Yours, Mine, or Ours? Exploring the Role of Cultural Values in Sharing Economy Services

The sharing economy offers consumers an alternative to ownership by exchanging value through technology-based services. As the growth of sharing economy practices continue to emerge, business scholars have only recently begun to study how cultural differences impact the sharing economy. Specifically, few studies have examined individual cultural values. Therefore, this study explores whether differences in cultural values, using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, account for consumers’ attitudes and participation in sharing economy services (SES). Two studies employing a mix-method approach will be conducted to gain a thorough understanding of the sharing economy from both the consumers’ and the peer providers’ perspective. This research is one of the first papers to investigate the influence of cultural values in the sharing economy at the individual level as most research has only focused at the national level. These results may further our understanding of the sharing economy and its interaction across cultures

Sophisticated vs. Rugged: Examining Gendered Brand Communication Styles and Social Media Engagement

Advertising and marketing managers understand that not all brands need to be on social media, but what is not clearly understood is consumers’ engagement expectations for brands that are on social media. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of brand personality, specifically sophisticated and rugged brands, and gendered communication styles on consumers’ expectations of social media engagement. A scenario-based experiment is performed to test the hypotheses using a mock brand. The main study consisted of a Qualtrics consumer panel, and a MANOVA was utilized to examine three components of social media engagement (consumption, contribution, and creation) on the two brand personality dimensions. Results suggest that not all brands are expected to be as engaging on social media. Specifically, consumers expect higher levels of engagement with sophisticated brands (feminine traits) compared to rugged brands (masculine traits)

Sophisticated vs. Rugged: Examining Gendered Brand Communication Styles and Social Media Engagement

Advertising and marketing managers understand that not all brands need to be on social media, but what is not clearly understood is consumers’ engagement expectations for brands that are on social media. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of brand personality, specifically sophisticated and rugged brands, and gendered communication styles on consumers’ expectations of social media engagement. A scenario-based experiment is performed to test the hypotheses using a mock brand. The main study consisted of a Qualtrics consumer panel, and a MANOVA was utilized to examine three components of social media engagement (consumption, contribution, and creation) on the two brand personality dimensions. Results suggest that not all brands are expected to be as engaging on social media. Specifically, consumers expect higher levels of engagement with sophisticated brands (feminine traits) compared to rugged brands (masculine traits)

The neglected role of insulin-like growth factors in the maternal circulation regulating fetal growth

Maternal insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) play a pivotal role in modulating fetal growth via their actions on both the mother and the placenta. Circulating IGFs influence maternal tissue growth and metabolism, thereby regulating nutrient availability for the growth of the conceptus. Maternal IGFs also regulate placental morphogenesis, substrate transport and hormone secretion, all of which influence fetal growth either via indirect effects on maternal substrate availability, or through direct effects on the placenta and its capacity to supply nutrients to the fetus. The extent to which IGFs influence the mother and/or placenta are dependent on the species and maternal factors, including age and nutrition. As altered fetal growth is associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality and a greater risk of developing degenerative diseases in adult life, understanding the role of maternal IGFs during pregnancy is essential in order to identify mechanisms underlying altered fetal growth and offspring programming

The Cultural Influence on Sharing Economy Services: The Case of Airbnb

The sharing economy offers consumers an alternative to ownership by exchanging value through technology-based services. As sharing economy practices continue to emerge, business scholars have only recently begun to study how cultural differences impact the sharing economy. Specifically, few studies have examined individual cultural values. Therefore, this study explores whether differences in cultural values, using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, account for consumers’ attitudes and participation in sharing economy services (SES). Utilizing a survey, data was gathered from a total of 276 consumers from Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) who had previous experience with Airbnb, a popular peer-to-peer accommodation SES. Multiple regression was used to test the proposed hypotheses regarding an individual’s cultural values in relation to attitudes and participation in SES. Results show that some, but not all, cultural values impact the outcome variables. Specifically, Hofstede’s dimensions of long-term orientation and indulgence positively influence a consumer’s attitudes and participation in sharing economy services. Overall, the results of this research aim to further our understanding of the sharing economy and its impact across cultures. To the author’s knowledge, this research is one of the first papers to investigate the influence of cultural values in the sharing economy at the individual level, as most research has only focused at the national level

Brand Avatars: Impact of Social Interaction On Consumer-Brand Relationships

Purpose: Over the past two decades, technology-facilitated communication between brand and consumer has become common. One way in which technology can be used to build brand relationships in the online environment is by using brand avatars. This study considers social aspects of brand avatar communication, with the aim of determining if including an element of “socialness” adds to the impact of the brand avatar. Design/Methodology/Approach: Specifically, the authors test three outcome variables core to building strong consumer relationships through experimental design comparing an avatar\u27s communication style (transactional vs social) while considering the potential covariate of motivational orientation. Findings: Overall, multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) results indicate that social functions provided by the brand avatar are more likely to facilitate the consumer–brand relationship (CBR) process than transactional functions. This study provides managerial support for using an avatar with social communication capabilities. Originality/Value: As social interaction becomes more expected by consumers in the current media landscape, understanding how to meet those demands on a large scale, through brand avatars, is valuable