Elena Laroche and Marie-Josée Patoine
Research findings stress the importance of adapting prevention mechanisms to the contexts experienced in the workplace. This paper presents the development and implementation of a…
Abstract
Purpose
Research findings stress the importance of adapting prevention mechanisms to the contexts experienced in the workplace. This paper presents the development and implementation of a knowledge portal that includes a range of Internet-based resources to support the prevention measures implemented by occupational health and safety (OHS) union delegates. It describes the process used to develop a knowledge portal that takes into account the needs of communities and unions as well as the constraints expressed.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach chosen for this project was action research, in which data collection results in various readjustment loops that allow for reflection and situational assessment. Data were collected from documentation, meetings, questionnaires and focus groups. The readjustment loops led to the implementation of a solution based on sustainability.
Findings
After studying the context, needs and constraints, the results suggest that for a knowledge portal to stand out, it must be consistent with classroom training, include a pedagogical approach that facilitates the transfer of knowledge, be interesting to all workers, be able to adapt to the characteristics of users and use technologies that reach across time, space and connection tools.
Originality/value
This knowledge portal is the result of interactions and collaborations between the university and the community, an interesting way to develop a solution. It sheds light on the fact that the action research process needs to be documented throughout the process and creation cycles in order to facilitate the sharing of the results obtained.
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Mariola Palazon, Elena Delgado-Ballester and Maria Sicilia
The purpose of this paper is to analyze how brand love is built in the context of brand pages by proposing a model in which brand love depends on relationships ties with other…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze how brand love is built in the context of brand pages by proposing a model in which brand love depends on relationships ties with other brand consumers (sense of brand community) and with the brand itself (self–brand connection).
Design/methodology/approach
Information was collected from a sample of 559 members of the community of a well-known baby food brand on Facebook. Data were collected through an online questionnaire sent by the company.
Findings
Results suggest that both sense of brand community and self–brand connection foster brand love and that self–brand connection exerts a mediating role between sense of brand community and brand love. Furthermore, the effect of brand community on brand love is conditioned by a personal trait of individuals such as brand engagement in self-concept. In addition, this study identifies a new consequence of brand love not previously analyzed in the literature: brand equity.
Research limitations/implications
A potential shortcoming is the product category analyzed and that the length of membership was not controlled and it may be a moderator between participation and community consequences.
Practical implications
The key implications are the importance of nurturing relationship ties among brand users and building self–brand connections on brand pages as precursors of brand love.
Originality/value
The study offers empirical evidence about the mechanism through which brand love is formed on social-media platforms such as Facebook. Furthermore, the authors have demonstrated the relationship between brand love and brand equity, which had not been examined yet in the literature.
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Tommaso Pucci, Elena Casprini, Samuel Rabino and Lorenzo Zanni
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the product-specific region-of-origin (ROO) and product-specific country-of-origin (COO) on the willingness to pay a premium…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the product-specific region-of-origin (ROO) and product-specific country-of-origin (COO) on the willingness to pay a premium price for a wine label designated as a superbrand by the Italian Government: the Chianti Classico.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper introduces the concept of “ROO-COO distance”, defined as the importance attributed to a product-specific ROO as compared to its COO. In order to better understand whether the construct “ROO-COO distance” influences the willingness to pay a premium price, the paper considers consumers’ cross-national differences and their knowledge, distinguishing among three types of knowledge: consumers’ subjective general product knowledge, consumers’ subjective country product knowledge and consumers’ regional product experience (PE). Four hypotheses were tested focussing on Chianti Classico – a premium wine – as related to its ROO and COO (Tuscany, Italy). The authors employed a sample of 4,254 consumers originating from New World countries (Australia, USA and Canada) and Old World countries (Germany, UK, Sweden and Belgium).
Findings
The findings confirm that a place-of-origin influence on price-related product evaluations is country specific. Furthermore, the moderating role of consumers’ subjective product knowledge and consumers’ region-related PEs differ across countries. The ROO-COO distance was found to positively affect only Old World consumers. It was established that respondents’ subjective country/product knowledge and consumers’ regional knowledge or PEs positively moderate this relationship.
