The Influences Of Atmospheric Cues On Consumer Behavioral Intentions: An Affordance Perspective

Online social shopping emerges from the idea of using social networking features to benefit traditional e-commerce activities. Technology-driven shopping environments not only support shopping task completion and self-entertainment, more importantly, these new shopping environments become alternate outlets for consumers to interact with others. This dissertation aims to understand the effects of atmospheric cues on consumers\u27 behavioral intentions in online social shopping environments. This dissertation study proposes and validates a research model that predicts consumers\u27 diverse behavioral intentions (approach and avoidance) toward using online shopping environments due to website atmospheric cues. This research model is constructed based on theoretical perspectives including stimulus-organism-response framework, the technology acceptance model, the theory of affordances, and activity theory. The empirical study used a three-factorial between-subject field experiment approach to validate the research model and hypotheses. A total of 360 valid responses were collected from Amazon Mechanical Turk. Each of the subjects was randomly assigned to one of the eight experimental conditions. Data was analyzed using three-way MANOVA and PLS-SEM techniques. Analysis results largely supported the research model. Three path coefficients surprisingly had different signs from their correlation coefficients, and further mediation analysis indicated that: perceived usefulness fully mediated the effects of perceived utilitarian affordances, perceived sociability of use fully mediated the effects of perceived social affordances, and that perceived usefulness and perceived fun fully mediated the effects of perceived sociability of use on behavioral intentions. This dissertation theoretically contributes to online social shopping research by building a well-grounded research model that integrates several theories from different disciplines. The instrument for measuring perceived affordances provides an operationalized solution to understand interaction mechanism between technology-driven environments and users. Practically, investigating the effects of atmospheric cues and decomposing process-based and outcome-based evaluations suggest different aspects that online merchants can work on to improve consumer experiences

Compensatory Consumption and Consumer Compromises: A State of the Art Review

Compensatory consumption has been an increasingly researched yet widely debated area of consumer behaviour over the last 20 years. Extant research formulates the term as overwhelmingly negative, largely due to the simplistic and fragmented conceptualisations assumed in prior work. The purpose of the current paper is to present a comprehensive review of the umbrella term of compensatory consumption, incorporating a continuum of behaviours and accounting for the pre- and post-consumption periods including both positive and negative viewpoints. In addition, expanding upon the theory of need satisfaction, the current paper introduces a novel conceptual distinction between compensation and compromise. Finally, a proposed theoretical framework is presented that differentiates between compensatory and compromisory consumption based on the extent of consumer consciousness, rationality and rationalisation. Future research directions are offered

Dynamic pricing for hedonic and utilitarian purchases : the impact of magnitude of price difference and price level on perceived price fairness

Dynamic pricing is widely adopted in e-commerce for its effectiveness in enhancing revenue and profitability. Nowadays, firms increasingly focus on advancing their dynamic pricing models by examining consumer behavior patterns with the help of emerging technologies and increasing data availability. However, the economic benefits of dynamic pricing may be at the expense of damaging companies' reputations through violation of price fairness, resulting in jeopardizing sustainable development. Dynamic pricing should not be implemented disregarding the consumers’ price fairness perceptions. This study aims to explore price fairness perceptions in the condition of dynamic pricing incorporating individual motivational factors. The present research conceptualizes and tests a research model with the impact of different dynamic pricing mechanisms (i.e. magnitude of price difference and product price level) on consumers’ perceived price fairness across buyers with different purchase motives. The magnitude of price difference covers the depth of price changes, and product price level depicts the starting point of price changes. Purchase motive (i.e. hedonic vs. utilitarian) is a consumer-centered, intrinsic factor representing the underlying motivation of a purchase. The effect of perceived price fairness on consumers’ strategic price tracking behavior is also examined. The data was collected through a between-subjects, factorial-design online experiment with two levels of magnitude of price difference (major vs. minor) × two levels of product price level (high vs. low) × two levels of purchase motive (hedonic vs. utilitarian). This study focuses on disadvantaged price inequality with the comparative reference price of “other buyers”. Moreover, respondents evaluated the perceived price fairness in the postpurchase stage (i.e. after purchasing the product). Participants were recruited though an American online-access panel. It is confirmed that the magnitude of price difference and product price level are salient predictors for perceived price fairness. By contrast, consumers’ purchase motives (hedonic vs. utilitarian) do not elicit different judgments on price fairness. This study also finds that with the development of price investigation technologies and the trend of conscious consumers, perceived price unfairness can induce a higher intention of strategic price tracking behavior among buyers. Consumers no longer passively accept unfair deals or only take action after purchasing the products; they endeavor to become more strategic to take advantage of the sellers. Future research could examine the interplay of price change magnitude, product price level, and price change frequency in an algorithmic model integrating consumers’ price fairness considerations. In addition, the role of purchase motive on perceived price fairness in the pre-purchase stage of the customer journey could be further investigated in the context of discriminatory pricing

