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1 – 10 of 19Francisco-Jose Molina-Castillo, Elfriede Penz and Barbara Stöttinger
Demand for fake physical and digital products is a global phenomenon with substantive detrimental effects on companies and consumers. This raises various questions and issues…
Abstract
Purpose
Demand for fake physical and digital products is a global phenomenon with substantive detrimental effects on companies and consumers. This raises various questions and issues, such as whether there are generalizable explanations of purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on consumer samples from three different countries. This paper develops and tests a model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain both the demand for counterfeits and digital piracy. Respondents were questioned about physical products (e.g. clothing, accessories) from well-known brands and digital products (e.g. software, music).
Findings
Socially oriented motives such as embarrassment potential, ethical concerns and social norms explain the intention to purchase fake physical and digital products, while personally oriented motives (e.g. self-identity) have indirect effects but not a direct impact on purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
As our results show, we find evidence for a general model – contributing and supporting our first and primary research goal of providing a theoretically robust model that bridges the gap between two streams of literature.
Practical implications
The fact that drivers of buying counterfeit physical and digital goods are similar across countries provides justification for companies and international organizations to bundle their efforts and thus leverage them more strongly on a global scale.
Originality/value
We provide a basis for consolidating future research on demand for counterfeits and pirated goods because underlying factors driving demand are similar across the three countries studied herein.
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Thomas Freudenreich and Elfriede Penz
Grounded in the psychological reactance theory, this study aims to explore more effective strategies to promote environmentally friendly mobility preferences by examining the…
Abstract
Purpose
Grounded in the psychological reactance theory, this study aims to explore more effective strategies to promote environmentally friendly mobility preferences by examining the interplay between individual value orientations, perceived freedom threats, reactance and assertive language in advertisements promoting sustainable mobility on consumers’ attitude toward such ads.
Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire was distributed to 400 participants. Covariance-based structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized model.
Findings
The study demonstrates that when seeing assertive ads that promote environmentally friendly mobility options, a prevalent biospheric (hedonic) value orientation leads to a significantly lower (higher) perceived threat toward the ad. This was not the case when seeing the non-assertive ad. While assertiveness in ads has a greater positive influence on the relationship between perceived freedom threat and reactance, non-assertiveness has a greater negative effect on the relationship between perceived reactance and attitude toward green ads.
Practical implications
Organizations promoting sustainable mobility should tailor advertisements to audience values. For groups with shared values, direct and assertive messages work. For broader audiences, emphasize message attractiveness over assertiveness.
Originality/value
The study investigates the influence of assertive message framing and individual value orientations on the reactance process in the context of environmentally friendly mobility. It finds individual value orientations to be a significant factor in the reactance process, further extending the psychological reactance theory. Moreover, it revalidates reactance as a construct consisting of anger and negative cognition.
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Barbara Stöttinger and Elfriede Penz
In today’s globalized world, countries are becoming increasingly multiethnic. This raises questions about the different dimensions of consumers’ territorial identities, and how…
Abstract
Purpose
In today’s globalized world, countries are becoming increasingly multiethnic. This raises questions about the different dimensions of consumers’ territorial identities, and how these dimensions are differentiated, interrelated and interlinked. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Using qualitative interviews, this paper investigates how (40) respondents from two different ethnic minorities in a country that is not necessarily considered multiethnic perceive these dimensions of territorial identity (ethnic, regional and national) as a constituent element of their own person and of their behavior.
Findings
The authors highlight that these three dimensions of territorial identity co-exist as independent entities; they are distinct but interrelated and interconnected. Furthermore, idiosyncrasies in the ethnic sub-samples are investigated and described. These are related to the connection to the country of residence (being born there vs having immigrated there). Finally, avenues for future research, such as expanding the concept of territorial identities and its connection to consumer behavior, are suggested.
Originality/value
The authors extend the bipolarity commonly used in territorial identities (global vs local or ethnic vs national) to three conceptually independent dimensions. The authors explore the relationships between these dimensions of territorial identity and show that they may not conflict but, instead, co-exist.
