When Adoption Brings Addiction: A Use-Diffusion Model for Social Information Systems

Recently there has been a dramatic proliferation on the usage of social networking websites, blogs and other information systems that have a social orientation. However, there is limited research on what drives individual to use such information systems and moreover what are the outcomes of their usage. This paper develops and empirically tests a model of user acceptance of social information systems. Taking into account the particular characteristics of these systems, the proposed model has several features that extend technology acceptance literature. Firstly, instead of the behavioral intention as the key dependent variable, the rate and the variety of use are used in order to model technology acceptance based on the use-diffusion theory. Secondly, exploiting a relational perspective of user-technology interaction the concept of user stickiness with an information system is investigated as usage outcome. Finally, the concept of addiction tendency is proposed to be another outcome modeling the excessive and intensive use of social information systems. In order to empirically test the proposed model a survey with the participation of 456 facebook users is conducted. Results, analyzed with structural equation modeling, confirm study’s hypotheses and show that social information systems could be a new field for theorizing about human behavior and technology

How Downplaying Product Greenness Affects Performance Evaluations: Examining the Effects of Implicit and Explicit Green Signals in Advertising

Despite frequent reports that they favor products with environmental benefits, consumers often purchase conventional alternatives. One reason for this is the performance liability associated with green products, in which consumers perceive them as being less effective. This research examines the concept of “green understatement” (i.e., communication of implicit green signals) compared with “green emphasis” (i.e., communication of explicit green signals) in green product advertising as a strategy to enhance performance evaluations. We test whether, why, and when an implicit (versus explicit) advertising strategy leads to higher performance evaluation for green products. We suggest and show that implicit green signals are more effective in conditions under which consumers have more concerns about the product’s performance or have lower expectations about its greenness. More specifically, the results of two experimental studies show that implicit (versus explicit) communication about greenness leads to higher performance evaluations for products that are less commonly green (Study 1) and for products that have an optional green mode (Study 2). The findings aid in the understanding of how a green product advertising strategy may influence performance evaluations and provide managerial implications for green product promotion

Consumer acceptance of technology-based services in retailing: a service science approach

