S.C.F Iop, E. Teixeira and R. Deliza
The article aims to address two questions: “What are the important extrinsic variables in consumer food studies?” and “Which are focused on the most?”
Abstract
Purpose
The article aims to address two questions: “What are the important extrinsic variables in consumer food studies?” and “Which are focused on the most?”
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive search of previous literature was conducted to find data on papers related to extrinsic variables in food studies. Both an electronics search through computerized library databases (Web of Science, Food Science and Technology Abstract), and reference lists from relevant research papers were used.
Findings
The article finds that acceptance and intention to purchase measures regarding foods are associated with consumption and purchase process and are used as an indirect way of obtaining data to understand consumer behavior. Although the importance of intrinsic variables such as color, aroma, flavor and texture in food acceptance and choice are very well recognized, several studies have shown that other variables also play an important role in food acceptance, preference, choice and intention to purchase. This article presents the more studied extrinsic variables using the conjoint analysis and repertory grid methods.
Research limitations/implications
This article shows data only on repertory grid and conjoint analysis. There are other methodologies such as focus group, laddering interviews and questionnaires that can be used to investigate the role of extrinsic variables on consumer attitude.
Originality/value
Context variables are the most studied extrinsic variables. Production method, nutritional information, protected denomination of origin/certification and origin are some of these variables and are directly linked with consumer concerns about the product. The authors believe that the change in consumer behavior globally drives the search for motives that better explain choices.
Details
Keywords
Chujun Wang, Yubin Peng, Charles Spence and Xiaoang Wan
This study was designed to investigate how the material properties of the tea-drinking receptacle interact with a participant's motivation and preference for extracting and using…
Abstract
Purpose
This study was designed to investigate how the material properties of the tea-drinking receptacle interact with a participant's motivation and preference for extracting and using information obtained via haptic perception, namely the need for touch (NFT), to influence his or her tea-drinking experience.
Design/methodology/approach
72 blindfolded participants were instructed to sample room temperature tea beverages served in a cup that was made of ceramic, glass, paper or plastic. They were then asked to rate how familiar they were with the taste of the beverage, to rate how pleasant the taste was and to specify how much they would like to pay for it (i.e. willingness-to-pay ratings).
Findings
The material of the receptacles used to serve the tea exerted a significant influence over the pleasantness ratings of the tea and interacted with the participants' NFT, exerting a significant influence over their willingness to pay for the tea. Specifically, high-NFT participants were willing to pay significantly more for the same cup of tea when it was served in a ceramic cup rather than in a paper cup, whereas the low-NFT participants' willingness to pay for the tea was unaffected by the material of the receptacles.
Originality/value
Our findings suggest that consumers may not be equally susceptible to the influence of the receptacle in which tea, or any other beverage, is served. Our findings also demonstrate how the physical properties of a receptacle interact with a consumer's motivation and preference to influence his or her behavior in the marketplace.
Details
Keywords
Ruzica Brečić, Željka Mesić and Marija Cerjak
The purpose of this paper is to examine intrinsic and extrinsic food quality characteristics and the relative importance placed on these characteristics by different consumer…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine intrinsic and extrinsic food quality characteristics and the relative importance placed on these characteristics by different consumer segments. Moreover, relationship between segments of consumers and consumption frequency of differentiated food products (traditional, functional and organic) was analysed.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-stage stratified random sampling approach was employed and data were collected via 500 face-to-face interviews conducted in respondents’ homes. A version of the Food Choice Questionnaire was used to examine the motives of consumers’ underlying food choices. The collected data were analysed by factor analysis followed by cluster analysis.
Findings
Four factors were identified: health and sensory characteristics, price and availability, body weight and digestion, and convenience. Resulting clusters were named as: healthy and tasty food lovers, convenient, concerned, and indifferent consumers. Differences were identified between the segments according to consumers’ frequency of consumption of the different types of food products.
Practical implications
The findings have impact implications for food producers and distributors in developing communication strategies for consumer segments with different attitudes and motives. The findings of this study not only contribute to the organic, traditional, and food with health claim literature, but also help industry, government, and consumer associations fully understand consumer perceptions of intrinsic and extrinsic foods characteristics and enhance consumers’ responses to the different types of food products.
Originality/value
The study represents one of the first assessments of the importance of food quality characteristics, segmentation, and consumption frequency of traditional, organic, and functional food products in Central and Eastern Europe.
Details
Keywords
Ga Eun Yeo, Mi-Sook Cho and Jieun Oh
As the risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increase, various policies require sugar to be reduced in beverages. This paper segmented consumers according to…
Abstract
Purpose
As the risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increase, various policies require sugar to be reduced in beverages. This paper segmented consumers according to food-related lifestyle (FRL), analyzed beverage selection attributes and preference for sugar-reduced beverages (SRBs) for each group and presented basic data for the strategies of SRBs for each consumer group.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 1,000 Korean consumer panels responded to the online survey. The questionnaire consisted of FRL, beverage selection attributes and attitude toward SRBs.
