Calendar trading of Taiwan stock market: A study of holidays on trading detachment and interruptions

We analyze the influence of the Chinese lunar calendar and superstitions on holiday preferences using theories on time and mood to identify investor sentiment. Trading interruptions caused by Thursday holidays negative significantly influence investor sentiment for trust companies and individual investors. Trading detachment derived from cultural holidays in June positive significantly influences investor sentiment for dealers and individual investors. Trust companies and the market exhibit significantly positive sentiments toward winter holidays. The stock exchange indicates negative and positive sentiments toward winter holidays and holidays in January. Cultural holidays and superstition in Taiwan indicate strong support for holiday preferences in Asia.     

Family Members' Projections of Each Other's Preference and Influence: A Two-Stage Conjoint Approach

Two important sources of error that may limit the accuracy of individual family members' projections of joint family preferences are: (i) misperceptions of other members' preferences, and (ii) misperceptions of other members' influence in joint family evaluations. We propose a two-stage conjoint approach to study these potential errors. Stage one compares family members' projections of each other's preferences to members' self-reported preferences. Stage two compares family members' projections of each other's influence to observed influence in joint family preferences. An empirical illustration shows that family members are relatively poor predictors of preference, but fairly accurate predictors of influence, in the area of family holiday preferences.     

Perceptions of fibre types: a cross-cultural study into the effects of textile education

Abstract The study used semantic differential grids generated by consumers to compare perceptions of silk, cotton, nylon and polyester for use in (a) sportshirts and (b) ladies' slips. Student groups in the UK and Canada were surveyed both before and after an introductory course in textiles. Silk was the most preferred fibre for slips, and cotton for sportshirts. In general, the synthetic fibres and in particular nylon were viewed with disfavour. Both sets of student responses were broadly similar, although the degree of agreement was less strong than that found between English and Australian students in a comparable study. Perceptions remained relatively unchanged after a unit of textiles. The results of this work raise issues about the generally negative perceptions of synthetic fibres, which contrasts strongly with their current high level of use in clothing.     

New financial service development for banks in Taiwan based on customer needs and expectations

The purpose of this study aims to employ an analytic approach to analyze efficient managerial strategies for advancing new service development (NSD) by involving viewpoints of customer needs and expectations within a financial service context. This paper uses a sample of potential banks' credit card applications, customers' preferences and satisfaction ratings, and new credit card service data with the applications of both analytic hierarchy process and VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje to analyze customer satisfactions and preferences simultaneously. Then, it applies the importance–performance analysis technique to diagnose managerial strategies for reducing the customer gaps between customer perceptions and expectations. The study emphasizes the importance of analyzing customer preferences and reducing gaps between customer satisfactions of perceptions and expectations to ensure NSD success.     

Consumer Risk Preferences and Higher Education Enrollment Decisions

Although there are widespread concerns that consumers are making poor choices regarding higher education, the fact that human capital investments are risky is often overlooked in the national conversation. Therefore, this research investigates the effect of risk preferences on higher education enrollment decisions. A sample from the 1997 cohort of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97 ) was analyzed, and the results indicate that consumer risk preferences have a significant effect on the likelihood of enrollment. Specifically, there was a robust, positive relationship between risk tolerance and the likelihood of enrollment even after controlling for time preferences and risk perceptions. Consistent with previous findings, ability, parental education, family net worth and income, and being female were positively associated with the likelihood of enrollment. The results suggest that risk preferences may be an important source of omitted variable bias in previous studies of higher education investment choices.     

Women count: Perceptions of forecasting in sales

This study identifies sales managers’ perceptions of sales forecasting. We surveyed close to 400 business-to-business sales managers, split about equally by gender, and concluded forecasting-related preferences, beliefs, and desires. Herein, we evaluate gender differences and identify some critical perceptions of women that differ from the perceptions of their male counterparts. We also compare attitudes, behaviors, and demographics of women and men. We conclude with organizational recommendations and implications for firms concerning hiring practices, forecasting tool selection, training and development, and the use of an employee resource group.     

