Festim Tafolli and Sonja Grabner-Kräuter
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between perceived corporate social responsibility (PCSR) and perceived organizational corruption (POC) in a developing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between perceived corporate social responsibility (PCSR) and perceived organizational corruption (POC) in a developing country context. The research suggests mediating roles of perceived ethical leadership (PEL) and job satisfaction (JS) in the PCSR–POC relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through survey questionnaires. The sample consisted of 434 employees working in private and public organizations in Kosovo. Regression analysis was conducted by using a serial mediation model.
Findings
Applying a social learning framework, this study provides evidence that employees’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are positively related to perceived ethical leadership and job satisfaction and negatively related to perceived organizational corruption. Furthermore, results confirm that the relationship between CSR perception and organizational corruption perception is mediated by ethical leadership perception and job satisfaction.
Practical implications
Armed with the findings, organizations can adopt CSR practices to positively influence employee behaviors and attitudes. From these results, it is possible to better comprehend the role of CSR in dealing with relevant aspects such as corruption at the organizational level, especially in developing and emerging markets.
Social implications
The findings of this research indicate that employees in socially responsible organizations perceive less organizational corruption. Adopting a more ethical and responsible management approach might represent a promising solution to fight the corruption phenomenon inside and even outside organizations. These results should serve as reflection for both managers and public authorities.
Originality/value
With regard to CSR, previous studies have investigated different employee outcomes but never considered the potential impact on corruption at the organizational level. Furthermore, this study extends the literature by conceptualizing perceived ethical leadership and job satisfaction as mediators between perceived CSR and organizational corruption perception, in a developing country context where the concept of CSR is still less investigated.
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Wiktor Razmus, Magdalena Razmus and Sonja Grabner-Kräuter
This paper aims to use the cognitive appraisal theory to investigate the effects of brand engagement and materialism on the positive emotions of joy and excitement evoked by a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to use the cognitive appraisal theory to investigate the effects of brand engagement and materialism on the positive emotions of joy and excitement evoked by a product at different stages of the purchase process.
Design/methodology/approach
Two complementary studies were conducted to achieve the research objectives. Study 1 used a longitudinal design, examining the pre-purchase stage and a moment shortly after the purchase. Study 2 adopted a cross-sectional approach, focusing on the post-purchase stage. Relationships among variables were analyzed through hierarchical regression and moderation analyses.
Findings
The findings indicate that materialism is not significantly associated with consumers’ positive product-evoked emotions (joy and excitement) before and shortly after purchase. At these two stages, brand engagement predicts positive emotions. In the post-purchase stage, where materialism is weakly related to joy and excitement, a robust positive link exists between brand engagement and positive product-evoked emotions. Moreover, higher levels of materialism reduce the experience of joy and excitement among participants with high levels of brand engagement.
Originality/value
Experiencing joy and excitement is crucial in consumer behavior. However, little is known about the determinants of these emotions in the consumption context, especially concerning internal consumption-related factors and different stages of the purchase process. This paper contributes to the field by shedding light on the role of brand engagement and materialism in the experience of positive product-evoked emotions. The findings provide evidence that brand engagement significantly enhances consumers’ positive product-evoked emotions, highlighting its importance in consumer behavior research.
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Birgit Teufer, Martin K.J. Waiguny and Sonja Grabner-Kräuter
Sustainability labels play a crucial role in providing consumers with quick and easily accessible information to assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of products…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustainability labels play a crucial role in providing consumers with quick and easily accessible information to assess the environmental, social and economic impacts of products. This research examines how different sustainability labels influence consumer perceptions and assessments of alternative food networks (AFNs).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted three cross-sectional studies to explore consumer perceptions of sustainability labels for AFNs. The authors tested labels representing the three sustainability dimensions, labels of different graphical quality and different awarding bodies.
Findings
Consumers did not differentiate between sustainability dimensions but assessed labels in a holistic manner. The overall rating of a label positively influenced perceived sustainability. Self-designed and professionally designed labels had a positive effect on the intention to buy from an AFN. Professionally designed labels also enhanced the perceived authenticity of the networks. Notably, the source of the label, whether self-awarded or awarded by an official body, did not significantly impact consumer perceptions. However, interaction effects revealed professionally designed labels had a stronger positive effect on purchase intention when they were self-awarded.
