Mehdi Akhgari, Edward R. Bruning, Jesse Finlay and Nealia S. Bruning
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to determine the extent to which hedonic and utilitarian attitudes and loyalty are influenced by perceived financial performance (PFP…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to determine the extent to which hedonic and utilitarian attitudes and loyalty are influenced by perceived financial performance (PFP) and executive compensation plan image (ECPI) in financial services; second, the authors evaluate relationships among hedonic and utilitarian attitudes, trust, and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a quasi-experimental design in Study 1 the authors test the relationship between antecedents (PFP and ECPI) and relational elements (attitudes, trust, and loyalty) to address the first objective. To accomplish the second objective, the authors employ structural equation modeling in Study 2 to test the relationship among hedonic and utilitarian attitudes, trust, and loyalty.
Findings
Study 1 confirms that PFP and ECPI positively impact both hedonic and utilitarian attitudes but do not directly affect loyalty. Study 2 demonstrates a positive association between utilitarian attitudes and trust, although the hedonic attitudes-trust relationship is negative. Hedonic attitudes are also significantly related to utilitarian attitudes. Finally, trust mediates the relationship between attitudes and loyalty.
Practical implications
Building customer trust is an important correlate of loyalty, and emphasizing an attribute-based aspect of perceived financial service generates greater trust compared to enhancing a non-attribute aspect (i.e. minimizing negative effects on image of executive compensation plans).
Originality/value
The authors link attitude research to service/relationship quality research and discover that attitudes are indirectly related to loyalty through increases in trust. The findings suggest that perceived image and performance of financial services are important to relationship quality when applied to financial services.
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Dong Lyu, Dirk Moosmayer, Hao Ding and Jia Jin
This paper aims to explore when and why consumers hold inconsistent and consistent choices between self- and gift-purchases.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore when and why consumers hold inconsistent and consistent choices between self- and gift-purchases.
Design/methodology/approach
Across three paper-based questionnaire experiments, the authors examine how consumers’ preferences for desirability and feasibility vary with purchase types (self- vs gift-purchases) based on the functional theories of attitudes. The authors examine consumers’ attitude functions and their self-monitoring closely associated with chronic attitude functions.
Findings
The findings show that the social adjustive function moderates whether consumers hold consistent or inconsistent preferences across the two purchases. Specifically, consumers generally rely more on desirability in gift-purchases than self-purchases, whereas this inconsistent preference only exists when the social adjustive function is comparable or advantaged to the utilitarian function. When the social adjustive function is significantly disadvantaged relative to the utilitarian function, consumers consistently prefer feasibility irrespective of self- or gift-purchases.
Research limitations/implications
The research contributes to the familiar topic of consumers’ choice trade-offs between self- and gift-purchases. It documents the moderating role of the social adjustive function of consumers’ attitudes in whether they hold consistent or inconsistent choices across the two purchases. This extends the extensive research on self-other decisions.
Practical implications
The findings strongly suggest retailers identify or manipulate consumers’ attitude functions to make the attitude functions align with the purchase type when recommending products.
Originality/value
Most relevant literature focuses on exploring choice differences between self- and gift-purchases. This research not only explores the choice differences but also attempts to find the condition under which people’s choices do not differ between the two purchases.
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Applying the value-attitude-behavior (VAB) model, this study investigated how perceived utilitarian and hedonic values (i.e. novelty and emotion) affect individuals' attitudes…
Abstract
Purpose
Applying the value-attitude-behavior (VAB) model, this study investigated how perceived utilitarian and hedonic values (i.e. novelty and emotion) affect individuals' attitudes toward medical hotels and how these attitudes, in turn, influence their intentions to stay at medical hotels. The current study also explored the moderating impact of overall health status on the relationships between perceived utilitarian, novelty and emotional values and attitudes toward medical hotels.
Design/methodology/approach
The data collected from 351 individuals who spent a night in a hospital to undergo medical treatment was used in conducting structural equation modeling to evaluate the research model and test the study hypotheses.
Findings
The study results revealed that perceived utilitarian, novelty and emotional values exerted a positive influence on individuals’ attitudes toward medical hotels, consequently enhancing their intention to stay. Additionally, significant moderating impacts of overall health status on the associations between perceived utilitarian, novelty and emotional values and attitudes toward medical hotels were observed.
Practical implications
The study findings provide useful guidance for professionals, such as operators, marketers and managers in medical hotels. These insights can improve operational and marketing strategies, benefiting both the industry and healthcare accommodation seekers.
Originality/value
This study is among the first to empirically assess a theoretical model that explored the influence of individuals' value perceptions within the realm of medical hotel establishments.
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Kittichai Watchravesringkan, Nancy Nelson Hodges and Yun‐Hee Kim
This study seeks to develop and test a model of consumers' adoption of highly technological fashion products (HTFPs) through modifying the technology acceptance model (TAM).
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to develop and test a model of consumers' adoption of highly technological fashion products (HTFPs) through modifying the technology acceptance model (TAM).
