Determinants of Chinese consumers' green purchase behavior

This study examines the influence of various cultural and psychological factors on the green purchase behavior of Chinese consumers. To this end, a conceptual model has been proposed and subjected to empirical verification with the use of a survey. The survey results obtained in two major Chinese cities provide reasonable support for the validity of the proposed model. Specifically, the findings from the structural‐equation modeling confirm the influence of the subjects' man–nature orientation, degree of collectivism, ecological affect, and marginally, ecological knowledge, on their attitudes toward green purchases. Their attitudes toward green purchases, in turn, are also seen to affect their green purchase behavior via the mediator of green purchase intention. Although the present findings provide a better understanding of the process and significant antecedents of green purchasing, they also highlight two areas for more thorough investigation. These are the exact role of ecological knowledge in Chinese consumers' green purchasing process and the underlying factors that account for their low level of green purchase. This study also discusses how the present findings may help the Chinese government and green marketers to fine‐tune their environmental programs. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Determinants of purchase luxury counterfeit products in social commerce: The mediating role of compulsive internet use

Research on counterfeit purchase intention has attracted enough attention, and a number of studies have investigated various determinants of luxury counterfeit purchase intention in the offline context. However, less attention has focused on the underlying mechanism of the attitude toward luxury counterfeit purchase intention in the social commerce context. Moreover, extant literature has focused on the influence of compulsive internet use (CIU) on psychological well-being. Based on flow theory, this study examines the mediating role of CIU in the relationship between influencing factors (such as materialism, novelty-seeking behavior, and hedonic benefits) and consumers’ attitudes toward luxury counterfeit products. Additionally, the moderating role of product conspicuousness and positive online reviews also examined the direct effects. Data were collected from active online users of Taobao.com. Results show that materialism and novelty-seeking behavior are significantly related to CIU and subsequently influence the attitude toward luxury counterfeit goods. Furthermore, product conspicuousness and positive online reviews have moderated the direct effect of the conceptual framework. Therefore, the current research contributes to the existing literature by addressing the mediating CIU and moderating (product conspicuousness and positive online reviews) factors that played a significant role in promoting counterfeit purchase intention, comparing the direct effect to promote the counterfeit purchase intention. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in detail.     

Determinants of dividend smoothing in emerging market: The case of Korea

Dividend smoothing is a well-established empirical fact in developed countries. This paper investigates the dividend smoothing behavior in Korea where the tax regime and institutional settings of the financial market are different from those of developed countries. The empirical evidence shows that the dividend smoothing decision is influenced not only by a firm's characteristics, but also by macroeconomic factors such as tax and interest rates. Detailed results are as follows. First, application of the Lintner model shows that the extent of dividend smoothing in Korean firms is found to be less than that in the U.S. firms. Second, size, risk, growth and large shareholder ownership are found to be important determinants of dividend smoothing. Larger firms and lower growth firms smooth dividends more. Riskier firms tend to smooth more during the sample period while safer firms smooth dividends more for the post-liberalization period. These results are not consistent with the predictions of information asymmetry models. In addition, contrary to the agency theory based explanations of dividend smoothing, firms with concentrated ownership smooth dividend more. Finally, as for the effect of macroeconomic factors on dividend smoothing, both tax and interest rates are found to have significantly positive relationships with the degree of dividend smoothing. These findings suggest that institutional factors of financial market can play a critical role in understanding the dividend behavior in emerging markets.     

Determinants of customers' intentions to use hedonic networks: The case of Instagram

The emergence of the internet is a challenge for classical economic analysis, as it has a huge impact on people's habits and also on their living standards all over the world. In recent years, a particular attention has been paid to the study of the effect of Internet use and in particular, the impact of social networks on consumer behavior. The aim of this study is to develop a specific model that examines the impact of hedonic technology, such as Instagram, and integrates for the purpose some social factors. The key studied factors are eschewed by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). These are perceived pleasure and social identity. In addition, this paper tries to explore social CRM and provide theoretical and practical implications. This study tries also to validate the results of a first study by using a qualitative study. The results confirm the positive effect of perceived pleasure, social identity (cognitive, affective and evaluative) and perceived ease of use on intention to use Instagram. However, we found no empirical support for the significant and positive effect of perceived usefulness on the intention to use social networks. The results of the qualitative study could not validate the impact of perceived usefulness on the intention to use Instagram. The valuable insights gained from this study can be used to improve management practices and to help companies to develop more effective intervention programs to attract, encourage, motivate and influence their potential clients to participate in their social CRM programs.     