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Eva Hofmann, Barbara Hartl and Elfriede Penz
Collaborative consumption, such as car sharing, specifically implicates customer-to-customer interaction, which must be regulated by service providers (companies, peers and…
Abstract
Purpose
Collaborative consumption, such as car sharing, specifically implicates customer-to-customer interaction, which must be regulated by service providers (companies, peers and self-regulating communities), comprising different challenges for business organizations. While in conventional business relations, consumers are protected from undesirable customer behavior by laws, regulations (power) in the context of collaborative consumption are rare, so that trust becomes more relevant. It is the purpose of the study to investigate possible mechanisms to prevent undesirable customers in collaborative consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
In between subject designs, samples of 186 and 328 consumers filled in experimental online questionnaires with vignettes. Analyses were made of differences among car sharing companies, private persons and car sharing communities in terms of the power of providers, trust in providers and trust in other users of the shared goods, undesirable customer behavior and consumer–provider relations.
Findings
Companies, private persons and self-regulating communities differ in terms of perceived power and trust. Participants specifically perceive mainly coercive power with the car sharing company, but with the private person and the community, reason-based trust in other users is perceived as prevalent. Nevertheless, undesirable customer behavior varies only marginally over the models.
Originality/value
The present study is the first to investigate measures to prevent undesirable customer behavior over different collaborative consumption models. This enables appropriate identification of market segments and tailoring of services. The study identifies opportunities for companies in contrast to private persons and self-regulating communities and, in doing so, provides important stimulation for marketing strategy and theory development.
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Elfriede Penz and Margaret K. Hogg
Mixed emotions (i.e. consumer ambivalence) play a central role in approach‐avoidance conflicts in retailing. In order to assess how consumer ambivalence impacts shopping…
Abstract
Purpose
Mixed emotions (i.e. consumer ambivalence) play a central role in approach‐avoidance conflicts in retailing. In order to assess how consumer ambivalence impacts shopping behaviour, this paper seeks to conceptualize and investigate the multi‐dimensional antecedents of approach‐avoidance conflicts, experienced by shoppers in changing retail environments, and the importance of approach‐avoidance conflicts for consumers' decision to stay and complete their purchase in that particular shopping channel.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a cross‐country study, which compared online and offline consumers, the paper tested the influence of the situation, product, and reference group on shoppers' intentions; and identified how consumers' mixed emotions influenced approach‐avoidance conflicts in different retail settings.
Findings
Whereas some distinctions could be drawn between online and offline contexts when examining the impact of market‐related, product‐related and social factors on consumers' decision to shop (H1, H2, H3 and H4), no clear distinction could be drawn between online and offline channels in terms of mediating effects of mixed emotions (H5, H6 and H7). Mixed emotions (ambivalence) did mediate the impact of certain product‐related, market‐related and personal factors on consumers' intention to purchase.
Practical implications
Retailers need to reduce the impact of consumers' emotional responses to the retail setting where mixed emotions are likely to lead to consumers leaving the stores. For online shops, those retailers are successful who are able to induce behavioural reactions that make consumers return and explore the web site and not use it for search only.
Originality/value
Responding to calls for further research on mixed emotions and their consequences, the paper captures the complex impact of consumers' mixed emotions on approach‐avoidance conflicts, and thereby extends earlier work on consumer ambivalence.
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The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Internet's paradoxical nature from the perspective of consumers.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Internet's paradoxical nature from the perspective of consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
First, it is discussed that negotiations between companies and consumers about their respective shares of power lead to different models of consumer power. Second, the paradoxical effects of technology on social relations and an individual's sense of identity and responsibility are discussed. These changes have altered not only consumer behaviour but also the relationship between producers and customers, in the sense that power shifts to consumers. The case of the international music industry is used as an example. This case embodies many of the studied aspects of the paradox concept and proves useful in the development of implications for companies and their strategies.
Findings
The paper finds that while negotiations between companies and consumers about their share of power lead to different models of consumer power, the effects of technology on social relations and individuals' sense of identity and responsibility lead to changes in consumption behaviour.