Design/methodology/approach
Using a convenience sampling method, students between 18 to 26 years old were chosen as the sample population from a mid‐size southern university in the USA. The final sample consisted of 268 responses. Confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis were employed to answer all hypotheses using the structural equation model.
Findings
Empirical results revealed that consumers' intentions to adopt an innovation (i.e. highly technological fashion product) are driven by the multi‐dimensional nature of consumers' extrinsic (i.e. perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness) and intrinsic (i.e. perceived innovativeness and perceived fashionability) motivation. Additionally, these motivational dimensions contribute to consumers' utilitarian and hedonic attitudes toward using an innovation, which in turn affects their purchase intentions.
Practical implications
Consumers' utilitarian and hedonic consumer attitudes may enable retailers and marketers to design effective advertising campaigns by helping them to determine whether the functional or sensational components of the product need to be emphasized. Furthermore, when developing a new product, marketers need to focus on product attributes that possess both functionality and hedonic benefits.
Originality/value
This is the first known study to examine the underlying relationships between motivations, two‐dimensional consumers' attitudes (utilitarian and hedonic), and purchase intentions in the consumer‐related product context. The study has broadened the TAM by integrating extrinsic and intrinsic motivational variables into the model. It has also deepened the TAM by conceptualizing consumers' attitudes as comprising two distinct dimensions: utilitarian and hedonic.
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Tsung Hung Lee, Chung-Jen Fu and Yin Yuan Chen
The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between trust factors and buying behavior among consumers in the organic food market in Taiwan.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between trust factors and buying behavior among consumers in the organic food market in Taiwan.
Design/methodology/approach
The researchers developed a questionnaire using latent variables including the trust factors, utilitarian attitudes, hedonic attitudes, buying behavior and demographic information of consumers of organic foods. Confirmatory factor analysis and the structural equation modeling were conducted using LISREL 8.80 for Windows.
Findings
The empirical results indicated that health content, locally produced products, organic food labels and price premiums positively and significantly affected utilitarian and hedonic attitudes. Both utilitarian attitudes and hedonic attitudes positively and significantly affected respondents’ buying behavior. A series of theoretical implications were identified.
Practical implications
The researchers concluded that providing consumers with practical information related to organic food, establishing local production facilities, developing content, standardizing labeling procedures and promoting a new organic certification system for small-scale producers will encourage more consumers to purchase organic food.
Originality/value
This study first examines the food trust buying behavior of organic foods and related consumption behavior theory questions. It mainly takes the stimulus–organism–response model as the foundation of its approach. Simultaneously, it also conforms to utilitarian behavior theory, and the process by which consumers become better aware of organic foods’ quality.
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Lifu Li, Kyeong Kang, Anqi Zhao and Yafei Feng
Although prior studies have studied the relationship between online consumers' attitudes and buying behaviour, the research focussing on online consumers' impulse buying…
Abstract
Purpose
Although prior studies have studied the relationship between online consumers' attitudes and buying behaviour, the research focussing on online consumers' impulse buying behaviours and exploring the role of celebrity endorsement is limited. Drawing on the social presence and the social facilitation theory, this paper establishes a research model based on the stimuli–organism–response (S–O–R) model and the motivation theory. It explores how live streamers impact online consumers' impulse buying behaviours under specific social and cultural backgrounds, with celebrity endorsement as a moderating variable.
Design/methodology/approach
To test the research model, the online questionnaire method has been conducted in this study. This paper utilises Chinese online consumers as samples and promotes an online survey. Using the variance-based structural equation modelling and partial least squares path modelling (SEM-PLS), 433 valid questionnaires have been analysed on SmartPLS.
Findings
First, live streamers' attractive appearance positively correlates with online consumers' hedonic attitude and positively impacts their utilitarian attitude to live shopping. Second, live streamers' real-time interaction positively affects consumers' utilitarian attitudes because of their professional marketing and communication skills. Third, their hedonic and utilitarian attitudes positively influence online consumers' impulse buying behaviours. Finally, this paper presents that celebrity endorsement negatively moderates the relationship between online consumers' hedonic attitudes and impulse buying during live shopping.
Originality/value
This research combines the S–O–R model and the motivation theory and analyses related social influencing factors to study online consumers' impulse buying behaviours. Meanwhile, it explores the celebrity endorsement factor as a moderate role and identifies the different effects between live streamers and celebrities in live shopping, which is of great significance to the strategy of live shopping marketing and the literature on online consumers' behaviours.
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Mijeong Noh, Rodney Runyan and Jon Mosier
This study aims to investigate the relationship between young consumers' innovativeness and their hedonic/utilitarian attitudes toward cool clothing and to examine the moderating…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between young consumers' innovativeness and their hedonic/utilitarian attitudes toward cool clothing and to examine the moderating role of income on this relationship. This study uses five cool factors (singular cool, personal cool, aesthetic cool, functional cool and quality cool) under the hedonic and utilitarian cool dimensions to test the hypotheses.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a web-based survey, 265 responses were used for analysis. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the measurement scales. Single-group SEM and multiple-group SEM were performed to examine the hypothesized relationships.
