Noel Yee-Man Siu, Ho Yan Kwan and Celeste Yunru Zeng
This paper aims to investigate the impact of brand equity on Chinese consumers’ affective attitudes toward luxury brands and their behavioral intentions by applying the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impact of brand equity on Chinese consumers’ affective attitudes toward luxury brands and their behavioral intentions by applying the cognitive-affective model. The interaction effect between face saving and consumer’s affective attitude on luxury consumption is also examined.
Design/methodology/approach
A field survey was conducted using a sample of 248 luxury consumers in three Chinese cities.
Findings
Brand equity was found positively to predict Chinese consumers’ affective attitudes and their willingness to pay a premium price for a luxury brand. Moreover, consumers who highly value face saving were found to be more willing to pay a premium price, even though they hold a less positive attitude toward the brand.
Research limitations/implications
The use of cross-sectional survey data with young Chinese consumers in first-tier cities may limit the generalizability of the findings as well as precluding the making of causal inferences.
Practical implications
Global luxury marketers who plan to enter the China market can utilize marketing strategies to create prestigious value and appeal to consumers who seek for social approval and status.
Originality/value
Previous published studies of brand equity and luxury consumption have primarily emphasized Western markets. These findings advance our understanding of luxury purchase intention among young Chinese consumers, for whom the need for social acceptance acts as a crucial motivator in luxury consumption. The results contribute to amplifying the brand equity concept by taking cultural context into consideration.
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Joseph Lok-Man Lee, Noel Yee-Man Siu, Tracy Junfeng Zhang and Shun Mun Helen Wong
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating role of cultural factors (concern for face and stability of attribution) in the relationships among service recovery…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the moderating role of cultural factors (concern for face and stability of attribution) in the relationships among service recovery quality, postrecovery satisfaction and repurchase intention. Based on the politeness theory, this paper proposes a theoretical model for understanding how concern for face and stability of attribution may affect collectivists’ consumption behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected in a field survey of 600 Hong Kong consumers who had experienced a telecommunications service failure. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the theoretical hypotheses.
Findings
A cultural factor of concern for face is found to negatively moderate the relationship between service recovery quality and postrecovery satisfaction. Face also positively influences the relationship between postrecovery satisfaction and repurchase intention. Another cultural factor, stability of attribution, is found to negatively moderate the relationship between service recovery quality and postrecovery satisfaction and to negatively moderate the relationship between postrecovery satisfaction and repurchase intention.
Practical implications
This study contributes to the understanding of the relevance of concern for face and stability of attribution in collectivists’ consumption behavior. The findings have significant implications for managers in a position to exploit the cultural value mechanisms of collectivist consumers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this has been the first research to examine the impact of concern for face and stability of attribution among service recovery quality, postrecovery satisfaction and repurchase intention.
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Noel Yee Man Siu, Tracy Junfeng Zhang and Raissa Sui-Ping Yeung
Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of online customer engagement on brand love via dual mediating mechanisms, empowerment…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on conservation of resources theory, this study aims to investigate the impact of online customer engagement on brand love via dual mediating mechanisms, empowerment (bright side) and stress (dark side). The roles of perceived brand quality and extroversion as weakener and facilitator respectively on the dark side effect are also examined.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey is conducted, targeting people who have experience in participating in online engagement activities. The dual mediation and moderation analysis are examined.
Findings
The results confirm the proposed dual mediating mechanisms. Perceived brand quality and extroversion also significantly moderate the engagement–stress link.
Research limitations/implications
This study explains the mediating mechanisms between online customer engagement and brand love, with a focus on the fast-moving consumer goods industry. This calls for further research on other industries.
Practical implications
This study provides marketers with insights that online customer engagement strategies are not always good and that they should be more careful in formulating such strategies.
Originality/value
This study advances the understanding of the relationship between customer engagement and brand love in the virtual community especially in the social media context.
