Haluk Koksal and Arian Seyedimany
The purpose of this study is to segment Turkish wine customers based on their level of involvement. This study profiles them based on their wine drinking motivations, wine…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to segment Turkish wine customers based on their level of involvement. This study profiles them based on their wine drinking motivations, wine attributes, information sources, wine purchasing and consumption behaviour and socio-demographic characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
For this study, a structured online questionnaire was used to collect data from the listed email addresses of institutes, universities and commercial websites. The sample size was 708 people. After splitting consumers into three groups based on their involvement levels in wine (high, moderate and low), the study profiles them by implementing ANOVA, principal component and chi-square analyses.
Findings
The study identifies the differences between groups with different involvement levels in wine regarding drinking motivations, wine attributes, information sources, consumption and purchasing behaviour as well as socio-demographic characteristics.
Originality/value
Although there are a few studies in the literature evaluating wine consumers from various nations, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating wine consumers based on involvement levels in Turkey, where alcoholic beverages are excessively taxed, and advertising is banned and promoting them is limited.
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The purpose of this study is to segment Lebanese wine customers based on their level of involvement with wine. It also profiles them on the basis of wine drinking motivations…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to segment Lebanese wine customers based on their level of involvement with wine. It also profiles them on the basis of wine drinking motivations, wine attributes and information sources, wine consumption and purchasing behaviour and socio-demographic characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
The data in the study was collected from the main supermarkets, hypermarkets and special liquor outlets as well as upscale restaurants serving alcohol in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, through a structured questionnaire. Out of 700 people approached, only 498 surveys were collected. After splitting consumers into three different segments: high, moderate and low involvement, the study clearly profiles the groups by employing principal component analysis, ANOVA and chi-square analysis.
Findings
After splitting consumers into three different groups based on involvement with wine; high, moderate and low, the study clearly identified the differences between groups regarding wine attributes, information sources, purchasing and consumption and socio-demographic characteristics.
Originality/value
Although there are plenty of studies on the examination of wine consumers in the literature from diverse countries, this is the first study investigating wine consumers based on wine involvement in a Middle Eastern country, Lebanon.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors underlying Lebanese consumers’ food motivations and segment them based on those motivations.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors underlying Lebanese consumers’ food motivations and segment them based on those motivations.
Design/methodology/approach
The data in the study were collected from the main shopping districts of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, through a structured questionnaire. Respondents were intercepted by employing simple random sampling. Out of 700 people approached, 411 surveys were collected, giving a response rate of 58.7 per cent. After gathering the food choice motives under main groups by employing exploratory factor analysis, the study used two step cluster analysis.
Findings
The food choice motives were grouped under eight dimensions: ecological, sensory, convenience and availability, health, weight, mood, price and religion motives. Based on the food choice motives, the study identified four dissimilar clusters, namely, careless, conscious, hedonic and health and weight conscious. The study clearly indicated that there are significant differences among clusters in terms of the food choice motives, attitudes towards healthy eating, exercising, food quality and natural organic food and socio demographic characteristics.
Originality/value
There are numerous studies on food choice motives in the literature investigating certain countries. This study is the first study investigating the subject in one of the Middle Eastern countries, Lebanon.
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The purpose of the study is to group Lebanese wine consumers based on generational cohorts. It also explores the characteristics of the customers in each group based on wine…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to group Lebanese wine consumers based on generational cohorts. It also explores the characteristics of the customers in each group based on wine attributes, information sources, wine consumption, purchase behaviour and socio-economic characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
The data in the study were collected from the main supermarkets, hypermarkets and special liquor outlets, as well as upscale restaurants serving alcohol in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, through a structured questionnaire. Respondents were intercepted by using convenience sampling. Out of 700 people approached, 444 surveys were collected.
Findings
After splitting consumers into four different generational groups, namely, baby boomers, Generation X, millennials and Generation Z, the study clearly identified the differences between generations regarding wine attributes, information sources, purchasing and consumption and socio-demographic characteristics.
Originality/value
Although there are numerous studies on the investigation of wine consumers in the literature from various countries, this is the first study looking at wine consumers in one of the Middle Eastern countries, Lebanon.
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Ana Julia Büttner and Suzane Strehlau
Despite the large corpus of literature on fashion consciousness (FC) and fashion involvement (FI), both terms are often used synonymously, resulting in conflicting or mixed…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the large corpus of literature on fashion consciousness (FC) and fashion involvement (FI), both terms are often used synonymously, resulting in conflicting or mixed results. We address this limitation by offering a critical analysis of FC and FI, with a specific focus on their measurements.
Design/methodology/approach
A snowball sample survey of 720 respondents were conducted for factor analysis aimed at assessing reliability and validity. Specifically, following discriminant and concurrent validity between FC and FI.
Findings
Our empirical research underscores the clear distinction between FC and FI in terms of their theoretical definitions and measurements. We strongly discourage their use as interchangeable/synonymous terms or use of other potentially related terminology.
Originality/value
Our contribution clarifies the differences between FI and FC. While acknowledging that authors may resort to linguistic repetition in their discourse, we advocate for consistently using the precise terms “fashion involvement” and “fashion consciousness” whenever feasible. This study has the potential to inform future knowledge development and literature reviews in the field.
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The purpose of the study is to examine the personal, situational and socio‐demographic factors influencing consumer information search strategies whilst Christmas shopping in a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to examine the personal, situational and socio‐demographic factors influencing consumer information search strategies whilst Christmas shopping in a religiously‐diverse Middle Eastern country: Lebanon.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured questionnaire (adopted from Laroche, Saad, Browne, Cleveland, and Kim) was employed as the data collection procedure. Respondents were chosen by systematic random sampling in malls, department stores and retail outlets in the Lebanese capital, Beirut for over a three‐week period immediately prior to Christmas Day, 25 December 2008. The study sample comprised 400 respondents: 188 female and 212 male.
