The Antecedents of Moral Imagination in the Workplace: A Social Cognitive Theory Perspective

As corporate scandals proliferate, organizational researchers and practitioners have made calls for research providing guidance for those wishing to influence positive moral decision-making and behavior in the workplace. This study incorporates social cognitive theory and a vignette-based cognitive measure for moral imagination to examine (a) moral attentiveness and employee creativity as important antecedents of moral imagination and (b) creativity as a moderator of the positive relationship between moral attentiveness and moral imagination. Based on the results from supervisor–subordinate dyadic data (N = 162) obtained from employed students, hypotheses were largely supported as expected. Implications are discussed.     

Endorsers in Advertising: The Case of Negative Celebrity Information

Abstract

The use of celebrity endorsers is a popular executional device, but it is not without risk. The authors report three studies examining how negative information about a celebrity can affect the brand the celebrity endorses. Using an associative network model of memory as a theoretical framework, they considered four moderating variables: the size of the association set for the brand, the size of the association set for the celebrity, the timing of the negative celebrity information, and the strength of the associative link between the brand and the celebrity. In the first two studies, they used a fictitious but realistic celebrity endorser and in the third they used an actual celebrity. Negative information about a celebrity resulted in a decline in attitude toward the endorsed brand only for the fictitious celebrity. That general relationship was moderated in varying degrees by association set size, timing of the negative information, and the strength of the link between brand and celebrity.     

Are You Entertained? The Impact of Brand Integration and Brand Experience in Television-Related Advergames

Results of an online experiment using advergames associated with television series suggest playing advergames results in behavioral change toward the parent brand only for consumers who lack prior brand experience. In essence, advergames appear to be more effective as a promotional tool used to encourage new product trial behavior. In addition, advergames with highly integrated brand elements produce more negative attitudes toward the advergame than advergames with fewer brand elements. Thus, advergame designers must delicately balance the use of brand elements to encourage product trial without being perceived as unnecessary advertising clutter that distracts from the enjoyment of game play.     

Adoption of Biometric Authentication Systems: Implications for Research and Practice in the Deployment of End-User Security Systems

Recent security lapses have demonstrated the importance of augmenting authentication protocols in sensitive areas of the economy, such as financial services and banking. In addition, new legislative requirements for secondary authentication mechanisms have highlighted the use of biometric technology as a reliable, but not required, means of authentication. The focus of this study examines the factors that influence the adoption of biometric authentication in organizations. The research model measures the relative contribution that variables in three categories (External Pressure, Readiness, and Perceived Benefits) have in the intent to adopt biometric authentication in financial services institutions. Managers of these institutions were surveyed, and the resulting model indicates that, as expected, the intent to adopt is driven by competitive factors, an organization's financial resources, and the perceived benefits associated with the technology. An important unanticipated finding from this research is that managerial support was not shown to be significantly related to adoption intent, which may be attributed to the context of biometric systems adoption. This research advances our understanding of the adoption literature by demonstrating how structural factors can influence the decisions made by organizational actors and by applying theories of adoption to a new technology—biometrics.     

Promoting Products Through Volume Discount: Evidence from Malaysia

ABSTRACT

This study examines the effectiveness of the determinants that influence consumers' intention to purchase products under volume discount scheme (VDS). In addition, the moderating role of age is tested. A pilot study of 259 consumers was performed to conceptualize the underlying constructs and identify questionnaire items through employing exploratory data analysis. This was followed by a comprehensive survey of 583 Malaysian consumers. Data were analysed using partial least squares technique. The results indicate that brand image, store image, message framing, product characteristics, scheme characteristics, and subjective norms are crucial factors for the successful implementation of VDS. There is a wide gap noted between young and mature consumers in terms of the factors that influence on their purchasing behavior under VDS. The results help retailers to promote products under VDS in an effective way.     

The Hot–Cold Decision Triangle: A framework for healthier choices

People often behave in ways that are clearly detrimental to their health. We review representative research on unhealthy behaviors within a parsimonious framework, the Hot-Cold Decision Triangle. Through this framework, we describe how when people embrace colder state reasoning??instead of risking the pitfalls of heuristics and visceral reactions??they are more likely to behave healthily. We also illustrate how some heuristics and visceral urges can be leveraged to encourage healthier choices. We conclude by discussing unexplored research directions, as well as substantive implications for individuals, marketers, and policymakers.     

Beyond nudges: Tools of a choice architecture

The way a choice is presented influences what a decision-maker chooses. This paper outlines the tools available to choice architects, that is anyone who present people with choices. We divide these tools into two categories: those used in structuring the choice task and those used in describing the choice options. Tools for structuring the choice task address the idea of what to present to decision-makers, and tools for describing the choice options address the idea of how to present it. We discuss implementation issues in using choice architecture tools, including individual differences and errors in evaluation of choice outcomes. Finally, this paper presents a few applications that illustrate the positive effect choice architecture can have on real-world decisions.     

Strategic Online and Offline Retail Pricing: A Review and Research Agenda

In the increasingly complex retailing environment, more and more retailers operate in more than one channel, such as brick-and-mortar, catalogs, and online. Success in this dynamic environment relies on the strategic management and coordination of both online and offline pricing. This article provides an overview of findings from past research in both offline and online domains and presents an organizing framework, as well as an agenda to spur additional research.     

An assessment of the current structure of food demand in urban China

We evaluate the current structure of food demand in urban China by using household expenditure survey data from five provinces. Two complementary analyses are undertaken. First, an aggregate analysis based on a fractional logit model is used to examine how households allocate food expenditures across the food‐at‐home (FAH) and food‐away‐from‐home (FAFH) categories. This is followed by a disaggregated analysis of how households allocated their FAH expenditures across 12 commodity categories. A Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) is used. We find evidence of significant food purchase substitution and complementarity.