New insights in co-branding strategy

This thesis focuses on a specific category of co-branded products resulting from the alliance of high-tech products and luxury brands – we refer to them as “High-tech Luxury Co-branded Products” (HLCPs)” – whose presence in the market has increased in the last years. HLCPs represent an interesting case to study because they are characterized by both functional attributes (in which cognitive aspects are predominant) and symbolic attributes (in which affective aspects are mostly important). This fact represents a challenging issue which influences consumers’ perceptions and attitudes. In a context of rapid technological progress, consumers find it difficult to assess and compare alternative offerings of high-tech products; therefore, they tend to select the products with a trusted brand name. The association of high-tech products with luxury brands may therefore play a key role in this case. Furthermore, most studies consider consumers’ attitudes as a whole without accounting for attitudinal components and their drivers separately. In this thesis we take an alternative direction, by decomposing attitude into its main components and by applying the ABC (Affect, Behavior and Cognition) model of attitudes to explore consumers’ preferences. Decomposing attitude into different components provides us with clearer information about customers’ evaluation criteria for co-branded products. The ABC model of attitudes considers affect and cognition as predictors of a behavioral intention. In turn, through applying the ABC model of attitudes, this dissertation intends to identify and empirically examine how the components of attitude interact with each other as well as to explore which components lead to a success in the co-branding context. One of the major challenges related to co-branded products is that only a “good” fit stimulates a desirable attitude and association, and, therefore, influences consumers’ behavioral intentions (Simonin and Ruth, 1998; Helmig et al., 2007). Generally speaking, high-tech products and luxury goods have contrasting features. Luxury is exclusive and costly, but high-tech products are functional and useful. Thus, do consumers modify their attitudes when faced with a high-tech product with additional luxury attribute? Yet no matter how well luxury goods and electronic products fit with each other, its effect to buy HLCPs still remains unanswered. Thus, the findings from this dissertation would help marketers toward better decision-makings on introduction and positioning of co-branded products. The first study examines consumers’ attitudes toward HLCPs. We apply the ABC model of attitudes that uses affective responses and cognitive responses to predict consumers’ recommendation to buy HLCPs. We used the path analysis of structural equation modeling (SEM) to perform multi-group analysis to test our empirical model. The findings reveal that the empirical model is consistent and consumers use affective and cognitive responses to consider these co-branded products. They also pay more attention on the perception of product fit than brand fit. Lastly, our results show that luxurious attributes have stronger impact on consumers’ recommendation to buy HLCPs than hi-tech attributes. The second study explores how cultural differences influence consumers’ recommendation to buy HLCPs. The results show that intention to recommend HLPCs is mainly influenced by the affective component of attitude for consumers from Western cultures (e.g., Spanish consumers), while it is mainly influenced by the cognitive component of attitude for consumers from Eastern cultures (e.g., Taiwanese consumers). In addition, Western consumers place more importance on product fit while Eastern consumers emphasize the significance of brand fit. Finally, Taiwanese consumers favor high-technology attributes of co-branded products while Spanish consumers pay more attention to their luxurious attributes. The third papers examines gender effects on consumer attitude towards HLCPs. Based on the ABC (affect, behavior and cognition) model of attitudes, this study explores how gender moderates the relationship between each component of consumers’ attitude and key antecedents. The empirical results show that conditional on the high acceptance of high-tech products, the impact of male consumers’ attitude on recommendation to buy HLCPs is higher than for female consumers. Furthermore, as far as attitudes of male consumers are concerned, consumers’ recommendation to buy is higher the higher the acceptance of high-tech products and the level of product fit. By contrast, gender differences do not seem to play any role in influencing consumers’ affective and cognitive responses.Esta tesis se centra en una categoría específica de productos de marcas conjuntas cuya presencia en el mercado ha aumentado en los últimos años y resulta de la alianza de productos de alta tecnología y marcas de lujo - High-tech Luxury Co-branded products (HLCPs). Los HLCPs representan un caso interesante de estudiar porque se caracterizan tanto por atributos funcionales (en la que predominan aspectos cognitivos) como simbólicos (en la que predominan