Examining Female Entrepreneurs' Management Style: An Application of a Relational Frame

This paper reports the results of a qualitative analysis of female entrepreneurs' accounts of their role in their organizations using Relational Theory as the analytical frame. Content analysis of focus group comments indicated that the women used a relational approach in working with employees and clients. Relational skills included preserving, mutual empowering, achieving, and creating team. Findings demonstrate that Relational Theory is a useful frame for identifying and explicating women entrepreneurs' interactive style in their own businesses. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.     

Investigating consumer attitudes and intentions toward online fashion renting retailing

Due to growth of access-based consumption businesses, it is important to understand how consumers perceive online fashion renting services. Based on two theories, the Theory of Reasoned Actions and expectancy-value approach, this study aims to examine the influence of consumers' attitudes and subjective norms on their intentions to participate in online fashion renting, and to investigate behavioral beliefs that may cause them to form favorable intentions toward online renting. In order to do this, a total of 300 sample surveys were collected from U.S. consumers. To assess the respective measurement model, confirmatory factor analyses were performed, and a structural path analysis was performed to verify the hypothesized relationships. This study empirically asserts that attitudes and subjective norms are key predictors of consumers' intentions to participate in online fashion renting. Consumers' attitudes toward online fashion renting were determined by assessing their perceptions of its relative advantages, compatibility, ownership, and ecological value. While acknowledging the influence of subjective norms and previous fashion rental experience, online fashion rental platforms are also advised to engineer strategies to engage consumers in this practice and to encourage peer referrals. This study sheds light on the determining factors that shape consumers’ attitudes towards and intentions to participate in online fashion renting, from which appropriate business strategies could be devised to enhance consumer engagement and expand the online fashion rental market.     

Relational Contracting and Distribution Channel Cohesion

This study attempts to test a relational contracting model of distribution channels in the context of the international salmon industry, using data from three successive channel levels. Relational contracting norms were found to be positively associated with channel cohesion, as defined by convergent perceptions across channel levels. Channel formalization was found to correlate positively and channel centralization correleated negatively with relational contracting norms of reliance, solidarity and mutuality. A contracting framework consistent with a political economy model is suggested for future channel studies.     

Interactive music for multisensory e-commerce: The moderating role of online consumer involvement in experiential value,cognitive value,and purchase intention

Background music adds a multisensory element to marketing and e-commerce. Applying interactive sensory-enabling technologies (SETs) to online shopping websites is an area of interest in sensory marketing. This research examines interactive background music in e-commerce and investigates how online consumer involvement moderates the effects of interactive music. Single-factor experiments with three conditions (interactive music, static background music, and control) were conducted to investigate its impact on experiential value, cognitive value, and purchase intention of high- and low-involvement consumers among both students (Study 1, N = 251) and nonstudent samples (Study 2, N = 218). Different music genres were applied to stimuli of the two studies to demonstrate the generalizability of the findings. Results find that interactive music enhances the experiential value of e-commerce for low-involvement consumers. By contrast, high-involvement consumers show greater purchase intention under the interactive music condition due to a heightened level of perceived cognitive value. Involvement is an effective predictor of elaboration and purchase intention under the interactive music condition, but not under the other two conditions. The contribution is twofold: (a) it shows the impact of music as an interactive SET and, (b) demonstrates the moderating role of consumer involvement in the context of multisensory integration in e-commerce. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed along with limitations and directions for future research.     

Investigating the roles of online buzz for new product diffusion and its cross-country dynamics

This research investigates the roles of online buzz activities in influencing the speed and scope of new product diffusion and also the interactive dynamics of online buzz activities within and across countries. This study applies a diffusion model with two latent adopters and a log linear model to monthly sales and online messages collected from major online communication sites in five different countries. The empirical study evaluates two different roles of online buzz: (1) accelerating the new product diffusion process by influencing imitation tendency; and (2) expanding potential market size. In addition, the empirical study shows the interactive dynamics of online buzz activities within and across countries, and provides some information on what encourages online buzz activities, and how they interact with each other within a country and across countries.     

Do you want me to watch this ad on social media?: The effects of norms on online video ad watching

This study examines the influences of norms on consumers’ intentions to watch online video ads on social media. The social norms approach and the theory of reasoned action (TRA) were adopted as theoretical frameworks. In addition, the effects of interpersonal and social influences on the three personal-level norms were examined as the antecedents of normative perceptions. To test the hypothesized model, an online survey was conducted with 313 undergraduate students. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the measurement constructs of the model, and a structural equation modeling was used to identify the relationships among constructs in the model. Findings indicate that personal injunctive norms and subjective norms were positively related to consumers’ intention to watch online video ads. Interpersonal and social influences were positively related to three normative perceptions regarding online video ad watching. The findings of this study contribute to the research stream on social norms approach and TRA and provide practical implications for advertising and marketing practitioners.     