Determinants of the satisfaction of firms with the competencies of university students: a Spanish case study

Spanish universities pay little attention to business demands with regard to workforce training and to the research that has been developed in this area. The present study analyses the effect of various factors on firms’ satisfaction with the education provided by universities. The factors include the content of the student's major subject of study and social, methodological and participation skills. The data were obtained from a survey of businesses. Although the results obtained show that all of the factors have an impact on overall satisfaction, they are not of equal importance. University managers may be able to use the information obtained from this study as a basis for designing and implementing action that might improve employers’ level of satisfaction, which has considerable positive consequences. Moreover, the study's methodology could be applied to other outputs of universities, such as the research performed.     

Determinants of website traffic: the case of European fashion apparel retailers

The globalization process together with the extraordinary growth in the use of Internet offer firms new growth opportunities. Retail firms are using a multichannel approach, involving the Internet, in their internationalization strategies. Website traffic as measured by unique users and online awareness is among the measures for assessing the success of the online channel. There is little evidence, however, linking website traffic and the characteristics of the retail multichannel internationalization process. In order to fill this gap, this paper analyses the factors explaining the retailer's international website traffic. Website traffic data for a sample of European fashion apparel retailers are modelled as dependent on characteristics of the organization and of its physical and virtual internationalization strategy. Following the results of several linear regression models, we infer the complementarity of online and offline channels in the international operation, as well as the contribution of social networks as traffic generators.     

Freedom and international marketing: Janis Joplin's candidacy as patron of the field

The role of international marketing in society as perceived by the public is under attack. The discipline has progressively been linked to exploitation, increases in poverty, and special interests. The appeal of the discipline has declined, academics have switched fields, and its domain has shrunk severely from its heyday in the 1970s. This article presents a call for a new breadth of thinking in the discipline. The concept of freedom offers international marketing a key change agent in times of global adjustment. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Responding to Agenda 21: purchase and waste behaviour and the introduction of weight-based billing – a case study

In many societies unsustainable consumption patterns are currently being recognized as a critical problem receiving increasing public attention. Communities in many parts of the world are responding to United Nations Agenda 21 by attempting to increase public awareness about the necessity of increasing recycling, by increasing fees and taxes on products that are harmful to the environment, by introducing re-use systems, and by changing legislation. These are just a few examples of the kinds of measures that are being employed in an attempt to move towards an ecocyclic society. This article reports a case study from a Swedish municipality, Varberg, and the focus is on the relationship between household routines related to purchases of everyday commodities and waste management. In 1994, Varberg introduced a weight-based billing system for household waste and at the same time a green shopping campaign was launched by the authorities. The article reports findings from a study of 39 households, located in two different areas, a town area with rented apartments and a suburban area with owner occupied, one-family houses. Data have been obtained through interviews and weighing of household waste. Results show that there are important differences between these areas with respect to awareness of the information launched in the campaign, knowledge of the goals of the campaign and in the manners in which dwellers felt affected by the message conveyed. Households in the suburban area, for instance, had a better knowledge of green labels and what they stand for. There are also clear differences in concrete actions that can be taken by those living in the two areas. In the area with rented apartments, weight-based billing for the individual household is not possible, nor is composting a viable alternative. For the suburban families living in their own houses, there are a broad set of measures that could be taken to modify purchase behaviours and waste management towards more environmentally friendly alternatives.     

