Xiaojing Sheng, Judy A. Siguaw and Penny M. Simpson
The purpose of this paper is to empirically demonstrate an effective method for assessing how servicescape attributes shape consumer well-being and to highlight the value of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically demonstrate an effective method for assessing how servicescape attributes shape consumer well-being and to highlight the value of importance-performance analysis (IPA) within a services context.
Design/methodology/approach
This study surveyed frequent visitors to a travel destination to determine their perceived importance of and satisfaction with servicescape attributes. The responses were analyzed using a series of importance-performance analyses to determine the impact of each servicescape attribute on consumer well-being.
Findings
Key servicescape attributes contributing to the well-being of frequent visitors to a destination were identified. For example, weather; friendly residents; restaurants; and interaction with locals were identified as attributes with a “high impact” on well-being, although weather and friendly residents were satisfiers and restaurants and interaction with locals were identified as dissatisfiers. In total, 23 servicescape attributes were plotted on a matrix depicting each attribute’s range and type of impact.
Practical Implications
This study provides practitioners with an idea of which servicescape attributes are important in improving well-being and illustrates how IPA may be used to identify attributes of any transformative service. Additionally, the analysis helps managers prioritize servicescape attributes for a more ideal allocation of scarce resources. These findings should be applicable to various contexts.
Originality/value
This paper is the only known study to examine effects of servicescape attributes on consumer well-being and one of few to use the modified IPA in a services context.
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Adesegun Oyedele and Penny Simpson
This study aims to test Lamberton and Rose’s (2012) commercial sharing utility model of access-based consumption use in three different contexts: car-sharing, room-sharing and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to test Lamberton and Rose’s (2012) commercial sharing utility model of access-based consumption use in three different contexts: car-sharing, room-sharing and household goods purchases. More importantly, this research extends the model by examining the effects of emerging adulthood as a life-stage on perceived value of social applications that facilitate and promote transaction utility, called shareaids.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire designed to evaluate the effects of emerging adulthood and sharing utilities on intention to use sharing services was developed and administered to 345 respondents at a Midwestern US university. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
Results indicate that flexibility utility had the strongest direct impact on intention to use sharing consumption while also having indirect effects in all contexts examined. The emerging adulthood life-stage was found to affect transaction utility and shareaids as predicted, and shareaids positively influenced consumers’ perception of the social utility value of access-based consumption.
Research limitations/implications
The generalizability of this study is limited by its use of a student sample. Also, the study suffers from inherent limitations linked to self-reported survey research.
Practical implications
Sharing services that have a strong social component could use shareaids to gain a competitive advantage. Examples of shareaid application include split bills for multiple payments to split fares among friends and social media transaction tools. Shareaid applications can enhance consumers’ perception of social value and the overall shareability value of the sharing service.
Originality/value
This is the first known study to test the effects of emerging adulthood as a life-stage on perceived value of social applications that facilitate and promote transaction utility, called shareaids.
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This paper is about action learning and the pedagogy of professional doctorates. The purpose of this paper is to explore the pedagogical problems of the relatively new…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is about action learning and the pedagogy of professional doctorates. The purpose of this paper is to explore the pedagogical problems of the relatively new professional doctorates and consider whether action learning offers potential solutions.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual paper seeks to answer the question: how good is the fit between the learning processes of action learning and the learning goals of professional doctorates?
Findings
The main conclusions of the paper are that action learning can support the learning of students enroled on professional doctorates by helping them realise the following three key learning outcomes, namely, the capacity to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, that is relevant to professional practice; their own personal and professional capabilities as practitioners; and their capacity to bring about change that directly enhances professional practice, i.e. they can make a direct contribution to professional practice, e.g. through some successful project that they undertake.
Research limitations/implications
While this paper is not based on research, the main implication is that action learning can offer a valuable pedagogic approach in supporting the learning of professional doctoral candidates towards their goal of making an original contribution to the advancement of professional practice.
Practical implications
A second implication is the need for many of those university academics responsible for leading and managing professional doctorates to become more familiar with the theory and practice of action learning. A third implication is the appreciation of the need to weigh up cost against the benefits of using action learning as a pedagogic process on professional doctorates.
