Understanding Local Food Consumers: Theory of Planned Behavior and Segmentation Approach

Purpose: The objectives of this study were to examine the antecedents and consequence of consumer attitudes toward local food and to segment these consumers using their food-related lifestyle (FRL) attributes. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, we proposed three factors to impact attitude toward local food (health consciousness, concern for the environment, and concern for local economies) along with subjective norm and perceived behavioral control to influence intentions to purchase local food.

Methodology: Data were collected from 502 local food consumers measuring the following: antecedents and consequence of attitude toward local food; FRL; demographic information.

Findings: Health consciousness, concern for the environment, and concern for local economies were found to be significant predictors of attitude toward local food. Attitude toward local food and subjective norm, but not perceived behavioral control, were found to have a significant effect on intention to purchase local food. Further, segmenting based on their FRL yielded four types of consumers (Impromptu Novelty Explorer, Uninvolved Connoisseur, Involved Information Seeker, and Apathetic Local Food Consumer). An ANOVA provided a snapshot of several demographic and psychographic differences between segments.     

The impact of social cues on passengers’ travel experience

Despite the importance of social cues in service experience environments, little is known about the role of other customer perceptions (OCP) in the formation of passengers’ travel experience (PTE) and loyalty in public transportation. This study examines the impact of OCP on PTE and loyalty in public transportation and also investigates the moderating role of face-consciousness between OCP and PTE. Results revealed that all three dimensions of OCP have a positive effect on PTE, which consequently influences loyalty. More importantly, face-consciousness moderated the relationship between suitable behavior and PTE. Transport managers can benefit from these findings by considering the social environment as they design their services.     

How talent capability can shape service analytics capability in the big data environment?

We know very little about how big data-driven service analytics capabilities (SAC) are built in data-driven service organizations and the potential role of talent capability in facilitating overall SAC and the impact of both on firm performance (FPER). Drawing on the dynamic capabilities (DC) approach, this study investigates the link between SAC and FPER examining the mediating role of talent capability and the moderating influence of a firm’s strategic alignment. On the basis of two Delphi studies and survey data from 267 service analysts in the US and France, the findings show that even though SAC are built on technology, talent and information capabilities, their overall impact on firm performance is mediated by the level of talent capability of service analytics managers. The findings also confirm the critical moderating impact of strategic alignment between dynamic talent capability and firm performance in the big data environment.     

How do successful scholars get their best research ideas? An exploration

We interview 24 marketing professors to ask how they got the ideas for 64 of their papers. More than three-quarters of the papers were inspired by holes in the literature, by a “stylized fact” that the current literature cannot explain, or by an interaction with a manager. The rest fall into several smaller categories that to a large extent can be seen as special cases of the three big ones. We describe how papers from each of the three big categories help move the literature forward. We also illustrate the range of situations contained in each category by way of several examples. Among the authors we interview, most do not use a single source. As these authors become more senior, managerial contacts play an increasing role, while the balance between literature and stylized facts appears to be unchanged.

     

Toward an Understanding of Religiousness and Marketing Ethics: An Empirical Study

This study examines the influence of religiousness on different components of marketing professionals' ethical decision making: personal moral philosophies, perceived ethical problem, and ethical intentions. The data are from a national survey of the American Marketing Associations' professional members. The results generally indicate that the religiousness of a marketer can partially explain his or her perception of an ethical problem and behavioral intentions. Results also suggest that the religiousness significantly influences the personal moral philosophies of marketers.     

The different faces of coupon elasticity

Coupons account for over two-thirds of all consumer promotional efforts initiated by the manufacturers of consumer goods. In this study, the impact of coupons on brand sales is investigated and how that impact decays over the life of the coupon is demonstrated. Specifically, we present an econometric model that can capture coupon effects in terms of equivalent price reduction, account for coupon effects over time, allow inference of coupon effects when retailers decide to double or triple the coupon value, and provide both self-coupon and cross-coupon elasticities at different levels of aggregation. A widely used sales response model is adapted, and an analytical model is proposed to estimate both the self-coupon and cross-coupon (face value) elasticities of sales at the store level. From the store-level elasticity estimates for a given week, the authors analytically derive the coupon elasticities for the chain level by aggregating across stores, and over the life of the coupon by aggregating over time. The proposed sales response model is estimated with the data obtained from three markets for various product categories, and the coupon elasticities are computed. The proposed framework allows one to demonstrate the hypothetical equivalence of a shelf-price reduction for a given coupon face value in each week. Also, the effect of doubling the face value of a coupon results in more than a proportionate increase in elasticity. The authors find that both self and cross-coupon elasticities are much smaller in magnitude than the average self and cross-price elasticity measures reported in the literature.     

Traffic law enforcement in Hyderabad, India

The aim of the study was to understand traffic law enforcement (TLE) carried out by the police to reduce non-compliance with traffic laws on the roads of Hyderabad city in India for 2001-2003. The Traffic Police database of citations issued to drivers who violated traffic laws in Hyderabad was analysed for the years 2001-2003 to describe the TLE activities of the police, to describe and compare the TLE activities for the different types of vehicles and to compare the TLE activities for the 3 years. The violations were classified in five categories - those related to driving, parking, vehicle, document and others; and TLE into safety and other TLE. A total of 646 161 traffic-law violations were registered in 2001, 904 447 in 2002 and 964 275 in 2003 for Hyderabad. Driving and parking violations were the most common violations registered in all 3 years, with parking violations slightly higher in 2001 (43.5%) and driving violations slightly higher in 2002 (35%) and 2003 (36.4%). Auto-rickshaws (three-wheel commercial passenger vehicles) accounted for the highest violations registered in 2001 (41.4%) whereas motorized two-wheelers had the highest registered violations in 2002 (35.5%) and 2003 (33.2%). Safety TLE activity (detecting and registering driving violations) was only one-third of all the TLE activity performed by the police in the 3 years, and disobeying traffic signals was the most common violation registered under safety TLE. Indian rupees 50 (US$1.1) were collected by way of a fine in 87% of the cases registered. Age and gender of the violators were not recorded in the database. These data can be used for planning, monitoring and evaluating TLE in Hyderabad. These can help identify traffic control and human factors that could lead to traffic noncompliance, and help identify priorities for improving road safety. These data indicate a need to enhance the safety TLE activity of the police, to make TLE more visible in Hyderabad, and to assess the effectiveness of the current legal action as deterrence to improve road safety. Recommendations to enhance TLE within the given resources of the police are made. More effort is needed towards systematic collection and analysis of data on TLE in India to facilitate long-term improvements in TLE for safer roads.     

Researches in Corporate Social Responsibility: A Review of Shifting Focus,Paradigms, and Methodologies

Owing to the growing academic and practitioner’s interest in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility, there is a need to do a comprehensive assessment and synthesis of research activities. This article addresses this need and examines the academic literature on Corporate Social Responsibility and Performance using a paradigmatic and methodological lens. The objective of this article is fourfold. First, it examines the status of CSR research from its beginning especially after 1970 to year 2008 in leading academic journals and reports to assess the focus areas of research on CSR so far. Second, it analyzes the research paradigms adopted in these research articles using the Operations Research Paradigm framework. Third, it compares and contrasts various kinds of research articles, methodologies, and research designs used in various researches in literature. Finally, it uncovers the implications of this study and directions for future research.