Innovative approaches to domestic heating: homeowners' perceptions and factors influencing their choice of heating system

The paper focuses on Swedish homeowners' perceptions of innovative heating systems, and those factors that influence their decision to adopt a new heating system. The systems studied were: district heating, heat pumps and pellet boilers. Results of two household surveys – one covering the whole of Sweden in autumn 2004 and the other in the city of Östersund in summer 2005 – revealed that approximately 80% of the survey respondents, particularly those with resistance heaters, did not intend to install an innovative heating system. Economic aspects, functional reliability and indoor air quality were found to be the most important factors influencing respondents' choice of a heating system. Survey respondents thought that a bedrock heat pump system has a number of advantages with respect to the annual cost of heating, security of fuel supply, environmental benignity, market value of the home and low greenhouse gas emission. A district heating system has advantages regarding functional reliability, system automation and time required to obtain information. A pellet boiler system has one main advantage: investment cost. Compared with homeowners having other types of heating systems, those with resistance heaters accorded more importance to investment cost due to the high cost of installing a water‐based system for heat distribution within the home.     

‘Out With the Old’—An Evaluation of the Relevance of Traditional Chinese Cultural Beliefs in Today's China

This study evaluated the views of a range of 20- to 35-year-old Chinese respondents regarding the applicability and relevance—in today's modern China—of various traditional Chinese values such as trust, respect and guanxi, in regard to personal, social, business and consumer behavior contexts. It found that respondents felt that traditional values were still important at home and in social contexts but had perhaps become replaced in business by more Westernized and sharp-edged values. However, they also feel that it is still sometimes possible to form deeper and more traditionally conceptualized business networks and relationships and it is here that people still preferred to conduct more complex—and serious (and indeed often more lucrative)—business activities. In regard to the use of traditional values in Chinese consumer behavior, the situation is once again quite complex. When it comes to initially thinking about a consumer behavior issue, respondents feel that traditional values played no real part—but when it comes to actually deciding on a particular product or service to purchase, particularly in regard to a product (or service) which has a high level of brand equity/image, the situation is very different. Now respondents tend to make judgments about the product or service in a most traditional manner and way, thinking about issues of face, respect, trust and even guanxi, where it is almost possible for them to feel that they have formed a kind of relationship with some brands that will, in turn, guarantee them a certain level of face, image, status and respect.     

Consumers' reactions to food scares

In the past decade many food hazards appeared (i.e. bacteria of Escherichia coli, dioxins in pork). When information about food hazards is announced, many concerns about food product arise. As a result consumers stop buying the kind of food in which hazard appears, which makes losses to the food producer. In this study, the results of survey are presented. The survey was conducted among 712 respondents in the southeast Poland. Respondents were asked about the source of information they prefer to be informed about the food hazard, their reactions to food hazard and their ways to protect themselves from food hazards in case of food scares. On the basis of the results, it was found that the main sources of information they prefer are television (85.4% of indications) and the Internet (61.4% of indications). Moreover, when a food hazard appears and consumers are informed about this fact their first reaction is to check if they have bought this product, and 30% of respondents declared that they would not buy this product again. To make sure that a particular food product is safe, consumers buy products they know (70.5% respondents). The answers varied on the socio‐demographic characteristics of respondents.     

Product Knowledge and Product Involvement as Moderators of the Effects of Information on Purchase Decisions: A Case Study Using the Perfect Information Frontier Approach

This study ascertains the extent to which consumers achieve highest value-for-money under different conditions. Perfect Information Frontier Approach is applied to examine the influences of providing consumers with information on their purchase decisions, with allowance for the joint effects of prior product knowledge and product involvement on the provided information. A 2 (provided information: simple vs. complex) × 2 (prior product knowledge: novice vs. expert) × 2 (involvement: high vs. low) factorial design was employed. Data from 282 survey respondents illustrate that experts were more likely to be persuaded by complex product information than by simple information, while novices reacted similarly to both simple and complex information. The effects of providing complex information to involved novices and providing simple information to involved experts showed the least impact.     