Findings
Consumer groups were divided according to FRL: rational, value seeking and careless consumer. Rational consumers tended to be in their 30s or 50s and women, and they focused on product quality/hygiene when choosing beverages. Value seeking consumers were mainly in their 40s and 50s and were characterized by high education and income. They showed high scores in quality/hygiene, economy and sensory traits. Careless consumers were more likely to be in their 20s–30s, unmarried men and considered sensory traits as the most important factor.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this study is the lack of generalization of consumer panels to represent the entire population because they were part of an online research firm.
Originality/value
This study implies that segmenting consumers according to FRL allows detailed analysis of consumer attitudes and behaviors. Using this analysis, the complex consumer pattern can be used as basic data for promoting sugar-reduced beverages.
Details
Keywords
Ayantunji Gbadamosi, Ojo Olukayode Iwaloye and David Bamber
Given the diversity which exists among various groups of consumers, the purpose of this paper is to explore students' consumption of non‐alcoholic beverages in Nigeria.
Abstract
Purpose
Given the diversity which exists among various groups of consumers, the purpose of this paper is to explore students' consumption of non‐alcoholic beverages in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
Three focus groups and 20 in‐depth interviews were conducted with students in three universities located in Lagos, Nigeria.
Findings
Initial findings indicate that these students' consumption of non‐alcoholic beverages is influenced in many ways. Nevertheless, the most striking of these influences are found to be convenience of purchase, along with availability, price, health concerns, and culture/social reasons.
Originality/value
The main contribution of the study lies in the relevance of segmentation, targeting, and positioning activities of business organisations in respect of marketing of non‐alcoholic beverages. Based on the findings, the empirical study will serve as a valuable input to marketers in their planning, analysis, and implementation of appropriate marketing strategies to students vis‐à‐vis the highlighted influences on their consumption of this category of food. It will thus serve as a tool for creating competitive advantage in this prevailing volatile business environment.
Details
Keywords
Romus Noufelie, Cosmas Bernard Meka'a and Astride Claudel Njiepue Nouffeussie
The aim of this study is to investigate the determinants of Inequalities of Opportunity (IOP) among the young in Cameroonian labour market. IOP are the differences in outcomes…
Abstract
The aim of this study is to investigate the determinants of Inequalities of Opportunity (IOP) among the young in Cameroonian labour market. IOP are the differences in outcomes which are explained by the circumstance factors, meaning that the variables which are beyond individual controls. For this purpose, this study performs the Human Opportunity Index (HOI) in order to quantify the IOP among employee over 10- to 25-year-olds. Using the data from the Fourth Cameroon Household Survey (FCHS4) carried out in 2014 by Statistical National Institute, IOP is quantified for each of 14 Cameroonian’s geographical areas. Based on the Dissimilarity index (D-Index) value, two main trends are outlined: a spatial subgroup including North-West, East and the urban regions which is characterized by a higher D-Index; meaning that IOP is relatively significant. In contrast, a more homogeneous subgroup with a lower IOP is found in rural, North and East regions. Moreover, regarding on the one hand the Shapley-Shorrock’s decomposition method, it appears that the mayor circumstances contributing to the D-index are socio-professional category, primary education and religious obedience of the household head which explain from 51% to 79% the overall IOP. While on the other hand, the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition shows that 80% of the gap in D-Index is explained by disparities in circumstances, rather than individual efforts. Finally, our conclusions argue in favour of effective decentralization, for a more inclusive employment policy that takes into account local labour market features.
Details
Keywords
Can an estimate of the intergenerational elasticity (IGE) be interpreted as a measure of inequality of opportunity (IOp)? If parental income is the only childhood circumstance…
Abstract
Can an estimate of the intergenerational elasticity (IGE) be interpreted as a measure of inequality of opportunity (IOp)? If parental income is the only childhood circumstance, then the answer is yes. However, parental income is one of many potential circumstances that can shape IOp. These circumstances can influence the offspring’s income indirectly – by influencing parental income – or directly, bypassing the IGE altogether. I develop a model to decompose the interaction between childhood circumstances, parental income and offspring income. Using the Panel Study of Income Dynamics for the United States, I find that childhood circumstances account for 55% of the IGE for individual earnings and 53% for family income, with parental education explaining over a third of those shares. Furthermore, the IGE misses a large part of the influence of circumstances: only 45% of the influence of parental education on the offspring’s income goes through parental income (36% for earnings).