Originality/value
This conceptual paper is original as it explores the fit of action learning with pedagogic issues of professional doctorates.
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Adesegun Oyedele and Penny M. Simpson
The purpose of this study is to build on prior work to empirically test the possible effects of control‐related consumer difference variables on the decision to use self‐service…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to build on prior work to empirically test the possible effects of control‐related consumer difference variables on the decision to use self‐service technology (SSTs) in three different contexts. Specifically, the paper seeks to examine potential effects of locus of control, autonomy, self‐efficacy, technology anxiety and time pressure on the SST usage decision in a shopping, a library and a hotel situation.
Design/methodology/approach
The design of the study was empirical. Data for the study came from 187 college students in classes from four different departments (business, computer science, language, and music departments) in a southern regional university.
Findings
Overall, the results suggest that regardless of individual need for control and achievements, highly techno phobic consumers and those with an enduring attitude that all events in life are predestined may be generally more disposed than others to prefer check‐out service personnel rather than self‐service check‐out machines, depending on the situation.
Research limitations/implications
The major limitation of this study is that respondents were primarily students, which limits the generalizability of the study. However, the study provides useful information about customer characteristics to target for service managers who are considering adopting SST options or are planning a SST improvement program.
Originality/value
This study helps augment earlier studies developed to understand the importance of examining consumer traits in the context of the specific situation, especially when deploying new SSTs.
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Penny M. Simpson, Judy A. Siguaw and John W. Cadogan
The purpose of this paper is to explore the tendency of some consumers to use the purchase behavior of unknown other consumers as a purchase decision heuristic, by first…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the tendency of some consumers to use the purchase behavior of unknown other consumers as a purchase decision heuristic, by first developing a measure of the consumer propensity to observe. The effects of likely individual consumer factors are then tested.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 356 consumers participated in the study by completing a questionnaire containing items measuring the constructs of interest. The modeled relationships of variables were tested using structural equation modeling with interaction terms.
Findings
The specified model was found to explain 43 per cent and 44 per cent of consumers' propensity to directly and indirectly observe, respectively. Key antecedents identified as significant influencers of propensity to observe are consumer risk aversion, brand choice overload, self‐confidence, and propensity to conform to group norms. Additionally, moderating effects are identified, indicating that propensity to observe is higher when certain contingencies interact.
Practical implications
The results of this research suggest that: observation is an important heuristic in choice decision for many consumers; specific consumer characteristics define observational consumers for targeting purposes; and retailers should consider observational tendencies of consumers when marketing and merchandising products.
Originality/value
This study is designed to fill this void in the literature by creating and validating a measure of the tendency to be observational; and by examining influencing factors of the one particular heuristic where consumers look to the purchase behavior of other consumers to resolve their own product choice dilemmas.
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The NCC Threshold Scheme, a unique experiment in communal apprenticeship, with entry standards which fly in the face of the conventional wisdom, has now, towards the end of its…
Abstract
The NCC Threshold Scheme, a unique experiment in communal apprenticeship, with entry standards which fly in the face of the conventional wisdom, has now, towards the end of its third year, become an established and important source of new entrants to data processing.
Brenda Sternquist, Carol A. Finnegan and Zhengyi Chen
China’s economy is transforming at a brisk pace. A partially dismantled command economy and introduction of competition have fueled consumer demand for a greater selection of…
Abstract
China’s economy is transforming at a brisk pace. A partially dismantled command economy and introduction of competition have fueled consumer demand for a greater selection of innovative new products in the retail market. The challenge for retail buyers is to adjust their procurement processes to respond to consumer needs in an efficient and effective manner. This study examines factors influencing buyer‐supplier relationships in a transition economy. We present a model to explain the factors driving retail buyer dependence on suppliers. We find that retailer evaluation of supplier credibility mediates the relationship between retailer perceptions of a supplier ability to add value to its business and the ability to achieve its desired goals. In part, this is due to the supplier’s market orientation. Interestingly, guanxi ties have no impact on the retailer perceptions of the supplier credibility, but have a positive affect on retailer dependence on its supplier partners.