Comparative effectiveness and student choice for online and face-to-face classwork

The authors examined learning and task choices made by students when the same interactive course design was used online and face-to-face. A survey was administered in an operations management course covering both conceptual and quantitative topics. Course grades were compared and correlations were measured to determine relevant relationships. Results showed that online students performed equally as well as face-to-face students. The most important task choice for face-to-face success was regular class attendance, whereas for online students it was completion of interactive worksheets. Passive textbook reading was neither chosen as often, nor significant to student success. Minimal uncertainty was important to success, with self-discipline, clarity of instructions, and virtual presence of an instructor most important.     

‘Online Omnivores’ or ‘Willing but struggling’? Identifying online grocery shopping behavior segments using attitude theory

The landscape of grocery shopping is changing fast. Online retailing via home delivery or ‘click and collect’, convenience stores and various hybrid shopping channels are gaining popularity with some consumers, but not with others. The central premise of this paper is that focusing on the ‘average grocery shopper’ is not very helpful if the objective is to understand recent and future changes in grocery shopping. There are few recent studies that have identified groups of individuals using online and multi-channel shopping by considering both observable behavior and associated attitudes – feelings, beliefs, opinions and behavioral dispositions – and by drawing explicitly on attitude theories from social psychology. The current paper thus aims to identify and describe groups of grocery shoppers using a psychographic segmentation approach that is explicitly grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) and its close cousin, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis et al., 1989). Primary data were collected through a self-completion questionnaire that produced a largely representative study sample of 2032 grocery shoppers across the United Kingdom, Europe's largest market for online grocery shopping. A principal component and two stage cluster analysis methodology was implemented to identify five well-defined and highly interpretable segments according to their attitudes, norms, perceptions and beliefs, then profiled by their socio-economic and grocery shopping characteristics. The segments reveal a range of different grocery shopping preference levels, from those ‘super-shoppers’ (Flynn and Goldsmith, 2016) who are clearly attracted to the online experience and want more (‘Intensive Urbanites’, ‘Online Omnivores’) to those who appear resistant and socially responsible towards the adoption of online shopping services (‘Resisting and Responsible’). The key distinguishing features of these segments suggest that shoppers might be attracted to or repelled from online shopping for reasons of convenience, perceived benefits, costs and risks, technology affect, time pressures and fit into daily schedules (perceived behavioral control), as well as social and environmental dimensions of personal norms and beliefs.     

An empirical analysis of online shopping adoption in Beijing,China

The Internet is a global communication medium that is increasingly being used worldwide as an innovative tool for marketing goods and services. At the end of 2010, Internet users in China reached 420 million. However, online shopping in China is not widely practiced and organisations investing in B2C online shopping need to understand the factors that affect Chinese consumers′ online buying behaviour. This research develops a theoretical research model as a framework to identify the key decision factors influencing Chinese consumers′ to shop, or not to shop online. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather information from 435 respondents in Beijing, China. The empirical analysis identifies and ranks seven important decision factors: perceived risk, consumer resources, service quality, subjective norms, product variety, convenience, and website factors. All of these decision factors impact on Chinese consumers′ adoption of online shopping. Moreover, managerial implications and recommendations are also presented.     

An integrated model for predicting consumer's intention to write online reviews

For marketers, consumers’ increasing use of online reviews in arriving at purchase decisions is a double edged sword. On one hand, it presents opportunity for manufacturers and sellers to be highlighted for their good work, but at the same time, there remains a possibility of negative review impacting goodwill and reputation. Hence, it is important for managers to identify factors that impact consumers’ intentions to write online reviews. This research delves into this aspect by trying to identify the factors that impact reviews writing intentions of consumers for restaurants. The study extends the theory of planned behaviour with additions of variables such as ego involvement, taking vengeance and helping a restaurant. For this, 252 valid responses were obtained, and structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed model. Results indicate that perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, ego involvement and taking vengeance are significant predictors of intention to write online reviews for the restaurants.     

Buying while expecting to sell: The economic psychology of online resale

Consumer online resale is becoming increasingly common for transactions of secondhand goods. However, when accompanied by a preconceived intention to resell a product after using it, the initial consumer purchasing decision for self-use is complicated by the estimated resale value of that good. We applied the principles of mental accounting to develop and evaluate a new concept that may influence consumer resale and purchase intention: external resale reference price (ERRP). The study examines how online consumer sellers' economic psychology of buying affected their expectation of future online resale outcome. The results indicate that (1) consumers' awareness of future online resale potential can influence their purchasing decisions; (2) ERRP, which is mediated by the estimated resale return, can increase purchase intention; and (3) the effects of ERRP on purchase intention are moderated by online resale likelihood, but are minimal when consumers are aware that resale possibility is extremely low.     

Who spends more online? The influence of time,usage variety,and privacy concern on online spending

The paper tests the influence of adoption time, online time, usage variety, and privacy concern on online spending. Findings support the hypothesis that online time, adoption time, and usage variety, the three dimensions of Internet usage experience, have a positive and significant influence on the amount of money consumers spend online, and privacy concern has a negative and significant influence. The control variables included in the model are gender, age, education, and income. Gender, age, and education did not influence online spending. However, income has a significant effect on online spending. Theoretical and strategic implications and recommendations for future research are presented.     

