Dong-Jin Lee, Grace B. Yu and M. Joseph Sirgy
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the construct of phygital experiences and provide ideas that may spur future research on phygital consumer experiences in relation to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the construct of phygital experiences and provide ideas that may spur future research on phygital consumer experiences in relation to consumer well-being using qualitative research methods.
Design/methodology/approach
With the increase in consumers’ online and offline interactions, there is a greater need for marketers to prompt integrated consumer experiences (i.e. integrated customer experiences through online and offline interactions). The authors developed this essay based on a literature review of phygital experiences and consumer well-being.
Findings
This commentary provides suggestions on how to expand the conceptual boundaries of phygital experiences by examining the effects of consumer phygital experiences in relation to consumer need satisfaction, consumer happiness and benefits to the firm. The commentary also includes several methodological suggestions that can guide future qualitative research.
Originality/value
The value of this commentary involves insights about research methods stimulated by the current research on consumer well-being.
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The goal of a behavior analysis approach to travel studies is to understand the psychological forces that motivate an individual traveler, that influence the various…
Abstract
The goal of a behavior analysis approach to travel studies is to understand the psychological forces that motivate an individual traveler, that influence the various travel‐related decisions the individual makes, and that impact the level of satisfaction with a destination region (Chon, 1989). A number of tourism and recreation researchers have investigated the reasons why people travel; studied the traveler's travel purchase behavior; and emphasized the image of a tourist destination and the tourist's perception of an attitude toward a tourist destination.
Stephan Grzeskowiak, M. Joseph Sirgy, Thomas Foscht and Bernhard Swoboda
A common assumption holds that retailers generally contribute to customer life satisfaction – retailers offer products and services that solve consumer problems – large and small…
Abstract
Purpose
A common assumption holds that retailers generally contribute to customer life satisfaction – retailers offer products and services that solve consumer problems – large and small. However, some retail experiences have been found to generate dissatisfaction, stress and unhappiness for some customers but not for others. Research is needed to not only demonstrate how retail experiences impact customer life satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to address the question: why does satisfaction with various store types impact customer life satisfaction differently?
Design/methodology/approach
The research context of this study is grocery retailers (neighbourhood convenience stores, super markets, and grocery discounters) in Austria. Using stratified random sampling across store types, a total of 379 personal interviews with grocery store customers were conducted. OLS regression analysis was conducted to test the research model.
Findings
The study results suggest that satisfaction with a store type impacts customer life satisfaction depending on store-type congruity with shoppers’ identity. That is, satisfaction with a store type (e.g. neighbourhood convenience stores, super markets, and grocery discounters) is found to influence life satisfaction if the store type is congruent with the shoppers’ self-image and lifestyle.
Practical implications
An emphasis on store-type congruity with shopper’s identity allows retailers to shift their attention towards creating more meaningful shopping experiences. Such a shift in focus may not only benefit retailers due to increase in customer loyalty for that store format. It also benefits shoppers themselves – the shopping experience contributes to shoppers’ life satisfaction.
Originality/value
This research introduces store-type congruity with shopper’s identity as a key concept that connects shopping experiences to customer life satisfaction. This contributes towards building the hierarchical theory of shopping motivation. It demonstrates under what conditions shopping experiences impact consumer life satisfaction – a research topic that has received little attention in the retailing literature to date.
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M. Joseph Sirgy and Dong‐Jin Lee
Financial‐ and growth‐oriented marketing objectives of traditional marketers have been criticized by marketing ethicists, because these objectives may lead to socially…
Abstract
Financial‐ and growth‐oriented marketing objectives of traditional marketers have been criticized by marketing ethicists, because these objectives may lead to socially irresponsible marketing practices. Marketing based on the quality‐of‐life (QOL) concept posits that marketers should strive to enhance consumers’ wellbeing without harming other publics or stakeholders. Shows how marketing managers can set marketing objectives based on the QOL concept to guide socially responsible marketing practices. Develops a conceptual framework for setting marketing objectives. The framework shows that marketing managers with a QOL frame of mind should first examine the marketing policies that have been criticized by marketing ethicists. Second, marketing managers should logically drive specific marketing mix objectives based on the QOL concept. Third, general marketing objectives should be deduced from the marketing mix objectives for socially responsible marketing.
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Using the evaluative congruity theory framework, this article examines the role of destination images in tourism as related to an individual tourist's satisfaction/dissatisfaction…
Abstract
Using the evaluative congruity theory framework, this article examines the role of destination images in tourism as related to an individual tourist's satisfaction/dissatisfaction with a destination area. Through an empirical study of visitors to a multi‐faceted destination area in Virginia, USA, the researcher found that the level of a tourist's satisfaction/dissatisfaction (TS/DS) with a destination area was highly correlated to an evaluative congruity of an individual tourist's pre‐visit destination images and his/her post‐visit recollection of experiences.
This study examines how various characteristics of the discount retail environment and the overall attitude towards a discount retail store, considered to be an abstract and…
Abstract
This study examines how various characteristics of the discount retail environment and the overall attitude towards a discount retail store, considered to be an abstract and global image component, influence consumers’ satisfaction and how consumers’ satisfaction, in turn, affects store loyalty. The data, collected from a sample of 517 discount retail customers in Daegu, Korea, indicate that: (1) forming the overall attitude is more closely related to in‐store services: atmosphere, employee service, after sales service and merchandising, (2) store satisfaction is formed through perceived store atmosphere and value, (3) the overall attitude has strong influence on satisfaction and loyalty and its impact is much stronger on loyalty than on satisfaction, (4) store loyalty is directly affected by most significantly location, merchandising and after sale service in order, (5) satisfaction is not related to customers’ committed store revisiting behavior. The applications in management and implications for future research are discussed.