Speeding solar energy commercialization: A Delphi research of marketplace factors

A two-stage Delphi research study was undertaken to determine and measure the attitudes of the public regarding factors that may either inhibit or stimulate solar energy commercialization today and over the next 10 years. Some factors judged important were product cost, lack of product knowledge, lack of governmental support, and public concern over the energy crisis. The factors were determined by a group of energy conscious respondents who completed the Delphi research. They also indicated the likely and desirable actions to be taken by government and business. These included more funding of research and development, tax incentives, increased public education, and reduced prices. The Delphi research proved to be an effective method for investigating solar energy commercialization, as the attitudes expressed in the second survey converged with those identified during the first stage. Furthermore, governmental and business actions suggested in the study could help to initiate greater solar energy use and developmental efforts.     

Financial events and coping strategies of households

A survey was sent to a group of households selected at random in six counties to identify financial events and coping strategies of households in the current economic climate. The purpose of the study was to provide information on the occurrence of major financial events and coping strategies to be used in the development of outreach educational programmes in the financial area. Additionally, information was obtained on the types of financial information the respondents would find helpful as well as preferred delivery methods. The inability to save money was a problem for the majority of households, with job-related events such as losing a job causing the most financial difficulty for the households. Many of the households indicated a desire for information on investments, retirement planning, estates and wills. It was clear from the findings that the methodologies used to teach financial information need to be geared towards learning at home.     

Product liability and safety: Perspectives from business versus public policy makers

Product liability and the improvement of product safety are major concerns confronting business executives and public policy makers. This article reports the results of a mail survey that explored some of the major issues surrounding product liability and safety. The survey solicited the opinions of manufacturing executives, insurance executives, and state insurance commissions. Analysis of the data involved comparison of the opinions of the three groups of respondents. In general, the respondents agreed that (1) the increased emphasis on safety has caused prices to rise, but products are safer; (2) the salesforce should be used more as a source of information on the safe use of products; (3) a good safety record is a competitive edge for a manufacturing firm; (4) small businesses should not be treated more leniently than large ones in product liability cases; and (5) the CPSC's activities have generally been favorable. In contrast, manufacturing and insurance executives were more negative regarding the application and enforcement of strict liability than were insurance commission respondents.     

Wet and wild: results from a pilot study assessing injuries among recreational water users in Western Australia

To identify, describe and compare injuries among three water sport activities: kite surfing (KS), personal watercraft (PWC) and towed water sports (TWS). The study was a cross sectional, online survey. The setting was on Perth, Western Australia's popular beaches and riverbanks. Main outcome measures were number of injuries and level of severity; level of exposure and protection measures. Overall, 43% reported at least one injury in the past 12 months, a rate of 22.3 injuries per 100 h. Kite surfers were more likely to report an injury than PWC or TWS. One-half of injuries occurred while on the water. Most injuries were caused by landing awkwardly (56%) and/or trying new tricks (41%). Despite 90% of respondents having used at least one personal protective equipment (PPE) item, half (49%) reported always using a personal floatation device. This study provided information on KS, PWC and TWS injuries as well as a range of safety behaviours. It is recommended that these results form the basis of further research to reduce injury rates and encourage the use of PPE items.     

Perceived Value of Mexican vs. US Products in Mexico,Venezuela and the United States

Abstract

With the advent of NAFTA and the liberalization of Latin American markets, Mexican firms have gained new strategic options, many of which revolve around exporting regionally or to the United States and Canada. The studies explore consumer reactions to Mexican products. The first study compares value perceptions of a cross-national sample of Mexican, US and Venezuelan respondents toward US and Mexican products. It also explores the moderating effects of product content and financial risk on value differentials. The second study, limited to Mexican and Venezuelan respondents, looks for evidence of a home country bias. While the strategy implications for Mexican products differ according to a product's level of content and financial risk, the studies indicate that inter-regional trade is a viable possibility.     

