Huan Liu, Shuman Zheng and Dongjin Li
Product discounts have been widely applied in digital commerce as a method to attract and retain customers to purchase in China. Given that digital channels differ in their…
Abstract
Purpose
Product discounts have been widely applied in digital commerce as a method to attract and retain customers to purchase in China. Given that digital channels differ in their attributes, customers may behave differently when they respond to the same discount across channels. However, little attention has been paid to explore the heterogeneity of customer responses to discounts across channels. This study aims to fill in the gap by exploring how customers’ purchase responses to price discounts differ across digital channels.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies a Poisson regression to an unbalanced data set of purchasing history from Chinese footwear brands with 3,510 customers in a two-year time window across the three digital channels (i.e. personal computer [PC], app and mobile website), with a correction for endogeneity by using the Gaussian copula method.
Findings
This paper finds that price discounts have the strongest positive effect on consumers’ purchase volumes on the PC channel, followed by the app channel, while discounts show the weakest impact in the mobile website channel. By so, this paper demonstrates that customers respond differently to online and mobile channels, and they also respond differently within mobile channels when they purchase products with price discounts.
Originality/value
This study is original in analyzing the difference in customers’ discount responses across digital channels, offering valuable contributions to existing research on multichannel marketing as well as mobile marketing and providing helpful insights for multichannel merchants to design digital discount strategies.
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The usage of augmented reality (AR) in online shopping websites provides a “try-on” experience for consumers. AR technology combines the virtual and real world. Previous studies…
Abstract
Purpose
The usage of augmented reality (AR) in online shopping websites provides a “try-on” experience for consumers. AR technology combines the virtual and real world. Previous studies have addressed AR usage’s benefits to consumers’ online shopping experience. However, this study aims to explore the dark side of AR usage in consumers’ online purchasing process.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conduct six experiments to examine whether AR usage leads to adverse effects on consumers’ purchase intention and explain the mechanism of its dark side.
Findings
The result shows that AR usage in online shopping websites reduces consumers’ purchase intention. The authors further reveal that the usage of AR leads to more vital psychological ownership of the product, and psychological ownership positively relates to cognitive conflict. Cognitive conflict explains the negative influence of AR usage on purchase intention.
Originality/value
First, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the impact of embedded AR function of websites on consumers’ decision-making process. Also, it is the first study on the application of AR in a real shopping scene, which makes the study of AR close to reality. Second, psychological ownership is introduced in this study. Although there are many types of research on psychological ownership, few scholars have explored it in AR research. Third, most studies stress the advantages of using AR during purchase; this research demonstrates that embedding AR function in a shopping website may negatively affect purchase intention.
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Chunlin Yuan, Yajing Yin, Zeran Zhang, Shuman Wang and Hakil Moon
This study aims to develop a chain-mediated model to examine how streamer and product characteristics influence consumer behavior inertia (CBI) based on an extended…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to develop a chain-mediated model to examine how streamer and product characteristics influence consumer behavior inertia (CBI) based on an extended cognitive-affective-conative (CAC) perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used an online survey concerning the livestreaming activities of 250 experienced shoppers to measure the proposed model.
Findings
Streamer (product) attractiveness mediates the relationship between streamer (product) characteristics and shopping experience memory. Streamer (product) attractiveness and shopping experience memory have a chain mediating effect between the streamer (product) characteristics and CBI.
Originality/value
Theoretically, the study demonstrates the critical role of attractiveness and shopping experience memory in the formation of consumer inertia and complements current explanations of consumer continuance of buying through livestreaming. From a managerial standpoint, the findings provide guidelines for enterprises carrying out livestreaming business on how to improve inertia to realize a stable profit source.
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Chunlin Yuan, Shuman Wang, Yue Liu and Jenny Weichen Ma
This paper explores the driving factors of parasocial relationship (PSR) in the virtual reality (VR) shopping environment, and how this relationship affects brand equity. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the driving factors of parasocial relationship (PSR) in the virtual reality (VR) shopping environment, and how this relationship affects brand equity. The study also investigates the moderating role of the celebrity endorser dynamism (CED) in the relationship between PSR and its antecedents.
Design/methodology/approach
The primary data collection tool is a survey administered to Chinese consumers (n = 531) who have experienced the products of UNIQLO brand on Taobao Buy + platform, and who had a PSR with the endorser in their VR shopping process. Structural equation modeling is employed to examine the hypothesized relationships among all variables.
