Beth Hogan, Sharon L. Oswald, Tony L. Henthorne and William Schaninger
A nation‐wide survey of hospital providers was conducted in an effort to determine the type and level of promotion and advertising agency utilization. The study indicated that a…
Abstract
A nation‐wide survey of hospital providers was conducted in an effort to determine the type and level of promotion and advertising agency utilization. The study indicated that a majority of the hospitals surveyed are engaging in some form of advertising activity. Survey results further showed agency usage was highly correlated to hospital bed size. Additionally, contrary to previous research, hospital ownership status (for‐profit/not‐for‐profit) was not found to significantly affect agency utilization. Specifics about hospital/agency relationships are presented.
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The purpose of this study is to examine how service performance and procedural justice are related and how this relationship is moderated by family life cycle (FLC) and culture…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine how service performance and procedural justice are related and how this relationship is moderated by family life cycle (FLC) and culture. While it has long been assumed that customer perceptions of fair treatment by service providers are related to service quality perceptions, there has been little research that explicitly examines this relationship. Previous research has established that justice is an influential antecedent of behavior and attitudes in many different settings.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a 42‐item survey instrument combining the SERVPERF scale, a procedural justice scale and several demographic measures, responses were obtained from 717 individuals from Central and Eastern Europe and the USA. A 2×2 factorial design was used to evaluate the relationship between service performance and justice perceptions, and the moderating impacts of FLC position and culture on these perceptions.
Findings
Strong evidence was found to support the notion that fair treatment of customers affects service performance perceptions across both FLC position and culture.
Research limitations/implications
Only one service industry (higher education) was used. This study should be replicated in other industry settings to provide validation across industries.
Originality/value
From both empirical and theoretical standpoints, this study bridges the gap between two separate but related literature streams of service performance and procedural justice.
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Examines how perceived product safety may be affected by such product‐related factors as price, brand name, store name, promotion channels, source credibility, country of origin…
Abstract
Examines how perceived product safety may be affected by such product‐related factors as price, brand name, store name, promotion channels, source credibility, country of origin, nature of product testing authority and warranty. Shows that perceived product safety was significantly affected by all of the variables mentioned above. Implies that, by carefully manipulating these variables in formulating marketing strategies, managers can attract the large and growing market of safety‐conscious consumers and gain a competitive edge that cannot possibly be ignored.
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In this paper, the main objective will be to discuss the factors which can influence the usage of risk reducing strategies found in the literature over the past 30 years. Some of…
Abstract
In this paper, the main objective will be to discuss the factors which can influence the usage of risk reducing strategies found in the literature over the past 30 years. Some of the factors which have relatively consistent effects include age, socio‐economic group, education while other factors show complex effect e.g. self‐confidence, loss‐type and product risk. On the whole, the literature on risk reduction and how it is affected is unable to provide would‐be researchers with clear guidance for questionnaire construction and research design.
Carolin Scheiben and Lisa Carola Holthoff
The chapter investigates factors shaping convenience orientation in the 21st century as well as present-day barriers to the consumption of food and non-food convenience products.
Abstract
Purpose
The chapter investigates factors shaping convenience orientation in the 21st century as well as present-day barriers to the consumption of food and non-food convenience products.
Methodology/approach
A qualitative research approach with two kinds of data triangulation is used. Multiple key informants (marketing managers and consumers) allow a consideration from different angles and multiple methodologies (in-depth and focus group interviews) help to gain deeper insights into the topic.
Findings
Convenience orientation comprises dimensions that were previously not considered in marketing research. In addition to the known factors time and effort saving, consumers buy convenience products because of the flexibility they provide. Moreover, concerns for health, environment, and quality are important barriers that prevent consumers from buying and consuming convenience products.
Research limitations/implications
Our results suggest that factors increasing and decreasing convenience consumption depend at least partly on the product category. Future research should integrate various other product groups to further explore domain-specific convenience orientation.
Practical implications
The conceptualization of convenience orientation offers important implications for new product development as well as for the design of the marketing mix. For instance, existing barriers could be overcome by improving transparency or meeting environmental concerns.
Originality/value
The chapter reveals the factors shaping the consumption of convenience products. The presented findings are important to academics researching convenience consumption and practitioners producing and distributing convenience products.
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This paper aims to investigate whether the consumers who return a product and those who end up keeping a product after experiencing post-purchase dissonance (PPD) possess distinct…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate whether the consumers who return a product and those who end up keeping a product after experiencing post-purchase dissonance (PPD) possess distinct underlying characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
Field survey study consisting of two separate surveys conducted with consumers of New York City and neighboring areas of New York and New Jersey.
Findings
Product returners and keepers exhibited disparate demographic profiles regarding gender and household income, along with ethnicity to some extent. The two groups also exhibited different predispositions with regard to confidence in the purchase decision and expectations about their purchase. Finally, returners and keepers were engaged in divergent thoughts, feelings and activities to cope with PPD.
Practical implications
The findings of this study offer marketing practitioners new knowledge and insight into understanding product returners and keepers and will assist them in developing strategies to reduce and manage increasing product returns by consumers more effectively.
Originality/value
This study is the first to present empirical evidence that product returners and keepers have distinct profiles of demographic characteristics and predispositions toward purchase. The study also has found divergent PPD coping strategies used by the two types of consumers, which exposes an obsolete understanding of PPD in the marketing literature.
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Iain R. Black, George C. Organ and Peta Morton
This paper aims to examine the role of personality in how people respond to sexual appeals in advertising. The impact of three traits (extraversion, neuroticism and openness) was…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the role of personality in how people respond to sexual appeals in advertising. The impact of three traits (extraversion, neuroticism and openness) was tested.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed‐factor experimental design was used. Gender, level of sexual appeal (manipulated over two levels) and participants' standing on each of the three personality trait scales were the between‐subjects factors. Relevance of the product to the appeal, which was also manipulated over two levels, was the within‐subjects factor. The sample comprised 156 undergraduate students, and each student was randomly assigned to either a mild appeals or an overt appeals condition.
Findings
The results show that levels of extraversion and openness directly affect responses to advertisements as measured with attitude towards the advertisement.
Research limitations/implications
Recommendations are made, including that overt sexual appeals should not be used on a target audience of “introverts”, or people who are characterised as quiet, shy and reserved.
Originality/value
This research extends existing work on the effect of individual differences on consumers' reactions to advertising and is the first to show that personality traits affect responses to sexual appeals.