6,456 research outputs found

    A Functional Approach to Schwartz\u27s Cultural Dimensions: Persuasive Appeals Corresponding to Individual Cultural Values

    Get PDF
    The goal of this study is to add to the literature of advertising as well as consumer psychology, specifically testing whether people\u27s attitude towards online advertising would depend on how much the advertising resonated with their individual cultural values. Hereby, Schwartz\u27s cultural dimensions were adopted, namely Hierarchy, Egalitarianism, Embeddedness, Intellectual Autonomy and Affective Autonomy. Past research has suggested that when advertising contained the same value a person stresses, that person would have more favorable attitudes towards the ad. More relevantly, research has demonstrated that if an advertisement was more relevant with a person\u27s individual cultural values (Torelli et al., 2009), it would increase the favorability towards the ad. Using moving online banner ads, rather than still images, as advertising stimuli, this study tries to further investigate how advertising works on people. By exposing respondents to online banners embedding different cultural values, the study measured their attitudes towards the banners together with information on demographics and control variables. The results seemed not to support former studies that advertising containing the same value a person stresses received more favorabilit

    Optimal user esperience in social commerce: the role of emotions, flow and user-generated information

    Get PDF
    This doctoral dissertation aims to understand how to optimize online customer experience in the highly interactive environment of social commerce. In an attempt to go beyond online commercial transactions and to support a consumer-centered and social-oriented perspective, social commerce offers users the necessary tools (e.g., recommendations, referrals, ratings and forums) for fostering social interactions during the online purchasing process. User-generated content, the fruit of these social interactions, can affect and help users in their decision-making process. Hence, the main objective of this dissertation aims to understand online consumer behavior to optimize the customer experience in social commerce. This doctoral dissertation is organized into four studies.Study 1 aims to investigate the customer engagement behavior literature in depth, analyzing the cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of the engagement generation process in social commerce and the role of emotions within that process. This study proposes a model of the cognitive, affective and behavioral dimensions of the engagement generation process. The model analyzes how interactivity, social presence and enjoyment affect sPassion and result in positive sWOM. The results confirm empirically that cognitive experience and emotional feelings derived from the process boost user participation. At the core of the process, sPassion positively affects the spread of sWOM. Study 2 has the objective of reaching a wider understanding of optimal user experience in social commerce and its mediating effect between emotions and behavior. Accordingly, the study is divided into two parts: first, to analyze the dimensionality, structure and measurement of the state of flow; and second, to test how websites can improve user experience to boost positive sWOM while avoiding negative sWOM. The empirical results confirm the three-dimensional nature of the concept and support its second-order reflective structure, thereby helping to establish the basis for measuring state of flow, its structure and factors; and it confirms that passionate users are likely to experience a state of flow and, as a consequence, to share positive sWOM. Study 3 investigates how user-generated versus company-generated information contributes to trust in the social commerce site, at the same time analyzing how user-generational cohorts behave (Generations X, Y and Z). Social commerce websites offer content created by the company itself and by its users, and this content is accessible without time and space constraints; therefore, everyone, regardless of age, can access social commerce information. The mission of social commerce is to boost tradeoffs while offering users the chance to share their own experiences and to obtain information from the experiences of others. Hence, trust transferred in this part of the purchasing decision process will be influenced by trust in the type of information available. Thus, Study 3 analyzes how user-generated and company-generated information contribute to trust in social commerce. The younger the generation, the more trust in social commerce is transferred from trust in user-generated information; the older the generation, the more trust in social commerce is transferred from trust in company-generated information. Study 3 confirms that users cannot be considered as a single group and must be segmented into generational cohorts.Study 4 investigates user experience across cultures, analyzing the effect of hedonic and utilitarian antecedents on optimal user experience and its consequences on user intention. Taking into account the salience of emotions within experiences of digital technologies, this study has a twofold purpose. First, it analyzes how emotions such as sPassion compared with flow state affected by usability, resulting in a positive impact on emotional and behavioral loyalty. Second, as the main focus of the study, cultural background is tested as a moderating effect.This dissertation allows us to draw a number of main conclusions regarding the study of online consumer experience in social commerce. First, on the basis of the importance of emotion in customer experience, this dissertation supports the primary role of emotions in shaping optimal user experience in social commerce. Second, once users are engaged and have reached an optimal experience (state of flow), this situation drives positive changes in their behavior, positively affecting their decision-making process. Third, it is necessary to take into account the fact that generational cohorts behave differently, since they trust information in different ways. Last, but not least, despite the fact that culture influences decision-making processes, the internationalization of markets and multiculturalism is making users more and more similar.<br /

    Modeling young global consumers' apparel brand resonance: a cross-cultural comparison between the United States and Thailand