Customers' judgment of the customer service in appliance sales departments in an emerging economy

Evidence that consumers in emerging economies are more tolerant of ineffective customer service (CS), instigated an investigation into controllable elements of the service offering in a specific context in South Africa, namely, appliances sales departments in retail stores. The research aimed to identify possible shortcomings in CS amidst evidence that consumers are exposed to sophisticated merchandise that they have limited experience and understanding of. The intention was to suggest initiatives to augment the service offering so that it becomes more conducive for informed, responsible buying decisions. Household appliances represent a category of complex, durable and expensive merchandise that require more extensive information search before concluding buying decisions. A survey was done in 2007 through a pre‐tested structured questionnaire. Several branches of five prominent department stores were involved through liaison with industry. A store intercept method was used to recruit respondents: 296 questionnaires were filled in on the spot under supervision. Three sections of the questionnaire are relevant for this report: (1) consumers' satisfaction with CS; (2) a product knowledge test; and (3) demographic information. Factor analysis revealed a reduction of the original five elements of CS in the scale to three distinct elements that were labelled Personnel, Processes and Value for Money, and Product Presentation. The simpler scale suggests a less intricate judgment of CS in the context of this research. Means indicated that consumers were generally satisfied with all elements of CS, i.e. the service offering coincided with their expectations. Analysis of variance indicated no significant differences in the interpretation of any of the elements of CS by gender. A significant inverse relationship between satisfaction with CS and years of experience occurred for respondents with more than 25 years of experience in terms of Personnel (Element 1) and Processes and Value for Money (Element 2). Findings of the product knowledge tests were meant to verify consumers' CS judgments. However, scores were disappointingly low for all appliances across all respondent categories. Consumers' product knowledge could therefore not have supported informed buying decisions, despite prior experience and the opportunity to acquire additional product information during the in‐store encounter. Consumers' positive CS judgments suggest that they not necessarily realize their lack of crucial product knowledge. In the interest of informed and responsible buying decisions that have consequences for proper use and maintenance of appliances in the long term, retail stores that serve a broad customer base are encouraged to attend to in‐store customer assistance during the pre‐purchase phase, notwithstanding positive CS judgments. Non‐formal consumer education by competent, well‐trained salespeople is recommended to encourage evaluative rational product judgments. It is also suggested that store displays are designed to encourage consumers to be more inquisitive during store visits.     

Consumers’ perception of food packaging in Trinidad,West Indies and its related impact on food choices

The purpose of the study was to investigate consumers’ perception of food packaging and its impact on food choices. The study population comprised 82 people who were ultimately consumers of packaged food products. The sample was drawn from six major supermarkets located in different geographical areas in Trinidad, West Indies. Data collection was carried out by using a questionnaire based on five topics: visual impact or attractiveness of the packaging; type of packaging material; labelling and nutritional information; new products; and fruit preserves. The packaging feature that influenced most of the respondents’ choice of products was information on the label (41.5%); it was followed by quality and type of packaging (24.4%), brand name/popularity (22.0%) and visual impact (12.2%). When asked if they would purchase a product that was most attractively packaged, 85.4% responded in the affirmative. Most respondents (92.7%) believed that packaging material could adversely affect the quality of performance of a food product. Also, 92.7% of respondents agreed that nutrition information should be shown on all food products, although 36.6% admitted that they do not read the label because of its complexity. Influence of gender was not significant (P < 0.05) on consumer perception of food packaging and on food choices. Although the sample was small, the data highlighted the need to educate consumers of packaged foods, so that informed decisions could be taken in respect to food quality, safety and nutrition.     

The effect of involvement on visual attention and product choice

Our study examined the effect of consumers' level of involvement on visual attention to product, information sign and price sign guided by the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). We also investigated the relationship between visual attention captured by eye fixation on information and price sign and product choice for garden plants. Using a Tobii X1 light eye tracking device, we obtained data from 101 respondents in Texas and Michigan. We found that participants who had high (vs. low) product involvement paid more attention to the product and its information as demonstrated through higher fixation count (FC), longer total fixation duration (TFD), and total visit duration (TVD). We also found highly involved participants processed price information as a central rather than a peripheral cue. In addition, total visit duration (TVD) on an information sign was found as the strongest predictor of product choice.     

Understanding bottled water consumption in a high‐poverty context: empirical evidence from a small town in Guatemala

This research investigated the determinants of bottled water consumption using household survey data from a small, poor town in Guatemala. Hurdle (two‐part) models were estimated to account for 73.3% of sampled households that did not consume bottled water. Findings indicated that the vast majority of respondents perceived minimal health risks from drinking bottled water. In contrast, few respondents (3.2%) believed that tap water is totally safe to drink. Estimation results indicated that bottled water consumption was positively associated to health risk perceptions, household income, education and market access. Household size had a negative effect on the likelihood of consuming bottled water. However, once the household had decided to consume bottled water, its consumption increased with each additional household member.     