The physically disabled South African female consumer’s problems in purchasing clothing

Physically disabled women today have to face the inconvenience of shopping for their own as well as their families’ clothes and the inability of finding fashionable clothes that fit any disability. A total of 40 physically disabled women between the ages of 21 years and 60 years were interviewed on the problems they experienced when shopping for fashionable clothes that fit their disabilities. A total of 40 clothing shops were observed to get information on the extent to which the shops cater for the needs of the physically disabled consumer. Results from the interviews showed that the majority of physically disabled female clothing consumers experienced major problems in finding fashionable clothes that fit their disabilities. It was also clear that these women experienced problems with unusable access routes, unsuitable parking lots, display racks that are too high, spaces between racks that are too narrow, inadequate space in fitting rooms and a lack of assistance in shops. The observations were compared with the complaints the women had and it was found that these women had not overestimated their problems.     

GENERIC AND MANUFACTURERS' BRAND GROCERY PRODUCTS: THE ISSUE OF QUALITY*

This paper reports the results of an investigation of taste perceptions and preferences for three generic and three manufacturers' brand grocery products: dry roasted peanuts, apple sauce and powdered orange drink mix. Blind taste tests of a generic and of a manufacturer's brand in each of these product categories were conducted. Respondents evaluated each item in terms of several physical attributes associated with each of the products. In addition, measures of the perceived similarity and of the preference for the items within each of the three product categories were collected. A multi-attribute model was employed to predict respondent's preferences, and the predictive accuracy was found to be quite high. Implications of the findings for consumers and home economists are discussed.     

Factors Affecting Individual Decisions Based on Business Legitimacy

In this paper, we study customer's legitimacy preferences from the perspective of individual social profiles. By doing this, we aim to determine the influence of the social context on decision-making processes that derive from organizational legitimacy perceptions. Through data collected from a sample of 258 individuals, we relate five individual characteristics to four business legitimacy typologies using regression analysis techniques. Results show that individuals with higher social consciousness are prone to make decisions about organizations that take into account moral and regulatory legitimacy perceptions. However, low-trust customers and customers with high decision visibility are more likely to assess organizations based on cognitive and pragmatic legitimacy considerations.     

Perception of Risks and Preferences for Locally Grown Produce: A Marketing System Approach

In recent years, the “buy local” movement has escalated in popularity. This trend is redefining how value along the food chain is shared between producers, retailers, and consumers. A theoretical model was developed and used to evaluate how consumers formulate preferences for locally grown attributes, with an emphasis on consumers’ perceptions of food safety risk. Linkages between locally grown produce attributes, perceived macro outcomes, and value allocation to consumers are then examined using random utility discrete choice models. While results were mixed depending on frequency of purchasing locally grown produce, they do indicate that consumer preferences are driven by perceived food safety risk and other macro outcomes. For example, consumers who frequently purchase locally grown produce perceive these products to be environmentally friendly and to improve their quality of life.     

The role of product history in consumer response to online second-hand clothing retail service based on circular fashion

The circular fashion system (CFS) posits that clothes not only need to be designed and produced sustainably but also need to circulate among consumers for as long as possible to minimize waste. Fashion industry experts believe that circular fashion will be the dominating future trend of the industry, and many brands and start-ups have launched platforms following the CFS where consumers can exchange or donate their used clothes. However, circular fashion still needs to overcome the negative images associated with second-hand clothes, such as contamination. What can decrease consumers' concerns with used clothes as well as promote circular fashion effectively among consumers? Based on the narrative competence theory, this study examines the effects of providing the product history of clothes on enhancing consumers' trust, perceived benefits, attitude, and usage intentions toward circular fashion service. An online experiment was conducted with 238 U.S. consumers. Results revealed that providing product history enhances consumers' trust toward the service and the perceived hedonic, social, and economic benefits of the service. Greater trust and hedonic benefits of the service enhance consumers’ attitude toward the service, which consequently increase their intentions to use the service. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed in this paper.     

