Unwrapping senior consumers’ packaging experiences

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of older consumers with a range of product packaging. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses qualitative diary research (QDR). Ten seniors recorded all their experiences with packaging over a two-week period. Using a frame narrative that views ageing as multidimensional, diary entries uncover rich data that goes beyond physical age-related issues. Findings – In addition to physical problems with packaging, older adults experience psychological frustration and feelings of alienation. Social implications of dependence on others are also discovered, despite many being purchasers of up-market luxury products. Research limitations/implications – The study is exploratory and due to its qualitative methodology findings cannot be generalised to the wider population. Nevertheless it provides a starting point for future research into packaging and senior consumers. Practical implications – The study has implications for all managers who participate in planning and designing brand packaging and calls for them to work more closely with ergonomics and design professionals in order to better plan for the needs of a large and growing sector of the population. Social implications – Findings suggest that the basic need to feed oneself is hampered by some packaging, which of course is detrimental to the quality of life of older adults. Originality/value – Few studies consider packaging and older consumers and this is particularly true in the marketing literature. This is the first study to use QDR in this context, and as such has several advantages over recall studies. The study also makes a contribution to knowledge pertaining to vulnerable consumers. </jats:sec

Relationships between Elements of Leslie Matrices and Future Growth of the Population

Leslie matrices have been used for years to model and predict the growth of animal populations. Recently, general rules have been applied that can relatively easily determine whether an animal population will grow or decline. My mentor, Dr. Justin Brown and I examine, more specifically, whether there are relationships between certain elements of a population and the dominant eigenvalue, which determines growth. Not only do we consider the general 3x3 Leslie matrix, but also we looked into modified versions for incomplete data and migration models of Leslie matrices. We successfully found several connections within these cases; however, there is much more research that could be done

Statistical modeling of rare stochastic disturbance events at continental and global scales: post-fire debris flows and wildland fires

Chapter 1: Frequency-magnitude distribution of debris flows compiled from global data, and comparison with post-fire debris flows in the western U.S. Forecasting debris flow hazard is challenging due to the episodic occurrence of debris flows in response to stochastic precipitation and, in some areas, wildfires. In order to facilitate hazard assessment, we have gathered available records of debris flow volumes into the first comprehensive global catalog of debris flows (n = 988). We also present results of field collection of recent debris flows (n = 77) in the northern Rocky Mountains, where debris flow frequency increases following wildfire. As a first step in parameterizing hazard models, we use frequency-magnitude distributions and empirical cumulative distribution functions (ECDFs) to compare volumes of post-fire debris flows to non-fire-related debris flows. The ECDF of postfire debris flow volumes is significantly different (at 95% confidence) from that of non-fire-related debris flows, suggesting that the post-fire distribution is composed of a higher proportion of small events than that of non-fire-related debris flows. The slope of the frequency-magnitude distribution of post-fire debris flows is steeper than that of non-fire-related debris flows, corroborating evidence that small post-fire debris flows occur with higher relative frequency than non-fire-related debris flows. Taken together, the statistical analyses suggest that post-fire debris flows come from a different population than non-fire-related debris flows, and their hazard must be modeled separately. We propose two possible non-exclusive explanations for the fact that the post-fire environment produces a higher proportion of small debris flows: 1) following fires, smaller storms or effective drainage areas can trigger debris flows due to increased runoff and/or decreases in root strength, resulting in smaller volumes and increased probability of failure, 2) fire increases the probability and frequency of debris flows, causing their distribution to shift toward smaller events due to limitations in sediment supply. Chapter 2: The relationship of large fire occurrence with drought and fire danger indices in the western US: the role of temporal scale The relationship between large fire occurrence and drought has important implications for fire hazard prediction under current and future climate conditions. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate correlations between drought and fire-danger-rating indices representing short- and long-term drought, to determine which had the strongest relationships with large fire occurrence at the scale of the western United States during the years 1984-2008. We combined 4-8 km gridded drought and fire-danger-rating indices with information on fires greater than 1000 acres from the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity project. Drought and fire danger indices analyzed were: monthly precipitation (PPT), Energy Release Component for fuel model G (ERC(G)), Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), 3-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI3), SPI6 , SPI9, SPI12, and SPI24. To account for differences in indices across climate and vegetation assemblages, indices were converted to percentile conditions for each pixel, to indicate the relative anomaly in conditions during large fires. Across the western US, correlations between area burned and short-term indices ERC(G) and PPT percentile were strong (R2 = 0.92 and 0.89 respectively), as were correlations between number of fires and these indices (R2=0.94 and 0.93 respectively). As the period of time tabulated by the index lengthened, correlations between fire occurrence and indices weakened: PDSI and 24-month SPI percentile showed weak or negligible correlations with area burned (R2 = 0.25 and -0.01 respectively) and number of large fires (R2 = 0.3 and 0.01 respectively). This result suggests the utility of shorter-t

Respected Pillars of the Community: A values-based profile of the British Market Maven

Market Mavens are consumers who are active purveyors of word of mouth (WOM) communication in society. In contrast to opinion leaders, mavens provide information that cuts across product categories, and advise on old and new products. Consequently, mavens can impact a wider number of social networks with WOM, and are therefore a valuable target for marketers. Despite much empirical work, a socio-demographic profile of the market maven remains elusive, and recently work has focused on those intrinsic characteristics that may distinguish mavens from others. However, no previous work has considered the possibility that personal values may be a distinguishing maven factor. Using the original market maven scale, the full Rokeach value survey and the List of Values (LOV), this research (n = 158) found mavens to place significantly more importance on several values than do non-mavens. Results suggest that mavenism has an external social dimension to sharing marketplace information that is not motivated out of self-interest, but by altruism and a genuine concern for others. Contrary to some previous research, this study shows that market mavens can be identified in a useful way to marketing practitioners. In addition to the obvious need for marketing communications to supply the maven with plenty of information about products and services, communications strategies need to focus on positioning brands around the values which reflect altruism, respect, helpfulness, and responsibility. In this way, the usefulness of market mavens and WOM communications can be harnessed successfully

