Shabnam Azimi, Yana Andonova and Charles Schewe
Drawing upon cohort theory, the age-period-cohort framework and the portrait value system, this paper aims to examine differences in basic human values between generations Y and Z…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing upon cohort theory, the age-period-cohort framework and the portrait value system, this paper aims to examine differences in basic human values between generations Y and Z as they are shaped by recent major events (most importantly the COVID-19 pandemic).
Design/methodology/approach
Hypothesized differences between values of generation Y and Z were tested using a content analysis of recent articles (Study 1) and an online survey through a prolific crowdsourcing website (Study 2).
Findings
This research finds that while both generations value universalism and benevolence, Generation Y is more likely to conform and follow traditions while Generation Z values stimulation, hedonism and achievement more. The top two COVID-19 concerns for both groups were the health of others and financial security. Generation Y is more concerned about the economy while Generation Z is more worried about uncertainty in their future.
Research limitations/implications
This paper provides insight into how the current environmental crisis has shaped the values of generations Y and Z and offers an understanding of the similarities and differences in values between these two generations.
Practical implications
The findings have direct implications for the design of products/services and for the creation of effective marketing communications to reach these two consumer groups.
Originality/value
This research is novel in identifying the basic human values of generations Y and Z as they are shaped by recent events such as the most recent economic recession and COVID-19.
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Recent research suggests that more than two-thirds of people use online reviews to find a new primary care physician (PCP). However, it is unclear what role review content plays…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent research suggests that more than two-thirds of people use online reviews to find a new primary care physician (PCP). However, it is unclear what role review content plays when a patient uses online reviews to decide about a new PCP. This paper aims to understand how a review's content, related to competence (communication and technical skills) and benevolence (fidelity and fairness), impacts patients’ trusting intentions to select a PCP. The authors build the model around information diagnosticity, construal level theory and valence asymmetries and use review helpfulness as a mediator and review valence as a moderator in this process.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use two experimental studies to test their hypotheses and collect data through prolific.
Findings
The authors find that people have a harder time making inferences about the technical and communication skills of a PCP. Reviews about fidelity are perceived as more helpful and influential in building trust than reviews about fairness. Overall, reviews about the communication skills of a PCP have stronger effects on trusting intentions than other types of reviews. The authors also find that positive reviews are perceived as more helpful for the readers than negative reviews, but negative reviews have a stronger impact on patients' trust intentions than positive ones.
Originality/value
The authors identify how online reviews about a PCP’s competency and benevolence affect patients’ trusting intentions to choose the PCP. The implication of findings of this study for primary medical practice and physician review websites is discussed.
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Shabnam Azimi and Yana Andonova
This paper provides a framework of the indicators of the quality of text in online reviews and their influence on the perceived helpfulness of reviews. First, the authors assess…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper provides a framework of the indicators of the quality of text in online reviews and their influence on the perceived helpfulness of reviews. First, the authors assess the effects of concreteness, readability and credibility on review helpfulness. The authors then test whether these effects change, based on review valence and readers' personality traits (specifically, extraversion and neuroticism).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an online experiment in the context of hotel reviews and tested our model using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE).
Findings
The authors' findings indicate that consumers consider all three quality features – concreteness, readability and credibility when evaluating negative reviews. However, they assess positive reviews based only on how credible they seem to be. Consumers with the personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion value different review characteristics and this difference is dependent on review valence.
Originality/value
To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the interactions between review valence and reader personality on review helpfulness. The authors' findings make important contributions to the literature on information diagnosticity and offer managerial implications related to customizing the presentation order of reviews based on their expected helpfulness for individuals with extraverted and neurotic personalities.
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Shabnam Azimi, Kwong Chan and Alexander Krasnikov
This study aims to examine how characteristics of an online review and a consumer reading the review influence the probability that the consumer will assess the review as…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how characteristics of an online review and a consumer reading the review influence the probability that the consumer will assess the review as authentic (real) or inauthentic (fake). This study further examines the specific factors that increase or decrease a consumer’s ability to detect a review’s authenticity and reasons a consumer makes these authenticity assessments.