Originality/value
The paper links the COO and ROO effects in a single framework and analyses it at the cross-national level, while also considering the moderating effect of consumer’s knowledge.
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Arnold Japutra, Murilo Vidal-Branco, Elena Higueras-Castillo and Sebastian Molinillo
The aim of this study is to analyze the drivers of health consciousness related to millennials’ organic food consumption and the impact of health consciousness on millennials’…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to analyze the drivers of health consciousness related to millennials’ organic food consumption and the impact of health consciousness on millennials’ willingness to pay premium through a cross-cultural study.
Design/methodology/approach
A comparative analysis was conducted in two countries (Brazil vs Spain). Based on the stimuli-organism-response framework, the authors present a conceptual model to investigate the relationship between cognitive and affective stimuli (i.e. natural content, value for money, sensorial appeal, price fairness, trend, emotional appeal and food safety concern) and customers’ health consciousness with the mediating effect of food safety concern and their impact on the customers’ response (i.e. willingness to pay premium). A survey and a structural equation approach are applied.
Findings
The results show that cognitive and affective stimuli and food safety concern improve millennials’ health consciousness and, consequently, their willingness to pay a premium price for organic food. The results present a high validity correlation of constructs with significant differences between the two countries.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in the comparison of drivers of health consciousness and their impact on organic food consumption among millennials from two countries (developed vs developing). This work contributes to the study of organic food consumption with an analysis of the impact of seven drivers on health consciousness and its relationship with willingness to pay premium in a cross-comparison of Brazilian and Spanish millennials.
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Elena B. Martin, Francisco Sastre, Angel Velazquez and Abderrahmane Baïri
This paper aims to study the influence that the second invariant of the rate-of-strain tensor of a power law polymeric fluid (aqueous solution of hydroxyethyl cellulose [HEC]) has…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the influence that the second invariant of the rate-of-strain tensor of a power law polymeric fluid (aqueous solution of hydroxyethyl cellulose [HEC]) has on convective mixing performance downstream of a 3D confined oscillating prism. Newtonian and non-Newtonian Reynolds numbers, the mass concentration of HEC and prism oscillation frequency were varied.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual problem was designed. Its objective was to analyze the convective mixing of two adjacent flow streams when they pass around a moving confined prism. The rectangular prism had a square section, and its sinusoidal motion was prescribed inside a channel with a square section too. OpenFOAM libraries were used to simulate the flow field. Regarding prism motion, the icoDyMFoam solver was used. The problem was analyzed both at the global level (mixing parameter) and local level (detailed flow topology).
Findings
For constant Reynolds number, increasing mass concentrations of HEC (in the range from 0.2% to 0.5%) led to better mixing parameters. The improvement was linked to the effect that the second invariant of the rate-of-strain tensor had on flow topology. It was found that mixing is maximum when the prism motion and its wake (the frequency of the first instability) are synchronized. In practical terms, this means that the optimum stirring frequency does not need to be very high; it suffices that it ensures that synchronization occurs. The dominant vorticity shedding pattern found was the so-called 2P mode. However, a significant difference was found when compared to the free-stream situation. While in the former, the two vorticity regions that make up the 2P pair come from the prism, in the present confined case, one came from the prism, and the other came from the wall. Another difference was that in the present case, the 2P pairs were much more elongated than in the free stream case, and this had a significant influence on the stretching and bending of streak lines and, therefore, on mixing.
Practical implications
The study that has been presented has a practical industrial implication for the processes industry because it provides guidelines to design active mixers that deal with aqueous power law polymeric solutions. In parallel, it opens up some new research lines in the direction of studying whether the mixing concept might be modified so as to develop a fully passive system that could be far simpler and, possibly, more attractive to industry.
