Positive gender congruency effects on shopper responses: Field evidence from a gender egalitarian culture

This field study examined how customer-employee interactions are affected by the congruency between an employee's gender and the perceived gender image of the consumption context in one of the most gender equal cultures in the world (Scandinavia). Mystery shoppers had a service encounter with an employee across a set of physical commercial settings that were classified according to their gender image. The mystery shoppers noted the gender of the employee, provided employee evaluations, and indicated word-of-mouth (WOM) ratings. Shoppers who had a gender congruent service encounter (e.g., a female employee in a “feminine” consumption context) reported more favorable employee evaluations and WOM ratings than shoppers who had a gender incongruent service encounter (e.g., a female employee in a “masculine” consumption context), with the impact of gender congruency on WOM ratings mediated by employee evaluations, particularly with respect to competence inferences. These findings highlight the ethical dilemma of a positive gender congruency effect, as it can generate superior consumer responses but also risks resulting in gender occupational segregation.     

Which Products are More Responsive to In-Store Displays: Utilitarian or Hedonic?

In-store displays aim to boost sales of both utilitarian and hedonic products. Noting typical differences in the information processing and purchase behavior evoked by these product types, and building on congruency theory principles, the authors propose that different types of in-store displays (i.e., island, end-of-aisle, or shelf signage) are more appropriate for utilitarian versus hedonic products, and the use of price or product promotions might reinforce these effects. With a database that combines three data sources (scanner, observational, and survey), this article presents an analysis of a market share model at the SKU level. The results confirm that in-store displays have differential effects on sales, depending on their characteristics; congruency between the decision-making process of utilitarian versus hedonic products and the characteristics of in-store display types moderates their effectiveness in terms of SKU sales. Shelf signage strongly increases the sales of utilitarian products, whereas island and end-of-aisle displays increase sales of hedonic product categories more effectively. The use of congruent promotions creates synergistic influences that reinforce these effects. In particular, price promotions improve the impact of shelf signage on utilitarian products, and product promotions strengthen the impacts of island and end-of-aisle displays on hedonic products. These results extend prior research on in-store marketing actions and the nature of utilitarian versus hedonic products, as well as providing recommendations for retailers and manufacturers seeking to optimize their retail space and commercial budgets.     

Manufacturing strategy-technology relationship among auto suppliers

Each manufacturing plant has to develop its own path to success based on contingencies and on manufacturing practices links. On the basis of the latter, this paper tests the link between two of the most important manufacturing practices areas, manufacturing strategy (MS) and technology, without addressing causality or their combined effect on performance. This is done by selection fit, i.e. congruency adjustment. However, this paper goes beyond grouping both sets of practices in pairs, by using a more general selection view version, with practices from both sets related multidimensionally and subordinated by regression analysis to test for any congruent pattern. Regression results from a wide-ranging survey of auto supplier plants show that, in general, MS seems to have some kind of impact on technology, and that technology has some kind of influence on MS. In addition, a strong congruency between both practices areas is observed when using correlation. This suggests that when implementing or adjusting MS or technology, the other should also be considered; otherwise they may not operate effectively.     

Brand misconduct: Consequences on consumer-brand relationships

This paper investigates the effects of brand misconduct on a consumer-brand relationship. Brand misconduct describes a brand's behavior that disappoints consumers' expectations of the brand, for example the alleged use of child labor in soccer ball factories contracted by Adidas, Nike and Puma. Based on relationship and congruency theory, this paper develops a model to explain consumer-brand relationship and its impact on consumers' repurchase intentions. According to this model, functional congruence, actual and ideal self-congruence, partner quality and brand relationship quality represent factors determining repurchase intention. An empirical investigation with regard to jeans brands serves to test the postulated relationships in two distinct situations: before and after brand misconduct. On the one hand, the findings provide a deep insight into the consequences of brand misconduct. On the other hand, the results enable practitioners to develop sustainable brand strategies and create lasting brand preferences.     

The effect of visual and auditory elements on patrons’ liquor-ordering behavior: An empirical study

This study aims to empirically investigate the effect of music and visual congruency with a type of liquor in a bar. Specifically, it examines the effect of atmospheric elements’ congruency with wine on patrons’ liquor-ordering behavior and their expenditures. As most Koreans associate wine with French culture, French auditory and visual cues were used to investigate the effect of congruency. A total of 650 receipts from two different branches of a bar were collected for four weeks. The study found that in the visual congruence condition, the ratio of wine expenditure to the total expenditure of a table and the ratio of liquor expenditure to the total expenditure of a table increased. When the auditory congruence condition was implemented, the probability of ordering wine increased. There was no interaction effect. Implications based on the findings are discussed in the final section of the study.     

The Role of Sound Congruency on Ethnic Menu Item Selection and Price Expectations

Earlier research considered ethnic congruent versus incongruent music; this study extended earlier research by comparing the impacts of ethnic congruent music, ethnic incongruent music and restaurant background sounds on the dining experience. Additionally, it extends earlier research considering the impact on menu item selection and price expectations based on the impact of music/sound. Findings indicated music congruence effects along with baseline sounds should be considered by practitioners and researchers. Italian folk music increased Italian item selections compared to restaurant background sounds. Thai folk music was equal to background sounds for Thai items. Higher expected prices were apparent when listening to both Italian music and background sounds.