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Noel Yee Man Siu, Tracy Junfeng Zhang and Ho Yan Kwan
By extending the expectancy-disconfirmation theory and integrating the elaboration likelihood model, this study aims to explore the reference effects (i.e. disconfirmation and…
Abstract
Purpose
By extending the expectancy-disconfirmation theory and integrating the elaboration likelihood model, this study aims to explore the reference effects (i.e. disconfirmation and self-identity) and customer engagement that affect customer experience on satisfaction with a museum visit. The study is designed to test a dual-mediator mechanism involving disconfirmation and self-identity. The moderating role of cognitive, affective or behavioral engagements is also examined with the overall purpose to advance the understanding of customer experience in cultural consumption such as museum visits.
Design/methodology/approach
A self-administered field survey in two stages was carried out on visitors to the Hong Kong Museum of Art. A total of 465 valid response sets were used for analysis. Hypotheses were tested using confirmatory factor analysis, three-step mediation test, structural equation modeling and moderation regressions.
Findings
Disconfirmation and self-identity are found to be dual mediators in the experience–satisfaction relationship. Cognitive engagement reduces the effect of knowledge experience on disconfirmation and self-identity but increases that of the entertainment experience on disconfirmation and self-identity. Affective engagement amplifies the effect of knowledge experience on self-identity but mitigates the importance of entertainment evaluations.
Practical implications
Findings highlight the importance of both perceived knowledge and entertainment experiences in visitors’ evaluation of a cultural experience. Managers are suggested to craft promotional messages with the psychological appeal that connects visitors with museum services. Appropriate engagement tactics for museums can be developed to avoid overloading visitors with information.
Originality/value
Previous studies treat disconfirmation as the dominant reference effect in the formation of customer satisfaction. This study shows both disconfirmation and self-identity as dual reference effects that link the customer experience to satisfaction in the museum context, serving as a pioneer in defining how the influence of experience on reference effects varies depending on how customers are cognitively and affectively engaged in such context.
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Joseph Lok-Man Lee, Noel Yee-Man Siu and Tracy Jun-Feng Zhang
Can we always expect that service recovery justice leads to satisfaction? Literature has shown that a number of moderating factors impact the recovery justice-satisfaction link in…
Abstract
Purpose
Can we always expect that service recovery justice leads to satisfaction? Literature has shown that a number of moderating factors impact the recovery justice-satisfaction link in different cultures. However, there is a dearth of research that has indicated the key cultural variables that play a moderating role. This study aims to attempt to fill the research gap by investigating the moderating role of concern for face, belief in fate and brand equity in the relationship between perceived justice and satisfaction in Chinese culture during service recovery.
Design/methodology/approach
The hypothesized relationships are tested using data from interviews with 600 persons who have recently complained about their telecommunications services. Structural equation modeling is applied in analyzing their responses.
Findings
Concern for face is found to strengthen the relationship between interactional justice perceptions and satisfaction, but to weaken the relationship between distributive justice perceptions and satisfaction. Belief in fate weakens the link between perceptions of interactional justice and satisfaction. Brand equity positively moderates the relationship between perceptions of interactional justice and satisfaction, but it negatively moderates the relationship between perceptions of distributive justice and satisfaction.
Practical implications
The cultural variables, namely, face, fate and brand equity, are found to serve as a moderating role in the relationship between recovery justice dimensions and satisfaction. They are more salient when it is related to social element. Face and brand equity, as interpersonal constructs, aggravate the impact of interactional justice on satisfaction. Fate, as non-social factor, weakens the impact of interactional justice on satisfaction. It is argued that managers should provide staff training in product knowledge and customer service as a preventive measure against damage to the brand. Regular customer satisfaction research and benchmarking exercises should be conducted to understand how customers perceive interactional justice.
Originality/value
This has been the first research to examine the impact of concern for face, belief in fate and brand equity in the relationship between justice perceptions and post-recovery satisfaction during service recovery.
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Noel Yee‐Man Siu and Hon‐Yan Wong
The study investigates the impact of product‐related factors on perceived product safety. The factors examined include price, brand name, country of origin, store name, source…
Abstract
The study investigates the impact of product‐related factors on perceived product safety. The factors examined include price, brand name, country of origin, store name, source credibility, product testing, promotion channels, discount offered and packaging. Results indicate that the perceived product safety is significantly affected by all of the mentioned factors. Implications are discussed and recommendations are offered to practitioners for attracting the large and growing market of safety‐conscious consumers.