Originality/value
The originality and value of the study are associated to the systematic approach that has been followed. It has allowed to establish a clear pattern regarding the active mixing behavior of HEC solutions in confined flows. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this could be the first study of this type in the literature. Also, the study has contributed to understand the vorticity shedding patterns that appear in these types of problems and how they shape wake topology and, consequently, mixing performance. The finding that optimum mixing requires synchronization of stirring motion frequency and wake first natural frequency of instability may help to improve the design and operation of industrial mixers dealing with polymeric aqueous solutions.
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Lorena Carrete, Raquel Castaño, Reto Felix, Edgar Centeno and Eva González
The purpose of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of deeper motivations and inhibitors of green consumer behavior in the context of emerging economies. Based…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to contribute to a better understanding of deeper motivations and inhibitors of green consumer behavior in the context of emerging economies. Based on the findings, it aims to provide implications for marketers and policy making.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an ethnographic approach, in‐depth interviews and observational data were used to study 15 Mexican families from four urban regions of Mexico with different incomes. Thematic analysis was used to develop and validate themes and codes.
Findings
The findings highlight three dominant themes related to uncertainty in the adoption of environmentally‐friendly behaviors: consumer confusion, trust and credibility, and compatibility. Overall, green behaviors seem to be ingrained in the traditional heritage of savings and frugality rather than based on strong environmental values. It is suggested that the factors that drive consumers from positive attitudes and intentions to the actual adoption of green behaviors are a combination of perceived personal benefits, decreased perceived risk and uncertainty, a sense of control over costs, and a decomposition and reconstruction of deeply embedded cultural values and practices.
Practical implications
Policy makers and marketers are advised to build on collaborative efforts in order to facilitate comprehension and adoption of environmentally‐friendly behaviors and green products. In order to construct modernity alongside environmental responsibility, it seems indispensable to provide affordable lower‐priced alternatives for the low‐income segments of the market which constitute the vast majority of the population in emerging economies.
Originality/value
Being one of very few available qualitative studies on green consumer behavior, this study delves into the tension between modernity and traditional heritage in the context of emerging economies.
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Zhuomin Shi, Xiangyun Zhang, Chunji Jin and Qianying Huang
Given that Chinese brands and products are widespread in the global market, this paper aims to examine the effect of Chinese brand origin salience (vs not) on brand evaluations by…
Abstract
Purpose
Given that Chinese brands and products are widespread in the global market, this paper aims to examine the effect of Chinese brand origin salience (vs not) on brand evaluations by increasing global identity perceptions, and figuring out the moderating role of uncertainty avoidance.
Design/methodology/approach
Three experiments were conducted in different product categories to test the effect of Chinese brand origin salience. Study 1 and Study 2 collected data from different countries (i.e. Japan and the USA) with varying levels of uncertainty avoidance. In Study 3, the data were collected from the single-country sample, including participants from cultural backgrounds with high (Asian Americans) and low (Caucasian Americans) uncertainty avoidance.
Findings
Chinese brand origin salience positively influences brand evaluations via increased global identity perceptions. In addition, uncertainty avoidance plays a moderating role in the process. Specifically, the favorable effect of Chinese brand origin salience on brand evaluations will be attenuated among consumers with high (vs low) uncertainty avoidance.
Originality/value
This paper demonstrates that Chinese brand origin salience can enhance brand evaluations beyond prior work focusing on the negative stereotypes of Chinese brands and their imitation of Western brands. Importantly, Chinese brands have become an important part of the global community as Chinese brand origin salience can evoke consumers’ global identity.
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Mehmet Seckin Aday and Ugur Yener
The purpose of this paper is to identify the purchase behavior with regard to innovative food packaging techniques and sociodemographic properties of consumers in Turkey (the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the purchase behavior with regard to innovative food packaging techniques and sociodemographic properties of consumers in Turkey (the crossroads of Europe and Asia).
