Sherman Hayes and Elliott Levy
We all spend time and money on staff development. It is the “new frontier” of the 1990s. William Edwards Deming of Total Quality Management fame speaks constantly to the need to…
Abstract
We all spend time and money on staff development. It is the “new frontier” of the 1990s. William Edwards Deming of Total Quality Management fame speaks constantly to the need to have a highly motivated and trained work force. Library literature is replete with articles on training, improving staff morale, and becoming more professional.
Susan Auty and Richard Elliott
This study considers the importance of fashion involvement in the interpretation of brands of jeans as measured by Snyder’s revised self‐monitoring scale, which discriminates…
Abstract
This study considers the importance of fashion involvement in the interpretation of brands of jeans as measured by Snyder’s revised self‐monitoring scale, which discriminates between people who are highly motivated to respond to social cues and those who remain “true to themselves”. Over 650 people in the UK aged 14‐34 were shown either a branded or unbranded stimulus. They were asked to record their attitude to 27 pairs of bipolar adjectives using a semantic differential scale. At the same time they completed Snyder’s scale. It was found that self‐monitoring is a significant mediator of meaning with regard to unbranded, but not branded, jeans. A model of choice by elimination of the unacceptable is suggested by high self‐monitoring responses. It has implications for the amount of advertising required to support a fashion brand.
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Wanrudee Tangsupwattana and Xiaobing Liu
The purpose of this paper is to investigate Generation Y consumers’ symbolic consumption on brand attitude and purchase intention toward global brands.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate Generation Y consumers’ symbolic consumption on brand attitude and purchase intention toward global brands.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model has been developed to illustrate the proposed relationships among the related variables. Data from a total of 300 usable surveys were collected from Thai Generation Y consumers. The proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling analyses.
Findings
The study found that Generation Y consumers’ symbolic consumption has a significant and positive effect on brand attitude and purchase intention.
Research limitations/implications
Time and resources limitation did not allow to study the larger sample. Future research should include more product categories and more global brands. Sample can be extended to consumers in ASEAN countries to provide more comprehensive insights into consumer perceptions and brand behaviors toward global brands.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that symbolic consumption is a key motivation to increase purchase intention when developing marketing strategies for the Generation Y consumer.
Originality/value
This study has contributions to symbolic consumption and Generation Y literature combining several important dimensions into a structural model, and examines the relationships among these dimensions.
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For centuries the phenomenon of fashion behaviour has been a subject of discussion for social analysts, cultural historians, moral critics, academic theorists and business…
Abstract
Purpose
For centuries the phenomenon of fashion behaviour has been a subject of discussion for social analysts, cultural historians, moral critics, academic theorists and business entrepreneurs. These different fields suggest the relevance of the topic for marketing management, for example. In this context, some marketing models try to explain the determinants of fashion clothing involvement. However, they are incomplete. Based on this context, this paper aims to test an extended theoretical model of fashion clothing involvement.
Design/methodology/approach
The method used was a survey, where the sample was defined as non‐probabilistic by convenience. A total of 315 respondents filled in questionnaires.
Findings
The results showed that the hypothesised antecedents did not a have relationship with fashion involvement. Specifically, only age had significant impact on fashion clothing involvement. In addition, support was found for the fact that fashion clothing involvement meditates two theoretical relations: one is between age and commitment, and the other is between age and subjective knowledge.
Originality/value
The paper suggests an extended model of fashion clothing involvement, supporting the association between fashion involvement and time, between fashion involvement and commitment, and the mediator role of the fashion clothing involvement construct.
Jay C. Thibodeau, Elliott Levy and Karen K. Osterheld
This chapter describes an evening program of study to supplement the introductory accounting course. It uses cases, skits, and interactions with professionals to reinforce the…
Abstract
This chapter describes an evening program of study to supplement the introductory accounting course. It uses cases, skits, and interactions with professionals to reinforce the meaning of the conceptual framework of accounting, expose students to ethical issues and conflicts, and demonstrate the lucrative career opportunities available in accounting, which we believe will ultimately help attract the “best and brightest” students to the accounting major and profession. We provide a detailed discussion to facilitate the adoption of the program by introductory accounting instructors at other institutions. Feedback received from all parties, including students, faculty, and accounting professionals, suggests that this curriculum innovation has exceeded the expectations of these stakeholders.
