Alternative food consumption (AFC): idiocentric and allocentric factors of influence among low socio-economic status (SES) consumers

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the factors that drive consumer demands for alternative food consumption (AFC) options in western society (i.e. plant-based, organic and local diets) as means to achieve sustainability and a state of food well-being. Specifically, we propose a holistic framework in order to identify factors that influence its adoption: idiocentric (functional, ideological and experiential) and allocentric (situational, sociocultural and institutional). The proposed framework provides a basis for discussion on how marketing can contribute to the establishment of AFC in western society and contribute to sustainability and food-well-being among low socio-economic status (SES) consumers. Marketing and public policy implications of this framework are discussed in light of food consumption by low SES consumers, a target particularly vulnerable to flawed states of food well-being.     

How to reduce perceived risk when buying online: The interactions between intangibility,product knowledge,brand familiarity,privacy and security concerns

This paper studies how product intangibility and its moderators affect perceived risk in an online shopping setting. The moderators studied were brand familiarity, product knowledge, privacy concerns and security concerns. Student samples performed online experimental tests, wherein product intangibility was manipulated. The findings indicate that both mental intangibility and physical intangibility increased perceived risk. Mental tangibility had more impact over perceived risk than physical tangibility. This study is the first to show how intangibility, product knowledge, brand familiarity, privacy and security concerns interact and affect perceived risk. Previous studies did not have the opportunity to observe the interactions of these relevant dimensions, thus not identifying which one would have a stronger effect over the perceived risk of buying online. In short, we found that when interacting with intangibility security and privacy concerns increase perceived risk to the same degree. On the other hand, product knowledge reduces the perceived risk more than brand familiarity.     

Power logics of consumers’ gendered (in)justices: reading reproductive health interventions through the transformative gender justice framework

ABSTRACT

Global gender asymmetries in marketing and consumer behavior were recently exemplified by the Transformative Gender Justice Framework (TGJF). The TGJF, however, lacks an explicit reference to power – an aspect that becomes apparent when it is used to assess a consumer phenomenology. In this article we augment the TGJF by building out the power logics and by empirically testing it through an assessment of the reproductive market in Uganda. We capture macro-, meso-, and micro-level power asymmetries, and explore how bio-power and control over resources melds with local gender relations and agentic practices that (i) leave social marketing efforts misaligned with embodied realities, and (ii) result in dichotomies and tensions in the reproductive health market as the North–South strive to define the modern-traditional, medical-pleasurable, and women-men nature of contraceptives.     

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.     

How augmented reality (AR) experience affects purchase intention in sport E-commerce: Roles of perceived diagnosticity,psychological distance,and perceived risks

How does augmented reality affect consumers’ online purchase intentions? The authors used media richness theory and construal level theory to test hypotheses that augmented reality will improve consumers' perceptions of diagnosticity, psychological distance, risks, and purchase intention of e-commerce products (in Study 1), as well as to examine the relations among these constructs (in Study 2). The results indicate that (1) perceived diagnosticity and (2) purchase intention were higher, and (3) psychological distance and (4) perceived risks were lower in the group that experienced augmented reality e-commerce, compared to the group that experienced conventional web-based e-commerce. The impact of perceived diagnosticity on purchase intention was fully mediated by (5) psychological distance and (6) perceived risks. This research adds to the literature on augmented reality, particularly in the context of sport e-commerce, and suggests important practical implications.     

Customizing calories: How rejecting (vs. selecting) ingredients leads to lower calorie estimation and unhealthier food choices

Customization of food products has increased substantially in recent years while the desire for healthiness and an emphasis on understanding and providing calorie information continues to dynamically change the landscape of restaurant retail. The authors report four studies demonstrating that different customization routes (i.e., rejecting alternatives from a full product offering versus adding alternatives to a basic product offering) lead to systematic, but predictable, differences in consumers’ estimations of calories. In particular, this research finds that a rejection (vs. selection) customization process leads consumers to persistently estimate lower calories in the final product, which then improves evaluations of the retailer and leads to unhealthier food choices. These findings occur when consumers estimate calories of the exact same final product using the different paths to customization as well as when they create their own customized final product, while accounting for differences in the quantity and type of ingredients selected, suggesting a very general difference in estimations. This research has important implications for consumers who want to manage their weight and for firms that need to manage consumers’ health perceptions.     