aspectos afectivos), lo cual condiciona la percepción de los consumidores y sus actitudes. En un contexto de rápido progreso tecnológico, los consumidores encuentran difícil de evaluar y comparar ofertas alternativas de productos de alta tecnología, y por lo tanto, tienden a seleccionar los productos de marcas de confianza. Dado lo anterior, la asociación de productos de alta tecnología con las marcas de lujo podría desempeñar un papel clave en el comportamiento de los consumidores. La mayoría de los estudios consideran las actitudes de los consumidores como un todo, sin analizar por separado los componentes de la actitud y sus detonadores. En esta tesis doctoral tomamos una dirección alternativa, separando la actitud en sus componentes principales y aplicando el modelo de actitudes ABC (Afecto, Comportamiento y Cognición) para explorar las preferencias de los consumidores. Separar la actitud en sus diferentes componentes nos proporciona una información más clara sobre los criterios de evaluación que siguen los clientes de productos de marcas conjuntas. El modelo de actitudes ABC considera el afecto y la cognición como predictores de la conducta. Mediante la aplicación de éste modelo, esta tesis se propone identificar y analizar empíricamente la interacción de los componentes de la actitud, así como explorar cuales de ellos determinan el éxito de una marca conjunta. Uno de los principales retos relacionados con los productos de marca conjunta es que solamente una buena compatibilidad entre los productos (“product-fit”) y marcas (“brand-fit”) involucradas es capaz de estimular una actitud deseable y de asociación, y, por lo tanto, influir en el comportamiento de los consumidores (Simonin y Ruth, 1998; que Helmig et al., 2007). En general, los productos de alta tecnología y los bienes de lujo tienen características opuestas. El lujo es exclusivo y costoso, mientras que los productos de alta tecnología son funcionales y útiles. Por lo tanto, ¿los consumidores modificarían sus actitudes frente a un producto de alta tecnología con atributos adicionales de lujo? Sin importar que tan compatibles sean los bienes de lujo y los productos electrónicos, el efecto de esta compatibilidad en la compra de HLPCs permanece sin respuesta. Por lo tanto, las conclusiones de esta tesis podrían ayudar a los comercializadores a tomar mejores decisiones respecto a la introducción y posicionamiento de los productos de marca conjunta. El primer estudio examina las actitudes de los consumidores hacia los HLCPs. Aplicamos el modelo de actitudes ABC, que utiliza respuestas afectivas y respuestas cognitivas para predecir la recomendación de los consumidores para comprar HLCPs. Por otro lado, utilizamos un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para realizar un análisis multi-grupo y probar nuestro modelo empírico. Las conclusiones ponen de manifiesto que el modelo empírico es coherente y los consumidores usan las respuestas afectivas y cognitivas para examinar los productos de marca conjunta. Del mismo modo, los resultados indican que los consumidores prestan más atención a ala compatibilidad de los productos (“product-fit”) que a la compatibilidad de marcas (“Brand-fit”). Por último, concluimos que los atributos de lujo tienen un mayor impacto que los atributos de alta tecnología en la recomendación de los consumidores para comprar HLCPs. El segundo estudio analiza cómo influyen las diferencias culturales de los consumidores en su recomendación de comprar HLCPs. Los resultados muestran que la intención de recomendar la compra de HLPCs está principalmente influenciada por el componente afectivo de la actitud en las culturas occidentales (por ejemplo, los consumidores españoles), mientras que en el caso de las culturas orientales (p. ej., los consumidores taiwaneses) dicha influencia viene dada principalmente por el componente cognitivo. Además, los consumidores occidentales consideran más importante la compatibilidad de productos (product fit”), mientras que los consumidores orientales hacen hincapié en la compatibilidad de marcas (“brand-fit”). Por último, los consumidores orientales prefieren los atributos de alta tecnología mientras que los consumidores occidentales ponen más atención en los atributos de lujo. El tercer ensayo examina efectos de género en la actitud del consumidor hacia los HLCPs. Con base en el modelo de actitudes ABC (afecto, comportamiento y cognición), este estudio analiza cómo el género modera la relación entre cada uno de los componentes de las actitudes de los consumidores y sus principales antecedentes. Los resultados empíricos muestran que, dada la gran aceptación de los productos de alta tecnología, el impacto de la actitud de los consumidores en su recomendación de comprar HLCPs es superior para los hombres que para las mujeres. Por otro lado, en lo que se refiere a las actitudes de los consumidores hombres, la recomendación para comprar HLCPs aumenta con la aceptación de productos de alta tecnología y el nivel de compatibilidad del producto (“product-fit”). Por el contrario, las diferencias de género no parecen jugar un papel importante en influir las respuestas cognitivas y afectivas del consumidor