Design/methodology/approach
The survey was conducted with 365 people (around 50 persons for each region) who live in the different regions to represent the whole population of Turkey as good as possible. Questionnaire methodology was used to achieve the research objectives. Multiple-choice test which consists of 24 questions (Table I) were selected in order to keep the questionnaire at a reasonable length. Questionnaires were distributed to the respondents in small groups for effective communication. Multiple correspondence, decision tree and prospect profiles statistic procedures were used to identify the purchase behavior.
Findings
In the study, some consumers worried that innovative packages might mislead them and therefore sales should be handled under trusted brands. Majority of consumers were willing to use innovative food packages to prevent the microbial spoilage. Consumers indicated that they do not want to see sachets in active food packages due to the probability of mistaken. Consumers who chose the price as a first thing to get their attention in food packaging, would accept the increase in price lesser than 10 percent after seeing the positive impacts of innovative packaging. Most of the consumers’ (74.79 percent) expectation from innovative packaging was the visual ability to observe the history and freshness of foods inside the packaging. Participants indicated that education through commercials (40.55 percent) would be the most effective way in order to increase the overall acceptability for innovative packaging.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of this study was that, these questionnaires were applied only to Turkish consumers and findings might not be applicable to other countries.
Practical implications
Better understanding of consumer adoption of innovative packages can help to minimize rejection of innovative technologies. Knowledge of consumer behaviors toward active and intelligent packaging can contribute to developing better industry strategies.
Originality/value
This paper gives the detailed information about purchasing behavior of Turkish consumers’ regarding innovative packaging techniques.
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Silvia Fissi, Elena Gori, Valentina Marchi and Alberto Romolini
The purpose of this study is to analyse the brand communication on social media (SM) made by two- and three-starred restaurants and the customer reaction in terms of engagement…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyse the brand communication on social media (SM) made by two- and three-starred restaurants and the customer reaction in terms of engagement effects during a crisis. The research highlights the connections between brand communication and engagement dynamics on Instagram by looking for differences in the strategies of two and three-starred restaurants and by highlighting the changes in the background engagement drivers.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data collected from 5,666 Instagram posts by 34 Italian Michelin-starred restaurants, the authors analysed the crisis-driven changes in online communication and customer engagement comparing three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic by applying a linear regression model with fixed effects.
Findings
Michelin-starred restaurants changed their strategies of brand communication to overcome the effects of the crisis. The findings highlight the importance of SM as a tool to stay in touch with consumers and the pivotal role of customers in engagement, especially during a pandemic.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is among the first studies to investigate the changes in brand communication and the effects on customer engagement during a pandemic, with a focus on Instagram. It contributes to understanding the role of platform and the main drivers of engagement on Instagram, as well as suggesting how managers can improve brand value using SM.
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Daniel Espinosa Sáez, Elena Delgado-Ballester and José Luis Munuera Alemán
In a context where the sharing economy (SE) plays an important role in the transformation of today’s business landscape, profoundly changing the behavior of consumers and many…
Abstract
Purpose
In a context where the sharing economy (SE) plays an important role in the transformation of today’s business landscape, profoundly changing the behavior of consumers and many established companies, some companies have begun to adapt to SE by incorporating its value propositions into their business models. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to study the role of consumer innovativeness, brand levels and the need for uniqueness on the way to attitudes and intentions to participate in SE.
Design/methodology/approach
This study collected the data through an online user survey, achieving a total sample of 717. The data were first analyzed using structural equation modeling and then combined with the use of the PROCESS macro.
Findings
The findings provide empirical evidence of the antecedents of consumer innovativeness in a SE context and its role in explaining consumer attitudes and intentions to participate in non-ownership consumption. Furthermore, they also demonstrate that brand tiers and the need for uniqueness moderate the relationship between intentions and participation.
Originality/value
The results of this study contribute to the theoretical development of the SE by presenting the first conceptual model that considers including the brand tiers effect and connects it to two leading theories on consumer behavior (diffusion of innovations theory and uniqueness theory). In addition, the study’s findings provide valuable insights for sharing platforms and traditional companies that choose to participate in the collaborative economy.