Advertising self-regulation (ASR) in Spain. An analysis of complaints and resolutions

The present work analyses the total of complaints received by the advertising self-regulation (ASR) system in Spain from 2010 to 2015. Based on their processing, a matrix of variables has been developed to study the existence or absence of significant relationships between the type and nature of resolutions and the type of offending advertisers. The variables analysed are: source of complaint, type of offending advertiser, infraction of the law, breach of the code of conduct, complaint resolution, nature of the resolution, source of appeal and appeal resolution. Results show that multinationals are the companies that most often infringe the law and codes of conduct, and also that in many cases the complaints against them are dismissed. The system mainly rejects complaints that are binding, that is, those against members of ASR. This work identifies severe flaws in the self-regulation process and questions its independence to conclude that Spanish ASR tends to protect advertisers rather than defend the rights of consumers. The implications of this work point towards an urgent need to implement structural changes to Spanish ASR, starting with the funding system and the selection of the Advertising Jury, as well as mechanisms that ensure the fulfilment of resolutions.     

Consumer cynicism and perceived deception in vanity sizing: The moderating role of retailer (dis)honesty

While prior scholarship has acknowledged the overall positive influence of vanity sizing on consumer outcomes, no work to date has addressed the psychological process that occurs when consumers suspect retailers of dishonest sizing information. This is an important process to understand because perceptions of deceptive retailer motives lead consumers to react negatively to the product and the retailer, regardless of the retailer's actual motives. Thus, this research utilizes attribution theory to examine perceived deception as a mediator between consumer cynicism (a dispositional trait) and consumer outcomes. The results reveal that at higher levels of consumer cynicism, prior knowledge of deceptive sizing practices has an amplifying effect on the influence of consumer cynicism on perceived deception, while retailer honesty with sizing issues helps to block this influence. Further, perceived deception leads to reduced consumer outcomes, confirming prior findings in the literature.     

Marketing in Chinese Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): The State of the Art in a Chinese Socialist Economy

This paper adopts the context-embedded approach to examine the marketing practices of 307 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the People’’s Republic of China by comparing the survey findings with that of Hong Kong and Guangdong SMEs. Chinese SMEs focus on regional markets to avoid direct competition with Hong Kong SMEs in the international markets and also their Guangdong counterparts in the turbulent nationwide market. To market their own brands, Chinese SMEs have to analyze the market and use superior marketing strategies in the competitive markets. Chinese SMEs do not attain the superior competitive positions as that of their Guangdong counterparts, but they use customer satisfaction surveys and claims investigation to help develop excellence in product performance. Also, Chinese SMEs have to provide value-added products and services and also a well-rounded marketing competitive strategy to gain market shares. The traditional state-owned enterprise structure in China facilitates the development of hierarchical organizational structure and joint decision making process. Thus, care should be taken in assuming that marketing tools and techniques are equally applicable across all places, even in similar cultural contexts. Socio-cultural influences and mediating environmental factors should be considered when attempting to understand the marketing practices of Chinese small firms, specifically when China is in transition to a socialist market economy.     

Comparison of merger and acquisition (M&A) success in horizontal,vertical and conglomerate M&As: industry sector vs. services sector

Due to the high failure rate of the merger and acquisition (M&A) strategy, this study raises the question of whether there is a difference between the types of M&A in relation to M&A success. The study presents a research model to examine how each of the types of M&As – horizontal, vertical and conglomerate – separately affect M&A success. The study compares between the industry sector and the services sector. The results show that horizontal M&As lead to integration success and synergy success in the industry sector, but in the services sector, it leads to a failure of the integration stage, and in the both sectors it hinders the profitability. Vertical M&As lead to a success only in relation to synergy in the services sector, while conglomerate M&As lead to integration success and synergy success in the both sectors, but without success in relation to the profitability in the both sectors.     

