The Effect of Affect and Trust on Commitment in Retail Store Relationships

This paper extends the study of relational exchange to retail markets. We propose that certain individual level determinants (perceived differences between stores and prior experience) are determinants of store commitment. Store trust and store affect are also modeled as intervening variables in the process. Survey data of consumers at a retail store with an affective environment provide evidence that experience is both directly and indirectly (through trust) related to store commitment, while perceived differences is indirectly related to store commitment through both trust and affect generated by the store

Development of Onchocerca volvulus in humanized NSG mice and detection of parasite biomarkers in urine and serum.

BACKGROUND: The study of Onchocerca volvulus has been limited by its host range, with only humans and non-human primates shown to be susceptible to the full life cycle infection. Small animal models that support the development of adult parasites have not been identified. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We hypothesized that highly immunodeficient NSG mice would support the survival and maturation of O. volvulus and alteration of the host microenvironment through the addition of various human cells and tissues would further enhance the level of parasite maturation. NSG mice were humanized with: (1) umbilical cord derived CD34+ stem cells, (2) fetal derived liver, thymus and CD34+ stem cells or (3) primary human skeletal muscle cells. NSG and humanized NSG mice were infected with 100 O. volvulus infective larvae (L3) for 4 to 12 weeks. When necropsies of infected animals were performed, it was observed that parasites survived and developed throughout the infection time course. In each of the different humanized mouse models, worms matured from L3 to advanced fourth stage larvae, with both male and female organ development. In addition, worms increased in length by up to 4-fold. Serum and urine, collected from humanized mice for identification of potential biomarkers of infection, allowed for the identification of 10 O. volvulus-derived proteins found specifically in either the urine or the serum of the humanized O. volvulus-infected NSG mice. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The newly identified mouse models for onchocerciasis will enable the development of O. volvulus specific biomarkers, screening for new therapeutic approaches and potentially studying the human immune response to infection with O. volvulus

People, Products, and Pursuits: Exploring the Relationship between Consumer Goals and Product Meanings

Does a relationship exist between a consumer\u27s goals and the meaning associated with a product? Two product meaning categories are considered—a functional meaning that highlights the attributes and benefits associated with the product, and a symbolic meaning that captures more intrinsic and abstract notions about the purchase. A dynamic goal structure is considered that consists of three distinct levels of motivation—the having level, the doing level, and the being level. This article explores the relationship between both sets of constructs by utilizing a depth-interview methodology to focus on informants\u27 motivations, thoughts and feelings, and underlying meanings associated with purchases. The data offer preliminary support for four distinct linking constructs. These findings exhibit a first step toward understanding the simultaneous impact of motivation, product meaning, and consumption context on consumers\u27 decision making

Customer relationship orientation in response to dissatisfactory service encounters

In this dissertation, I study how customers respond when they have dissatisfactory service experiences. I propose that dissatisfied customers can undertake one of four possible customer relationship orientations in response to their service encounters, namely the Loyalist, Placekeeper, Pessimist, or Terminator customer relationship orientation. I identify and distinguish among the orientations based on the emotions, verbal responses, and non-verbal responses elicited by the customer during the negative encounter, the cognitions and relationship intention considered immediately following the negative encounter, and the relevant behaviors undertaken after the dissatisfactory encounter. ^ My research involves three separate, though highly interrelated studies. In Studies 1 and 2, I employ a qualitative methodology (depth interview) to explore customers\u27 reactions to dissatisfactory service encounters. Study 1 involves an analysis of customers\u27 accounts of their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions to dissatisfactory encounters. Study 2 reports on service providers\u27 perspectives of dissatisfied customers\u27 emotions and behaviors. The results of both studies, in conjunction with prior research, enable me to develop a research framework and create specific propositions concerning the differences among the four customer relationship orientations. ^ Study 3 uses a survey of consumers who have had a recent dissatisfactory service experience to test my research propositions. Data are collected using an online survey. The objectives of this study are to identify significant differences among the feelings, thoughts, behaviors, and relationship intentions for each customer relationship orientation, and to profile different segments of dissatisfied customers in services contexts.

Timestyle and Shopping Style

In this paper, we explore the relationship between consumers’ perceptions of time and their particular shopping styles. We consider four timestyle constructs: behavioral, planning, social, and temporal orientations, and six shopping style constructs: pre-purchase planning, variety-seeking, impulse buying, price search, market mavenism, and frequency of shopping trips, to develop our hypotheses. Results obtained from survey questionnaire data are reported. Based on these results, we offer some preliminary theoretical and substantive insights about consumers’ behaviors with regard to their time and shopping styles

Consequences of Value in Retail Markets

We suggest that merchandise value, affect and two types of loyalty are related in the retail domain. Based on ideas from cognitive psychology on the structure of value we suggest that merchandise value is directly related to repurchase loyalty but indirectly related to attitudinal loyalty via the construct of store affect. Additionally, our model proposes that attitudinal loyalty is related to willingness to pay a price premium while repurchase loyalty is not. We also control for the effects of store familiarity and convenience. We test our hypotheses in three studies and find that, in general, our model is well supported at the level of both individual consumers and stores. Additionally, we find that perceived retailer differentiation moderates the effect of merchandise value on store affect

The Long Good-Bye: The Dissolution of Customer-Service Provider Relationships

Our research examines customer-service provider relationship dissolution. We conducted in-depth interviews with five women who recently took at least several months to terminate a service relationship. The data provide a holistic perspective on why consumers take a long time to exit, how they exit, and their expectations about rekindling their relationships. Based on our data, we conceptualize a model of the long exit, a process that includes a dissolution stage, an exit stage, and a post-dissolution stage. Our model offers a theoretical framework of service dissolution, as well as practical implications for service providers

To Retain or To Relinquish: Exploring the Disposition Practices of Packrats and Purgers

In this paper, we consider packrats and purgers. Packrats are people who from a behavioral perspective, keep things and from a psychological perspective have difficulty disposing of things. Purgers seem to continually take stock in whether items are needed, and if not, typically are quite willing to dispose of them. Based on data from semi-structured depth interviews, we distinguish between packrats’ and purgers’ perceptions of themselves and each other, as well as their disposition strategies and behaviors, and emotional responses. We offer suggestions for future research in this neglected domain