Product Returns in a Digital Era: The Role of Multidimensional Cognitive Dissonance, Regret, and Buying Context in the Post-purchase Appraisal Process

The retailing industry is battling a behemoth – the escalating problem of product returns. The problem is of a graver import for e-tailers. However, the underlying cognitive and affective appraisal process that leads to product returns in case of online purchase still remains unclear. The liberal product returns environment in the context of online purchase has led consumers to proactively consider the option of decision reversal. Nevertheless, the impact of the initial buying context on the post-purchase appraisal process has been neglected in previous studies. To bridge the gaps found after evaluating the current gamut of research work conducted on this topic, a mixed-method approach was employed in the present study. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews (N = 42), the first qualitative study identified three online purchase situations (unplanned, purchase-for-trial and opportunism buying) that frequently provoke product returns. Additionally, the qualitative uncovered the salient post-purchase appraisal factors. To empirically test the underlying appraisal process and the differences caused by the buying situations, a quantitative study was conducted, using scenario-based experiment (N = 620). Findings suggest that contrary to recent studies (e.g., Lee, 2015; Powers & Jack, 2013), cognitive dissonance is not the immediate cause of product returns. It is the affective factor, regret, which leads to decision reversal. Additionally, in opposition to the claim of previous literature that high coping potential reduces stress, this study suggests that the ability to reverse the decision actually increases regret and, in turn, leads to product returns. Results also indicate that buying context (e.g., different buying situations) causes difference in serial mediation pathways from both primary and secondary appraisal to product returns likelihood. E-tailers should utilise consumers’ behavioural profile in order to classify different consumer groups and tailor the means to manage product returns accordingly

Modelling of sediment transport and bed deformation in rivers with continuous bends

Peer reviewedPostprin

Numerical simulation of gravity current descending a slope into a linearly stratified environment.

yesThe accurate prediction of the dilution and motion of the produced denser water (e.g. discharge of concentrated brine generated during solution mining and desalination) is of importance for environmental protection. Boundary conditions and ambient stratification can significantly affect the dilution and motion of gravity currents. In this study, a multiphase model is applied to simulate the gravity current descending a slope into a linearly stratified ambient. The k- turbulence model is used to better simulate the near bed motion. The mathematical model, initial and boundary conditions and the details of the numerical scheme are described. The time-dependent evolution of the gravity current, the flow thickness and the velocity and density field are simulated for a range of flow parameters. Simulations show that the Kelvin–Helmholtz billows are generated at the top of trailing fluid by the interfacial velocity shear. The K-H type instability becomes weaker with the slope distance from the source due to the decrease of the interfacial velocity shear along slope. The ambient stratification restricts and decreases the current head velocity as it descends slope, which differs from the situation in homogenous ambient while the head velocity remains an approximately steady state. Motion of the descending flow into the stratified ambient has two stages: initial acceleration and deceleration at later stage based on the balance of inertial, buoyancy and friction forces. When the descending current approaches the initial neutral position at later stage, it separates from the slope and spreads horizontally into environment. The simulated results, such as vertical velocity and density profiles and front positions, agree well with the measurements, indicating that the mathematical model can be successfully applied to simulate the effect of the boundary condition and ambient stratification on the dilution and propagation of gravity currents.UK EPSR

Correlation between flood frequency and geomorphologic complexity of river network -A case study of Hangzhou China

yesUrban flooding is a combined product of the climate and watershed geomorphology. River system is one of the vital components of watershed geomorphology. The geomorphic characteristics of rivers have important effect on the formation of flooding. However, there have been few attempts so far to investigate the relationship between flooding frequency, the probability of flooding, and the geomorphological complexity of river system. Such relationship is essential in order to predict likely responses of flooding frequency to the large-scale changes in the complexity of the river networks induced by accelerating urbanization around river. In this study we investigate the correlation between geomorphological characteristics of river system and the probability of flooding. Hangzhou city in China, which has suffered severe flooding, is chosen as a case study to evaluate this correlation and to investigate the impact of changes of drainage networks morphology on the local flooding. The fractal dimension, which is used to quantitatively assess geomorphological complexity of river network, is calculated by using box-counting method based on fractal geometry for eight sub river networks in Hangzhou. A model based on the correlation of flooding frequency and fractal dimension is established. The model is applied to investigate the effect of the rapid urbanization induced changes of river geomorphology on the local flood frequency in two typical regions in Hangzhou. The results show that the flood frequency/events increases with the decrease of fractal dimension of the river network, indicating that the geomorphologic complexity of river network has an important effect on flooding. This research has great referential value for future flood quantitative investigation and provides new method for urban flood control and river system protection.Key Scientific and Technical Project of Water Conservancy of Zhejiang Province (Grant No: RB1401

Bring the destination closer to consumers: The impact of using dynamic objects in different types of tourism destination ads

Previous research has investigated the matching effects between the spatial or temporal distance with the semantic meanings or format of the stimuli in tourism advertising. This research examined whether including a dynamic object can enhance the effectiveness of tourism destination ads. The results showed that placing dynamic objects can directly reduce perceived physical distance between the ad viewer and the advertised destination, which further reduces the ad viewer’s psychological distance and increases the visiting intention. Destination type has a moderation effect on the relationship between perceived physical distance and psychological distance, such that this relationship is stronger for cultural (vs. natural) destination. The indirect effect of object presentation (no object vs. still object. vs. dynamic object) on visiting intention is moderated by destination type, such that the indirect effect between dynamic object ad on visiting intention is stronger for cultural (vs. natural) destination. Furthermore, implications and limitations are discussed

The interaction effect between online product presentation dynamism and background contextualization on engagement and analytical fluency

In an online environment, consumers have limited access with product information due to the inability to gather sensory information. This research examined the interaction between image-induced dynamic imagery and background contextualization. The findings suggested that in the context of washing detergent ads, perceived ad movement can enhance consumers’ ad engagement. Additionally, when the focal product is presented in a frozen motion format, a decontextualized background increases ad engagement and analytical fluency. On the other hand, when the focal product is presented in a stationary format, a contextualized background increasesad engagement