Multifunctional risk in the adoption of innovative technological products

This study analyses whether the perceived risk of purchasing technological products is less influential on the process of technological adoption when this effect is moderated by the product's multifunctional category (hedonic vs. utilitarian product characteristics). Four experiments were developed according to scenarios related to the multifunctional content (level of complexity according to the product category) of the technology and the number of functionalities in the products. The perception of risk has less effect on adoption when the product characteristics are manipulated to be more utilitarian or heighten the consumer's social value. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of which categories are less influenced by the perceived multifunctional risk of purchasing and adopting a new technology, as well as of when individual values overlap with consumers' risk perceptions. It also contributes managerially by identifying the profile of individuals who are more likely to consume innovations characterized by high complexity and functionality, and by providing guidance for the development of innovative products that prioritize utilitarian, rather than hedonic, characteristics.     

Antecedents of brand loyalty in South African retail banking

With new banks entering the South African market and consumers generally not satisfied with their current bank, brand loyalty in the banking sector is receiving greater attention. A gap in the literature exists regarding the issues of bank loyalty and their antecedents in South African retail banking because of the few studies available in the South African context, the new competitive environment in the banking sector, the multi-cultural nature of the market, and the likely switching behaviour by customers. The South African context is a multi-cultural environment and therefore offers a unique background as most previous brand loyalty studies have been in mono-cultural contexts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antecedents of brand loyalty, including satisfaction, brand relationship quality, customer advocacy, and brand trust in retail banking. We report on a survey of 351 banking customers through SEM using AMOS. While the findings are generally supportive of previous studies, some surprising results are discussed and implications for both theory and practice are highlighted.

     

Place-Based Policies and Nowcasting

There is a growing need to gauge local economic activity in real time. Localised economic challenges have been emphasised in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Real-time trackers (such as OECD trackers) and other nowcasting applications typically correspond to national or highly aggregated regions. In this discussion paper, we briefly explore how unconventional data might be used to produce nowcasts of local economies. We argue that in the absence of traditional nowcasting metrics, efforts to nowcast local economies need a local perspective, with data capture tailored to address heterogeneity across three domains: (1) resources, (2) people and (3) life.     

Conditional cash transfers tools to combat child labor: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Costa Rica

The Government of Costa Rica collaborated with a research team to conduct a randomized controlled trial of their Working Children and Adolescents program. The program provided working youth with a monthly cash transfer with the conditions that they attend school regularly and complete their grade. This study examines the effect of the cash transfer on (1) child labor and hazardous child labor participation as well as hours worked; (2) school enrollment, attendance, and completion; and (3) self-reported health. The main findings provide evidence of a statistically significant reduction of more than 4 hours worked per week by children. The findings also suggest null effects on labor participation and school outcomes. Cost-effectiveness analysis shows that the program demonstrates a transfer effectiveness and cost-effectiveness comparable to similar interventions in Latin American countries. The subsidy alone does not seem enough to improve schooling outcomes, justifying the necessity of additional education policies to complement the cash transfer program.