A study on the attributes involved in the hedonic pricing of Brazilian clothing

The objective of this study is to identify the weighted importance of intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. Intrinsic attributes are defined as the specific features of products. Extrinsic attributes refer to other characteristics that are also important for price composition, such as brand, store layout and services, and purchasing experiences. In a survey with 1,923 collected responses, it was possible to identify and quantify intrinsic and extrinsic influencing factors beyond price strategy in the Brazilian fashion market for blue jeans. The statistical analysis was based on the hedonic price method. The idea of expressing the price based on a series of intrinsic and extrinsic variables avoids the problem of using the regression technique. In this research, multiple linear regression and quantile regression were applied. The results show that extrinsic attributes have greater influence than intrinsic features on explaining the final market prices using log-linear and quantile regression statistical methods.     

Capturing the voice of older consumers in relation to financial products and services

The purpose of this pilot study was to focus on the suitability of selected financial products for older people. Bank accounts and equity release products were selected for this study by an expert advisory panel. New marketing initiatives are being used to promote bank accounts, including forms of insurance, for the ‘50+’ market. Also, older people are now expected to provide for their retirement and it is anticipated that equity release will be one product which may be used to fund and maintain consumer lifestyles. In the first phase of the study, a questionnaire was distributed to 152 people aged over 50 years in Scotland. Eighty‐three were completed, a response rate of 55%. The results informed the development of questions for the second phase which were discussed with 46 participants via the World Café in June 2008, enabling a deeper insight into their opinions. The research found that consumers had lost trust in financial product and service providers because of the perceived excessive profits of banks and lack of customer service. Further, many products and services were prohibited for or incurred extra costs to those aged over 60 or 65 years, leaving limited choices, and equity release products were seen as a last resort for those in financial difficulty. Although the profitability of banks has changed dramatically since the completion of data collection, the issues identified by older consumers in Scotland will be of international interest. The demographic changes resulting in an increasing proportion of elderly people in the population are reflected throughout the UK and many Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development countries. Similar financial products and services, which were the focus of this study, are promoted internationally, offering opportunities to replicate the research methods.     

Revisions of labeling for personal watercraft: Part 1 – label development

This two-part paper presents a comprehensive case study related to the development and evaluation of warning labels. In particular, this two-part paper describes the development and evaluation of revised warning labels applicable to a class of products known as personal watercraft (PWCs), and serves as an example application of a general warnings design process described by Frantz et al. Part 1, presented in this paper, includes the process of project planning, identifying and analyzing hazards, and developing two preliminary warning labels to address PWC operational hazards. Included are discussions regarding the methods used to address problems frequently encountered in the development of warning labels. Topics of these discussions include the prioritization and selection of hazards to be addressed, message development strategies, avoiding information overload, and organizing the presentation of information using human factors models and concepts. The work conducted in Part 1 resulted in two preliminary labels: one label dealing with issues related to Collision Avoidance and a second label dealing with General Operational Hazards. Part 2, the companion article, describes the process of evaluating and revising the preliminary labeling to produce the final labels. Discussions regarding the methods used to address challenges related to the evaluation and revision of warning labels are provided. As a result of the entire process, revised labels for PWCs with increased uniformity will be used by PWC manufacturers, although flexibility for specific model features or future changes in design will be retained.     

Does Puffery Deceive? An Empirical Investigation

This paper reports four experiments that investigated whether puffery in advertising deceives or not. The first study tested the effects of six levels of puffery on consumer perceptions of ad truthfulness and brand attitude. Study 2 tested the effect of puffery on perceptions of ad truthfulness under conditions of low- and high-product involvement. Study 3 compared puffery to fact-based claims and found that fact-based claims increased perceptions of ad truthfulness. Study 4 found that perceptions of ad truthfulness decreased when the consumer was exposed to puffery in an ad and also in a competitor’s ad.     

The effect of limits in retail advertisements: A reactance theory perspective

It is not uncommon for retailers to impose limits (e.g., “limit one per customer”) on advertised products. The attitudinal and behavioral effects of such advertised limits have been largely unexplored. The present research uses psychological reactance theory to generate insight into the effects of advertised limits. It was found that limits are both capable of attracting and repelling consumers depending upon the severity of the limit. In the experimental context that was used, age and income were found to be positively related to the effectiveness of limits.     

Benefits of heroes to coping with mortality threats by providing perceptions of personal power and reducing unhealthy compensatory consumption

Mortality threats are among the strongest psychological threats that an individual can encounter. Previous research shows that mortality threats lead people to engage in unhealthy compensatory consumption (i.e., overeating), as a maladaptive coping response to threat. In this paper, we propose that reminders of heroes when experiencing mortality threat increases perceptions of personal power, which in turn buffers the need to engage in unhealthy compensatory consumption. We test and find support for our predictions in a series of four studies that include real-world Twitter data after a series of terrorist attacks in 2016–2017, and three experimental studies conducted online and in the field with behavioral measures after Day of the Dead and during COVID-19 pandemic. These findings advance the literature on compensatory consumption, mortality threats, and the psychological functions of heroes.     

Is the Market Perceived to be Civilizing or Destructive? Scientists’ Universalism Values and Their Attitudes Towards Patents

Journal of Business Ethics - Corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting is becoming mainstream, yet there is limited research on whether and how CSR reports communicate value relevant...     

Beyond the Union‐Centred Approach: A Critical Evaluation of Recent Trade Union Elections in China

Many Western scholars have regarded union democracy and elections as affairs that are internal to trade unions and unconnected with outside forces. Going beyond the mainstream union‐centred approach, this study critically assesses one significant type of union election that has been emerging in China since 2010 and that has been driven by different forces from previous elections. Previous workplace union elections had been ‘top‐down’ — initiated by the party‐state or its apparatuses, or else transnational corporation‐induced — but this newer type of election has been driven by workers' strikes. This study illustrates how the dynamics among the quadripartite actors — party‐state, higher‐level trade unions, capital and labour — have shaped these strike‐driven elections. Contrary to the claim that these elections have been ‘direct’ and ‘democratic’, our case studies show that they have been indirect and quasi‐democratic in nature.     

The ad creativity cube: conceptualization and initial validation

Advertising creativity is conceptualized as a function of three dimensions—novelty, meaningfulness, and connectedness. Novelty and meaningfulness involve infocentric aspects, while connectedness incorporates the perspective of the audience. The relationship among these dimensions and ad effectiveness, and the linkage of ad creativity level to persuasion is then posited. Two experiments were conducted among 201 undergraduates. The first tested novelty and meaningfulness; while the second tested connectedness and meaningfulness. The results affirm the proposed conceptual framework. Relative to non-novel and meaningful ads, novel and meaningful ads generated higher ad recall, more favorable ad attitudes, and more upbeat feelings. Novel and non-meaningful ads elicited higher recall, more favorable attitudes toward non-claim elements (Aad-nc), and negative feelings, and less favorable ad attutides toward claim elements (Aad-c) than non-novel and non-meaningful ads. Relative to ads that did not connect with the audience, connected ads elicited higher ad recall, more favorable Aad-c under meaningful ads, lower Aad-c under non-meaningful ads, and higher levels of Aad-nc and warm feelings under both meaningful and non-meaningful ads. The authors Swee Hoon Ang, Yih Hwai Lee and Siew Meng Leong are listed alphabetically as each contributed equally to this paper.     

Regulating Borrower Hardship in Australia,Singapore, and Hong Kong: Payment Holidays During COVID-19 and Beyond

Journal of Consumer Policy - Borrower hardship, while a critical issue, is not often addressed by consumer protection frameworks across the Asia–Pacific. The widespread use of payment...