Design/methodology/approach
Hypothesized relationships were tested using an online experiment of over 400 respondents who collectively provided 3,224 authenticity assessments along with 3,181 written self-report reasons for assessing a review as authentic or inauthentic.
Findings
The findings indicate that specific combinations of factors including review valence, length, readability, type of content and consumer personality traits and demographics lead to systematic bias in assessing review authenticity. Using qualitative analysis, this paper provided further insight into why consumers are deceived.
Research limitations/implications
This research showed there are important differences in the way the authenticity assessment process works for positive versus negative reviews and identified factors that can make a fake review hard to spot or a real review hard to believe.
Practical implications
This research has implications for both consumers and businesses by emphasizing areas of vulnerability for fake information and providing guidance for how to design review systems for improved veracity.
Originality/value
This research is one of the few works that explicates how people assess information authenticity and their consequent assessment accuracy in the context of online reviews.
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Shabnam Azimi, George R. Milne and Elizabeth G. Miller
This paper aims to examine the factors leading to and resulting from procrastination under high price uncertainty and provide recommendations for how managers can reduce consumer…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the factors leading to and resulting from procrastination under high price uncertainty and provide recommendations for how managers can reduce consumer procrastination, thus decreasing consumer regret, anger and retaliatory behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Hypothesized relationships were tested through two scenario-based experiments using student samples. Data was analyzed using general linear model, path analysis and Wald chi-square test.
Findings
Long time limits, price uncertainty and price consciousness, all increase the likelihood of procrastination. Prestige seeking reduces procrastination, but only when time limits are short. When one delays a purchase and later the price of the item gets increased or one makes a purchase and later the price gets further reduced, procrastination and purchase decision both equally can lead to anger, which then increases the probability of exit, voice or word of mouth (WOM); however, procrastination has a much stronger impact than deciding to purchase on self-responsibility and regret, which in turn increases negative WOM.
Research limitations/implications
This paper provides a greater understanding of antecedents and consequences of procrastination as well as the drivers of retaliatory behavior. Further, the findings highlight differential consequences of consumer regret and anger on consumption behaviors.
Practical implications
This paper provides practical suggestions for reducing consumers’ procrastination through leveraging the effects of purchase time limit and price uncertainty in general, and more specifically, for prestige-seeker and price conscious consumers. The findings provide evidence for a silent path from procrastination to retaliation and highlight the importance of possible remedies or interventions by the companies to mitigate consumer emotions resulting from procrastination.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to apply temporal motivation theory in the context of consumer behavior under price uncertainty, and examine consequences of consumer procrastination in terms of thoughts, feelings and retaliatory behavior.
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Ishani Patel, Tricia J. Johnson, Andrew N. Garman, Samuel Hohmann, Paola Pescara, Jarrett Fowler and Shabnam Daneshgar
Hospitals catering to the unique needs of international patients often make substantial investments in their international program. Research has yet to evaluate the return on…
Abstract
Purpose
Hospitals catering to the unique needs of international patients often make substantial investments in their international program. Research has yet to evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of establishing these programs. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the economic benefits and costs of international patient programs and evaluate the ROI of international patients for US hospitals by program maturity and size.
Design/methodology/approach
Operational information about 29 health systems with international patient programs in the USA was obtained from the US Cooperative for International Patient Programs (USCIPP) Annual Benchmarking Survey. A Spearman correlation coefficient was used to test the association between international program investments and revenue. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to test whether ROI differs significantly by program maturity and size.
Findings
It was found that 14 (48.3 per cent) international programs were established and 10 (34.5 per cent) programs were large in size. The median estimated organizational total gross revenue less operating expense for all programs was positive ($15.6m). Total gross revenue less operating expense was higher for large programs ($105.6m) than for small programs ($9.2m) (p < 0.001) and higher for established programs ($40.2m) than for new programs ($8.5m) (p < 0.001).
Originality/value
The results suggest that hospital investment in international programs yields substantial returns for the health systems studied. New programs rely on staff from other areas of the organization while developing operational processes and relationships with providers and payers abroad. Examining the ROI can help hospitals develop a business case for an international program and understand any economies of scale from increased investment.