Business Commons^™

Forecasting Consumer Adoption Of Technological Innovation: Choosing The Appropriate Diffusion Models For New Products And Services Before Launch, Roger Calantone, Lance Gentry

Business and Information Technology Faculty Research & Creative Works

There are many good articles on various forecasting models. There is consensus that no single diffusion model is best for every situation. Experts in the field have asked for studies to provide empirical-based guidelines for recommending when various models should be used. This research investigates multiple diffusion models and provides recommendations for which diffusion models are appropriate for radical and really new products and services before the launch of the innovation.

The Different Perceptions Toward Hybrid Vehicles Between United States And China, Jim Chang Chun-Hsiung

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of this study was to determine Chinese and U.S. consumers' attitudes and perceptions toward hybrid cars and the likelihood of purchasing one in the future.

Consumer Expectation Formation In Health Care Services: A Psycho-Social Model, Kenneth Randall Russ

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A psycho-social model of consumer expectation formation in a health care services context was developed and tested. A field study involving obstetrical patients (n=171) at a large women’s specialty hospital in the southeast was conducted. Initial support for the structural model which posits that consumer expectations in health care services are multidimensional involving role, process, outcome, and service quality was found. Furthermore, the research identified that the uncertainty of a health service encounter may cause certain consumer segments to choose coping strategies and expectation processes based on their locus of control orientation from along a continuum ranging from “approach-active” to …

Attitudes Toward Consumer-Customized High-Tech Products: The Role Of Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease Of Use, Technology Readiness, And Customer Customization Sensitivity, Margarita B. Guilabert

Marketing Dissertations

Theoretical research on mass customization of consumer products/services has emphasized the importance of consumers embracing customized products as a prerequisite for this strategy to be successful. It seems obvious that if final consumers are not interested in customization there is no need to pursue customization strategies. Although an important body of literature on mass customization has recently emerged, there is a need to know more about customization from the consumer’s point of view. In that sense, this research examines consumers’ attitudes toward customized products/services in the context of high technology. Focusing on high-tech products that can be customized by consumers, …

Observations On Observation In India's Dynamic Urban Markets, Nikhilesh Dholakia, Piyush Kumar Sinha

College of Business Faculty Publications

Urban India is witnessing a rapid revolution in its commercial retail spaces. These transforming commercial landscapes constitute a rich arena for qualitative research using, among others, observational methods. In this paper, we present observations about the changing urban retail scene of India. We provide emergent themes that we have already found in observations so far, and also reflect on the challenges of carrying out such observations in the Indian context.

The Reference Group Influence On Cell Phone Purchasing Behavior: Research On Chinese Youth, Xe (Stephen) Xihao

The Corinthian

The cell phone has experienced a change from a private luxury product into a public necessity product in the late 1990s China. According to consumer behavior theories, individuals would be significantly influenced by their reference groups when making a purchasing decision of a certain commodity such as the cell phone. The reference group influence encompasses three types: informational influence, utilitarian influence, and value-expressive influence. This paper utilizes the empirical research method to investigate the three types of reference group influence on Chinese youth's cell phone purchasing behavior. The research results indicate that reference groups have a significant influence on cell …

Observations On Observation In India's Dynamic Urban Markets, Nikhilesh Dholakia, Piyush Sinha

Nikhilesh Dholakia

Urban India is witnessing a rapid revolution in its commercial retail spaces. These transforming commercial landscapes constitute a rich arena for qualitative research using, among others, observational methods. In this paper, we present observations about the changing urban retail scene of India. We provide emergent themes that we have already found in observations so far, and also reflect on the challenges of carrying out such observations in the Indian context.

“La Noción De 'Consumidor' En El Derecho Comunitario Del Consumo”, Luis González Vaqué

Luis González Vaqué

No abstract provided.

Northwest Montana Fall Visitors - 2004, Norma P. Nickerson

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This descriptive data presentation is based on a survey conducted by graduate students in Dr. Norma Nickerson's "Consumer Behavior in Travel and Tourism" graduate course during the fall semester 2004.

An Empirical Investigation Of A Model Of Environmentally Concerned Consumer Behavior And Its Determinants: The Moderating Role Of Market Mavenship And Product Involvement, Kishwar A. Joonas

Doctoral Dissertations

Extant literature offers incomplete explanations of environmentally concerned consumer behavior (ECCB), based on subsets of determinants. In this study, I have presented an integrated model of ECCB, and examined the main effects of three key psychological determinants (environmentally concerned beliefs and attitudes, personal norm, and perceived consumer effectiveness) and two key socio-cultural determinants (injunctive norm and collectivist orientation), on four dimensions of ECCB, namely purchase behavior, search for information, conserving behavior, and supporting intent. The study also examined the interactional effects of market mavenship and involvement on these direct linkages.

