Emotions and consumer behaviour: A review and research agenda

Consumers' emotions play a salient role in consumers' buying process, their consumption behaviours, and their engagement with product/service offerings, owing to which, it has gained much attention in recent years as an area of inquiry. However, literature in this field/subject is theoretically fragmented. Therefore, to enhance the conceptual understanding, this study synthesizes extant literature, using a hybrid review approach. Herein, we attempt to integrate bibliometric analysis, along with the theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodology framework, while consolidating and classifying the domain knowledge, trends, and progress/citation analysis using the bibliometric approach. In the process, we reviewed 384 conceptual and empirical articles, published during the period 1967–2021. The idea was to identify key theories, constructs, research contexts, and methods, based on which, we propose a few potential research areas. Based on our thorough analysis, these areas include (1) consumer co-creation, (2) consumer engagement, (3) service employee interactions, (4) consumer decision making, and (5) consumption experience.     

The determinants and performance of early internationalizing firms: A literature review and research agenda

As scholars have examined the antecedents, processes, and performance of early internationalizing firms in the past three decades, the domain has become a full-fledged research field. However, extant reviews have not yet provided a comprehensive picture of the determinants of early internationalizing firms and their performance although it is a relevant topic in the literature. In response, this paper seeks to systematically review and synthesize extant research on the determinants and performance of early internationalizing firms. The authors critically assess and examine 167 articles that have appeared in 28 academic journals over the last three decades. This study contributes to extant literature by highlighting the determinants of early internationalizing firms and their performance with a focus on the entrepreneur, firm, and environment factors. Furthermore, an integrative framework has been developed to account for the relationships among determinants, early internationalization, and outcomes. Finally, this paper reveals some significant gaps to advance an important research agenda for future research.     

The diffusion of e-participation in public administrations: A systematic literature review

Research on e-participation has grown significantly in the last years. This review focuses on public administrations, which are central actors in the solicitation and organization of e-participation and in the process of diffusion of more democratic decision-making in government contexts. However, research indicates that public administrations often struggle with technological and organizational changes, which suggests that e-participation initiatives may fail due to barriers within public administrations. Although researchers have paid considerable attention to the diffusion of e-participation in public administrations, research so far is multi-disciplinary and fragmented. The aim of this literature review is to structure and systematize the literature regarding phases of e-participation diffusion (adoption, implementation and institutionalization) and levels of analysis (micro, meso, and macro) to map the extant field of e-participation diffusion research and to provide a starting point for future research. The analysis shows that research has concentrated on the phases of adoption and implementation, and on the external context of public administrations (macro) and the organizational (meso) level. Overall, the review identifies major research gaps and offers avenues for future research.     

Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis in consumer research: A systematic literature review

The traditional symmetrical methods may not be sufficient for effectively examining the asymmetries that are evident in the real-world complex consumption context in the form of pandemic, and other technological, sociocultural, environmental, and geo-political factors. As a result, the use of innovative and asymmetrical methods such as fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), which draws from the complexity theory could help better predict and explain consumer decisions in the age of disruptions. Through a comprehensive method-based systematic literature review of 129 research articles published in the consumer behavior research literature, this study helps to identify the key trends, leading publication sources and contributors, and the current knowledge structure of consumer research using fsQCA. In doing so, this review also sheds light on the state of diversity within this particular area of research. The findings help identify the key future avenues for utilizing fsQCA within consumer research. This review is a useful resource for practitioners to gain a direct access to key consumer research scholars for identifying the constructs (e.g., antecedents, mediators, moderators, enablers, inhibitors) shaping consumer behaviors to inform strategic decisions.     

A systematic approach to conducting review studies: An assessment of content analysis in 25 years of IB research

Content analysis has become a popular method for qualitative and quantitative analyses in management and international business (IB) research. It is increasingly used in literature reviews to assess extant knowledge and understand intellectual structures. However, it is often poorly understood and incorrectly applied. In this article, we identify benchmark criteria and develop coding schemes that IB scholars can use in review studies. We also demonstrate the application of content analysis through a review of content analysis–based articles, published in the top eight IB journals from 1991 to 2015.     

