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1 – 10 of 25Gargi Bhaduri and Lauren Copeland
To help brands persuasively communicate their environmentally responsible initiatives, this study aims to involve two experiments, examining the impact of brand schema…
Abstract
Purpose
To help brands persuasively communicate their environmentally responsible initiatives, this study aims to involve two experiments, examining the impact of brand schema, information transparency and skepticism toward climate change for brands both familiar and unfamiliar to US consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
Two online experiments were designed recruiting a total of 510 participants. The design incorporates both message and treatment variance to increase internal and external validity of the study. Data collected were analyzed using PROCESS, a regression-based conditional path analysis technique.
Findings
The results indicated that for both familiar and unfamiliar brands, increased congruity of consumers' schemas to information presented in brands' pro-environmental messages led consumers to evaluate the messages as more persuasive, have more positive opinions about brands' environmentally responsible initiatives as well as behavioral intentions toward the brand. Also, presence of high information transparency on environmental responsibility-related messages influenced consumers' schemas positively, and in turn, their evaluations were more favorable. However, consumers’ climate change skepticism seemed to influence unfamiliar, not familiar brands.
Originality/value
The study provides both theoretical and managerial implications. The findings are important for established apparel brands that suffer from negative reputations, but are willing to revitalize their images, and for new ventures who want to establish their image as environmentally responsible.
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Lauren Reiter Copeland, Gargi Bhaduri and Ouya Huang
The purpose of this study is to examine the ease of use and usefulness of the application Taobao and whether involvement, self-confidence and self-expression of users are related…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the ease of use and usefulness of the application Taobao and whether involvement, self-confidence and self-expression of users are related and ultimately affect the purchase intention of Gen Z Chinese users on the site.
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical basis of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was utilized. An online survey of 46 questions and 190 responses of Chinese consumers between the ages of 18 and 23 was conducted. PROCESS and a linear regression were used to analyze the results.
Findings
Through the lens of the TAM (Davis, 1989), the findings of this study determined that for participants TAM was deemed more useful when TAM was viewed than as easier to use. However, in this case perceived ease of use and usefulness did not directly relate to attitude. Instead, attitude was directly related to self-expression, confidence and involvement as the determining factors of positive attitude leading to intention. The study found that self-expression was most significant regarding attitude. To influence perceived self-expression though, ease of use and usefulness were crucial to obtain this effective characteristic.
Originality/value
In this study how the ease of use and usefulness of the application and involvement, self-confidence and self-expression of users are related and affect the purchase intention is examined.
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Lisa Hurt, Kate Langley, Kate North, Alex Southern, Lauren Copeland, Jonathan Gillard and Sharon Williams
The purpose of this paper is to describe current care pathways for children with autism including enablers and barriers, as experienced by health professionals, education…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe current care pathways for children with autism including enablers and barriers, as experienced by health professionals, education professionals and families in South Wales, UK.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on a mixed-methods approach using focus group discussions, creative writing workshops and visualisation using rich pictures.
Findings
The experiences of the care pathways differed significantly across the three groups. Health professionals described the most rigidly structured pathways, with clear entry points and outcomes. Education professionals and parents described more complex and confusing pathways, with parents assuming the responsibility of coordinating the health and education activity in a bid to link the two independent pathways. All three groups identified enablers, although these differed across the groups. The barriers were more consistent across the groups (e.g. poor communication, missing information, lack of transparency, limited post-diagnosis services and access to services based on diagnosis rather than need).
Practical implications
This research could inform the design of new services which are premised on multi-agency and multi-disciplinary working to ensure children with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) receive joined up services and support.
Originality/value
Although this study did not represent all professional groups or all experiences of autism, the authors examined three different perspectives of the ASD pathway. In addition, the authors triangulated high-level process maps with rich pictures and creative writing exercises, which allowed the authors to identify specific recommendations to improve integration and reduce duplication and gaps in provision.
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Lauren Copeland and Gargi Bhaduri
The apparel industry is often scrutinized for its lack of environmental stewardship, and thus pro-environmental initiatives have been of significant consideration among apparel…
Abstract
Purpose
The apparel industry is often scrutinized for its lack of environmental stewardship, and thus pro-environmental initiatives have been of significant consideration among apparel brands in recent years. However, one personality trait of specific concern to brand marketers is consumer skepticism toward climate change, which has the potential to negatively impact the success of brands’ pro-environmental initiatives. In this light, research indicates that knowledge of the environmental impact of products can lead to lower skepticism (Tobler et al., 2012) and ultimately higher purchase intentions of such products. Thus, this study investigates the impact of consumers’ knowledge about environmental impact of apparel, climate change skepticism on their evaluation of brands’ pro-environmental initiatives (shared value and perceived benefit) and ultimately their relationship with the brand (perceived trust, commitment), leading to purchase intention for both familiar and unfamiliar brands.
Design/methodology/approach
Two separate studies were conducted for familiar and unfamiliar brands. Data for online surveys were collected from two US nationwide samples and analyzed using path analyses.
Findings
Consumers’ intention to purchase from a pro-environmental brand was influenced by knowledge and skepticism. Particularly, the obtained shared value perceptions and perceived benefits of consumers influenced their relationship with the brand through trust and commitment, which eventually impacted their intention to purchase from the brand. Differences were observed for familiar and unfamiliar brands.
Practical implications
Findings of this study will help brand managers design effective pro-environmental marketing messages. Both familiar and unfamiliar brands would benefit from educating consumers about the true environmental impact of their apparel choices, as well as the personal benefits and values earned when purchasing/consuming pro-environmental apparel. This, in turn, reduces consumer skepticism toward climate change, leading to favorable evaluations of the brand’s pro-environmental initiatives and improvement of long-term brand relations.