Findings
The findings show that VR shopping factors (i.e. physical attractiveness, social presence and technology novelty) perceived by consumers to affect PSR, and this relationship and brand equity are positively associated, while CED moderates the relationship between PSR and its antecedents.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on how PSR in the VR shopping environment can improve brand equity. It contributes to the theory of PSR and persuasion as well as marketing strategies. From a managerial perspective, guidelines are provided for firms to implement value communication activities using VR, and to increase their brand equity.
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In the past 10 years, the scale of running events in China has increased dramatically, and the forms of running events have also become rich and diverse. Running is not only a…
Abstract
In the past 10 years, the scale of running events in China has increased dramatically, and the forms of running events have also become rich and diverse. Running is not only a social phenomenon but also a historical and cultural phenomenon as an organic part of human culture with its own sociological values in China. This chapter offers insight into the development of Chinese running culture and how this has emerged from ancient and modern Chinese running cultures based on Foucault's disciplinary power theory, biopower and the technologies of the self. This chapter argues that running culture in China constructs the subjectivity of the Chinese runners under the joint action of the technologies of power and the technologies of the self. The findings acknowledge how Chinese Runners present and express themselves by showing a ‘sense of presence’. Runners illustrate the implicit or explicit meaning and value of a particular way of life through running. Runners regard running as the technology of the self for self-expression and self-creation so that individuals can control their bodies and soul, thoughts, behaviours and ways of existence. Emerging technologies of power provide possibilities for the production of running culture in China, and the current policy under the technologies of power meets the needs of runners. In Chinese running culture, power was not oppressive but productive.
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Chunlin Yuan, Shuman Wang and Xiaolei Yu
Based on the involvement and customer-delivered value theories, this paper proposes a comprehensive framework with which to examine the relationships between food traceability…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the involvement and customer-delivered value theories, this paper proposes a comprehensive framework with which to examine the relationships between food traceability system, consumer perceived value and purchase intention. The study also investigates the moderating role of consumer expertise in the relationship between food traceability system and perceived value.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey approach is the primary data collection tool, through which a total of 238 useable responses were obtained. Structural equation modelling is employed to examine the hypothesized relationships among all variables.
Findings
The findings show that the information quality, perceived reliability and product diagnosticity of food traceability system affect consumer perceived value, and the perceived value and purchase intention are positively associated, while consumer expertise acts as a moderator on the relationship between food traceability system and consumer perceived value.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on how consumer perceived value of food traceability system can enhance their intention to purchase traceable food. It contributes to the theory of customer-delivered value and involvement as well as traceable product marketing strategies. From a managerial perspective, guidelines are provided for traceable food producers and marketers to implement reasonable strategies to attract consumers to purchase and promote the sustainable development of food industry.
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Buyun Yang, Shuman Zhang and Bo Wu
Emerging market multinationals often face a variety of legitimacy challenges as they engage in cross-border acquisitions in developed countries, which requires an assortment of…
Abstract
Purpose
Emerging market multinationals often face a variety of legitimacy challenges as they engage in cross-border acquisitions in developed countries, which requires an assortment of legitimacy strategies best aligned with the legitimacy challenges they face. This study advocates for a configurational perspective that examines how different configurations of legitimacy challenges, organizational characteristics, and legitimacy strategies influence the likelihood of deal completion in cross-border acquisitions by emerging market multinational enterprises (EMNEs).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on 328 cross-border acquisition cases by Chinese firms, this study adopts the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to examine the combined effects of institutional distance, political affinity, equity sought, architecture design, sensitive·industry and state-owned and enterprise (SOE) on cross-border acquisition completion.
Findings
This study identifies six pathways with different configurations for deal completion, suggesting that a deal's overall legitimacy falls at the intersection of the country-level institution and the firm-level characters and strategy evaluations.
Originality/value
This study investigates how nested legitimacy influences cross-border acquisition completion by offering a holistic and configurational understanding of the deal completion of cross-border acquisitions by EMNEs and yields useful insights for future research on cross-border acquisition completion and legitimacy.