Practical implications
AFNs can derive benefits from using labels. Self-organized, non-profit AFNs are well advised to have labels professionally designed.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the understanding of the effects of sustainability labels for community-based AFNs, diverging from the traditional focus on individual products.
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Wiktor Razmus, Valentina Mazzoli, Diletta Acuti and Sonja Grabner-Kräuter
The study aims to shed light on cross-country comparisons of brand engagement in self-concept (BESC) among consumers from European countries and to link presumed differences with…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to shed light on cross-country comparisons of brand engagement in self-concept (BESC) among consumers from European countries and to link presumed differences with country-level economic growth and materialism. This study contributes to the literature on the customer–brand relationship and provides implications for international branding strategies.
Design/methodology/approach
This observation study explored levels of BESC in three European countries. Questionnaire data were collected from consumers of Austria (N = 302), Italy (N = 431) and Poland (N = 410) with the purpose to make cross-country comparisons of BESC among consumers.
Findings
The results provide evidence for partial scalar invariance of the BESC scale. Cross-country comparisons of latent means reveal that Polish consumers score higher on BESC than consumers from Austria and Italy. Moreover, Austrian consumers score higher on BESC than Italian consumers.
Research limitations/implications
Culture as a contextual factor of BESC should be studied further. The findings should be replicated with non-convenience samples in additional cultural contexts to improve the generalizability of data. Structural equation modeling could be used to investigate psychological drivers of BESC differences.
Practical implications
The findings coming from the cross-country comparisons of BESC are of practical relevance to marketing managers: they should tailor their branding and communication strategies accordingly.
Originality/value
So far, the understanding of cross-cultural and cross-country differences in consumer–brand relationships has remained limited. This study adopts a rigorous approach to cross-cultural research enriching the literature on BESC from a cross-country perspective.
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Kurt Matzler, Sonja Grabner‐Kräuter and Sonja Bidmon
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the customer's risk aversion and its relationship with brand loyalty and to test empirically whether this…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the customer's risk aversion and its relationship with brand loyalty and to test empirically whether this relationship is mediated by brand trust and brand affect.
Design/methodology/approach
A randomly selected sample of Austrian mobile phone users was drawn. Their risk aversion, two forms of loyalty (attitudinal and repurchase loyalty), brand trust and brand affect have been measured with existing and tested scales. The hypothesized model has been tested using PLS (Partial least squares).
Findings
Customer's risk aversion is significantly related to the two forms of loyalty (attitudinal loyalty and brand loyalty). When brand affect and brand trust are introduced into the model, the previously highly significant relationship between domain‐specific risk aversion and attitudinal loyalty becomes insignificant and the risk aversion‐repurchase relationship becomes much weaker, while risk aversion strongly influences brand trust and brand affect.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are limited to mobile phone users. The generalisation of the results could be extended by broadening the list of products, for example with other durable products and services in which brand affect and brand trust may be even more important in developing brand loyalty.
Practical implications
This paper explains why certain customers have more trust and experience more affect than others and how this is related to loyalty. Hence, marketers can increase brand loyalty by targeting more risk aversive customers.
Originality/value
From a theoretical point of view the results of this study illuminate the relationship between enduring individual differences and important brand related constructs. From a practical point of view, they explain why certain customers have more trust and experience more affect than others. It is hypothesized and demonstrated empirically that risk aversion is also related to loyalty via brand trust and brand affect.
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Sonja Grabner‐Kräuter and Rita Faullant
This study seeks to investigate the role of internet trust as a specific form of technology trust in the context of internet banking. Furthermore, the integration of propensity to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to investigate the role of internet trust as a specific form of technology trust in the context of internet banking. Furthermore, the integration of propensity to trust within the hierarchical structure of personality and its applicability to technological systems are investigated.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach takes the form of an empirical study with 381 bank customers in Austria (adopters and non‐adopters) and the use of a basic model of the adoption of internet banking with structural equation modelling (SEM).
Findings
The results confirm the influence of internet trust on risk perception and consumer attitudes towards internet banking. Propensity to trust is a determinant not only for interpersonal relationships but also for trust in technological systems.
Research limitations/implications
This is not a representative study. Future research is encouraged to systematically investigate further facets of the personality structure in trust and adoption research, as well as to test interaction effects of psychological determinants (from the study) and external stimuli (web site characteristics).