Practical implications
The paper identifies how business practices have changed in response to the changes in intellectual property matters and the power constellations between companies and consumers. The theoretical models presented in this paper represent different positions that companies and consumers can take and are helpful in explaining the current power struggles, such as file sharing activities, which on a more individual level also correspond to paradoxical effects of the Internet (social relations, deindividuation effects).
Originality/value
This paper takes a fresh look at the Internet's paradoxical nature from a consumer point of view. It is argued that some of the Internet's paradoxical effects stem from socio‐political and socio‐cultural changes, for example, a power shift from companies to consumers, and normative and anti‐normative behaviours.
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Elfriede Penz and Erich Kirchler
The purpose of this paper is to respond to the call of alternative methodologies for studying household dynamics and aims to contribute to method development in international…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to respond to the call of alternative methodologies for studying household dynamics and aims to contribute to method development in international marketing research.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the Viennese Diary Study, a methodology was developed to study Vietnamese middle-class partners’ decision making. This allows for dyadic analyses and keeping track of the decision and mutual influence history in an emerging market.
Findings
The methodology proved suitable to be used in a transitional economy, which is characterized by specific cultural aspects, such as the embeddedness of decisions in close relationships and traditional role specialization.
Research limitations/implications
While the diary method is time and resource-costly with rather small sample size, it allows for detailed insight into everyday decision making. Further research might want to extend participation in the method to the extended family, which is of high importance in collectivistic cultures.
Originality/value
Since partners in a household independently reported their perceptions and behaviours during decision processes each day, the methodology allows for dyadic analyses and keeping track of everyday decision making. In addition, the role in decision making of each spouse can be analysed.
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This paper aims at contributing to the conceptual and methodological advancement of international marketing research.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at contributing to the conceptual and methodological advancement of international marketing research.
Design/methodology/approach
The theory of social representations is utilized to study what the representatives of a certain culture think of objects and products; which values they associate with these, which norms they follow, and in general how they view the world.
Findings
Triangulation was employed to facilitate researchers' access to the social representations approach. Six focus group discussions were conducted combined with a free association instrument answered by a sample of 250 respondents. The empirical study began from a social constructionist perspective. Findings showed that several conceptual and functional aspects of a technological innovation (m‐commerce services) are idiosyncratic to particular groups, reflecting the group's societal affiliation and position.
Research implications/limitations
A translation problem prevails when dealing with specific words from cross‐cultural research and the similarity of concepts must be considered when translating free associations in the course of international research. Other methodologies were only conceptually presented but not empirically used. Visual approaches such as pictorial instruments or ethnographical tools should be applied in future research.
Originality/value
The results provide a solid basis for international marketing research and suggestions for expanding the current study into international marketing research are provided.
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Irena Vida, Mateja Kos Koklič, Monika Kukar‐Kinney and Elfriede Penz
The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer perceptions of personal risk and benefits of digital piracy behavior as determinants of one's justification for such behavior…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer perceptions of personal risk and benefits of digital piracy behavior as determinants of one's justification for such behavior and the consequent future piracy intention. Temporal effects of rationalization in shaping future piracy intent are also addressed.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model was developed using counterfeiting and piracy literature. Data were gathered via mail and online survey of adults in five European Union countries. The model was tested on pooled sample using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.
Findings
Rationalization mediates the relationship between perceived benefits and piracy intention, but not between perceived risk and intention. Both perceived risk and benefits affect piracy intent, with risk reducing it and benefits increasing it. Rationalization of past behavior increases future digital piracy intent.
Research limitations/implications
Risk measure was limited to technical problems, thus future studies should examine a wider scope of risk dimensions. The cross‐sectional design of the study also creates some limitations. A longitudinal methodology could provide a better insight into sequencing of rationalization.
Social implications
Marketing communications should increase public awareness of risks and reduce perceived piracy benefits to reduce future piracy intent. Public persuasion activities should counter the arguments consumers use to rationalize their piracy behavior.
Originality/value
This research fills in a void in knowledge on how expected consequences drive rationalization techniques, particularly with respect to future piracy intent. A realistic data set drawn from adult population in five countries is used, enhancing external validity.
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