 306 participants. The subjects completed a 20-item instrument originally designed to measure respondents’ attitudes toward controversial issues in advertising. The study validates the scale in an Arab non-Western context. The results revealed that Egyptian consumers have negative attitudes toward ethical issues in advertising. There are significant differences between males’ and females’ perceptions of ethics in advertising. Finally, the study detects a significant difference between Muslims and non-Muslims in Egypt regarding their attitudes toward ethical issues in advertising. These results lend strong support to the adaptation hypothesis and suggest that ads produced in one country cannot be standardized or directly translated for use in another, particularly if they are different culturally.     

株洲市消费者对转基因食品认知态度的调查研究

通过问卷调研的形式,调查分析株洲市消费者对转基因食品的认知态度和消费情况。研究发现,株洲市消费者对转基因食品的认知度较高,但接受程度不高。在知明的情况下,消费态度趋于传统和保守,主要原因在于担忧转基因食品的安全性问题。研究还发现不同学历和收入的消费者在接受转基因食品的态度上存在显著相关性。     

Cognition, Persuasion and Decision Making in Older Consumers

Older adults constitute a rapidly growing demographic segment, but relatively little is known about them within consumer contexts: how they process information, respond to persuasive messages, and make decisions. We discuss extant findings from consumer behavior and related disciplines (e.g., cognitive psychology, neuroscience, social psychology, gerontology) as they pertain to the effects of aging on consumer memory, persuasion and decision The first two authors co-chaired the workshop at the Choice Symposium and made major and equal contributions to this article. The remaining authors were participants in the workshop. They also contributed to this article and are listed in alphabetical order. We wish to thank the editor and Cathy Cole for their helpful comments on the paper. The article, including a more complete list of references, was shortened to meet the page-length constraints of the special issue. The longer version is available upon request from the senior authors.     

The Dependence of Family Businesses on a Single Decision‐Maker*

Anecdotal evidence suggests that family businesses are very dependent on a single individual (the owner‐manager). However, the degree of dependence previously has not been studied formally. Further, an explanation for why some family businesses are highly dependent on the owner‐manager and others are not has not been explored. Utilizing a national survey of Canadian family‐owned businesses, this paper therefore addresses two central issues: (1) the degree of dependence of family‐owned businesses on a single individual; and (2) the factors associated with this reliance. Self‐report responses from family business owners provided evidence of a high level of dependence on the owner‐manager. In 75 percent of all family businesses, respondents believed that the company was either dependent or very dependent on them. The response to this subjective question is consistent with responses to our three more objective measures. First, 65 percent of owner‐managers responded that they made all the major decisions in at least three of five functional business areas. Second, these businesses had few key managers—in 57 percent of all businesses, there were only two or fewer key managers in addition to the owner. Third, in 62 percent of all family businesses, neither had a successor been chosen nor had a process been put in place for choosing a successor. These results strongly suggest that family businesses are highly dependent on a single individual. Six factors had significant power in explaining the degree of dependence. Two factors related to the owner‐manager—dependence decreased in the age of the owner‐manager and in proximity of the owner‐manager to retirement. Four factors related to the family business: dependence decreased in the value of the firm, the number of shareholders, and the age of the business and was greater where the owner‐manager's family had voting control. Surprisingly, neither the existence of a board of directors with outside membership nor an advisory board with outside membership helped explain the level of dependence.     

移动营销:基于短信息服务的消费者接受实证研究

作为一种新的广告和信息交流的途径,手机短信服务现已经普遍应用。在已有文献提出技术接受研究模型及其它相关理论研究的基础上,探讨消费者对于移动广告的态度和接受源技术接受和使用整合模型,创新扩散理论,任务技术匹配理论的整合模型,并进行实证研究。运用结构方程模型方法对调查数据进行分析,揭示消费者对于移动营销的整体态度,以及影响消费者接受的主要因素。     

Picture–Text Incongruency in Print Advertisements among Low‐ and High‐Literacy Consumers

While low‐literacy consumers rely heavily on pictorial information when making market‐based decisions, they also do attempt to read relevant information. When the advertisement picture and text are aligned, so too should be the conclusions low‐literacy consumers draw. We ask what happens when the pictures and accompanying text are incongruent. Results of an experiment indicate that low‐literacy consumers misinterpreted an advertisement with text–picture incongruity more regularly than did high‐literacy consumers. Furthermore, low‐literacy consumers demonstrated errors in comprehension that reflect picture‐based processing. However, despite comprehension differences between low‐ and high‐literacy consumers, attitudes toward the advertisement did not differ.     

An Investigation of Factors Influencing Causal Attributions in Managerial Decision Making

This study investigates factors influencing causal attributions in managerial decision making. Three categories of factors are identified: (i) prior beliefs (ii) background frequencies, and (iii) covariation cues. The impact of factors in each of the above categories on causal attribution are studied in a marketing decision making context. Subjects demonstrated a bias toward assigning causality to variables that occurred infrequently or were controllable. Also, subjects were particularly influenced by the joint-occurrences of cause and effect variables.     

Framing Effects Within the Ethical Decision Making Process of Consumers

There has been neglect of systematic conceptual development and empirical investigation within consumer ethics. Scenarios have been a long-standing tool yet their development has been haphazard with little theory guiding their development. This research answers four questions relative to this gap: Do different scenario decision frames encourage different moral reasoning styles? Does the way in which framing effects are measured make a difference in the measurement of the relationship between moral reasoning and judgment by gender? Are true framing effects likely to vary with the situation? and Are true framing effects likely to vary by gender? The conclusions reached were that (1) different scenario frames encourage both types of reasoning, but rule based moral reasoning is dominant regardless of frame, (2) accounting for formal equivalency in the measurement of true framing effects is likely to enhance the interpretation of studies in moral reasoning and judgment, (3) True framing effects are more likely to occur in situations with low to moderate perceived ethicality, and (4) true framing effects are not likely to vary by gender. Explanations as to why these results occurred are discussed.     

Antecedents and Consequences of Skepticism toward Health Claims: An Empirical Investigation of Singaporean Consumers

The purpose of this study is to test the persuasive effects of visual metaphors in advertising. Advertisements containing visual metaphors deliver persuasive arguments in visual modality and metaphorical style of rhetoric, both of which may increase the persuasiveness of messages. The study has three message conditions that are advertisements containing (a) non‐metaphorical (literal) visual image with verbal argument; (b) metaphorical visual image with verbal argument; and (c) metaphorical image without accompanying verbal argument. Cognitive elaboration, source credibility, ad attitude, brand attitude, product belief, and purchase intention are considered as outcomes. The study results suggest that visual metaphors may be more persuasive due to both visual argumentation and metaphorical rhetoric. The theoretical explanations and managerial implications of the findings of this study are further discussed.