Determinants of consumers' repeat online buying of groceries

Abstract

This study developed and empirically tested a model for understanding what factors determine repeat buying behaviour of already experienced online grocery consumers. Data were collected from 198 consumers who currently buy groceries via the Internet. The obtained Lisrel results suggest that consumers' attitude towards online grocery buying is positively affected by perceived offline physical effort and negatively affected by offline shopping enjoyment. Multi group analysis shows that the strength of these relations differed across several consumer characteristics. Also, it was found that a perceived high Internet grocery risk does not form an action barrier for consumers who already have a positive attitude towards online grocery buying. The results also indicate that consumers may hesitate from repeat online buying if they are faced with high online complexity. Implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Consumer processing of mobile online stores: Sources and effects of processing fluency

This research explores the role of processing fluency perceptions in consumer experiences of mobile online shopping. Processing fluency refers to the ease with which information is processed, and plays a pivotal role in the short, interactive sessions that characterize interactions with mobile devices. The findings from two empirical studies suggest that perceived visual complexity reduces fluency perceptions, while perceived visual congruence (between the mobile online store and the conventional, computer-accessible online store) has the opposite effect. No differences were found in the effects of visual congruence perceptions between mobile shopping touchpoints. Processing fluency, in turn, positively affects both satisfaction with the mobile online store and choice satisfaction.     

The impact of online customer satisfaction on the yahoo auction in Taiwan

In this article, the authors develop a conceptual model that links website quality, trust, merchandising, customer service, and online satisfaction for yahoo auction in Taiwan. The research objective is to provide initial evidence for the determinants of e-satisfaction (online satisfaction). We examine the role of web quality, trust, merchandising, and customer service in consumer online satisfaction assessments. This conceptual model is empirically tested from 350 consumers across a broader group of online shoppers on yahoo auction by means of internet surveys and structural equation analysis. The results show that the determinants of online trust are website quality, merchandising, and customer service. Website quality, trust, merchandising, and customer service have positive effects on online satisfaction for auction sites. The research findings were reported by discussing the implications of the findings and directions for future research.     

Developmental antecedents to children’s responses to online advertising

Many critics have raised concerns about online advertising directed to children. This study investigated the role of several antecedent variables that may impact children’s attitudinal and behavioural responses to online advertising. Specifically, online ad scepticism, family communication patterns, time spent on the internet, and perceived internet competency were examined as factors that may impact children’s online advertising attitudes and behaviours. A survey conducted with a dyad sample of 381 parents-preteens in South Korea revealed that children with high scepticism towards online advertising, who spent less time using the internet and who perceived lower levels of confidence about their internet skills were more likely to have a negative attitude towards online advertising and less likely to disclose personal information to online marketers. However, the relationship between family communication and children’s responses to online advertising found in this study was inconsistent with the previous empirical findings. Implications of findings are discussed and directions for future research suggested.     

The effect of employees' politeness strategy and customer membership on customers' perception of co-recovery and online post-recovery satisfaction

Customer participation is crucial for online service providers to gain and maintain competitive advantages through service recovery. Focusing on the interactive nature of customer participation, this study explored the relationships among employees' politeness strategies, customer membership, perceived co-recovery, and online post-recovery satisfaction. We found that perceived co-recovery was significant for online post-recovery satisfaction. Compared to non-members costumers, members' perceived co-recovery was more positive. Finally, member customers preferred employees to adopt positive politeness strategies, whereas non-member customers preferred negative ones. This study provides valuable suggestions for online service providers to improve online recovery performance.     

Comparing online and non‐online shoppers

A web‐based survey was completed by 130 faculty and staff from a university located in the south‐eastern United States. The purposes of this study were to investigate: (a) consumer characteristics related to online shopping; (b) benefits of online shopping as perceived by online shoppers; and (c) concerns about online shopping as perceived by non‐online shoppers. Responses were analysed using SPSS for tests of chi‐square. Findings suggest that the differences between online shoppers and non‐online shoppers correspond with Rogers’ 1 categories of adopters, and that the educational needs of consumers also differ based on their previous experience with online shopping.     

What beliefs underlie decisions to buy groceries online?

Online grocery shopping has become increasingly popular in many countries due to Covid-19. Although there is plenty of research on consumer adoption and use of online grocery shopping, only a few studies focus on understanding the underlying beliefs of experienced buyers. Using the Theory of Planned Behaviour and following its recommendations, the present study set out to explore the actual beliefs that underlie attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control to buy groceries online among those who have been doing it regularly for a longer time. A structured qualitative approach, in this case an elicitation study, was applied to uncover the shared ideas, modal salient beliefs, among a group of experienced buyers (n = 14). The study found that time-saving and convenience, which for many meant avoiding the discomfort of in-store shopping, combined with assisted meal planning and simultaneous ordering were considered important for experienced online shoppers. This suggests that further assistance in the planning to order process may be welcome, including more proactive prompts and suggestions. The quality of perishable goods was still a concern after months of online shopping, along with a limited product range, which for some had meant less variation in meals. Suboptimal user interface and delivery-related inflexibility caused some concern. Retailers in the grocery business stand before major capital expenditure if they wish to expand their online offerings and services. The study at hand provides valuable initial insight into what drives consumer behaviour in this respect.