Consumer perception of packaging: An eye‐tracking study of gluten‐free cookies

The growing interest in gluten‐free products makes it crucial to understand the mechanism of consumers' perception of gluten‐free claims. Due to the limited research measuring the influence of the type (verbal/nonverbal), number and location of gluten‐free statements on product labels on visual attention and consumers' purchase decisions, the main aim of this research was to evaluate the perception of gluten‐free claims and the Crossed Grain symbol on cookie packages of both consumers who are on a gluten‐free diet and those who are not. To that end, a questionnaire survey (600 respondents) and an eye‐tracking study (67 respondents) were carried out. The results showed that the respondents are aware of the basic rules of gluten‐free products' labelling, but 32% of those on the diet claimed that the products were not labelled properly. The analysis proved (p < .05) the significant relation between the number of gluten‐free claims and consumers' purchase intention. The respondents paid more attention to verbal gluten‐free claims than to nonverbal ones on packaging (p < .05). In the case of the Crossed Grain symbol, addition of verbal statement strengthened the information and decreased the respondents' level of uncertainty about a given product, which is important, especially for people newly adopting the diet. No difference in the visual attention to gluten‐free statements between the followers and non‐followers of the diet was found (p > .05), which allowed us to conclude that the perception of gluten‐free claims is an automatic process. These results suggest that designing product labels by considering the information architecture concerning gluten may help strengthen consumers' attitudes towards gluten‐free products and impact buying behaviour.     

Cross-country differences in attitudes to business associations during the 2007–2010 recession

This paper uses empirical data gathered through an on-line survey of 206 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), conducted in France, Sweden and the UK. The paper examines cross-country differences in SME managers’ perceptions of business associations as sources of political intelligence and their ability to influence policy responses to financial crises. Findings demonstrate that the respondents’ countries of origin are significantly correlated with (1) their use of information sources to gather political intelligence, (2) their perceptions regarding the effectiveness of business associations in influencing policy outcomes, and (3) their perceptions regarding policymakers’ appreciation of information provided by SME associations.     

The 4Rs of Aquatic Rescue: educating the public about safety and risks of bystander rescue

From 1980 to 2014, 87 persons drowned in New Zealand while attempting to rescue others; all incidents occurred in open water and most (80%) fatalities were male. While bystander rescue has been promoted as a way of preventing drowning, little is known about the knowledge base that informs potential rescuers. This study utilized a family water safety programme to promote a resource entitled the 4Rs of Aquatic Rescue. Participants (n = 174) completed a pre-intervention survey and were then provided with information and access to electronic resources on safe bystander rescue techniques. Most respondents (71%) had never been taught rescue techniques, and males were more confident of their rescue ability. Upon completion of the programme, significant differences were evident in respondents’ understanding of rescue safety, but this did not translate to greater confidence or disposition towards performing a rescue. Ways of promoting bystander safety around water are discussed and recommendations for future studies are made.     

The effects of reference point, knowledge, and risk propensity on the evaluation of financial products

Evaluating and choosing a financial product often requires a trade-off between risk and returns on investment, as a riskier product may yield a higher return. We examine the effect of different reference points (i.e., a riskier reference vs. a safer reference) on the evaluation of a financial product when attributes are explicitly traded off during the evaluation. Our findings suggest that a safer reference increases the attractiveness of the focal product under evaluation, while a riskier reference point does not affect that evaluation. The safer reference point appears to facilitate the risk-seeking tendency in financial decision-making. Further, two types of consumer knowledge, namely, objective and subjective, can moderate the effect of the reference point. Subjective knowledge negatively affects attribute-based objective evaluations, promoting instead the use of external reference information. A discrepancy between the two types of knowledge (i.e., over-confidence), in particular, can cause a more biased evaluation.     

Changing Times

The study focused on the impact of marketing information (direct information) on consumer buying behavior in a matured marketing environment. The respondents responded to queries related to the influence of marketing information (product, price, promotion, place, etc.) on their purchase of passenger cars. Simple linear regression and multiple liner regression methods have been used to test the consistency and impact and the results suggest that (a) all marketing information has an impact on consumer buying behavior and (b) Product and Place/Distribution information have high impact and price and promotion information have low influence over consumer purchase.