A netnography study to uncover the underlying dimensions of customer experience with resort brands

The interest in customer experience has increased at a phenomenal rate. However, research to capture the true meaning of the concept is limited. This study aims to address the question of what are the underlying dimensions that constitute the construct of customer experience. The netnography method is utilized to validate a priori concepts that have been identified in the literature within the context of resort-hotel brands in a Sharm El Sheikh resort in Egypt. The results identified eight dimensions; comfort, educational, hedonic, novelty, recognition, relational, safety and sense of beauty which are consistent with major studies on experience

A netnography study on branded customer experience: Evidence from the red sea

This study addresses the question of what are the underlying dimensions and messages to self and others that constitute the construct of customer experience. The study uses a netnography method to validate or refute and extend a priori concepts that the literature identifies within the context of resort-hotel brands in a Sharm El Sheikh resort in Egypt. The results identify eight dimensions (comfort, educational, hedonic, novelty, recognition, relational, safety and sense of beauty) and unique configurations of these eight dimensions that extend prior research on customer experience

Design as communication: exploring the validity and utility of relating intention to interpretation

This explores the role of intention in interpreting designed artefacts. The relationship between how designers intend products to be interpreted and how they are subsequently interpreted has often been represented as a process of communication. However, such representations are attacked for allegedly implying that designers' intended meanings are somehow ‘contained’ in products and that those meanings are passively received by consumers. Instead, critics argue that consumers actively construct their own meanings as they engage with products, and therefore that designers' intentions are not relevant to this process. In contrast, this article asserts the validity and utility of relating intention to interpretation by exploring the nature of that relationship in design practice and consumer response. Communicative perspectives on design are thereby defended and new avenues of empirical enquiry are proposed

Assessing and measuring the impact of self-accountability activation on prosocial choice : can efforts to encourage ethical purchases be counter-productive?

In this report, I discuss one method of prosocial marketing; evaluate it from a theoretical perspective; identify significant questions about its measurement and application; present a study and explain how the design and measurements included in that study could elucidate answers to the identified questions, pending some analysis; and discuss my current data collection plans. The method, ethical self-accountability activation, was proposed and evaluated by John Peloza, Katherine White, and Jingzhi Shang in their article titled "Good and Guilt-Free: The Role of Self-Accountability in Influencing Preferences for Products with Ethical attributes," which was published in the January 2013 issue of the Journal of Marketing.Statistic

Medical discourse and ideology in the Edinburgh Review: a Chaldean exemplar

No abstract available

Two Essays on the Role of Empathy in Consumer Response to User-Generated Content

Empathy is known to be the basis of all human interactions and an essential component of human psychology. Empathy includes a cognitive component (perspective-taking) and an affective component (e.g., emotional contagion). The two essays of my dissertation investigate how each of these components of empathy affect consumer responses to user-generated content. Essay 1: Although both price and online review ratings are important cues in consumers’ product quality judgment, most previous studies have treated price and review ratings as separate inputs into consumer decision-making. The current research shows that the two cues are intertwined, such that consumers’ perception of the same review rating is different depending on the price of the rated product. Through four experimental studies with a variety of operationalizations, I show that consumers have the tendency to adjust the review rating of higher-priced products upwards compared with that of lower-priced products. For example, the same 4.0- star rating signals a higher-quality product when the price is $37 than when the price is$17, above and beyond the quality signaling effect of the price itself. This price-based bias in review rating perception is attributed to consumers taking the perspective of review writers and to the shared knowledge of review writers taking the price paid into consideration when rating a product. This research extends the existing literature on online reviews by introducing perspective-taking as a metacognitive mechanism that can influence consumers’ responses to online reviews. Essay 2: Companies make significant efforts to encourage positive word-of-mouth (WOM) about their brands on social media. One common tactic is to encourage consumers to post a picture of themselves (i.e., a selfie) with the product on social media. The current research investigates the role of eye gaze in such social media messages in facilitating emotional contagion and its subsequent effects on consumers’ engagement with the content and attitude toward the associated product. Through five online experiments and one lab experiment using facial expression analysis, I show that the mere presence of direct (vs. averted) eye gaze facilitates the transfer of emotions expressed in a positive message, which in turn, leads to positive downstream consequences. I also explore two boundary conditions of this emotional contagion effect, the valence of emotion shown in the selfie and the concurrent cognitive load of the consumer. This research contributes to marketing research by extending our knowledge of eye gaze effects beyond the cognitive mechanisms and attentional effects typically considered in previous studies. It suggests a more primitive, automatic process through emotional contagion

Conceptualizing the Electronic Word-of-Mouth Process: What We Know and Need to Know About eWOM Creation, Exposure, and Evaluation

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is a prevalent consumer practice that has undeniable effects on the company bottom line, yet it remains an over-labeled and under-theorized concept. Thus, marketers could benefit from a practical, science-based roadmap to maximize its business value. Building on the consumer motivation–opportunity–ability framework, this study conceptualizes three distinct stages in the eWOM process: eWOM creation, eWOM exposure, and eWOM evaluation. For each stage, we adopt a dual lens—from the perspective of the consumer (who sends and receives eWOM) and that of the marketer (who amplifies and manages eWOM for business results)—to synthesize key research insights and propose a research agenda based on a multidisciplinary systematic review of 1050 academic publications on eWOM published between 1996 and 2019. We conclude with a discussion of the future of eWOM research and practice

How to Identify Tomorrow\u27s Most Active Social Commerce Contributors? Inviting Starlets to the Reviewer Hall of Fame

Social commerce contributors share their experiences of products and services, which is appreciated by consumers and online retailers. Since such user generated content is especially valuable for online retailers, they incentivize the most active contributors to provide further product reviews. Our paper aims to explore the question of which user characteristics can be used to identify contributors of valuable contents. This is especially relevant for newly registered users who have not extensively contributed yet. Drawing upon the literature on social information processing, signaling and communication theory, we explore how individual user characteristics published in the personal user profiles are associated with the actual contribution activity. Therefore, we analyze more than 30,000 user profiles from amazon.com. We find that information disclosure, emotiveness and problem-orientation are related to the contribution activity. Consequently, our results advance the understanding of who are the most active contributors and provide new implications for theory and practice

A Booking.com and TripAdvisor comparison study

Rita, P., Ramos, R., Borges-Tiago, M. T., & Rodrigues, D. (2022). Impact of the rating system on sentiment and tone of voice: A Booking.com and TripAdvisor comparison study. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 104, 1-12. [103245]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103245 --- Funding Information: Paulo Rita was supported by FCT ( Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia ) under UIDB/04152/2020 — Centro de Investigação em Gestão de Informação (MagIC).Online reviews have bridged the gap between traditional word-of-mouth and viral communication, influencing peer's decision processes. Analyzing tourists' online reviews helps hotels address overall customer (dis)satisfaction. Using sentiment analysis to understand reviewers' satisfaction and analyze the voice tone and expressed feelings, this research attempts to enlarge hotel, platform, and tourist trilogy's knowledge. A total of 38,292 reviews posted on Booking.com and TripAdvisor from 191 hotels were analyzed. Results indicated that the rating system influenced reviewer's sentiment, even though sentiment did not increase alongside the hotel category, leading to using a sterner tone of voice. Differences were acknowledged according to reviewers' nationality. The most positive feelings were expressed on TripAdvisor linked to staff-tourist encounters whereas Booking.com presented more negative feelings, especially linked to overcharging and billing issues. These outcomes can guide managers in establishing priorities to improve service and meet customers' expectations.publishersversionpublishe