    Get PDF
    With the expansion of globalization, the increasingly competitive environment of fashion has led to the diffusion of brands across borders and cultures. Furthermore, with the expansion of multinational brands as well as increasingly global media communications, young consumers represent an optimal segment for the proliferation of global consumer culture (GCC). Thus, the purpose of this study is to develop and empirically test a model of young consumers' apparel brand resonance within a global sportswear context. Specifically, the study seeks to 1) examine the role of socialization agents as determinants of young consumers' acculturation to a global consumer culture (AGCC); 2) investigate the impact of young consumers' acculturation to a global consumer culture on their perceived brand equity; 3) examine the effect of young consumers' perceived brand equity on brand attitudes, which in turn, is expected to influence brand resonance; and 4) to explore whether such a model can be applied with young consumers residing in Thailand. If the model can be applied across samples, we can further explore similarities and differences regarding the relationships proposed in the model. Data was collected via a self-report questionnaire administered to samples of college students at major universities in metropolitan cities in the United States and Thailand. The study's final sample consisted of 636 responses. Of these, 336 were American and 300 were Thai. Confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis were employed to answer all hypotheses using a structural equation model. Results showed that all three socialization agents (e.g., parents, peers and media) showed an influence on certain dimensions of the AGCC among young American consumers. That is, while parents positively influenced the cosmopolitan (COS) dimension, peers positively influenced the openness and desire to emulate the global consumer culture (OPE) dimension. In addition, media also positively influenced exposure to global media (GMM) dimension and openness and desire to emulate the global consumer culture (OPE) dimension. Among Thai consumers, only parents and peers revealed an influence on certain dimensions of AGCC. That is, while parents positively influenced EXM dimension, peers influenced OPE and ELU dimensions. Furthermore, results showed that among young American consumers, while brand awareness was positively influenced by COS, brand awareness was negatively influenced by EXM and ELU. Also, while brand image was positively influenced by COS, brand image was negatively influenced by EXM and ELU. Among young Thai consumers, results showed that while brand awareness was positively influenced by ELU and GMM, brand awareness was negatively influenced by COS. In addition, brand image was positively influenced by EXM and GMM. Results further revealed that among young American consumers, brand awareness and brand image positively influenced attitudes toward global brands, which in turn positively influenced brand resonance. Among young Thai consumers, only brand image positively influenced attitudes toward global brands, which in turn positively influenced brand resonance. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided. Limitations and future research directions are addressed

    The influence of incentives and survey design on mail survey response rates for mature consumers

    Get PDF
    The mail survey is still the preferred research tool for the mature consumer population and questions remain about ways of boosting survey response rates. The influence of two incentives were explored, a foil-wrapped tea bag and a 1donationforeachreturnedquestionnaireinthestudydesign.Asignificanthigherresponseratewasonlyachievedforthefirstincentive.Theeffectivenessofarangeofincentivesandsurveydesignfeatureswereinvestigated.Respondentsindicatedthattheirpreferredincentivewasa1 donation for each returned questionnaire in the study design. A significant higher response rate was only achieved for the first incentive. The effectiveness of a range of incentives and survey design features were investigated. Respondents indicated that their preferred incentive was a 500 donation to a charity. With the ongoing use of mail surveys almost mandatory for populations like this one, this study shows that incentives and design features such as CEO endorsement are important elements in improving response rates

    An empirical examination of the effect of national identity on willingness to pay for local origin products : a focus on Egyptian consumers

    Get PDF
    Building on social identity theory, this study develops and investigates a conceptual model that assesses the effect national identity has on the willingness to pay for local origin products. A systematic literature review highlighted the theoretical and managerial research gaps that are evident from a developing country's perspective. To better understand the link between national identity and willingness to pay for locally sourced goods, this study looks at the role of several mediating variables such as negative evaluations of foreign products, reluctance to buy foreign products, participation in the purchase decision process, self-categorisation and the perceived quality of domestic products in Egypt.These mediating effects are also examined under the moderating role of conservation values (tradition, security and conformity). An online survey of 794 respondents revealed that (a) a negative evaluation towards foreign products, (b) a reluctance to buy foreign products, (c) and perceived quality of domestic products were shown to mediate the effect of national identity on willingness to pay for local origin products. Accordingly, Egyptian consumers tend to prefer domestic products over foreign ones to satisfy their sense of national identity and maintain a positive social identity among members of their in-group (home nation). These findings extend social identity theory,where members of the in-group are expected to behave in favour of that in-group, but this does not necessarily suggest refusing foreign products in the case of a lack of domestic alternatives or domestic products of inferior quality. The study also empirically examines the construct of national identity within an Arab and developing country context where very limited research has been conducted. An important takeaway for managers is the importance of consideringEgyptian consumers' level of national identification and how it manifests itself in their purchasing behaviour
    • …
    corecore