Towards a Video Consumer Leaning Spectrum: A Medium-Centric Approach

Purpose: As TV and digital video converge, there is a need to compare advertising effectiveness, advertising receptivity, and video consumption drivers in this new context. Considering the emerging viewing practices and underlying theories, this study examines the feasibility of the traditional notion of differentiating between lean-back (LB) and lean-forward (LF) media, and proposes a revised approach of addressing video consumption processes and associated advertising effectiveness implications. Methodology: An extensive, systematic literature review examines a total of 715 sources regarding current lean-back/lean-forward media research and alternative approaches as by (1) basic terminologies, (2) limitations of lean-back/lean-forward situations, (3) advertising effectiveness implications, (4) video-specific approaches. Findings/Contribution: Key differences between lean-back and lean-forward video consumption are presented. A conceptual integration of video ad receptivity/effectiveness drivers is proposed to guide future media and marketing research and practice. Video consumption today is no longer lean-back or lean-forward, but a “leaning spectrum” with two dimensions: leaning direction and leaning degree. Designing video content today requires focusing on consumption drivers and platform synergies for owning the “leaning spectrum”

Consumer behaviour in online shopping - understanding the role of regulatory focus.

The behaviour of consumers on the Internet is increasingly a focus of marketing research. In particular, consumers behaviour in online shopping, from adoption motivation to post-usage behaviour, has become a major focus of research in the field of marketing, especially within consumer behaviour. Yet it has been acknowledged that while aspects such as adoption and usage motivation are now better understood, there are many questions that remain unanswered, and this warrants continued research effort. In line with the above, this research addresses an issue in online consumer behaviour that is currently under researched and which relates to the role that the consumers regulatory focus trait plays in their manifested behaviour in online shopping. The research argues that it is important to understand the role of regulatory focus in online shopping because this psychological trait has been shown to affect other aspects of human behaviour such as in response to advertising, dieting and sports. Drawing upon research from consumer behaviour and the wider fields of marketing and psychology, this research proposes a number of hypotheses relating the consumers regulatory focus to her perception of online shopping, motivation for online shopping, and actual usage behaviour in a structural manner. The resulting structural equation model is then tested using empirical data obtained from 306 Internet shoppers in the United Kingdom. The results of the research confirm that regulatory focus has an influence on consumer behaviour in online shopping by affecting their perception, motivation and usage of online shopping. The research makes a unique contribution by demonstrating that regulatory focus is a valid and robust predictor of online shopping behaviour and behavioural outcomes, a conclusion which is relevant to both marketing research and marketing practice. Finally, the research identifies and recommends areas for future studies