EMULATION,PREVENTION AND SOCIAL INTERACTION IN CONSUMPTION DYNAMICS

In this paper we show that the role of diversity, local interactions and global endogenous change at the level of social standards might be crucial in understanding the evolution of consumption patterns in modern economies. We propose an evolutionary model from which consumption dynamics can be analyzed as global properties emerging from the endogenous transformation of a society inhabited by boundedly rational interactive consumers. This work aspires to take a modest step forward in the direction of an evolutionary theory of demand change.     

Diversity, persistence and chaos in consumption patterns

In this paper we present a model from which discretionary consumption dynamics can be analyzed as global properties emerging from the endogenous transformation of a society inhabited by boundedly rational interactive consumers. By considering local and global interactions among consumers, we show that behavioral diversity plays a central role in the evolution of consumption patterns. The analysis of the model reveals the existence of a regime characterized by the persistence of different social standards, and a time evolution of the social distribution of behavioral patterns towards a heteroclinic cycle. In some cases the evolution seems to be chaotic, generating unpredictable, erratic dynamics of the aggregate social indices (average or social propensity for discretionary consumption).      

Antecedents to complaint behaviour in the context of restaurant goers

Abstract

This article deals with the process by which consumer complaint behaviour is formed. The general aim is to analyse the nature of this type of response to dissatisfaction, describing its development in terms of how it is influenced by a combination of several factors already researched in the literature. The most relevant contributions from the related theoretical work indicate that public and private responses (complaint behaviour) are the most common reactions of consumers when faced with a dissatisfactory experience. A group of determinants which influence these responses in different ways has also been identified. The main objective of this study is to analyse the relationship between the different determinants of complaint behaviour with the aim of identifying the variables which exert the greatest influence.     

Economic growth, labor market and demographic patterns

This study addresses the dynamic interaction between income growth, patterns of demographic variables, and characteristics of the labor market. We attempt to provide an endogenous explanation for the origin and nature of long-run sustained oscillations in the population and in economic variables. First, we develop an economic growth model containing unemployment. The resulting dynamics reveal that the emergence of irregular sustained oscillations is related to the lack of sensitivity in wage growth to changes in the employment rate. Next, labor force growth is endogenized in the basic model through micro-founded fertility choices of individuals. By introducing the endogenous fertility rate into the basic model, we generate a demographic transition. Next, consistent with Malthusian cycle literature, the inevitable time lag between individual reproductive decisions and subsequent market needs, in conjunction with a highly specialized labor force, appear to be the primary source of such long-run oscillations. Finally, the model predicts that raising the age of entry into the labor force increases economic growth.     

Interviewing and surveying over the phone: a reflexive account of a research on parenting

This paper is on the role that the phone plays in a mixed-methods empirical research. In the current sociological literature, the phone is a methodological object associated with quantitative fieldwork, while little is said on the phone as a tool for qualitative research. We reflect here on a case study on the use of parental leaves by fathers in Spain, which included the phone as the only communication tool between researchers and subjects. We collect out own experience as interviewers in the qualitative phase of the research project, and interviewed surveyors working in the field. We analyze the discursive data following grounded theory principles and compare the use of both techniques in the data gathering process, including sampling and design. Thus, we consider interviewing and surveying as mediated communication situations. Our findings show that the value of the phone as a tool for research is a matter of adequacy to a given methodology, rather than an issue of validity, reliability, or credibility.     

Logistic service quality and technology: a comparison between supplier–retailer and retailer–consumer relationships

Physical distribution quality can be considered as a differentiation factor and, in this way, as a source of competitive advantage. Nevertheless, there is neither consensus about its dimensions, or on how it might be influenced by technological solutions. The present paper aims at identifying the main antecedents of logistic service quality, examining the influence of technology on logistic service quality and analysing its effects on firm results in terms of customer satisfaction and loyalty in different levels of the marketing channel. The proposed structural equations model is tested empirically in two different samples: 400 consumers and 304 distributors. For both samples, technology assessment shows a positive effect on logistic service quality and this, in turn, generates customer satisfaction and loyalty.     

Measuring the antecedents of e-loyalty and the effect of switching costs on website

This paper deals with the process by which electronic customer loyalty (e-loyalty) is formed. The twofold aim is to analyse e-loyalty, describing its development in terms of how it is influenced by several determinants and to study potential barriers to switching which significantly affect the repeat purchase decision. In particular, an integrating theoretical framework is proposed to determine the e-loyalty dependency of electronic service quality and perceived value, and how this last relationship can be moderated by switching costs. Results offer evidence for the important role of customer's perceptions of e-service quality and value in e-loyalty. Proposals are made of how companies that are online can use this knowledge to build marketing strategies.