Findings
The study identified the effects of some personal and situational factors on the different consumer information search strategies. Of the personal factors, it was found that the bargain hunters sought general and specific information as well as information from sales staff, whilst the leader type looked for general and specific information. The study also determined that risky and costly gifts, strict budgets and the amount of money spent on gifts were the main situational factors influencing each type of consumer information search.
Originality/value
Most of the literature has focused on Christmas shopping in Western countries, yet this study attempts to investigate it in the Middle East. It is hoped that by enhancing the understanding of the impact of Christmas shopping in non‐Western countries the findings will contribute to the literature on this subject.
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The purpose of the research is to identify the companies' export training needs, and also to determine their preferences regarding export training subjects, methods, institutions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the research is to identify the companies' export training needs, and also to determine their preferences regarding export training subjects, methods, institutions and trainers.
Design/methodology/approach
The face‐to‐face interview with company managers and owners was carried out with the pre‐tested questionnaire.
Findings
The companies need training in export marketing subjects as well as the technical and practical dimensions of exporting. More active and practical issues and methods rather than traditional ones are preferable for the companies. The companies mostly prefer İGEME (Export Promotion Center of Turkey) as their export training provider. The companies in the research rank export experts as the most preferable type of trainer.
Research limitations/implications
The primary limitation of the study was that it was carried out on companies operating in Turkey's Aegean Region. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to fit all regions.
Originality/value
The literature contains no studies that fully investigate this subject. This research makes a valuable contribution to the recognition of this knowledge gap, experienced equally by developed and developing countries.
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Developing new products for international markets offers great growth opportunities for companies by positively influencing company performance. Specifically, the research purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
Developing new products for international markets offers great growth opportunities for companies by positively influencing company performance. Specifically, the research purpose is to determine the effects of new product success factors on the measures of company export performance, namely export sales, export growth and export profitability.
Design/methodology/approach
The study examines the new product success factors, discriminating successful new products from unsuccessful ones in international markets. A pre-tested structured questionnaire is employed for collecting data from the companies. The population frame consists of exporting manufacturing companies and was determined from the records of the Export Promotion Centre of Turkey (IGEME). Of the 250 questionnaires sent out, 116 were completed and returned yielding a response rate of 46.4 percent. The study analysed data from 202 new product projects.
Findings
The research determined that various new product success factors have different levels of effect on company performance in international markets, mainly measured in terms of sales, market share and profitability. Specifically, it identified that pre-development and development activities, a large and fast-growing foreign market with huge demand, order of entry and large and well-executed advertising activities differentiate successful new products from unsuccessful ones. Product characteristics are, on the other hand, not found to be a strong factor differentiating successful new products from unsuccessful ones in international markets.
Originality/value
The main objective of the study is to integrate knowledge from two disciplines and expand new product success factors for international markets. The paper aims to bring together all the factors leading to the success of new products in international markets, and to test the effects of those factors on company performance. It is hoped that the findings will help managers and policy makers.
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The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting the consumer preferences and behaviour in the children's clothing market in Turkey, a country where the majority of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting the consumer preferences and behaviour in the children's clothing market in Turkey, a country where the majority of the population is under 18 years old.
Design/methodology/approach
Whilst the study investigated the purchasing preferences and behaviour of parents, such as shopping frequency and period, type of retailer and the effect of reference groups in the children's clothing market, it also explored some children's purchasing characteristics, like shopping decision age.
Findings
This study offers some academic results on consumer behaviour and preferences in the children's clothing market: There is no set shopping period; consumers prefer shopping from independent shops; in the selection of retailers, consumers consider payment conditions, pricing, and range of merchandise; in the family the parents mostly make the buying decisions for their children's clothes; the age of children making their own clothing decisions varies between six and ten; the most important factors affecting consumers' decisions towards shopping for children's clothing are the price, quality, convenience, payment conditions, and size of the clothing.
Research limitations/implications
The study concentrated on consumer behaviour and preferences regarding children's clothing in a limited population – Izmir, a city of three million.
Originality/value
There are few studies related to children in the literature. For the first time, this study has attempted to explore the growing children's clothing market in Turkey.
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Mehmet Haluk Köksal and Tarek Kettaneh
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of export problems differentiating high‐performing export manufacturing companies from low‐performing ones in the context of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the perception of export problems differentiating high‐performing export manufacturing companies from low‐performing ones in the context of two developing countries: Turkey and Lebanon.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper focuses on the above objectives and aims at shedding light on them by testing some hypotheses. A structured questionnaire was applied to 144 Turkish companies and 71 Lebanese companies through the mail. The response rate was 20 percent for the Turkish sample and 23 percent for the Lebanese.
Findings
Some differences were identified between high‐ and low‐performing Turkish and Lebanese manufacturing companies regarding the perception of export problems. The differences were grouped and discussed under internal and external export problems. Highlighted effects of such internal export problems were insufficient production capacity, packaging, and exporting being difficult and costly; and external problems were the imposition of high‐tariff/non‐tariff barriers by foreign countries.
Originality/value
Whilst some of the literature has focused on company export barriers, there is a lack of studies investigating the effects of those problems on export performance, especially in developing countries. It is hoped that the paper's findings will help managers and policy makers to improve company and, thereby, country performance.