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Jitesh Thakkar, Arun Kanda and S.G. Deshmukh
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on supply chain management (SCM) practices in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) and outlines the key insights.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on supply chain management (SCM) practices in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) and outlines the key insights.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes a literature‐based research that has sought understand the issues of SCM for SMEs. The methodology is based on critical review of 77 research papers from high‐quality, international refereed journals. Mainly, issues are explored under three categories – supply chain integration, strategy and planning and implementation. This has supported the development of key constructs and propositions.
Findings
The research outcomes are three fold. Firstly, paper summarizes the reported literature and classifies it based on their nature of work and contributions. Second, paper demonstrates the overall approach towards the development of constructs, research questions, and investigative questions leading to key proposition for the further research. Lastly, paper outlines the key findings and insights gained.
Practical implications
Survival of SMEs will be determined first and foremost by their ability to provide/produce more, at less cost, in less time, with few “defects”. The key to this is effective SCM. The issue is much explored in the context of large enterprises but less attention is paid to SMEs. Paper aims to surface out some facts for the same. Originality/value The paper reports‐classifies the literature and development of construct and propositions.
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Zibo Li, Zhengxiang Yan, Shicheng Li, Guangmin Sun, Xin Wang, Dequn Zhao, Yu Li and Xiucheng Liu
The purpose of this paper is to overcome the application limitations of other multi-variable regression based on polynomials due to the huge computation room and time cost.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to overcome the application limitations of other multi-variable regression based on polynomials due to the huge computation room and time cost.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, based on the idea of feature selection and cascaded regression, two strategies including Laguerre polynomials and manifolds optimization are proposed to enhance the accuracy of multi-variable regression. Laguerre polynomials were combined with the genetic algorithm to enhance the capacity of polynomials approximation and the manifolds optimization method was introduced to solve the co-related optimization problem.
Findings
Two multi-variable Laguerre polynomials regression methods are designed. Firstly, Laguerre polynomials are combined with feature selection method. Secondly, manifolds component analysis is adopted in cascaded Laguerre polynomials regression method. Two methods are brought to enhance the accuracy of multi-variable regression method.
Research limitations/implications
With the increasing number of variables in regression problem, the stable accuracy performance might not be kept by using manifold-based optimization method. Moreover, the methods mentioned in this paper are not suitable for the classification problem.
Originality/value
Experiments are conducted on three types of datasets to evaluate the performance of the proposed regression methods. The best accuracy was achieved by the combination of cascade, manifold optimization and Chebyshev polynomials, which implies that the manifolds optimization has stronger contribution than the genetic algorithm and Laguerre polynomials.
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Francisco Puig, Anoop Madhok and Zhi Shen
This paper aims to analyse which firm-level characteristics drive their location decisions when investing in a foreign country. Focusing on origin clusters, the authors will study…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyse which firm-level characteristics drive their location decisions when investing in a foreign country. Focusing on origin clusters, the authors will study the potential influence of the home country context and, in particular, the impact of firm-level factors, both investor- and investment-related, underlying heterogeneity in their location choice decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical analysis draws on data gathered from mainland Chinese MNEs that have invested in Germany between 2005 and 2013 (269 firms). The authors chose a single host (Germany) and a single home (China) country for their representativeness and for methodological reasons to control for country effects. The authors used a multinomial logit model to assess the effects of the independent variables on the probability that each of the three location possibilities would be selected.
Findings
The results suggest that investors preferring co-location in origin clusters have distinct structural and strategic characteristics. From a more structural point of view, Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) undertaken by smaller firms and those without prior experience in the EU prefer an area where there are other Chinese investors. From a more strategic perspective, these FDI flows are more likely to tap into industry agglomerations when the investors’ objective is strategic asset seeking, and they have less knowledge-intensive investments.
Practical implications
The findings may be of great practical value to practitioners and policymakers. Knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of the types of agglomeration networks can help managers to balance the rewards and risks in their decision-making and to select a suitable development path for their FDIs. For policymakers, an understanding of the structure and formation of different groups of firms in one location and the characteristics of investors who may enter the location can help them to improve their regulatory work and to develop policies to attract investments, thereby enhancing local economic development and community stability.
Originality/value
The research shifts the emphasis of the location choice decision beyond just where to locate toward with whom to collocate. It also contributes to the growing research on emerging market multinationals by providing further insight into understanding of FDI location behavior by firms from emerging economies.