I conducted a national online survey among members of environmental …

Investigations Into Availability And Quality Of Urban Tourism Consumer Behaviour Information: Tourist Information Availability And Use For Dublin's Tourism Stakeholder Organisations, David M.J. Nunan

Masters

The availability of timely urban tourist information is increasingly important for useful learning experiences among all tourism stakeholders. National or regional tourism visitor surveys are usually either too general to be of much use, if any, to the individual city tourism stakeholder or too specific to be of much use to the city destination manager. A homogeneous city survey model has recently been made available for European city tourism organisations. A balance needs to be struck between the homogeneous information needs of the city tourism manager and the more specific needs of the individual local urban tourism sectors. This thesis …

Business-To-Consumer Electronic Commerce In Japan, Haruyoshi Takaoka

Theses Digitization Project

The purpose of the project was to examine the current situation of B2C e-commerce in Japan, consumers' online purchasing behavior, and attributes affecting online purchases. Since many companies are interested in starting or have started B2C e-commerce businesses, this study would aid companies in developing marketing strategies that would grow their businesses and build loyalty among consumers.

The Best Undergraduate Marketing Education Programs: An Assessment, Wayne A. Roberts Jr, Dennis Vredenburg

Mountain Plains Journal of Business and Technology

The purpose of this research was to determine the content and structure of the best undergraduate marketing programs, as identified by U.S. News and World Report for 2002 and 2003. Results show there are basically two types of programs. The first type does not have a marketing major program. Rather, the student’s program reflects the elective courses taken beyond the common core requirements. The second, more common, type requires students to take some set of courses, after which a marketing credential, e.g., a marketing major degree, is awarded. Among these schools anywhere from 3 to 7 marketing courses beyond the …

Direct Marketing And Asian American In Inland Empire, Laura Louisa Hutabarat

Theses Digitization Project

This thesis employed a series of surveys of Asian Americans residing in the Inland Empire to determine their personal views towards direct marketing. Data is broken out by age, gender, ethnicity and employment status.

A Different Black: A Comparative Study Between African Americans And Kenyan Americans In Direct Response Advertising, Gladys Wangari Kamau

Theses Digitization Project

Marketers must be able to categorize consumers according to some definable characteristics in order to help tailor their marketing effort. Black consumers are usually grouped into one homogenous group even though some of them are immigrants. The segmenting of the different ethnic groups needs to be modified to include different cultures among the same ethnic group. This thesis compares the differences of these subgroups in beliefs, attitudes and past purchase behaviors in response to direct marketing advertising.

The Effects Of Employee Service Quality Provision And Customer Personality Traits On Customer Participation, Satisfaction, And Repurchase Intentions, Jeannie Denise John

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research investigates customer-employee interaction during service encounters, and whether the relationships between customer personality traits and quality of the employee’s service delivery will impact the customer’s participation, satisfaction, and repurchase intentions. Consumer personality is differentiated in terms of the self-monitoring (Snyder 1987) and locus of control (Rotter 1966) traits. Service quality provision is manipulated in terms of technical versus functional quality inputs, and whether these inputs are provided in a positive (i.e., good/superior) or negative (i.e., bad/poor) manner. These manipulations yield four combinations of service quality inputs: 1) positive technical and functional quality inputs; 2) positive technical, but negative …

Antecedents And Consequences Of Consumer Ethnocentrism Across Russia's Three Sub-Cultures, Shawn Thelen

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Shimp and Sharma (1987) extended the concept of ethnocentrism to commercial products with the development of a 17-item Consumer Ethnocentrism Scale [CETSCALE]. Consumer ethnocentrism is the belief that purchasing imported products harms the local economy, increases unemployment, and is morally wrong (Skimp and Sharma 1987). Shimp and Sharma (1987) called for studies to determine antecedents to consumer ethnocentrism and to apply the CETSCALE across geographic and regional segments. This dissertation addresses a void in the literature by examining antecedents; Inglehart's Materialism/Post Materialism (1977) and Holbrook's Nostalgia (1993), and outcome variables; product purchase preference, of consumer ethnocentrism across sub-cultures postulated to …

The Teenage Market And The Fashion Industry In France And In Theunited States, Cathy Dorothee Aubert

Theses Digitization Project

This project dealt with the teenage market in France and in the United States. Its aim was to provide the readers with an overview of this market and outline distribution and communication strategies that manufacturers and retailers can use to attract this market to make their business grow. Until a few years ago, the fashion industry did not pursue this market. In stores, most brands were dividing their clothing range into three catagories, women, men, and children. As a growing market with over 23 million teens in the U.S. and over 5.4 million in France, teenagers have an incredible spending …

The Emergence Of Online Retail Commerce And The Influence Of Risk On Its Growth, Thidaluk Thangkabutra