Originality/value
This study extended the social exchange theory by understanding antecedents of consumers’ shared value and perceived benefits, namely, their knowledge about the environmental impact of apparel and their skepticism toward climate change, with the final outcome variable being consumers’ patronage intention of pro-environmental brands.
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Li Zhao, Stacy H. Lee and Lauren Reiter Copeland
Social media and sustainability are changing Chinese consumers’ consumption behavior in notable ways. Few apparel industry sustainability efforts are enforced or well known in…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media and sustainability are changing Chinese consumers’ consumption behavior in notable ways. Few apparel industry sustainability efforts are enforced or well known in China. As China operates its own social media sites, it is necessary to study Chinese social media, rather than Western types, in order to understand its influence on Chinese consumer behavior with regard to sustainability. By extending the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the prototype willingness model, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how Chinese consumers were taught their environmentally sustainable apparel (ESA) consumption behavior through social media, and also how the influence of peers affected their purchase intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 238 survey responses were collected and analyzed from a Chinese research firm in 2016. In accord with the study objectives, an exploratory factor analysis was first conducted, and then a two-step analysis of a structural equation model was employed for hypothesis testing. To test the significance of hypothesized mediated effects, a bootstrap procedure with 2,000 bootstrap samples from the original data was used to compute bias-corrected 95% CI for indirect effects. Moreover, hierarchical regressions were demonstrated to verify the unique contribution of social media influence.
Findings
The study findings support the previous literature that indicated positive attitudes toward environmentally sustainable purchasing behavior increased as Chinese consumers learned about social and environmental issues. Also, results of the analysis revealed that Chinese consumers’ engagement with social media and their peers were important social influences that were directly tied to increasing sustainable apparel purchase intentions.
Originality/value
By extending two grand theories of the prototype willingness model theory and the TRA, this study underlines a novel link between the influence of social media and ESA purchase intentions among Chinese consumers. Results are valuable in a global context as it is one of only a few studies to explore Chinese consumers’ purchase intentions of ESA through an exclusive social media platform – WeChat – in China.
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Jin Su, Md Arif Iqbal, Farhan Haque and Maeen Md Khairul Akter
This study aims to understand Bangladeshi young consumers’ perceptions of sustainable apparel. Specifically, through the lens of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand Bangladeshi young consumers’ perceptions of sustainable apparel. Specifically, through the lens of the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study investigates the impacts of man–nature orientation (MNO) and social influences on Bangladeshi young consumers’ intention to purchase sustainable apparel.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical survey-based research was conducted, and data were collected from 387 Bangladeshi college students.
Findings
The findings of the study show that MNO significantly influences Bangladeshi young consumers’ attitudes toward purchasing sustainable apparel, which, together with social influences, impacts young Bangladeshi consumers’ intention of making efforts to purchase sustainable apparel.
Originality/value
This study incorporates the specific cultural value – MNO with the traditional TRA model to understand young Bangladeshi consumers’ sustainable apparel purchase intention. The results of this study demonstrate the applicability of the TRA framework in understanding young consumers’ sustainable apparel consumer behavior in the context of Bangladesh, which is a developing country with a collectivistic culture. This study provides insights into how apparel brands and retailers should design their sustainability strategies in developing countries such as Bangladesh.
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Zebran Khan, Ariba Khan, Mohammed Kamalun Nabi and Zeba Khanam
The purpose of this study is to examine an integrated model, in which brand equity (BE) mediates the effects of social media usage (SMU) and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine an integrated model, in which brand equity (BE) mediates the effects of social media usage (SMU) and electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on purchase intentions among Indian consumers of branded apparel.
Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 317 Indian customers of branded apparel, and the data were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with the help of SmartPLS version 4.
Findings
First, the results indicated that SMU, eWOM and BE significantly impact consumers purchase intention; at the same time, BE is influenced by SMU and eWOM. Second, results confirmed that BE partially mediates the effects of SMU and eWOM on the purchase intentions of consumers of apparel brands.
Research limitations/implications
The study's dataset is limited in its generalizability as it is based on specific responses from Indian consumers of branded apparel via an online survey. The results of this study would help marketers and advertisers create customized advertising campaigns for the people who are most likely to buy their products. Marketers can also use social media to promote the uniqueness or point of difference (PoD) of their apparel brands.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, no study has been conducted on apparel brands in the Indian context that has tested an integrative model, in which BE mediates the effects of SMU and eWOM on the purchase intentions of customers of apparel brands.
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Lauren W. Collins and Lysandra Cook
The use of verbal reinforcement has longstanding support in encouraging desired student responses. For students with learning and behavioral disabilities, the use of verbal…
Abstract
The use of verbal reinforcement has longstanding support in encouraging desired student responses. For students with learning and behavioral disabilities, the use of verbal reinforcement through behavior specific praise (BSP) and feedback are promising practices for improving academic and behavioral outcomes. While these strategies are relatively straightforward to implement, they are often applied inappropriately. Thus, specific guidelines should be followed to ensure that BSP and feedback are used effectively. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of BSP and feedback related specifically to students with learning and behavioral disabilities, provide theoretical and empirical support for these practices, offer research-based recommendations for implementation, and identify common errors to avoid.
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David W. Test, Jennifer Cease-Cook and Lauren K. Bethune
Research has documented post-school outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities and learning disabilities continue to be poor. To improve student outcomes for…
Abstract
Research has documented post-school outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities and learning disabilities continue to be poor. To improve student outcomes for these populations, research has recommended implementing evidence-based practices and predictors in the classroom. The purpose of this chapter is to identify evidence-based practices and predictors targeted for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities in the area of secondary transition. We identify and briefly describe 12 evidence-based practices and 14 evidence-based predictors for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and learning disabilities. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are also discussed.