Consumer acceptance of Wood-Polymer Composites: a conjoint analytical approach with a focus on innovative and environmentally concerned consumers

Wood-Polymer Composites (WPCs) can contribute towards resource efficiency as they mainly consist of wood by-products and/or waste materials. The eco-innovative materials represent a hybrid solution on the ‘two-evils’ continuum’ constituted by the competing materials of wood and plastics; the former being too expensive and resource consuming in mass consumption, the latter cheap but environmentally hazardous. However, consumer acceptance of WPCs is questioned due to the merger of components consumers perceive as being contradictory (wood and plastics). Additionally, it is discussed whether consumers' innovativeness enhances WPC acceptance, while eco-friendly consumers may reject WPCs because of environmental concerns related with the synthetic components. To determine the potential market for products made of eco-innovative materials, two German-language online studies (n = 198, n = 357) were created to examine consumer acceptance of WPCs in relation to the competing materials. Study 1 introduced a 3 (material: wood, WPC, plastics) × 2 (appearance: wooden or synthetic) within-subject design. Consistent with the expectations, study 1 showed a clear preference for wood over plastics based on a convenient sample. WPCs remained in the centre position, even for environmentally concerned consumers. Study 2 was conducted to replicate the findings with a representative sample. It additionally considered consumer innovativeness and included further product categories. WPCs only slightly deviated from the centre position in study 2. Mostly important, study 2 proved that the higher the environmental concern and the innovativeness of consumers, the more WPCs were accepted. When taken together, the results point to a greater WPC market than previous research had indicated. In general, premature concerns about innovative materials can be prevented by consumer acceptance studies examining the new materials' position in a surrounding ‘multi evils’ continuum’

Cultural Value Differences, Value Stereotypes, and Diverging Identities in Intergroup Conflicts: The Estonian Example

An examination of the relationship between cultural values, value stereotypes and social identities in Estonia, where intergroup conflicts triggered riots in the capitalTallinn in April 2007, using data from the European Social Survey on cultural differences and value trends as the background to a survey exploring perceivedgroup values and assessed social identities among ethnic Estonians and members of the Russian-speaking minority. The study, conducted in summer 2008, foundagreement across both ethnic groups about the values of a typical group member, but no accuracy in their attribution. The Estonian students (n = 152) avoidedEastern-European identification, while the Russian-speaking students (n = 54) did not want to give up Estonia’s Soviet past. We found that attributed rather thanself-rated value differences between groups caused the conflicts, whilst diverging identities were found to make value stereotypes more extreme

Effects of ethical certification and ethical eWoM on talent attraction

Whilst previous studies indicate perceived company ethicality as a driver of job seekers’ job-pursuit intentions, it is poorly understood how and why ethical market signals actually affect their application decisions. Perceptions of company ethicality result from market signals that are either within the control of the company (e.g. ethical certifications) and from market signals that are beyond the company’s control (e.g. ethical eWoM). Building on communication and information processing theories, this study therefore considers both types of ethical market signals, and examines the psychological mechanisms through which they affect job seekers’ intention to apply for a job. The results from a controlled online experiment show that both types of ethical market signals increase job seekers’ job-pursuit intentions. These relationships are mediated by applicants’ attitude towards the job advertisement, their perceptions of corporate employment image and self-referencing. Consequently, the present study alerts practitioners to consider the effects of company-controlled and non-company-controlled ethical market signals, particularly when aiming to recruit highly-qualified millennial candidates

