Economic influences on perceived value,quality expectations and customer satisfaction

Consumer research has extensively analysed psychological determinants of customer satisfaction. As macro‐level customer satisfaction data were not available until recently, researchers have only taken first steps towards analysing economic determinants of customer satisfaction. Based on a more complex conceptual framework and on data from Germany and Japan, this article examines how economic processes influence the perceived value of goods and services, quality expectations and customer satisfaction. Using principal component analysis, regression analysis and structural equation modelling, this study finds that perceived value is positively influenced by both economic growth and lagged economic expectations. Customer satisfaction is positively influenced by economic growth and negatively by current economic expectations, with half of the impact mediated by perceived value. Economic expectations positively influence expectations regarding the quality of goods and services. These results imply that consumer researchers should no longer ignore economic influences on consumer attitudes. Marketing managers are advised to be cautious not to misinterpret economic‐induced variations in customer satisfaction as caused by corporate performance.     

Hybrid Surveys: A Method for the Effective Use of Open-Ended Questions in Quantitative Food Choice Surveys

Surveys are based on predetermined questions (PDQs), used in hypothesis testing. To validate surveys, an open-ended question (OEQs), probing for additional factors, is sometimes added. This approach could become more efficient by combining PDQs with OEQs in hybrid surveys. This study surveyed Japanese consumers on seafood quality (n?=?200). It started with three OEQs, asking participants to list the most important factors when evaluating packed mackerel fillets, before they assessed 26 PDQs on importance of different quality dimensions for the same products. The OEQs were grouped based on the PDQs and the answers were counted. The PDQs were rated on 7-point importance scales. The real-life relevance of PDQs was challenged based on the frequency counts of OEQs. The result revealed that the color, overall freshness, and price issues are the most important factors consumers consider in real life. The use of hybrid surveys led to increased validity of this study.     

Managing conflicting goals in pig farming: farmers' strategies and perspectives on sustainable pig farming in Sweden

Industrial meat production has several negative environmental effects. Governments’ agricultural policies aim for cost efficiency combined with high environmental and animal welfare, which puts farmers in a difficult situation trying to navigate between sometimes contradictory requirements. This paper studies how Swedish pig farmers resolve or cope with conflicting goals in pig farming. We have analysed the regulations governing EU and Swedish pig farming. We have also interviewed five Swedish pig farmers about their views of the different goals of pig farming and strategies for resolving conflicts between the goals of low environmental impact, high animal welfare and enough profitability to continue farming. The greatest divide was between the conventional farmers, who emphasized natural resource efficiency, and the organic farmers who stressed animal welfare, multifunctionality and ecosystem service delivery. We suggest four strategies to contribute to resolving some of the conflicting goals: improve communication about different types of pig farming; use public procurement as a driver towards more sustainable pork production; work towards improving the Common Agricultural Policy, perhaps by implementing payments for ecosystem services or multifunctionality; and finally, decrease the total production of pork to lower the emissions per land unit.     

Empirical Evidence on the Relationship between Mobile Termination Rates and Firms' Profits

The theoretical literature on mobile termination rates (MTRs) is inconclusive on how the level of MTRs affects overall consumer charges and firms' profits. We show that when firms offer bundles with fixed included usage – a tariff structure that has become more common in recent years – an identical change in all MTRs does not affect firms' retail prices or profits. We use a panel dataset from saturated European markets to estimate the effect of MTRs on mobile operators' profits. As predicted by the theoretical model, we cannot reject the fact that firms' profits are unaffected by an identical change in all MTRs.     

Exploring the capability of evaluating technical solutions: a collaborative study into the primary technology classroom

Within the field of technology education, evaluating technical solutions is considered as an important topic. Research indicates that pupils have difficulties in evaluating technical solutions in terms of fitness for purpose, i.e. how effective a technical solution supports its intended function. By using the learning study, which is an iterative and collaborative research approach, the study explores the capability to evaluate technical solutions in terms of fitness for purpose, what it takes to know it and how to best enhance its learning in the primary technology classroom. Audio and video recorded interviews, teachers’ meetings and lessons are the base data for the study. A contribution of the study is the understanding of this specific knowing, and what is critical for learning and thus to an improvement of technology teaching practice.     

Market integration between wild and farmed seabream and seabass in Spain

Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) production from aquaculture has been increasing since the 1990s. Nowadays, about 95% of their production comes from aquaculture. In this study, we analyse if the rapid growth in the aquaculture production of both species has affected the capture fisheries prices of both species. In other words, we investigate if there is market integration between wild and farmed gilthead seabream and European seabass. In order to do this analysis, we use data from the main gilthead seabream and European seabass markets in Spain. The results show that there is no market integration between wild and farmed gilthead seabream and European seabass. This implies that capture fisheries are not affected by increases in the aquaculture production of both species. But gilthead seabream and European seabass aquaculture producers face a smaller demand that explains the difficulties this aquaculture segment is facing.     

Exploring the multi-dimensionality of travellers' culinary-gastronomic experiences

This study explores the multifarious nature of food-related experiences on a destination. A questionnaire was designed to capture the importance of culinary experiences on destination choice and travel satisfaction as well as the dimensionality of food experiences as perceived in destination restaurants. Fixed choice and open-ended questions were asked to explore the dynamics of travellers' food experiences. First, the findings validate the importance of understanding the relationship between food and tourism. Food may trigger destination choice and contribute to perceived satisfaction. Second, the findings illustrate that the structure of travellers' food-related experiences consists of three dimensions: what is served, the restaurant environment and food-related behaviour. Third, the findings suggest that food experiences include a dynamic aspect that prolongs lived experiences. In essence, the results imply that although not all travellers search for culinary-gastronomic experiences, each traveller is most likely exposed to the influence of food and food experiences. Moreover, travellers' food experiences are multi-dimensional and influential on many levels and they hold a dynamic characteristic that deserve scholars' and marketers' attention. Hence, various marketing activities that attempt to provide travellers with positive, memorable food experiences deserve to be managed on a strategic level as means of destination branding.     

What Drives Oil Prices? Emerging Versus Developed Economies

We explore the role of demand from emerging and developed economies as drivers of the real price of oil. Using a FAVAR model that identifies shocks from different regions of the world, we find that demand from emerging economies (most notably from Asian countries) is more than twice as important as demand from developed countries in accounting for the fluctuations in the real oil price and in oil production. Furthermore, geographical regions respond differently to adverse oil market shocks that drive up oil prices, with Europe and North America being more negatively affected than countries in Asia and South America. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.