Candy Bianco, Elliott Levy, Mary Marcel, Mark Nixon and Karen Osterheld
This chapter describes the development of a two-course sequence, which explicitly breaks down the silos between the accounting and finance disciplines. A descriptive narrative…
Abstract
This chapter describes the development of a two-course sequence, which explicitly breaks down the silos between the accounting and finance disciplines. A descriptive narrative demonstrates how these courses integrate introductory courses in general business, managerial accounting, financial accounting and finance, and are taught freshman year. The courses are based around an 18-chapter Instructional Narrative about a fictitious company, Windspark, which evolves from a start-up service business in the wind turbine industry to a retailer of parts and then a manufacturer. Topics are introduced as the entrepreneurs in the Instructional Narrative require business knowledge. Individual faculty members teach an entire course, rather than teams comprised from different disciplines. A diagnostic quiz at the beginning of the second course tests students’ understanding and retention of material in the first course. The vast majority of students pass the diagnostic quiz on the first try. Despite its rigor and difficulty, the sequence has coincided with a significant uptick in students choosing to major in finance and accounting. This sequence demonstrates the feasibility and replicability of teaching a truly integrated introductory accounting and finance course sequence. Greater coordination and cooperation between disciplines is possible, with measurable benefits for students.
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Derry Law, Christina Wong and Joanne Yip
The aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between visual merchandising elements and consumer affective response by focusing on a function‐oriented product �…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this article is to investigate the relationship between visual merchandising elements and consumer affective response by focusing on a function‐oriented product – intimate apparel.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, a different perspective on visual merchandising is offered through the different types of intimate apparel retailers (from fashion‐oriented, mass market‐oriented to fashion forward). This is presented in an interpretive study of Hong Kong Chinese female consumers, between the ages of 25 and 35. A qualitative approach is employed and the grounded theory method is chosen. A total of eight focus group interviews are conducted with 64 subjects.
Findings
The findings indicate that participating subjects have two points of view when evaluating visual store displays, which include utilitarian and hedonic aspects. The utilitarian aspect relates to the actual needs of consumers, such as garment deterioration, seasonal changes and occasions. The hedonic aspect finds that the perceived female image governs consumer interpretation and acceptance of visual displays. It also reveals that the need to be feminine sets the guidelines to evaluating visual stimulus in stores. Display elements, such as mannequins, colour, lighting and props that emphasize feelings of feminine sexuality, tend to trigger negative affective responses in consumers which finally affect purchase intentions.
Originality/value
The authors aim to explore consumer affective response on visual stimulus in stores by considering the aesthetic, symbolic and cultural perceptions of a function‐oriented product – intimate apparel. The literature to date tends to focus on the interaction between individual visual merchandising elements (e.g. colour, lighting) with consumers. However, the product nature and its symbolic meaning have not been seriously taken into consideration. Due to the immense market potential in the East, applying western‐developed theories may not be universally appropriate. There may be different results and patterns in consumer behaviour. Thus, this study aims to enrich existing knowledge of atmospheric management by including the interaction of Eastern values and product nature on affective responses.
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Ekta Duggal and Harsh V. Verma
Cool has been studied mostly in consumer samples drawn from Western countries. This study was inspired by paucity of literature on “cool” in an Indian context. There is certainty…
Abstract
Purpose
Cool has been studied mostly in consumer samples drawn from Western countries. This study was inspired by paucity of literature on “cool” in an Indian context. There is certainty that “cool” adds value and bestows desirability but there is uncertainty about what “cool” means. Since “cool” is a cultural phenomenon, the purpose of this paper is to explore its meaning in the Indian context.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were obtained on an open-ended questionnaire followed by depth probes on a sample of young consumers. The obtained scripts were coded and classified into semantic categories based on the grounded theory.