Practical implications
Making the internet banking interface for the customer more attractive and easier to navigate is not enough to increase the adoption rate of internet banking. Trust‐creating activities to increase internet trust and to diminish perceived risk must be continuously pursued. Propensity to trust is an important determinant in the fruitfulness of these actions.
Originality/value
The paper presents the conceptualization of internet trust as a specific form of technology trust, and its pivotal role in the adoption process of internet banking, together with the extension of the propensity to trust concept to technological systems.
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Kurt Matzler, Sonja Bidmon and Sonja Grabner‐Kräuter
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship among two personality traits (extraversion and openness), hedonic value, brand affect and loyalty. It argues that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship among two personality traits (extraversion and openness), hedonic value, brand affect and loyalty. It argues that individual differences account for differences in the values sought by the consumer and in the formation of brand affect and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
Two samples are drawn (running shoes and mobile phone users) and the effect of personality traits on the other constructs have been tested using the Partial Least Squares approach (PLS) to structural equation modeling.
Findings
It was found that extraversion and openness are positively related to hedonic product value and that the personality traits directly (openness) and indirectly (extraversion, via hedonic value) influence brand affect which in turn drives attitudinal and purchase loyalty.
Research limitations/implications
The paper introduces personality as determinants of perceived value and brand affect. Future studies should aim at including the other personality traits of the Big‐Five (Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness) as possible determinants and utilitarian value as dependent variables.
Practical implications
Combined with lifestyle segmentation approaches, personality variables can be useful to determine which market segments seek hedonic values and which tend more to experience high levels of brand affect, which in turn leads to higher loyalty. The results suggest that customers who score high on extraversion and openness respond stronger to affective stimuli. As a consequence, these findings are of relevance to market segmentation and targeting.
Originality/value
Affective responses to brands are of central importance to brand management as they strongly drive brand loyalty. In this study we investigate the role of two personality traits (extraversion and openness) as antecedents of hedonic value sought by the consumer and brand affect, which have been neglected so far.
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Fanny V. Dobrenova, Ralf Terlutter and Sonja Grabner-Kräuter
This paper aims to examine the effects of qualifying language, functional ingredient, ingredient familiarity and inferences of manipulative intent (IMI) on the likelihood that…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the effects of qualifying language, functional ingredient, ingredient familiarity and inferences of manipulative intent (IMI) on the likelihood that consumers make stimulus-based inferences about the level of scientific support for health claims on food.
Design/methodology/approach
An advertisement copy test for a fictitious product bearing a caries risk-reduction claim has been conducted. The test design comprises three claim conditions, each corresponding to one of the sufficient levels of support for nutrient-health relations within the World Health Organization (WHO)-framework.
Findings
The claim conditions have affected the likelihood of making stimulus-based inferences, which is lower for high-level-of-support claims as opposed to low-level-of-support and moderate-level-of-support claims. No effect of ingredient familiarity has been observed. The effect of the functional ingredient featured is significant at the 10 per cent-level. IMI has a negative effect on the likelihood of making a stimulus-based inference.
Research limitations/implications
The survey relies on a demographically homogeneous sample.
Practical implications
Examining the likelihood of stimulus-based inferences about health claim substantiation is essential for assessing the effectiveness of claim formulations and for addressing resulting miscommunication.
Originality/value
The current paper addresses the research gap on consumer ability to identify the level of support for health claims within the European context.
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Michael Getzner and Sonja Grabner‐Kräuter
Socially responsible investment (SRI) has gained importance as about one out of eight US dollars is currently invested based on screening in the USA. However, European private…
Abstract
Socially responsible investment (SRI) has gained importance as about one out of eight US dollars is currently invested based on screening in the USA. However, European private investors are generally much more reluctant to invest in shares, and in Austria, only 7 percent of private households hold shares. There is nevertheless some interest in “green shares” (a sub‐class of SRI comprising shares that are screened for their least impact on the environment) as a representative survey recently exhibited that 8 percent of respondents were definitely interested in holding “green shares”. Econometric estimates of an empirical model explaining the respondents' willingness to invest in green shares showed that education, income, environmental awareness and the expected profit are the main explanatory variables. Based on these results, conclusions are drawn regarding marketing strategies for “green shares”. In particular, credibility both regarding financial aspects (competitive return), and environmental and social criteria have to be guaranteed to make more consumers interested in investing in green shares.