Hsuan-Hsuan Ku, Szu-Han Wang and Hao-Wei Chiang
Based on the concept of information salience, the research investigates the factors that might drive potential differences in consumers' preferences between offers framed as free…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on the concept of information salience, the research investigates the factors that might drive potential differences in consumers' preferences between offers framed as free with purchase or as a bundle.
Design/methodology/approach
Four experiments examined how participants' preferences for bundled offers or free-with-purchase offers varied as a function of the perceived benefits to be obtained from the supplementary products (studies 1a and 1b) and identified participants' sensitivity to the price of the supplementary component as a mediator of the framing effect of a promotional offer (study 2) and the provision of information facilitating the drawing of comparisons as the boundary condition constraining the effectiveness of a free-with-purchase offer (study 3).
Findings
Results show that a bundled offer is preferable to a free-with-purchase offer when the supplementary product provides a high-level rather than a low-level benefit and identify price sensitivity as an underlying mechanism behind the observed effect. Furthermore, consumers' sensitivity to the value of the focal product in the deal brought to their attention by comparative information makes a fair charge for a relatively unattractive component the preferable offer.
Originality/value
While much of the existing published research on bundled offers focuses on the assigning of discounts to individual products in the bundle, this study adds to the body of knowledge by showing that variation in perceived benefits is the key driver of different responses to a free-with-purchase offer versus a bundled offer.
Details
Keywords
Juozas Padgurskas, Igoris Prosyčevas, Raimundas Rukuiža, Raimondas Kreivaitis and Artūras Kupčinskas
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of using the iron nanoparticles and iron nanoparticles coated with copper layer as additives to base oils.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of using the iron nanoparticles and iron nanoparticles coated with copper layer as additives to base oils.
Design/methodology/approach
Fe and Fe+Cu nanoparticles were synthesized by a reduction modification method and added to mineral oil. The size and structure of prepared nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRF, AAS and XRD analysis. Tribological properties of modified lubricants were evaluated on a four‐ball machine in a model of sliding friction pairs.
Findings
Spectral and microscopy analysis evidently displayed the formation of Fe and Fe+Cu nanoparticles in suspensions of colloidal solutions and oil. The size of formed nanoparticles was in 15‐50 nm range. Tribological experiments show good lubricating properties of oils modified with Fe and Fe+Cu nanoparticles: higher wear resistance (55 per cent and 46 per cent accordingly) and lower friction coefficient (30 per cent and 26 per cent accordingly). The tests show that nanoparticles provide decreasing tendency of friction torque during the operation of friction pair.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates that iron nanoparticles and iron nanoparticles coated with copper layer, not only reduce the wear and friction decrease of friction pairs, but possibly also can create layer in oil which separates two friction surfaces and have some self‐organisation properties.