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Nguyen Sinh My, Long T.V. Nguyen and Hiep Cong Pham
Property developers identify the vital role of social media brand engagement (SMBE) in sustaining their businesses in competitive marketplaces, but it remains underexplored. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Property developers identify the vital role of social media brand engagement (SMBE) in sustaining their businesses in competitive marketplaces, but it remains underexplored. This paper examines how SMBE mediates the effects of firm-generated content (FGC) and user-generated content (UGC) on brand trust, considering the moderating effects of social media influencer endorsement (SMIE) and self-image congruence (SIC) for luxury residential properties (LRPs).
Design/methodology/approach
Around 516 high-income homebuyers in Vietnam who shared information about LRP on social media were targeted to test the research model empirically. The primary data collected from paper-based surveys were analysed using SPSS 26 and AMOS 24.
Findings
Results indicate that FGC and UGC positively impact SMBE and consequently significantly affect brand trust. Further, results confirm the moderating roles of SMIE and SIC in the effects of FGC and UGC on SMBE.
Research limitations/implications
Data and sample size were limited to meet the generalisation from different nations and cross cultures.
Practical implications
The authors' findings suggest that marketers should apply the authors' integrated SMBE model to strengthen brand–consumer interactions and increase their sales revenue.
Originality/value
This study is the first in its application of the uses and gratifications theory and self-congruence theory to investigate how SMBE mediates the relationship between FGC and brand trust as well as between UGC and brand trust. Noticeably, this study makes a novel contribution as the first to quantitatively explore the moderating effects of SMIE and SIC in the authors' research model.
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To provide a method for the corporate real estate director to gather information about the quality of life (QOL) desires of key employees at a new corporate location.
Abstract
Purpose
To provide a method for the corporate real estate director to gather information about the quality of life (QOL) desires of key employees at a new corporate location.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents a discussion of a personal survey technique that can be used to gather information about the QOL concerns and needs of key employees regarding new locations the firm might be considering as possible expansion or relocation sites.
Findings
The publicly disseminated QOL rankings in popular magazines about metropolitan areas provides only marginally important information for the corporate officer in charge of making a relocation decision, because the information is not directly linked to the employees who will be affected by the move.
Practical implications
The discussion of the contents of a personal survey will provide the means to discover the significant benefits perceived by the key employees about the new location and a means to discover any major concerns, issues and problems about moving to a new corporate location.
Originality/value
The paper brings the QOL concept from its position as a newsworthy curiosity about metropolitan areas into the corporate decision process as a way to involve the opinions and desires about QOL of key employees in a corporate relocation decision.
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Self‐concept, despite its marketing relevance, has been overshadowed by other psychological concepts. The self‐concept is, however, significant and relevant to the study of…
Abstract
Self‐concept, despite its marketing relevance, has been overshadowed by other psychological concepts. The self‐concept is, however, significant and relevant to the study of consumer behavior because many purchases made by consumers are directly influenced by the image an individual has of himself. A fundamental question involves the process of the formation of the self‐concept. Several distinct qualities exist within the self‐concept, and once the self‐concept is established, these have a bearing upon the individual's behavior and his relationship with his objective, subjective, social, and ideal self. For marketers, an understanding of the self‐concept and self‐image can provide the means for developing more effective marketing programs. Consistency and congruence also play an important part in establishing the relationship between the self‐concept, the individual's image, and final purchase behavior. Other factors also play a part in the process and, in some situations, misunderstandings about their importance can result in less than effective marketing efforts. Careful research and analysis of the relevant factors affecting the self‐concept and their effect on purchase behavior can make for more effective market strategic planning. This article examines the various issues related to the marketing applicability of the self‐concept and discusses its implications in terms of research and market strategic planning.
Benny Barak, Anil Mathur, Yong Zhang, Keun Lee and Emmanuel Erondu
Field survey studies undertaken in Nigeria, Korea, China and India explored the way inner‐age satisfaction is experienced in those culturally diverse societies. Chronologically 20…
Abstract
Field survey studies undertaken in Nigeria, Korea, China and India explored the way inner‐age satisfaction is experienced in those culturally diverse societies. Chronologically 20 to 59 year old respondents’ inner‐age satisfaction was gauged as the average difference between feel, look, do, and interest cognitive (self‐perceived) and desired (ideal) inner‐age dimensions. Analyses of covariance (with chronological age factored out) across the four nations showed Nigeria to differ significantly in terms of inner‐age satisfaction from each Asian population, contrary to the Asian societies where no differences were found across samples (except between Korea and India where inner‐age satisfaction differed at a p .05). High levels of satisfaction with inner‐age (coming about when cognitive and desired ages are equal) commonly transpired: 31.4 per cent of Indian, 36.9 per cent of Nigerian, 44.3 per cent of Chinese, and 44.9 per cent of Korean respondents. Age dissatisfaction in an elder direction (ideal age older than self‐perceived age) was atypical and happened most often among Nigerian (23.4 per cent) and least among Korean subjects (10.7 per cent). In contrast, wishing for a younger innerage was a commonplace phenomenon in India (50.6 per cent of the sample), as well as in China where it occurred the least (36.6 per cent). The study’s findings imply the universal nature of the way human beings (irrespective of culture) perceive and feel about inner‐age, as well as the potential of an inner‐age satisfaction psychographic as a relevant consumer behavior segmentation trait for marketing planners of age‐sensitive products and services who seek to standardize their global branding and distribution.