Roman Konopka, Malcolm John Wright, Mark Avis and Pamela M. Feetham
There are substantive disagreements about whether encouraging deliberative thinking increases consumer preference in low-involvement product categories. The authors draw on…
Abstract
Purpose
There are substantive disagreements about whether encouraging deliberative thinking increases consumer preference in low-involvement product categories. The authors draw on dual-process theory to add rare experimental evidence to this debate. They also investigate whether the effect of deliberative thinking increases with familiarity of the stimuli, as different theories of memory yield different predictions on this point. Finally, they provide evidence on whether the effectiveness of the Fairtrade logo arises more from mere exposure or attention to the ethical claim.
Design/methodology/approach
The context for the research is the use of ethical logos in packaged coffee, as this provides a realistic setting for the desired experimental manipulations. The fieldwork consists of two sets of trade-off experiments – rankings based conjoint analysis (n = 360) and best-worst scaling with a balanced incomplete block design (n = 1,628). Deliberative thinking is manipulated in three ways: by varying logos between visual (Type 1 processing) and lexical (Type 2 processing) treatments, by post hoc classification of time taken, and by imposing either time constraints (Type 1) or cognitive load (Type 2) on the completion of the task. Familiarity is manipulated by varying logos between the Fairtrade and a fictional Exchange Ethics logo.
Findings
Consumers do have higher preferences in the deliberative treatment conditions; thinking more results in an 18 per cent increase (Cohen’s d = 0.25) in the preference for choices that display an ethical cobranded logo. Surprisingly, the impact of deliberation is not greater for the more familiar Fairtrade logo than the fictional Exchange Ethics logo. This result is inconsistent with strength-based theories of memory, as these predict that deliberation will have a greater effect for more familiar stimuli. However, it is consistent with newer theories of memory that acknowledge familiarity can lead to activation confusion, reducing retrieval of pre-existing knowledge into working memory. The research also shows that the Fairtrade logo has substantial utility to consumers, and that this is approximately 59 per cent due to the ethical claim and 41 per cent due to the familiarity of the logo.
Research limitations/implications
In field conditions, attempts to manipulate deliberation may not be effective or may simply result in reduced attention. Also, the costs of increasing deliberation may outweigh the benefits obtained.
Practical implications
The research confirms the heuristic value of the Fairtrade logo and shows that the effectiveness of ethical logos may increase with additional deliberation by shoppers.
Originality/value
There is relatively little work in marketing that applies dual-process theories to investigate consumer behaviour. The present study extends the use of dual-process theories in marketing, demonstrates a new method to investigate the effect of deliberation on brand choice and shows how deliberation magnifies the effect of endorsing logos, including unfamiliar logos.
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Judith Holdershaw and Roman Konopka
The intent of displaying country of origin (COO) detail on food packaging is to inform consumers' purchase decisions. Of interest is whether how the COO information is displayed…
Abstract
Purpose
The intent of displaying country of origin (COO) detail on food packaging is to inform consumers' purchase decisions. Of interest is whether how the COO information is displayed is important to consumers. This study examines the importance of attributes associated with the visibility of COO labelling in the context of packaged fresh meat.
Design/methodology/approach
Best–worst Scaling (BWS) is used to investigate consumers' preferences for label attributes. Treatments involved two countries (New Zealand and Australia), four font sizes and two placement positionings of COO information on the packaging.
Findings
First, the study indicated consumers' preference for domestic than imported meat. This finding supports the intent of COO labelling, which is to inform product selection. Second, the authors ascertained that how COO information is displayed in terms of visibility is important also. Consumers indicated a preference for larger than smaller font size. However, where the COO detail is located on the packaging is of less importance.
Originality/value
While regulations increasingly apply to provision of COO labelling of fresh foods, surprisingly little research has considered consumers' preferences for labelling practice. The study’s findings have implications for public policy decisions and contribute guidelines for retail practice.
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Helene Cecilia de Burgh-Woodman
This paper aims to expand current theories of globalisation to a consideration of its impact on the individual. Much work has been done on the impact of globalisation on social…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to expand current theories of globalisation to a consideration of its impact on the individual. Much work has been done on the impact of globalisation on social, political and economic structures. In this paper, globalisation, for the individual, reflects a re-conceptualisation of the Self/Other encounter. In order to explore this Self/Other dimension, the paper analyses the literary work of nineteenth-century writer Pierre Loti since his work begins to problematise this important motif. His work also provides insight into the effect on the individual when encountering the Other in a globalised context.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from literary criticism, the paper adopts an interpretive approach. Using the fiction and non-fiction work of Pierre Loti, an integrated psychoanalytical, postcolonial analysis is conducted to draw out possible insights into how Loti conceptualises the Other and is thus transformed himself.