Determinants of firm-level export performance: a case study of Indian textile garments and apparel industry

Drawing on international trade and industrial organisation theories, this paper identifies variables affecting (a) the export decision function, i.e. to export or sell in domestic market, and (b) the export performance function, i.e. the share of exports in output. These functions are estimated for Garment and Apparel producing units in Delhi. The form of business organisation, reflecting access to capital, turns out to be a key determinant in both functions. The estimated marginal impact of identified variables (scale and share of sales expenses) on the probability of exporting in an estimated Probit model declines sharply when moving from single proprietorship to partnership and on to limited companies. On the other hand, every single determinant (scale, share of wages, share of sales expenses and technical efficiency) has been found to have an increasing marginal impact on export performance in an estimated Tobit model when moving across the three forms of business organisation. Empirical results suggest two policy changes to boost export performance. First, given the importance of scale for exports, the existing policy of reserving garments and apparel for exclusive production in small-scale units needs to be scrapped. Simultaneously, it is also necessary to amend current labour legislation applicable to large-scale factory units, as it introduces labour market inflexibility and hence serves as an impediment to the expansion of existing units and the entry of new units.     

Determinants of brand equity in cultural organizations: the case of an art exhibition

The purpose of this research is two-fold. First, to explore the factors that help to create brand equity in cultural organizations from the visitor viewpoint and second, to examine the impact of cultural brand equity on visitor satisfaction as well as on future intentions. A model of the relationships is developed and empirically tested using data collected from visitors attending The Ages of Mankind cultural exhibition in Castilla and León, Spain. In the present study, evidence is found to support the propositions that brand equity is closely linked to the particular image it conveys, to the event's recognition, the quality of the exhibitions and the cultural values it transmits. Brand equity also impacts visitor perception of the most recent exhibition, as well as future intentions to attend or even pay an admission fee.     

The role of customer loyalty as a brand extension purchase predictor

The paper explores the relationship between customer loyalty to the retail brand and the purchase of non-traditional products and services (NTPS) offered by grocery retailers with their private label (i.e. over-the-counter products, photo printing, mobile communication services and travel booking). Customer loyalty to the retail brand is measured through its behavioral and attitudinal components. A survey was conducted administering a questionnaire to 480 retail customers in two stores belonging to different retail grocers. A binary logistic regression was then applied using the buying of at least one NTPS as the dependent variable (1 = buy; 0 = no buy) and behavioral loyalty and attitudinal loyalty as independent variables. Results show that attitudinal loyalty plays a significant role as buying predictor, but this depends on the NTPS offered. Theoretical and managerial implications are derived.     

Factors influencing purchase intent in virtual worlds: a review of the literature

Previous empirical studies have identified several factors that seem to play a role in determining purchase intent in virtual worlds; three-dimensional online environments in which users interact while represented by their avatars. So far however, a clear overview of these factors is lacking, and the question that remains is what factors affect purchase intent most. Therefore, this study aims to create an overview of factors that influence users’ purchase intent in virtual worlds, and to subsequently identify the most influential factors. To conduct this review, relevant literature was gathered using a variety of search engines and keywords. An article had to explicitly study factors influencing purchase intent in virtual worlds in order to be included in this review. This search method resulted in a selection of twelve relevant articles that were used for further analysis. Results show that perceived enjoyment, social influence, customization and ease of use are important factors that influence purchase intent in virtual worlds. Enjoyment of the virtual world, beliefs and attitudes of others, avatar customization, and easy-to-use virtual world applications can thus increase users’ willingness to purchase products in the virtual world. Practical implications as well as limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Influence of opinion leadership identification criteria: The purchase of smartphones

The role of opinion leaders in disseminating information on technology-type products in the market, such as smartphones, is of great interest to tech sector companies. From a survey conducted among young university students, the main distinguishing features of opinion leaders in smartphone purchases are analysed through alternative identification criteria. The results show that some of the distinguishing traits include greater expenditure in the acquisition of smartphones, lower frequency of replacement, having owned a large number of these devices, and showing a more positive emotional bond when purchasing smartphones. Moreover, the criterion used in identification of the opinion leader is relevant.     