Replaced by a robot: Service implications in the age of the machine

Service organizations, emboldened by the imperative to innovate, are increasingly introducing robots to frontline service encounters. However, as they augment or substitute human employees with robots, they may struggle to convince a distrusting public of their brand’s ethical credentials. Consequently, this article develops and tests a holistic framework to ascertain a deeper understanding of customer perceptions of frontline service robots (FLSRs) than has previously been attempted. Our experimental studies investigate the effects of the (1) role (augmentation or substitution of human employees or no involvement) and (2) type (humanoid FLSR vs. self-service machine) of FLSRs under the following service contexts: (a) value creation model (asset-builder, service-provider) and (b) service type (experience, credence). By empirically establishing our framework, we highlight how customers’ personal characteristics (openness-to-change and preference for ethical/responsible service provider)  and cognitive evaluations (perceived innovativeness, perceived ethical/societal reputation, and perceived innovativeness-responsibility fit) influence the impact that FLSRs have on service experience and brand usage intent. Our findings operationalize and empirically support seminal frameworks from extant literature, as well as elaborate on the positive and negative implications of using robots to complement or replace service employees. Further, we consider managerial and policy implications for service in the age of machines

theoretische Bezüge, Forschungsmethodik und wirtschaftliche Praktikabilität eines beziehungsdiagnostischen Konstrukts

Softcover, 515 S.: 32,00 €Softcover, 17x24Sozialperspektivität bezeichnet die menschliche Fähigkeit, zwischen der eigenen Sicht und dem Blick anderer zu wechseln, somit Metaperspektiven einzunehmen und die verschiedenen (vermuteten) Sichtweisen aufeinander zu beziehen. Die Einnahme von Metaperspektiven und die Perspektivenreflexion sind Voraussetzungen für sozial intelligentes Handeln. Wer weiß, wie sich die Welt in den Augen des Interaktionspartners darstellt, kann dessen Handlungsbereitschaften antizipieren und diese bei der eigenen Handlungsplanung strategisch berücksichtigen. Micha Strack stellt im vorliegenden Band den Diskussionsstand zur Sozialperspektivität in der aktuellen psychologischen Forschung vor, ergänzt diesen durch eigene empirische Studien und zeigt die Einsatzmöglichkeiten in der Wirtschafts- und Sozialpsychologie auf.Social perspective defines the human skill of changing between the point of view of oneself and the other. It takes meta-perspectives and applies them to the different (suspected) point of views. If one knows how the interaction-partner sees the world, one can assume the partner´s willingness to act and consider it for one´s own plan of action

The Value Structure in Socioeconomically Less Developed European Countries Still Remains an Ellipse

Based on the 21-item Human Values Scale of the European Social Survey (ESS, 2002–2006), Bilsky, Janik, and Schwartz (2011) concluded that the quasi-circular model of Schwartz’s value theory “fits somewhat less well in less developed societies” (p. 16). This article focuses on their mitigating quantifier “somewhat” and proposes an impartial measure to evaluate Schwartz’s universality claim. European Social Survey data of four rounds 2002–2008 (33 countries, 98 samples) were analysed. Applying restricted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), we partitioned the 21 items’ variance into an acquiescence part and the two diagonal axes of growth-protection and social-personal focused values. The variance in the growth–protection axis varied between 22.0% (Austria, in 2002) and 2.0% (samples from Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia remain below 5%). Within rounds across countries (respective df = 94), the growth–protection axis’ variance strongly correlates (r = .76) with an index of socioeconomic development, aggregated from five indicators adopted from the World Bank. It also strongly correlates (r = .81) with a sample’s mean member’s location on the growth vs. protection value dimension. We interpret these results as a strong effect and conclude that in socioeconomically less developed countries the value structure remains elliptical or even one-dimensional. The discussion relates the results to Klages’ value synthesis theory

Personal and situational values predict ethical reasoning

In interpersonal value conflicts ethical principles are employed to justify own actions. However, there is competition among ethical principles. Therefore the preference for a specific ethical principle may be merely a function both of personal values and of the value-laden situations in which actions are made. A German sample of 132 partici-pants rated their agreement on ten justifications in seven experimentally constructed situations. The situations varied in their expression of values, organized by the value circle (Schwartz, 1992). The justifications assess five ethical principles (deontology, utilitarianism, partiality, hedonism, and intuitionism). Variance components of the agreement ratings were separated using GLM and plotted in the value circle. Preferences for ethical principles depended on both the value content of situations and the responder values. The Person x Situation interaction was not significant. The results illustrate the difficulties in gaining agreement on arguments among individuals with conflicting values