Luxury hotel types: Examining the effects of (in)conspicuous consumption orientation on luxury hotels’ valuations

The present research aims to examine how conspicuous consumption orientation impacts consumers’ valuations of luxury hotel types – subtle versus extravagant. Two experimental studies were performed and results show that indeed conspicuous consumption orientation moderates the relationship between luxury hotel type and consumers’ enjoyment and quality perceptions. Also their likelihood of staying and willingness to pay for a hotel. Specifically, results show that low conspicuous-oriented individuals seem to value more subtle than extravagant luxury hotels. Yet, for high conspicuous-oriented individuals no significant differences are observed when exposed to either hotel types. Our findings further suggest that, overall, there are greater sustainability expectations towards hotels that provide more subtle and inconspicuous hotel experiences than hotels that provide more extravagant and conspicuous experiences. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Does Fair Trade Breed Contempt? A Cross-Country Examination on the Moderating Role of Brand Familiarity and Consumer Expertise on Product Evaluation

This article is a within- and cross-country examination of the impact of fair trade certification on consumers’ evaluations and attitudes toward ethically certified products. Across three experimental studies, the authors analyze how different levels of brand familiarity and fair trade expertise impact consumer decisions. The authors study this phenomenon across markets with different social orientation cultures to analyze potential dissimilarities in the way consumers evaluate and behave toward ethically certified products. Findings suggest that fair trade certifications enhance product valuations. However, this effect is especially observed for low familiar brands, once the level of fair trade expertise increases. Findings also suggest that there are individual cultural differences with respect to social and environmental labeling expertise that may account for some of the unexplained variation in choice behaviors observed across countries. Results indicate that especially in more (mature) individualistic markets (vs. collectivistic) consumer ethical behavior seems to be greatly influenced by consumers’ perceptions about the eligibility of brands using (or not) fair trade. This effect is strengthened by the significant mediating role of consumers’ ethicality perceptions on the relationship between fair trade and the willingness to pay for brands