Norshamliza Chamhuri, Nur Syahirah Che Lah, Peter J. Batt, Muhammad Nadzif Bin Ramlan, Norain Mod Asri and Azrina Abdullah Al-Hadi
Palm oil has consistently been a staple ingredient in the Malaysian diet. Despite various promotional efforts throughout the years, the health aspects of palm oil have often been…
Abstract
Purpose
Palm oil has consistently been a staple ingredient in the Malaysian diet. Despite various promotional efforts throughout the years, the health aspects of palm oil have often been undervalued, leading consumers to overlook its benefits. This study has two objectives: (1) to explore consumer behaviour in purchasing decisions for food products containing palm oil in an emerging market and (2) to examine consumer awareness of palm oil as an ingredient in various edible products related to health.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative methodology that utilises a self-administered questionnaire was adopted for data collection. The conceptual framework and hypotheses were tested using partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling (SEM) on a dataset of 342 respondents.
Findings
The findings revealed that three hypotheses – attitude, subjective norms (SNs) and perceived health benefits – positively impact the intention to purchase palm-oil-based food products. Additionally, results indicate that Malaysian consumers practice sustainable consumption when purchasing palm-oil-based food products.
Originality/value
There is a need for a greater understanding of the importance perceived health benefits have in influencing consumers' consumption of food products containing palm oil in an emerging market such as Malaysia. This research study addresses the gap in existing knowledge.
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Fawaz Baddar ALHussan, Chavi C.Y. Fletcher-Chen and Peter Batt
In the absence of the auction as the principal mechanism for setting price in the Perth fresh fruit and vegetable market, there is a great deal of distrust between growers and the…
Abstract
In the absence of the auction as the principal mechanism for setting price in the Perth fresh fruit and vegetable market, there is a great deal of distrust between growers and the market agents who receive and distribute their produce. While most growers generally transact with more than one market agent, satisfaction with the exchange builds trust. Trust is facilitated where the grower and the market agent share similar goals. To reinforce trust, growers prefer to transact with those market agents who are prepared to invest in their relationship with the grower. Conversely, the market agents propensity to act opportunistically, to exercise power and to withhold information from the grower will have a significant negative impact on the trust that develops between growers and market agents.
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Fawaz Baddar ALHussan, Peter J. Batt and Faten Baddar Al-Husan
Using an analysis of marketing margins and the key dimensions of long‐term buyer‐seller relationships, it is possible to demonstrate that the supply chain for potatoes cultivated…
Abstract
Using an analysis of marketing margins and the key dimensions of long‐term buyer‐seller relationships, it is possible to demonstrate that the supply chain for potatoes cultivated in the Red River Delta (Vietnam) is surprisingly efficient. While the prices paid to farmers are ultimately determined by supply and demand, the price farmers receive from traders and collector agents is influenced by tuber quality and the costs of transportation. Farmers are seldom dependent on their preferred trading partner and indicate that numerous alternative traders are available to purchase the potatoes they have harvested. While the traders similarly enjoy a strong positive relationship both with farmers and collector agents and their down‐stream customers, wholesalers report that they are much less satisfied in their exchange relationship with both the traders and the retailers. Wholesalers are more dependent on both their up‐stream and down‐stream trading partners and are more dissatisfied and less trusting of their exchange partners.
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Peter J. Batt and Ryuta Morooka
An empirical examination of the perceived differences in offer quality between Western Australian rock lobster exporters and their respective Japanese importers reveals that…
Abstract
An empirical examination of the perceived differences in offer quality between Western Australian rock lobster exporters and their respective Japanese importers reveals that consistent quality, a willingness to provide market information and a willingness to meet importers” immediate needs were the most important variables influencing an importer's decision to purchase. While both importers and exporters agreed that delivering consistent quality was the most important variable, exporters ranked competitive price much higher than importers. This suggests that Western Australian exporters may benefit from adding greater value to their product offer by providing continuous product support, timely market information and responding better to importers' immediate needs, rather than attempting to compete on price against lower cost producers.
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Norshamliza Chamhuri and Peter J Batt
The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the quality cues that consumers look for in purchasing fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables in Malaysia. Through a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to gain an understanding of the quality cues that consumers look for in purchasing fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables in Malaysia. Through a perceived quality model, this paper identifies the implicit, intrinsic, extrinsic and credence quality cues consumers’ use in their decision to purchase fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilised the shopping mall intercept survey method. Data were collected from traditional markets and modern retail outlets in the Klang Valley region in Malaysia. A structured questionnaire was designed to measure consumer’s perceptions and experiences of food quality when purchasing fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables from retail outlets. In this study, univariate data analysis (descriptive analysis, one-way analysis of variance) and exploratory factor analysis were performed to analyse the data sets.