Exporter-importer business relationships: Past empirical research and future directions

We present a systematic and comprehensive review of the extant empirical literature on exporter-importer business relationships during the period 1975–2017. The review covers 196 articles published in academic journals, which were content-analyzed with their theoretical background, research design, scope of research, sampling/data collection methods, data analysis, and thematic areas covered. Our findings reveal that this line of research is characterized by: (a) a sound theoretical foundation, the most frequent theories being the behavioral paradigm, transaction cost economics, and relational exchange theory; (b) heavy emphasis on formalized, statistical, cross-sectional, and causal research designs; (c) focus on single-country studies, conducted mainly in Europe, Asia, and North America; (d) a tendency to employ probabilistic samples, of a relatively large size; (e) an adoption of relatively sophisticated methods to purify and analyze data collected; and (f) an emphasis on topics relating to behavioral and structural relational dimensions, followed by external and internal influences. Guidelines for researchers focusing on exporter-importer relationships are provided, as well as suggestions for potential new research topics.     

International student mobility: A systematic review and research agenda

This study aimed to synthesize fragmented knowledge about international student mobility (ISM) in higher education to provide an understanding of existing studies and directions for future research. To this end, the authors conducted a systematic literature review using a hybrid approach that integrated bibliometric analysis with the theory, context, and method (TCM) framework (Paul et al., Journal of World Business, 2017;52(3):327–342). Applying bibliometric analysis, this study found publication trends, prolific journals, influential articles, and major themes in the field, whereas the TCM framework helped identify widely used theories (motivation theory, immigration theory, acculturation theory, learning theory, and capital theory), research contexts (destination country or region, population, and others), and methods in research and provided future study directions. The identified gaps in the existing literature suggest that future research should develop theoretical foundations and research designs to analyse new processes, patterns, and issues in ISM in higher education within the context of today's changing international environment. In addition to identifying the key research themes and research foundations of ISM in higher education, this review can help add value to the ISM literature from a marketing perspective. This is the first comprehensive literature review of this topic using a hybrid approach.     

The irrepressible and uncontrollable urge: sex,experience, and consumption

In the face of innumerable marketing articles that provide safe, sanitized, and staid interpretations of sex, this research attempts, in the words of one notorious rock band, to put the X back in sex by exploring its naughty role in consumption. While the extant marketing literature has focused primarily on how sex influences both consumer acquisition and identity construction, less research has addressed the consumption of sex as an erotic practice, especially in non-sexual consumption contexts. Given the immersive nature of sex, we explore the relationship between sex and consumption via experiential offerings, and more specifically, through consumer participation in the spectacular themed attraction of Splash Mountain at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Utilizing the lens and style of the archetypal trickster, we tease out the symbolic and physical aspects of this attraction to reveal that sex potentially underlies both the narrative interpretation and bodily enjoyment of this ride.     

How to maintain sustainable consumer behaviours: A systematic review and future research agenda

Maintaining sustainable consumer behaviours is necessary for both mitigating environmental problems and the success of sustainable businesses. However, to date, the focus is mainly on the motivation-adoption link (i.e., how to motivate sustainable consumer behaviours) rather than the adoption-continuance link (i.e., how to maintain those behaviours). This study addresses the link between sustainability adoption and continuance, through a structured literature review. Specifically, this study synthesizes what is (and is not) known about the post-adoption (continuance) stage of the sustainable consumer journey, by reviewing and integrating the results of 87 articles. This review has three key outcomes. First, it elaborates on the importance and distinction of the continuance stage, which is predicted by a set of different and ‘evolving’ factors, compared with motivation and initial adoption. Second, the key components of the continuance stage are identified and grouped under (I) post-adoption cognitive perceptions, (II) emotional outcomes, and (III) subsequent behavioural patterns of (dis)continuance, spillover, advocacy, loyalty and habit formation. Third, this study introduces the concept of sustainable consumer behaviour continuity and discusses theoretical relationships in a conceptual framework. Finally, this review identifies knowledge gaps and provides research directions as well as implications for theory and practice.     