Comparison of the occupational safety applications in marble quarries of Carrara (Italy) and Iscehisar (Turkey) by using Elmeri method

In this paper, a brief summary is given about marble quarries in Carrara (Italy) and Iscehisar (Turkey), the Elmeri method is introduced, work accidents that can happen in marble quarries and their causes besides work safety behaviours in fields are explained, and the Elmeri monitoring method is applied and analysed. For this reason, marble quarries are divided into seven in terms of working conditions and active six quarries both in Carrara and Iscehisar areas, and work safety behaviours are analysed. Analysis process is based on True–False method; there are 18 items in total under six main topics; three items on each topic. The safety index for each section and the main topics are also calculated. According to the calculated safety indexes, Carrara area marble quarries (65.08%) are safer than Iscehisar area marble quarries (46.01%).     

Insights and anatomy of brand experience in app-based retailing (eRBX): Critical play of physical evidence and enjoyment

A unique brand experience (BX) is vital for marketers to create differentiation for their brands in a hyper price sensitive e-tail industry. While BX as a concept evolved in a physical-retailing environment, only a few studies extended the same in the e-tailing environment. Using ISM (interpretive structure modeling) and the MICMAC (Matrix Impact Cross-Reference Multiplication Applied to a Classification) approach, this study attempts to address this gap by investigating the factors which form the BX in an app-based online retail environment (eRBX) and by highlighting insights on this. A literature review on BX and a collection of responses from 33 domain experts led to the identification of 20 factors and the showcasing of a multilevel interpretive relational structure of eRBX. Value for money and marketing communication emerged as first-order factors for eRBX in line with existing research. The authors' original contribution lied in finding two new multi-dimensional concepts of Physical Evidence (PE), and Enjoyment (E) in BX research. Ten critical influencing factors (CIF) were under PE, and five hygiene factors (HF) were under E for eRBX. Both these multi-dimensional concepts are further framed into an alternative paradigm of etailscape. This study can help practitioners to understand the insight and anatomy, for creating sustainable eRBX, and prioritize marketing investments accordingly.     

Examining artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in marketing via a global lens: Current trends and future research opportunities

Artificial intelligence (AI) has captured substantial interest from a wide array of marketing scholars in recent years. Our research contributes to this emerging domain by examining AI technologies in marketing via a global lens. Specifically, our lens focuses on three levels of analysis: country, company, and consumer. Our country-level analysis emphasizes the heterogeneity in economic inequality across countries due to the considerable economic resources necessary for AI adoption. Our company-level analysis focuses on glocalization because while the hardware that underlies these technologies may be global in nature, their application necessitates adaptation to local cultures. Our consumer-level analysis examines consumer ethics and privacy concerns, as AI technologies often collect, store and process a cornucopia of personal data across our globe. Through the prism of these three lenses, we focus on two important dimensions of AI technologies in marketing: (1) human–machine interaction and (2) automated analysis of text, audio, images, and video. We then explore the interaction between these two key dimensions of AI across our three-part global lens to develop a set of research questions for future marketing scholarship in this increasingly important domain.     

The role of newly emergent wholesalers in the food and drink industry in Japan,c.1880 to 1940: Focusing on the case of Kokubu

Abstract

This article explores the historical development of Japanese wholesalers in the food and drink industry in modern Japan. Despite many criticisms of Japanese wholesalers as being “multi-layered,” “old-fashioned,” and “outmoded,” there were historical reasons for the existence of wholesalers. While the traditional wholesalers remained even after the Meiji Restoration, the new wholesalers emerged by dealing with new products that appeared for the first time in modern Japan. Utilizing the historical conditions of both producers and retailers, the newcomers such as Kokubu boosted their development by innovative activities and gradually superseded the traditional wholesale market, firmly establishing their position as general wholesalers before the Second World War.     