Details
Keywords
Kai Li, Cheng Zhu, Jianjiang Wang and Junhui Gao
With burgeoning interest in the low-altitude economy, applications of long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (LE-UAVs) have increased in remote logistics distribution. Given…
Abstract
Purpose
With burgeoning interest in the low-altitude economy, applications of long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (LE-UAVs) have increased in remote logistics distribution. Given LE-UAVs’ advantages of wide coverage, strong versatility and low cost, in addition to logistics distribution, they are widely used in military reconnaissance, communication relay, disaster monitoring and other activities. With limited autonomous intelligence, LE-UAVs require regular periodic and non-periodic control from ground control resources (GCRs) during flights and mission execution. However, the lack of GCRs significantly restricts the applications of LE-UAVs in parallel.
Design/methodology/approach
We consider the constraints of GCRs, investigating an integrated optimization problem of multi-LE-UAV mission planning and GCR allocation (Multi-U&G IOP). The problem integrates GCR allocation into traditional multi-UAV cooperative mission planning. The coupling decision of mission planning and GCR allocation enlarges the decision space and adds complexities to the problem’s structure. Through characterizing the problem, this study establishes a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model for the integrated optimization problem. To solve the problem, we develop a three-stage iterative optimization algorithm combining a hybrid genetic algorithm with local search-variable neighborhood decent, heuristic conflict elimination and post-optimization of GCR allocation.
Findings
Numerical experimental results show that our developed algorithm can solve the problem efficiently and exceeds the solution performance of the solver CPLEX. For small-scale instances, our algorithm can obtain optimal solutions in less time than CPLEX. For large-scale instances, our algorithm produces better results in one hour than CPLEX does. Implementing our approach allows efficient coordination of multiple UAVs, enabling faster mission completion with a minimal number of GCRs.
Originality/value
Drawing on the interplay between LE-UAVs and GCRs and considering the practical applications of LE-UAVs, we propose the Multi-U&G IOP problem. We formulate this problem as a MILP model aiming to minimize the maximum task completion time (makespan). Furthermore, we present a relaxation model for this problem. To efficiently address the MILP model, we develop a three-stage iterative optimization algorithm. Subsequently, we verify the efficacy of our algorithm through extensive experimentation across various scenarios.
Details
Keywords
Lina Dunnzlaff, Dirk Neumann, Judith Niehues and Andreas Peichl
Purpose – The concept of equality of opportunity (EOp) goes back to Roemer (1993, 1998) who argues that a society should guarantee its members equal access to advantage regardless…
Abstract
Purpose – The concept of equality of opportunity (EOp) goes back to Roemer (1993, 1998) who argues that a society should guarantee its members equal access to advantage regardless of their circumstances, while holding them responsible for turning that access into actual advantage by the application of effort. First, this chapter investigates how family background influences income acquisition in 17 European countries. Second, it particularly scrutinizes how governments affect EOp through redistributive policies.
Methodology – We apply two different methods in order to measure EOp: the Gini opportunity index defined by Lefranc et al. (2008) and a parametric estimation method. Effective redistribution is measured via income concepts at different stages of the tax-and-transfer schemes.
Findings – We find clear country clustering in terms of EOp for Nordic, Continental European, and Anglo-Saxon countries. For Eastern Europe our results are less definitive. By examining the impact of redistributive policies in the countries under analysis, it can be concluded that both taxes and transfers reduce inequality of opportunity (IOp), with social benefits typically playing a key role. Furthermore, the equalizing impacts of the tax-benefit system on IOp differ substantially from the ones observed in the traditional notion of inequality of outcomes.
Originality – We systematically compare two approaches used to identify the extent of EOp. Our results reveal that both methods yield rather robust country rankings for various circumstance sets. Furthermore, the impact of tax-benefit policies on EOp is rarely addressed in the existing literature. We contribute by focusing on effective redistribution directly related to different income concepts.
Details
Keywords
Willian Boschetti Adamczyk and Adelar Fochezatto
This article aims to measure inequality of income and opportunities at the national and state levels in Brazil, highlighting their acceptable and unacceptable components.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to measure inequality of income and opportunities at the national and state levels in Brazil, highlighting their acceptable and unacceptable components.
Design/methodology/approach
To this end, a lower-bound estimate of income inequality (MLD) and inequality of opportunity (IOp) was developed using data from the National Household Sample Survey between 2001 and 2014.
Findings
It shows that the disparity of income measured by the MLD decreased 26.7 percent, while IOp measured by the IOp decreased 25.6 percent during that period. The decline in total inequality can be attributed to a 48.5 percent decrease of its unfair component and 51.5 percent decrease of its fair component. The average income of the most disadvantaged group (non-white women working in the informal sector) is shown to be only 29.5 percent of the income of the most advantaged group (formally employed white men). The groups at the greatest disadvantage were most benefited by the increase in income.
Originality/value
Beyond comparisons among countries, analysis at the subnational level make it possible to identify how the process that generates inequality acts in each state, revealing patterns undetected in the aggregate analysis. Its decomposition generates two products that are useful to policy-makers. The first is a base estimate of the degree of IOp present in society, which may be expressed as an indicator of the degree of IOp. The second examines the portion of total inequality attributable to IOp.