Findings
Innovative young consumers tend to have stronger hedonic cool attitude toward clothing than non-innovative young consumers. In contrast, innovativeness and utilitarian values of cool products are not interrelated for young consumers. Innovative, high-income young consumes have a tendency to purchase cool products to reflect their personality, individuality, and self-identity.
Research limitations/implications
This study has limitations for future research with regard to the generalization of the findings because this study focused on a sample of college students.
Practical implications
This study will provide some valuable information about young consumers' purchasing behaviours toward cool products for commercial marketers.
Originality/value
This study provides an initial contribution to the literature on the relationships between young consumers' hedonic/utilitarian attitudes and their innovativeness and income levels.
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Moin Ahmad Moon, Batish Javaid, Maira Kiran, Hayat Muhammad Awan and Amna Farooq
The purpose of this paper is to test and validate a modified Stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model with the bi-dimensional attitude toward counterfeit apparel products. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to test and validate a modified Stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model with the bi-dimensional attitude toward counterfeit apparel products. The study examines the relationship of object and social psychological stimuli with utilitarian and hedonic attitude and intentions to purchase counterfeit apparel products.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected data from 331 systematically selected university students of the age bracket (18–30) years from Punjab, Pakistan (MLE) via self-administrated questionnaire. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation via AMOS 23 was used for data analysis.
Findings
The modified S-O-R model explained significant variance in counterfeit purchase intentions. Hedonic attitude proved to be a strong predictor of counterfeit apparel purchase intentions as compared to utilitarian attitude. All attributes of counterfeit apparel products proved to be the significant positive predictors of hedonic and utilitarian attitude except information susceptibility, which did not predict utilitarian attitude.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected from university students of the age bracket (18–30) years and apparel products were taken as a product category.
Practical implications
The retailers and manufacturers of original brands should emphasize humiliation and embarrassment that a consumer may have to face because of counterfeit purchasing. They can also educate consumers on the negative impacts of the counterfeit products not only on consumers but also on the economy as a whole.
Originality/value
S-O-R model was adapted to provide strong theoretical underpinnings to understand counterfeit consumption behavior. This study also incorporated two dimensions of attitude in counterfeit product consumption behavior and analyzed their relative influence on purchase intentions.
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Sambashiva Rao Kunja, Arvind Kumar and Bramhani Rao
The purpose of this study is to adopt stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory to reveal the impact of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on buying intentions of young consumers in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to adopt stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory to reveal the impact of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on buying intentions of young consumers in the presence of hedonic brand attitude (HBA) and utilitarian brand attitude (UBA) as mediators, among smartphone customers in the context of brand fan pages in Facebook.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a single cross-sectional design to survey a sample of 326 young online customers present in leading smartphone brand fan pages on Facebook in India. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data and replies were recorded on a Likert scale (five-point). The data was subjected to structural equation modelling for model and hypotheses testing.
Findings
eWOM has a significantly positive influence on the buying intentions of the young. Both HBA and UBA partially mediate the influence of eWOM on buying intentions.
Research limitations/implications
The study examines only the personal-oriented functions of attitude and does not investigate the role of social dimensions of attitudes. Its scope is confined to smartphones in the consumer electronics segment and only Facebook among social networking sites.
Practical implications
A theoretical contribution to eWOM literature is made by studying it under the lens of S-O-R theory and functional theory of attitudes. Measurement of two different dimensions of attitude, i.e. hedonic and utilitarian, may facilitate managers to comprehend the source of variance in consumers’ decision-making behaviour in the online context.
Originality/value
The only study to explore brand attitude as a mediator in its multi-dimensional form, in the context of social eWOM.
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Hyun-Joo Lee and Cynthia Goudeau
The purpose of this paper is to apply the standard learning hierarchy to the study of organic foods. More specifically, this research is intended to examine if cognition in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply the standard learning hierarchy to the study of organic foods. More specifically, this research is intended to examine if cognition in the form of beliefs and utilitarian attitudes, affect in the form of hedonic attitudes, and behavior in the form of attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty occur successively.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 725 consumer panel data were obtained through a web-based survey. A two-stage structural equation modeling with AMOS graphics version 18.0 was used to validate the measurement models and test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
While health benefits positively influenced utilitarian attitudes, no significant effect of ecological welfare benefits was detected. The results also indicate that utilitarian attitudes had a significant and positive relationship with hedonic attitudes, which in turn led to attitudinal loyalty. Lastly, the relation between attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty was significant and positive.
Research limitations/implications
Global attitudes and loyalty toward organic foods were examined in this research. Thus, future research could investigate more domain-specific attitudes and loyalty to various organic food items.
Practical implications
The development of positive attitudes toward organic foods among consumers is important for the long-term success of organic food products or brands.
Originality/value
There is a little research that adopts an established theory or theoretical approach to explain a purchase behavior of organic foods. For this reason, the standard learning hierarchy was incorporated in order to study how cognition, affect, and behavior are formed when a purchase decision involving organic foods.