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When the consumer purchases a product, his/her preference of the product attributes is a subjective judgment. The values assigned in the questionnaire in which the respondents indicated their preferences often contain fuzziness and imprecision. Based on Fishbein's multiple‐attribute utility model, this paper uses the fuzzy‐set theory to build upon the Fuzzy Multi‐Attribute Utility Model (FMAUM). Furthermore, the FMAUM is used to analyze the purchasing behavior of automobile buyers in Taiwan. The results showed that the attributes which the consumers were concerned with were different under different purchasing situations (having a car already vs not having a car). U.S. automobile markets can use this FMAUM to determine which attributes consumers prefer or which attributes produce a clearer cognition, and emphasize those attributes in their advertisements. In addition, by using this model, marketers can determine the attributes consumers preferred most in one particular market and use this information as a guideline when they enter into that market.

In order to understand why consumers choose certain products over others, marketers study consumer behavior. This concept of involvement is significant in understanding and explaining consumer behavior (Bloch 1981; Bloch, 1982; Zaichkowsky, 1985; Celsi and Olson, 1988; Engel, et al., 1990; Assael, 1995). The term became popular in marketing circles through Krugman's research in television advertising and low‐involvement learning in 1965 (Krugman, 1965).

The purpose of this study is to examine differences in consumers’ perceptions of an acceptable price range and their responses to the advertised reference price in terms of internal reference price, price‐search intention, and perceived value between online and offline retail channels. This research uses a 2 (plausible and implausible reference prices) x 2 (online and offline retail channels) between‐subjects experimental design. A convenient sample of 151 Taiwanese graduate students that have prior experience shopping online are recruited as subjects. Results are shown and managerial implications and directions for future research are then discussed.

While the consumer movement was popular in economically advanced countries between 1965 and 1975, developing countries were not yet ready for such issues. The consumers in these countries, due to their economic, social, and political environments, were not aware of their rights. Taiwan was a typical case. Three main reasons contributed to the ignorance of the Taiwanese consumers at the advent of the worldwide consumer movement. First, in its early years, Taiwan was basically an agricultural society. The primary industry and its commodities made product differentiation impossible. It was nature, and not human beings that decided the quality and/or quantity of the products produced for the market. Everyday products were simple and few, and the choice between products, easy. Secondly, it was not until the 1960's that Taiwan turned slowly from an import‐oriented economy to that of an export‐oriented economy. Raising tariffs and controlling the importation of products were necessary to protect local businesses from foreign competition. Thus, the rights of consumers were sacrificed. Lastly, the very nature of the Chinese (e.g., psychological profile), led them to endure the suffering of any mistreatment. They would avoid a direct confrontation on any dispute. Therefore, organized activities against businesses was not possible. All of these reasons made the consumer movement unheard of in Taiwan during the 1960s.

Individualism collectivism measures, along with decision styles, are examined in Taiwan. About 600 questionnaires were distributed directly to employees with managerial positions in private, public, and mixed enter prises in the capital, Taipei. In general, Taiwanese were found to be more collectivist than individualistic. Participants displayed a strong preference for consultative and participative styles and determined that these two styles were the most effective in practice. Further more, participants indicated that their immediate supervisors were mostly consultative and autocratic.

In recent years, many U.S. direct marketers have expanded their efforts into Asia. A few studies of consumers’ attitudes towards direct marketing were conducted outside of the United States in order to ascertain their attitudes towards direct marketing, privacy, environmental concerns, and trust issues. International direct marketers must take care to respect these issues before entering new countries, such as Taiwan and other emerging markets. The following article reports the results of a survey done in both the U.S. and Taiwan.

Today's marketplace can best be characterized as dramatic and uncertain. This situation dictates that multinational corporations (MNCs) design strategies and policies that enable them to reduce uncertainty while satisfying customer needs across borders. Traditionally, MNCs are motivated by the demand of an advanced industrial society but ignore the demand of customers in the semi‐industrial societies within developing nations. The purpose of this study is to suggest certain factors in a strategic market planning framework that will maximize the interaction between MNCs and societies in which they operate, especially in Asian countries.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the type and number of reference prices used and their formation process in consumers' price judgments across product and service categories.

A pretest of a group of 50 graduate students is conducted to determine the service and product stimuli. Questionnaires for shampoo and hair salons, respectively, are sent out to the employees in four different companies. The subjects are asked to provide information on five commonly used measures of reference price: price most frequently charged; lowest market price; fair price; normal price; and reservation price.

Although consumers use the same process to evaluate the retail price, the number and types of internal reference prices (IRP) used by consumers for their price judgments are different. In the case of shampoo, consumers use the fair price and the normal price to determine the offer value. In the case of hair salons, consumers use the price most frequently charged, the fair price, and the normal price for their evaluation. The findings suggest that the relative importance of IRP differs between product and service categories.

This paper suggests that the relative importance of IRP differs between product and service categories. Further research is needed to determine if the findings also apply in different cultural environments.

These findings have important implications for managers when creating price communication strategies, they should pay close attention to the specific reference prices and maintain these IRPs within a standard range when determining offer value.

This paper supports a multi‐dimensional view of reference prices and suggests the need to consider multiple reference prices when examining consumers' responses to price information.

This paper aims to investigate the determinants of successful online viral marketing. More companies in recent years have reduced their advertising expenditures on traditional media. Instead, they focus more on word-of-mouth marketing to reach their potential customers.

A 2 (high/low utilitarian message context) × 2 (high/low hedonic message context) × 2 (message source: strong/weak tie strength) × 2 (channel: e-mail/blog) between-subjects experiment was conducted. A total of 363 completed questionnaires were collected in Taiwan.

The findings are fourfold. First, the greater the tie strength between the sender and the receiver, the more actively they share information. Second, an audience is more willing to share a message with others when the message contains higher degrees of utilitarian or hedonic values. Third, those who are highly involved with the products are more willing to share information than those who are less involved. Fourth, those who access the information via blogs are more willing to share information with others.

The first limitation pertains to the issue of external validity. Also, to maximize internal validity, hypothetical scenarios and experimental designs were used rather than actual e-mail/blog experiences as stimuli. The results of this study provide some key strategic implications for companies that are seeking to enhance a successful viral marketing campaign.

This study suggests there is no “one size fits all” answer. A successful viral marketing campaign is specific to individual characteristics and the approaches used.

The present study combines related research – including communication theory, consumer value and involvement theory – to investigate the determinants of individuals’ intentions to share marketing information.

The purpose of this paper is to examine trust and posit that consumers perceive the trustworthiness of companies from a particular country differently.

An accepted US model of trust across cultures is tested. A survey questionnaire is used to collect the data from Taiwanese consumers.

The paper finds that Taiwanese consumers have different levels of trust toward companies from European, North American, and Asian countries.

This study demonstrates that consumers have differential perceptions of the trustworthiness of foreign firms. Further research is needed to determine if the model explains trust equally well in other cultures.

Understanding factors (e.g. trust, costs, and values of product) that influence the success of trading relationships is important to every multinational corporation.

This paper explores the connection between perceptual trust of one particular country's trading partners, various indicators of corruption such as Hofstede's cultural components, the perception of corruption by Transparency International, and various trade activities.