Internationalization strategy,financial constraints and assets (in)tangibility. A study of euro area countries after the 2008 crisis

This paper studies the determinants of companies’ performance during the crisis based on their short-term (sales changes) and medium-term (exit) reaction, using firms’ data from the European Firms in Global Economy (EFIGE) survey and combining them with balance-sheet statistics. The results, based on the four largest euro area countries show that vulnerability to the crisis depended on a company’s mode of international operation. More sophisticated forms of internationalization increased firms’ resilience in the first and second waves of the crisis. The paper also investigates the mediating role of intangible assets and financial constraints in the relationship between internationalization and companies’ response to the crisis. While intangible assets were very important for preventing a drop in sales for internationalized firms immediately after 2008, they amplified the probability of firms’ exit five years after the crisis in weaker European countries (Spain and Italy). At the same time, financial constraints increased companies’ probability of exit. Innovation prevented a drop in firms’ sales and firms’ exit.     

Determinants of Loan Repayment Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana: The Case of Asante Akyem Rural Bank

We examine the role of a typical set of determinants of loan repayment performance of SMEs in the context of a rural bank’s setting in Ghana. Our analysis using survey data suggests that, while higher application cost, loan size and interest rate exert significantly negative influence on loan repayment, higher educational background of the SME operators is associated with significantly better repayment performance. Interestingly, in comparison with those with only primary-level education, SME operators with tertiary education register the best repayment performance followed by those with secondary education. We provide detailed discussion and managerial implications of these findings.     

后疫情背景下金融机构开展服务科技型中小（微）企业融资的探索与实践：以浙江为例

由于新冠肺炎疫情的持续影响，科技型中小（微）企业面临着资金周转和融资难的困境，财务脆弱性风险较为明显。这其中既有企业内部的原因，也有社会经济环境、市场状况和金融服务等外部环境因素。本文将对后疫情背景下金融机构服务和促进科技型中小（微）企业融资问题进行理论溯源，并以浙江为例，分析金融机构服务科技型中小（微）企业融资实践中面临的难题，并提出建立风险偿债基金、构建多层次信息平台、将人力资本作为授信额度担保的重要依据、聚焦创新创业生态体系建设等对策和建议，以期助力科技型中小（微）企业“转危为机”，推动投融资服务转型升级。     

Income thresholds of dissaving in Germany: empirical evidence from the recent sample survey of income and expenditure (EVS 2008)

Saving of private households monotonically increases with income. If the regression lines, which represent the ‘demand for saving’, assume negative values, saving turns into dissaving, i.e. dissolving assets or going into debt. The zeros of the demand functions for saving are called ‘dissaving thresholds’. Dissaving thresholds for Germany are determined econometrically using the Sample Survey of Income and Expenditure. Dissaving thresholds turn out to be far higher than social assistance amounts. Implications for economic, social and consumer policy in Germany are discussed.     

Value co‐creation between foreign firms and indigenous small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan's oil and gas industry: The role of information technology spillovers

Study related to the extractive sector still plays a limited role in the mainstream international business (IB) and management literature, with even less focus on ongoing liberalization and digitalization in the industry. This article was motivated by the question of how collaboration between foreign and indigenous oil and gas (O&G) companies can support small‐sized and medium‐sized indigenous technological development. The main contribution of this article is the development of a model that explains how different actors can cocreate value in the ecosystem of the O&G industry through digital technologies. A three‐stage qualitative–interpretive method based on interviews with industry experts was adopted to build three vignette case studies. This article proposes what companies and the government could do to increase the competitiveness of the local economy, diversify from O&G into high technological industries, and support industrial development through information and communication technologies (ICT).