Review of emotions research in marketing, 2002–2013

Study of emotions has been an important area of research for past several decades. Since emotions play an important role in purchase decisions, this area has particular importance for marketing scholars. In this study, we review the emotions research conducted within the marketing field between 2002 and 2013. Within the broad domain of emotions, this study focuses on social/personality issues, cognitive factors, the development of emotions and their interactions with other consumption factors. We found a total of 340 emotion-related articles, published in 19 marketing journals. There was a gradual increase in number of articles published every year with the trend peaking in 2009, 2010, and 2011. The review of extant literature offers interesting insights into emotion-related research, and helps in identifying clear directions for future studies.     

Construal level and collaborative consumption: An exploratory approach

What motivates the participation in collaborative consumption, a part of the economy that will move 300 billion dollars by 2025? The literature presents external factors to the consumer as a form of incentive or limitation, such as economic opportunity, search for a sustainable society or emergence of a marketplace with no regulations. A few quantitative articles focused on understanding this access phenomenon, by analyzing the consumer as the main subject of research. However, it is possible to analyze this behaviour in the light of a theory that has not yet being explored within the collaborative consumer literature: The Construal Level Theory (CLT). This article aims to demonstrate that CLT presents a plausible explanation for adoption and access to collaborative consumption. The CLT's main idea is that consumers develop their interpretations on two levels: a higher one, focused on more abstract and simple situations; and a lower one, where judgments are conducted more concretely and complexly. Studies on CLT have shown that attitudes are usually constructed at high levels of interpretation, while behaviour is interpreted within lower levels. We propose that collaborative consumption can be reflected by consumers’ high or low levels and so defining the consumer's behaviour in this context.     

The Evolution of Marketing Channels: Trends and Research Directions

Despite the vast increase in marketing channels research published in the past decade, few contemporary analyses review or synthesize the domain. This article provides a comprehensive review of marketing channels research from 1980 to 2014. To present a multidimensional view of marketing channels, the authors evaluate extant literature from four perspectives: (1) key theories and constructs, (2) marketing channel strategies, (3) units of analyses, and (4) substantive topics in channels research. A content analysis of the relevant topics within each perspective that have had the greatest impact on channel research provides insights into research trends. This multidimensional analysis offers an integrated guide to extant literature, as well as an outline of promising directions for research, in light of the most significant trends.     

Foreign market entry mode choice of small and medium-sized enterprises: A systematic review and future research agenda

Despite significant differences between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large multinational enterprises (MNEs), the majority of extant foreign market entry mode choice literature has focused on MNEs. The current state of knowledge regarding SME foreign market entry mode choice is equivocal. The present paper reviews the current state of SME foreign market entry mode choice literature and maps future research directions. To this end, we systematically analyze 33 relevant journal articles for their theoretical frameworks and contextual dimensions. Based on this review, we identify gaps in the literature and develop an agenda to guide future scholarship in this important domain of research in taking SME-specific characteristics into consideration.     

Trends and Future Directions in Online Marketing Research

Over the last decade, the increased adoption of the Internet in public life as well as in developing businesses has led to a phenomenal rise in academic research on online marketing. This article is set to extensively review scholarly articles appearing from 2000 to 2014 on the topic from 10 top-tier academic journals to understand the research trends in the domain. A literature review has reported eight major subjective categories with an analysis of online marketing effectiveness framework. This review found three most significant subject categories: (1) online marketing issues; (2) Internet usage, perception, and attitude; and (3) online shopping and e-commerce. Additionally, some new online marketing research topics such as word-of-mouth, user-generated content, and social network are also highlighted. Finally, a selection of research topics that got the maximum attention of researchers is presented along with discussion of the future research directions in the online marketing space.     