The purchase of moral positions: an essay on the markets of concerned parenting

The markets directed towards the very youngest are rapidly expanding. This article looks into the mechanisms behind the expansion of this type of parental consumption, assigning children a position similar to what Veblen categorized as vicarious consumption. The assumption put forward is that the modern markets for babies and toddlers rooted not only in the need to stimulate, protect and support the child, or the desire to display cultural and economic capital through vicarious consumption, but also in the need to indicate positions in the moral economy of concerned parenting. The expanding markets of considered consumption are partly based on translation values, empathy and care made into tangible products with symbolic values in the moral economy.     

Virtual test-driving: The impact of simulated products on purchase intention

This paper studies a number of key determinants of users׳ experience and engagement when driving a simulated car model, the outcome of this engagement in relation to enjoyment and satisfaction and the role of user satisfaction in purchasing the actual product. We test a holistic model using an experimental quantitative approach. Our analysis suggests that hedonic experience may create higher levels of engagement among users of the simulated car. Enjoyment and engagement were found to positively influence user satisfaction while driving the simulated car. In turn, user satisfaction with the simulated car was found to positively influence purchasing intention for the actual car. Our work has shown how a simulation based on widely available technologies can provide a foundation for the development of a relationship between a user and the simulated product. Consequently, our research findings have significant theoretical and practical implications beyond the auto-manufacturing industry, as experiencing simulated products can play an important role in the context of electronic commerce. This is especially true given the increasingly important role ‘experience’ plays in electronic marketing.     

政府采购市场现状——访广东省政府采购中心副主任谭煜筹

一些发达国家希望中国能够成为 WTO《政府采购协议》(下称《协议》)的成员之一,他们有意无意地将《协议》与加入世贸的强制性条件捆绑在一起,作为我国加入世贸的一个重要条件。美国确定《协议》谈判的三个重点对象,我国就是其中之一。欧盟甚至提出,我国可以先享受权利再承担义务,即我国供应商可先进入欧盟的政府采购市场,一段时间后再向欧盟供应商开放中国的政府采购市场。我国没有同意欧美所提出的要求,而是再度重申江泽民主席在亚太经合组织中的承诺,最迟2020年向欧美开放这块市场。这为我国许多行业中羽翼尚未丰满的企业赢得了相当难得的发展机会和市场机会。业内人士透露,我国预计在人世的两年内启动加入《协议》的谈判。     

Envisioning a future purchase: The effects of consumption imagery perspective and identity on consumer motivation

When people visualize a potential purchase, they can adopt either a first‐person or a third‐person perspective. The present research examines whether the perspective adopted would affect consumer motivation, and whether this effect would depend on the extent to which the imagined purchase is connected to identity. In four studies, third‐person imagery resulted in stronger consumer motivation than first‐person imagery, but only for purchases that were tied closely to identity. Furthermore, the results suggest that the motivational effect of third‐person imagery is not based on concerns about others’ views of the self, but rather on the extent to which one feels that the imagined behavior is tied closely to identity.     

政府采购市场现场—访广东政府采购中心副主任谭煜筹

一些发达国家希望中国能够成为WTO《政府采购协议》(下称《协议》)的成员之一,他们有意无意地将《协议》与加入世贸的强制性条件捆绑在一起,作为我国加入世贸的一个重要条件.美国确定《协议》谈判的三个重点对象,我国就是其中之一.     

Observation of a strategic household purchase decision

The present paper focuses on strategic household purchase decisions; i.e., major, complex buying decisions with long-term bindings of economic resources. An in-depth study of house buying in two-career households demonstrated preferences (goals) to be ambiguous, and consequences to be modestly understood and partly uncovered after the purchase. Only a few alternatives were considered, and they were from different broad need-satisfying categories such as purchase of apartment or house, or renting. No direct comparisons of alternatives were observed to take place. The purchase decisions were based on few, very crude decision criteria working as guidelines for judging whether or not the alternatives considered were acceptable, while the final choice seemingly was made according to an affect-referral decision rule.