Perceptions and Preferences of Study Abroad

Abstract

This research compares the study-abroad perceptions and preferences of business and non-business majors. The results suggest that the two groups have somewhat different motivations for studying abroad. On balance, business students appear more pragmatic than their non-business counterparts, expressing greater concern for financial issues, and the effects of study abroad on both graduation dates and future job prospects. However, the two groups expressed virtually unanimous agreement when asked to describe their specific preferences regarding a study-abroad program. The results suggest that although the two groups seem driven by different motivations, their study-abroad needs may be satisfied by a single, carefully designed program.     

Product evaluation in a dynamic market

This paper reports the findings of a longitudinal study of the Australian womens' clothing market. Using MANOVA to analyze results from a field experiment allows variation in respondents' beliefs and preferences to be partitioned between (a) factors of theoretical and/or managerial interest (market segments and time), (b) factors representing secondary aspects of the research design (presentation and context of clothes) and (c) traditional measurement threats (repeated measurement). The results obtained for this illustrative case suggest that the variance generated by design choices and measurement effects may be equal to, or greater than, that associated with our theoretical constructs. If such a conclusion were more generally true, it would indicate a pressing need for the improved reporting of research designs and greater attention to the study of methodological artifacts.     

Predicting brand preferences using self-concept theory

This paper seeks to replicate Ross's seminal work on self-concept and brand preference. Self-concept theory posits consumers as having perceptions of their selfs, from which predictions about brand preferences can be made, based on the similarity between consumers' self-perceptions and brands' images. The hypothesis that consumers prefer a brand whose image is more congruent with their self-concept was tested in three product fields and was partly supported. In common with Ross, we found that actual, rather than ideal, self-concept was a better predictor of brand preference for conspicuously consumed products. For the most inconspicuously consumed product, salt, neither actual nor ideal self-concepts were good predictors of brand preference.     

浙江省休闲渔业旅游市场需求实证研究

笔者对传统的渔业休闲旅游概念有所扩展,涵盖了海洋、湖泊（水库）多种类型的休闲渔业旅游．对浙江湖泊型、水库型、海洋型休闲渔业旅游的居民进行人口特征、旅游偏好、出游方式、满意度等相关性因素统计分析,提出对休闲渔业度假旅游项目新建或改造的相关建议。此外,笔者用LOGISTIC分析方法,将近一年休闲渔业旅游参与情况作为因变量,得到了是否去当地旅游与关键特色、基础设施服务评价、常数成正相关,这对政府根据休闲渔业旅游目标市场制定有针对性的营销计划和降低营销成本具有一定的现实意义。     

Distance,Transaction Costs,and Preferences in European Trade

Beckerman (1956) and Linder (1961) have suggested that international trade is not determined by supply-side factors alone—perceptions about foreign countries and country preferences matter. We explore the relation between exports, cultural distance, and country preferences in Europe. The results show that several distance and preference-related variables, based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, income gaps, and voting patterns in the Eurovision Song Contest, are significantly related to bilateral trade. We conclude that cultural distance and preferences influence trade through several channels, both indirectly through transaction costs and more directly, as countries seem to prefer some trade partners before others.     

Decisions with ChatGPT: Reexamining choice overload in ChatGPT recommendations

This research examines how individuals respond differently to recommendation options generated by ChatGPT, an AI-powered language model, in five studies. In contrast to previous research on choice overload, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that people tend to respond positively to a large number of recommendation options (60 options), revealing diverse consumer perceptions of AI-generated recommendations. Studies 3 and 4 further illustrate the moderating effect of recommendation agents and indicate that choice overload elicits distinct patterns of consumer reactions depending on whether the recommendations are from a human or AI agent. Lastly, Study 5 directly measures consumer preferences for recommendation agents, revealing a general preference for ChatGPT, particularly when a large number of options are available. These findings have significant implications for recommendation system design and user preferences regarding AI-powered recommendations.     

Next to godliness

All revolutionaries are bearded men with tattered clothes and BO. True? Not really. One of the greatest revolutions of our century was fought in the name of clean clothes and sweet smells. Read on …