Based on the Service Science, Management, and Engineering (SSME) initiative, which aims to bring together work from different fields and to develop the competences required in this service-led economy, this doctoral thesis develops and empirically tests a conceptual framework that models consumer acceptance of technology-based services in retailing by conceptualizing and approaching technology acceptance at the service system level. The proposed conceptual model uses attitudinal measures as approximation of consumer acceptance and includes the notion of technology contact (TC) as a service design characteristic that classifies technology-based services according to the level of customer-technology interaction they require, as antecedent of consumer acceptance. Moreover, consumer attitude towards the retail service concept -the general service idea to be supported by technology- is hypothesized as the second main antecedent of consumer acceptance. Finally, perceived system characteristics, individual traits and situational factors as well as their interaction with the concept of service technology contact are hypothesized to affect consumer acceptance of technology-based services. This thesis is based on an initial exploratory study and three empirical studies. Firstly, the initial exploratory study was conducted in order to generate and evaluate innovative technology-based service scenarios that they would be examined later as exemplar focus applications in the empirical studies. The outcome of this process was the selection of six technology-based service concepts. The first empirical study is based on a survey with a sample of 603 consumers in order to develop and identify the effect of technology readiness -an individual trait- on consumer attitude towards technology-based retail services with low and high technology contact. The second empirical study was motivated by the previous study and, by using an experimental design with the participation of 402 supermarket shoppers, has the purpose to investigate the direct effect of service technology contact on consumer attitude, by taking into account the moderating effects of individual traits and situational factors as well as the mediating effects of two variables from the technology acceptance model - performance expectancy and effort expectancy. Finally, the third empirical study was a survey based on a sample of 575 shoppers and it tested the effect of the attitude towards the retail service concept -defined as the general idea of the service independently of the technology used- on consumer acceptance of technology-based retail services using a scenario of an RFID-enabled dynamic pricing information service. Based on the multidisciplinary nature of the phenomenon of technology infusion into the service encounter, results of this thesis contribute to the literature in several ways. Therefore, the notion of e-services and e-commerce is extended by including also in-store technologies. Secondly, by proposing the concept of technology contact, technology-based services are classified according to their service design characteristics. The concept of technology contact is shown to be an antecedent of consumer acceptance and thus it is important when designing and evaluating consumer services.Βασιζόμενοι στην επιστήμη των υπηρεσιών, ορίζουμε ως τεχνολογική υπηρεσία ή υπηρεσία βασισμένη στην τεχνολογία, κάθε είδους υπηρεσία που χαρακτηρίζεται από κάποιας μορφής αλληλεπίδραση μεταξύ καταναλωτή και τεχνολογίας. Με αυτόν τον ορισμό στην ουσία ενσωματώνουμε διάφορες έννοιες που υπάρχουν στα επιμέρους επιστημονικά πεδία (i.e. self-service technology, technology-based self- services, electronic services, interactive services, -e-commerce, m-commerce και u-commerce) ορίζοντας από τη σκοπιά του καταναλωτή κάθε είδους αλληλεπίδραση με την τεχνολογία στο επίπεδο της παρεχόμενης υπηρεσίας. Συνεπώς, στόχος της παρούσας διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι να αναπτύξει θεωρητικά και να επιβεβαιώσει εμπειρικά ένα ενιαίο εννοιολογικό μοντέλο αποδοχής των τεχνολογικών υπηρεσιών από τους καταναλωτές. Βασιζόμενοι στο νέο ανερχόμενο ερευνητικό πεδίο της επιστήμης των υπηρεσιών, προσεγγίζουμε τη μελέτη της αποδοχής της τεχνολογίας από τους καταναλωτές στο επίπεδο της παρεχόμενης υπηρεσίας. Έτσι, για να μελετηθεί αποτελεσματικότερα η καταναλωτική αποδοχή των υπηρεσιών που βασίζονται στην τεχνολογία χρησιμοποιούμε έννοιες, θεωρίες και μοντέλα που προέρχονται από διαφορετικά ερευνητικά πεδία τα οποία συσχετίζονται με τη διοίκηση και τον σχεδιασμό των υπηρεσιών αλλά κα της καταναλωτικής συμπεριφοράς. Για την επίτευξη του ερευνητικού αυτού στόχου, πραγματοποιείται αρχικά μια βιβλιογραφική επισκόπηση στις σχετικές περιοχές του μάρκετινγκ, των πληροφοριακών συστημάτων και της διοίκησης των υπηρεσιών . Με βάση τις σχετικές θεωρίες γίνεται ανάπτυξη ενός θεωρητικού μοντέλου αποδοχής των τεχνολογικών υπηρεσιών από τους καταναλωτές και σχεδιάζεται η ερευνητική στρατηγική. Στη συνέχεια, για να επιβεβαιωθεί εμπειρικά το προτεινόμενο μοντέλο, πραγματοποιείται μια αρχική μελέτη που έχει ως στόχο να αναπτύξει ιδέες και σενάρια τεχνολογικών υπηρεσιών στο λιανεμπόριο και στη συνέχεια ακλουθούν τρεις εμπειρικές μελέτες με σκοπό τη διερεύνηση της στάσης των καταναλωτών απέναντι στις νέες τεχνολογικές υπηρεσίες στο χώρου του λιανεμπορίου τροφίμων). Το λιανεμπόριο τροφίμων και συγκεκριμένα τα καταστήματα σουπερμάρκετ επιλέχτηκαν ως το επιχειρηματικό πλαίσιο αυτής της έρευνας, λόγω των αυξημένων ευκαιριών που παρέχουν για την εφαρμογή των τεχνολογικών υπηρεσιών και λόγω του ευρέος φάσματος καταναλωτών που επισκέπτονται τα καταστήματα σουπερμάρκετ. Με βάση τη διεπιστημονική φύση του φαινομένου της διείσδυσης της τεχνολογίας στις καταναλωτικές υπηρεσίες, τα αποτελέσματα αυτής της διδακτορικής διατριβής συμβάλλουν στη βιβλιογραφία με διάφορους τρόπους. Έτσι, ενσωματώνοντας θεωρίες και μοντέλα από διαφορετικές βιβλιογραφίες, οι έννοιες του ηλεκτρονικού επιχειρείν, του κινητού και διάχυτου επιχειρείν καθώς και οι έννοιες των τεχνολογιών αυτοεξυπηρέτησης, μελετώνται κάτω από ένα κοινό πρίσμα. Με την ανάπτυξη και τον ορισμό της έννοιας της τεχνολογικής επαφής, οι τεχνολογικές υπηρεσίες ορίζονται με βάση κάποια δομικά χαρακτηριστικά του σχεδιασμού τους και μπορούν να ταξινομηθούν. Επιπλέον όμως τα αποτελέσματα των τριών εμπειρικών μελετών επιβεβαιώνουν ένα προτεινόμενο μοντέλο αποδοχής αυτών των υπηρεσιών, συμπεριλαμβάνοντας τη μεταβλητή της τεχνολογικής επαφής ως καθοριστικό παράγοντα. Ταυτόχρονα, ορίζεται η έννοια της στάσης απέναντι στη γενική ιδέα της υπηρεσίας και εξετάζεται και αυτή η μεταβλητή ως καθοριστικός παράγοντας της αποδοχής της τεχνολογίας

Effects of Expiration Date-Based Pricing on Brand Image Perceptions

[Display omitted] ► Expiration date-based pricing (EDBP) occurs when discounting perishables based on shelf life. ► EDBP has different effects on brand quality image under different conditions. ► EDBP has negative effects if consumers perceive low risk and for loyal consumers. ► EDBP has insignificant effects if consumers are highly familiar with this practice. ► EDBP may have positive effects if it is communicated as a green marketing practice. Expiration date-based pricing (EDBP) occurs when a grocery retailer reduces the price of a perishable product according to its remaining shelf life. While, conventional wisdom suggests that this practice leads to negative consumer evaluations of brand quality, a series of field experiments reveal negative effects on brand quality perceptions only among loyal consumers and those who perceive low risk associated with perishables. The effect is also mediated by consumer distrust (Study 1). In addition, EDBP has no effect on brand quality image if consumers are already familiar with this pricing practice (Study 2), and it may even generate positive consumer evaluations when framed as a cause-related marketing activity to reduce waste (Study 3). Additional evidence indicates that psychological contract violation perceptions provide the underlying mechanism for explaining consumer responses to EDBP (Study 4). This article ends with an agenda for further research and implications for retail practice

RFID acceptance amongst customers: A cross-cultural framework based on Hofstede

Cultural variations across countries are considered a major factor affecting customers' readiness to adopt, willingness to use, or evaluation of technology. Relevant contributions from marketing studies, computer science and international business are integrated into the literature of cross-cultural management and technology acceptance, and a conceptual model is developed. Drawing on a broader research project on RFID aimed at supporting intelligent business networking and innovative customer services, the development of the framework is informed by the authors' work in the preparation of a RFID based application at several established grocery retailers for short life products in Ireland and in Greece. From the findings of our exploratory study it emerges that low individualism and high uncertainty avoidance are conducive to greater customers' acceptance of new service technologies. Managerial implications and directions for future research are discussed