Ethically minded consumer behavior: Scale review, development, and validation

AbstractThis paper details the development and validation of a new research instrument called the ethically minded consumer behavior (EMCB) scale. The scale conceptualizes ethically minded consumer behavior as a variety of consumption choices pertaining to environmental issues and corporate social responsibility. Developed and extensively tested among consumers (n=1278) in the UK, Germany, Hungary, and Japan, the scale demonstrates reliability, validity, and metric measurement invariance across these diverse nations. The study provides researchers and practitioners with a much-needed and easy-to-administer, valid, and reliable instrument pertaining to ethically minded consumer behavior

G91-1055 Using Moving Averages to Effectively Analyze Trends

This fifth of a nine NebGuide series is designed to show how trend lines can assist producers and others in analyzing the market\u27s technical side. What is the objective in using moving averages? Technical analysts construct a moving average of price to provide a better market timing indicator than the traditional straight-line method. The idea is to smooth out daily price fluctuation to get a clear view of the market trend. The moving average is a method for averaging near-term prices in relation to long-term prices. This technique should not be confused with the oscillators described in NebGuide No. 8 in this series, G91-1058, Using the RSI and Other Oscillators to Analyze the Market

Baby Boomers of Different Nations: Identifying Horizontal International Segments Based on Self-Perceived Age

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate self-perceived age among Baby Boomers in the UK, Germany, Japan, and Hungary, and identifies two horizontal segments based on the way consumers view their age. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaires were used to sample 880 Baby Boomers. Structural equation modeling is used to investigate multinational measurement invariance of the cognitive age scale. Findings Two distinct segments are identified, providing support for a young-at-heart consumer culture in all nations in the study. Results also find cognitive age to exhibit partial measurement invariance, which is expected given the disparate nations under study. Research limitations/implications This research contributes to cross-cultural global age research which is still in an early pioneering stage. The study builds on a small number of previous studies that validate cognitive age, extends current knowledge of the measurement properties of cognitive age, and identifies two distinct international segments of Baby Boomers. Further research needs to delve into the antecedents of self-perceived age, particularly in the ways in which different life experiences and cultures may impact age identities. Practical implications The study has implications for marketing managers wishing to target the increasingly important young-at-heart Baby Boomer. Originality/value The study uses four non-American countries, uses samples matched for chronological age, and does not use convenience samples, which make it unique in the cognitive age literature. The study has value for marketing managers, global age researchers, and consumer culture researchers

A cross-national study of the ecological worldview of senior consumers

This paper presents the results of a cross‐national study into the ecological worldview of senior consumers using the N ew E cological P aradigm (NEP ) scale. It was designed to examine the extent to which senior respondents in the UK , G ermany, J apan and H ungary are endorsing the NEP scale and which factors determine NEP in the four countries under study. Our study is the first of its kind to measure the ecological worldview of older consumers across different nations. Examinations of the overall frequency and mean distributions of the NEP scale showed that the majority of seniors in each country support the NEP statements, but there is no general support for pro‐NEP orientation. The relationship between values [using list of values (LOV ) scale] and environmental attitudes was tested through a series of regression analyses calculated separately for each country. According to the results, a very weak relationship between some of the LOV values and the NEP scale was found in all the samples. Our study contributes to both cross‐cultural environmental attitude research and to consumer studies in general

Exploring the Measurement Properties of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) Among Baby Boomers: A Multinational Test of Measurement Invariance

BACKGROUND: The eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) is one of only a few available measurement scales to assess eHealth literacy. Perhaps due to the relative paucity of such measures and the rising importance of eHealth literacy, the eHEALS is increasingly a choice for inclusion in a range of studies across different groups, cultures, and nations. However, despite its growing popularity, questions have been raised over its theoretical foundations, and the factorial validity and multigroup measurement properties of the scale are yet to be investigated fully. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to examine the factorial validity and measurement invariance of the eHEALS among baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) in the United States, United Kingdom, and New Zealand who had used the Internet to search for health information in the last 6 months. METHODS: Online questionnaires collected data from a random sample of baby boomers from the 3 countries of interest. The theoretical underpinning to eHEALS comprises social cognitive theory and self-efficacy theory. Close scrutiny of eHEALS with analysis of these theories suggests a 3-factor structure to be worth investigating, which has never before been explored. Structural equation modeling tested a 3-factor structure based on the theoretical underpinning to eHEALS and investigated multinational measurement invariance of the eHEALS. RESULTS: We collected responses (N=996) to the questionnaires using random samples from the 3 countries. Results suggest that the eHEALS comprises a 3-factor structure with a measurement model that falls within all relevant fit indices (root mean square error of approximation, RMSEA=.041, comparative fit index, CFI=.986). Additionally, the scale demonstrates metric invariance (RMSEA=.040, CFI=.984, ΔCFI=.002) and even scalar invariance (RMSEA=.042, CFI=.978, ΔCFI=.008). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate multigroup factorial equivalence of the eHEALS, and did so based on data from 3 diverse nations and random samples drawn from an increasingly important cohort. The results give increased confidence to researchers using the scale in a range of eHealth assessment applications from primary care to health promotions