Findings
The study found that cool is indicated by seven facets, including being oneself, living life to the fullest, sense of humor and socially networked, and calm disposition. Unlike Western notions, in India, cool is not being deviant and hedonistic. The cultural and religious imprints are palpable in what is construed as cool in India.
Research limitations/implications
Transplanting the Western notions of cool for brand building is likely to be a risky proposition. It may not resonate with the inner cords of the Indian youth. The implication of this study is that it reveals possible ways in which cool can be incorporated in brand identity.
Practical implications
Cool is valued because it bestows distinction in subtle ways. Brands can gain traction among consumers by incorporating cool symbolism in their identity.
Originality/value
This study expands the understanding of cool in the context of an emerging market. This is one of the first studies to have probed the concept of “cool” in India.
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Soonhong Min, Jeffrey W. Overby and Kun Shin Im
Employing means‐end theory, this paper seeks to examine the influence of specific types of product attributes upon desired consumption consequences and the mediating impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
Employing means‐end theory, this paper seeks to examine the influence of specific types of product attributes upon desired consumption consequences and the mediating impact of desired consequences upon purchase frequency.
Design/methodology/approach
The research employed means‐end interviews to generate specific attribute and consequence measures. These measures were then administered in a survey instrument within the context of a fashion product. Partial least squares was used for testing the measurement validity of the survey instrument and testing the structural model and related hypotheses.
Findings
Style attributes significantly related to desired psychological and social consequences but did not significantly relate to functional consequences. Quality significantly related to functional consequences and social consequences but not psychological consequences. Price significantly related to all consequences. Psychological consequences were the strongest predictor of purchase frequency followed by functional consequences. Finally, desired consequences played a mediating role between product attributes and purchase frequency, with no direct influence of attributes upon purchase frequency.
Research limitations/implications
The findings demonstrate the value of understanding the consumption consequences that consumers desire for products, especially after initial purchase. In doing so, the findings also provide some evidence that consequences may be better predictors of behavioral outcomes than product attributes.
Practical implications
This study demonstrates that the consumer means‐end value hierarchy can be used as a tool for understanding the meanings that consumers construct around products and services. Moreover, it indicates that marketers should consider customer value analysis as a segmentation tool.
Originality/value
This paper represents one of the few to test the chain of cause‐and‐effect relationships of the means‐end hierarchy within an integrated framework. It is original in that it specifically tests the relationships between major attributes (i.e. style, quality, and price) and particular consequence types (i.e. psychological, social, and functional).
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The purpose of this paper is to deepen and add nuance to previous explorations of the voter‐consumer analogy in order to generate new insights into wider applications of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to deepen and add nuance to previous explorations of the voter‐consumer analogy in order to generate new insights into wider applications of the marketing concept.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual analysis is supplemented and enriched with insights from a non‐representative case of voter responses to political advertising.
Findings
Findings suggest that limitations to the voter‐consumer analogy revolve around the differing contexts of marketing in each case and reflect differing audience responses at the micro‐level.
Research limitations/implications
The empirical component of this study is not representative or generalizable. However, it is used not to verify generalizations but to add qualitative insights to the conceptual discussion. Findings suggest that research which applies the marketing concept to non‐commercial settings, especially political marketing but also possibly extending to social marketing, non‐profit and public sector marketing, should be cautious in assuming that consumers of non‐commercial marketing respond in the same way to marketing initiatives as consumers of commercial marketing.
Practical implications
The research has implications for the application of the marketing concept in political and other non‐commercial contexts.
Originality/value
The application of the marketing concept in non‐commercial settings as well as commercial settings has become so common it is often taken for granted. Yet the behaviour, attitudes and responses of consumers in these different settings may diverge in important ways at the micro‐level. Explorations of the applicability of the marketing concept in different settings are relatively rare and this paper adds a previously unpublished empirical aspect to an original conceptual analysis which aligns secondary research from disparate sources in political science and cultural studies as well as marketing.