Gendering consumer ethics

Consumer ethics research has greatly enhanced our knowledge of the social and environmental consequences and considerations of consumption choices. We argue, however, that gender theory introduces important aspects of ethical enquiry currently overlooked. To build our argument, we undertake a critical literature review that assesses current gender theory and related applications in gender and consumption research. In doing so, we offer a conceptual pathway that elucidates the intersection of gender with consumer ethics in relation to three distinct levels of understanding; socio‐economic, embodied‐affective and representational. Although fundamentally intertwined, for our current purposes, these are analytically distinct. Implications and avenues for future research into gendering consumer ethics are discussed.     

The Resource-Based View within the Export Context: An Integrative Review of Empirical Studies

Despite widespread research on the resource-based view (RBV) in exporting, there is a lack of any integrative review of the empirical studies connected to resources and capabilities in the extant literature. To address this gap, this study offers a comprehensive review of 129 export-related articles published between 1990 and 2016. Relevant articles were examined through content analysis in terms of the scope of research, research methodology, and conceptual issues. Certain limitations related to the scope of research are identified, particularly with regard to country setting, industry effect, and firm size. Methodologically, the sampling designs, data collection methods, and analytical approaches employed have attracted criticism. The results also demonstrate that, in spite of significant progress in the pertinent literature with respect to conceptual issues, research on the RBV within the export context is still at the stage of identification and conceptualization. This study is expected to contribute considerably to the pertinent body of knowledge by presenting a comprehensive literature review focusing on the RBV. This study also provides new insights by investigating the trends in the evolution of the RBV and by demonstrating the research gaps in the field of exporting which were not addressed by previous academic research.     

Leveraging the co-evolution of offline and online video games: an empirical study

Considerable research has been carried out on online shopping and the implications of this purchasing format for consumers and retailers. Most of these studies have focused on consumer attitudes towards online shopping, and how these can be useful predictors of online shopping adoption. Notwithstanding these insights from adoption theory, existing research has yet to distil the most effective means of understanding consumers’ attitudes towards online video game purchases. Based on a qualitative study, our study contributes to literature on adoption theory by presenting some explanations involving online video games purchases by identifying salient perceptions of online and offline motivations and advances ideas on the facilitating role of incentives in making purchase decisions.     

Ethical Sourcing: An Analysis of the Literature and Implications for Future Research

The purpose of this study is to present a rigorous, focused review on how this field of ethical sourcing research has grown and evolved over the decades, providing implications for future research. We combine two research methodologies in this study: a systematic literature review and a citation network analysis. The former is used as a scientific tool to select the most relevant ethical sourcing articles, while the latter is then applied as a research technique to analyse these selected articles. Such a combined approach allows for a rigorous investigation into this field of research in a more scientific and objective way. Based on this approach, we identify (1) distinctive features of ethical sourcing studies such as growth trends and content issues; (2) important articles that have played a significant role in developing this field; (3) evolutionary paths that show how its knowledge has been created and transferred; (4) emerging trends that have received growing attention in the recent literature; (5) main research areas that underlie the entire ethical sourcing studies; and (6) major implications that need to be pursued in future research. The results of this study provide not only the current status of the literature but also the patterns of evolution in this field of research, thus contributing to the existing literature.     

Analysing the critical factors influencing trust in e-government adoption from citizens’ perspective: A systematic review and a conceptual framework

Although the success adoption of e-government contingent upon citizens' trust and their willingness to use it, little consideration has been paid to explore the adoption of e-government from citizens' trust perspective. This paper provides a critical and systematic review of the current literature on citizens’ trust in e-government, with a particular focus on the most critical factors influencing citizens’ trust in respect of the adoption of e-government. The extant literature was identified through six electronic databases, from 2000 to 2014. Academic articles were reviewed if they contained a relevant discussion of the antecedents or factors influencing citizens’ trust in e-government adoption. The findings of this review reveal that several studies have been conducted in the area of trust in e-government (particularly trust in government and trust in the internet) with limited consideration paid to citizen’s aspects of trust (such as personality, culture, gender, experience, education level, beliefs and value of systems). Based on the findings of the critical review, a conceptual framework is proposed by developing further the updated DeLone and McLean IS Success Model, which presents the antecedents of trust in e-government adoption.