Findings
The paper finds that the Self/Other encounter shifts in the era of globalisation. The blurring of the Self/Other is part of the impact of globalisation on the individual. Further, the paper argues that Loti was the first to problematise Self/Other at a point in history where the distinction seemed clear. Loti's work is instructive for tracing the dissolution of the Self/Other encounter since the themes and issues raised in his early work foreshadow our contemporary experience of globalisation.
Research limitations/implications
This paper takes a specific view of globalisation through an interpretive lens. It also uses one specific body of work to answer the research question of what impact globalisation has on the individual. A broader sampling and application of theoretical strains out of the literary criticism canon would expand the parameters of this study.
Originality/value
This paper makes an original contribution to current theorisations of globalisation in that it re-conceptualises classical understandings of the Self/Other divide. The finding that the Self/Other divide is altered in the current era of globalisation has impact for cultural and marketing theory since it re-focuses attention on the shifting nature of identity and how we encounter the Other in our daily existence.
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Ulrich Gabbert, Stefan Ringwelski, Mathias Würkner and Mario Kittsteiner
Pores and shrink holes are unavoidable defects in the die-casting mass production process which may significantly influence the strength, fatigue and fracture behaviour as well as…
Abstract
Purpose
Pores and shrink holes are unavoidable defects in the die-casting mass production process which may significantly influence the strength, fatigue and fracture behaviour as well as the life span of structures, especially if they are subjected to high static and dynamic loads. Such defects should be considered during the design process or after production, where the defects could be detected with the help of computed tomography (CT) measurements. However, this is usually not done in today's mass production environments. This paper deals with the stress analysis of die-cast structural parts with pores found from CT measurements or that are artificially placed within a structure.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper the authors illustrate two general methodologies to take into account the porosity of die-cast components in the stress analysis. The detailed geometry of a die-cast part including all discontinuities such as pores and shrink holes can be included via STL data provided by CT measurements. The first approach is a combination of the finite element method (FEM) and the finite cell method (FCM), which extends the FEM if the real geometry cuts finite elements. The FCM is only applied in regions with pores. This procedure has the advantage that all simulations with different pore distributions, real or artificial, can be calculated without changing the base finite element mesh. The second approach includes the pore information as STL data into the original CAD model and creates a new adapted finite element mesh for the simulation. Both methods are compared and evaluated for an industrial problem.
Findings
The STL data of defects which the authors received from CT measurements could not be directly applied without repairing them. Therefore, for FEM applications an appropriate repair procedure is proposed. The first approach, which combines the FEM with the FCM, the authors have realized within the commercial software tool Abaqus. This combination performs well, which is demonstrated for test examples, and is also applied for a complex industrial project. The developed in-house code still has some limitations which restrict broader application in industry. The second pure FEM-based approach works well without limitations but requires increasing computational effort if many different pore distributions are to be investigated.
Originality/value
A new simulation approach which combines the FEM with the FCM has been developed and implemented into the commercial Abaqus FEM software. This approach the authors have applied to simulate a real engineering die-cast structure with pores. This approach could become a preferred way to consider pores in practical applications, where the porosity can be derived either from CT measurements or are artificially adopted for design purposes. The authors have also shown how pores can be considered in the standard FEM analysis as well.
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María Dolores Capelo Bernal, Pedro Araújo Pinzón and Warwick Funnell
The purpose of this paper is to address both the neglect of non-Anglo-centric accounting gendered practices beyond the predominant professional setting and the controversial roles…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address both the neglect of non-Anglo-centric accounting gendered practices beyond the predominant professional setting and the controversial roles of women and accounting in power relationships inside the household. Analyzing a Spanish upper-middle class Catholic family in the early nineteenth century, the research focuses on the reciprocal interaction of accounting with practices and processes of daily life in a rigid patriarchal socio-cultural and juridical context.
Design/methodology/approach
This microhistory draws upon several archives, including in Spain the Archivo Histórico Provincial de Cádiz. In England, the Bath Record Office has preserved documents and correspondence, both personal and business related, and the Worcester Record Office preserved notarial documents concerning the family. The large number of letters which have survived has facilitated an in-depth study of the people who were affected by accounting calculations.
Findings
In a juridical context where women were conceived as merely the means for the circulation of property between two families, the evidence shows that accounting provided the proof of women’s patrimony value and the means to facilitate their recovery in this cosification process. Although women had a little involvement in the household’s accounting and management, they demonstrated confidence in accounting, fulfilling a stewardship function for the resources received. Also, evidence shows that by using accounting practices to shield supposedly defenseless women, this reinforced male domination over women and promoted the view that the role of women was as an ornament and in need of a good husband.
Originality/value
Contrasting with the Anglo-Saxon contemporary context, the Spanish law preserved a woman’s property rights, guaranteeing recovery of properties owned by her before marriage should the marriage be legally annulled or be dissolved because one of the spouses’ death. This required a detailed accounting of the wife’s properties brought to her marriage, most especially regarding the dowry provided by her family.