Findings
Freshness (intrinsic cue), was the most frequently cited variable when respondents thought about the quality of both product categories. Other variables included price and cleanliness (extrinsic cues) and Halal (credence cue), which was associated with the quality of fresh meat. Quality was associated with freshness, food safety, nutrition and value. Exploratory factor analysis identified food safety (implicit cue) as the most important construct in the respondents’ evaluation of quality for both fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Originality/value
There is a paucity of research focusing on consumer’s perceptions and experiences of food quality in the purchase of fresh meat and fresh produce in Malaysia. The findings of this research may assist the Malaysian food industry by providing new insights into the consumers’ perceptions of food quality.
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This paper aims to explore the factors impacting and influencing the consumer's decision to purchase honey in a retail store.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the factors impacting and influencing the consumer's decision to purchase honey in a retail store.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from shopping mall intercepts in Perth, Western Australia, using a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the principal constructs which most influence the consumer's decision to purchase. On the basis of the ways in which honey was consumed within the household, cluster analysis was utilised to group the respondents into meaningful segments.
Findings
In Perth, Western Australia, honey is primarily consumed as a spread or a sweetener on breakfast cereals and porridge. However, honey is also used as a marinade, in cakes and cookies and as a beverage. According to the way in which honey is consumed in the household, five clusters were identified. In purchasing honey from a retail store, exploratory factor analysis revealed three principal constructs which were most influential in the consumer's decision to purchase: brand reputation, origin and value for money. Ethnicity was found to have a significant influence on the way in which honey was consumed in the household and the importance of the three constructs extracted.
Originality/value
This is one of the few studies that find a significant difference between Anglo Saxon and Asian consumers of honey.
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Peter Boxall, Meng-Long Huo, Keith Macky and Jonathan Winterton
High-involvement work processes (HIWPs) are associated with high levels of employee influence over the work process, such as high levels of control over how to handle individual…
Abstract
High-involvement work processes (HIWPs) are associated with high levels of employee influence over the work process, such as high levels of control over how to handle individual job tasks or a high level of involvement at team or workplace level in designing work procedures. When implementations of HIWPs are accompanied by companion investments in human capital – for example, in better information and training, higher pay and stronger employee voice – it is appropriate to talk not only of HIWPs but of “high-involvement work systems” (HIWSs). This chapter reviews the theory and practice of HIWPs and HIWSs. Across a range of academic perspectives and societies, it has regularly been argued that steps to enhance employee involvement in decision-making create better opportunities to perform, better utilization of skill and human potential, and better employee motivation, leading, in turn, to various improvements in organizational and employee outcomes.
However, there are also costs to increased employee involvement and the authors review the important economic and sociopolitical contingencies that help to explain the incidence or distribution of HIWPs and HIWSs. The authors also review the research on the outcomes of higher employee involvement for firms and workers, discuss the quality of the research methods used, and consider the tensions with which the model is associated. This chapter concludes with an outline of the research agenda, envisaging an ongoing role for both quantitative and qualitative studies. Without ignoring the difficulties involved, the authors argue, from the societal perspective, that the high-involvement pathway should be considered one of the most important vectors available to improve the quality of work and employee well-being.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating factors that could affect the relationship between coopetition (the interplay between cooperation and competition) and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating factors that could affect the relationship between coopetition (the interplay between cooperation and competition) and company performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Under the relational view and resource-based theory, key articles surrounding coopetition were reviewed. A conceptual framework (with six research propositions) was developed to understand the nature of the relationship between coopetition and company performance.
Findings
While the coopetition – company performance relationship has been well-studied, this link could be moderated by the competitive business environment, organizational resources and capabilities, and trust between rivals. Further, most authors have explored the linear relationship between coopetition and company performance; however, in this paper, the non-linear (inverted U-shaped) link is also conceptualized, whereby firms might experience “too little” and “too much” coopetition in their business strategies.
Practical implications
Management teams should engage in an “optimal-level” of coopetition by sharing resources and capabilities with rival firms, but not to the extent where they depend on such competitors. If firms rarely collaborate with their competitors, they risk not being able to achieve their performance objectives. Likewise, if businesses engage in excessive degrees of coopetition, there could be tensions between the rival companies involved. Also, practitioners should be aware of the factors that can improve or reduce their performance when they implement coopetition activities. By taking: the competitive business environment, organizational resources and capabilities, and trust between rivals into consideration, the themes of this paper should be used to help managers to maximize company performance (considered in multiple capacities).
Originality/value
This paper is used to help scholars and practitioners to understand the factors that could help or hinder the performance outcomes of coopetition activities. By appreciating the moderating roles of the competitive business environment, organizational resources and capabilities, and trust between rivals, managers are anticipated to provide themselves with scope to alter their coopetition activities to improve their performance. This article ends with a series of managerial implications, alongside some limitations and avenues for future research.