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

A Qualitative Analysis Of The Loyalty Building Attributes Of Customer Loyalty Programs On Gaining Loyalty To Brands, Caryn Ow

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

A paradigm shift from mass marketing to the concentrated focus on one-to-one marketing has led to a barrage of tactical strategies to instill long-tern consumer loyalty among organisations' most valued customers. At the forefronts of these strategies are customer loyalty programs. Since the inception of the first loyalty program, AAdvantage in 1981, the marketplace has seen a proliferation of these programs across a widening range of industries. Not surprisingly, this has led to significant interest in customer loyalty programs among academics and practitioners. Despite the skepticism of academics relating to the effects of loyalty programs, many organisations have allocated a …

Distributive Justice And Consumer Behavior: A Rawlsian Perspective, Ronald P. Hill, Robert Peterson, Kathy K. Dhanda

Kathy K Dhanda

No abstract provided.

Consumer Perceptions Of The Internet As A Product And Service Infomation Source, Kevin Nguy

Theses : Honours

The Internet is fast becoming an important product and service information source. Consumers are using the medium for gathering information on products and services. The Internet has unique characteristics, which makes it a powerful medium for communication. However, what is the perception of the product and service information on the Internet? This study aims to contribute to an understanding of consumers' perception of product and service information on the Internet. The research is exploratory in nature. Consumers' perceptions towards the Internet as a product and service information source were measured along a construct relating to perceptions towards the Internet information. …

A Qualitative Investigation Into The Use Of The Internet In The Information Search Phase Of The Buying Decision Process, Kiaran Geen

Theses : Honours

There have been a significant number of reports suggesting that the Internet will radically change accepted business and customer relationships. The literature to date has focused on the phenomenon of the Internet as well as more specific aspects such as its interactivity, how to market a Web site and security issues. There appears to be very little research on how consumer behaviour theories relate to the Internet. This study explored the extent to which the Internet is in the information search phase of the buying decision process, amongst Internet literate consumers. A qualitative investigation using virtual focus groups was conducted. …

Fourth World Consumer Culture: Emerging Consumer Cultures In Remote Aboriginal Communities Of North-Western Australia, Ronald George Groves

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Over the two centuries since the arrival of European settlers in Australia, the material culture and lifestyle of the indigenous Aboriginal people of Australia has undergone dramatic change. Based on qualitative fieldwork in three remote Aboriginal communities in north-western Australia, this study examines the emergence of unique consumer cultures that appear to differ significantly from mainstream Australia and indeed from other societies. The study finds that the impact of non-indigenous goods and external cultural values upon these communities has been significant. However, although anthropologists feared some fifty years ago that Aboriginal cultural values and traditions had been destroyed, this study …

Consumer Generalization Of Nutrient Content Claims In Advertising, J. Craig Andrews, Richard G. Netemeyer, Scot Burton

Marketing Faculty Research and Publications

Although considerable research exists on consumer processing of nutrition labeling and package claims, less is known about consumer interpretation of nutrient content claims in advertising. This is important because product advertising often provides a significant first step for consumers in learning new nutrition information. Yet, unlike package claims, Nutrition Facts Panels are often not available for consumers during the processing of such advertising claims. Therefore, the authors examine the following research questions: (1) Do consumers misinterpret (i. e., overgeneralize) common nutrient content claims in advertising? If so, under what conditions does this occur? and (2) Can various types of disclosure …

Consumers' Attitudes Toward Advertising And Purchase Intentions Regarding Direct Response Advertisements In A Multicultural Market, Steven Marc Edwards

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Materialism And The Self, Kathleen Shirley Micken

Theses and Dissertations in Business Administration

Materialism has been called the most significant macro development in modern consumer behavior. Despite its importance, research about the construct is rather new. Two scales have been developed to measure materialism, one proposed by Belk, the other by Richins and Dawson.

The purpose of this dissertation is threefold. First, it extends the materialism research program by investigating the relationship between materialism and one's self concept. Hypotheses which drive the research posit that people who are more materialistic have lower self-esteem, are less likely to be self-actualized, are extrinsically rather than intrinsically motivated, and are likely to be high self-monitors. The …

The Self-Concept And Symbolic Consumption; Their Effect On Consumer Behavior, Cory L. Dobbs

Theses

A major issue confronting consumer researchers and other investigators of social-psychological phenomena is whether individuals are motivated to purchase products that symbolically are congruent with their self-concept.

This issue is of particular importance to consumer and marketing researchers, since much of their data and resulting actions depend on the decision processes leading up to the consumer's choice of product for consumption. Examining the relationship between the self and consumption through congruence of self-images and images of owned or desired products reveals that the consumer regards his or her consumed products as expressive of themselves.

Perception plays a critical role in …

Personal Financial Planning: Determination Of Customer Profiles, Needs And Viewpoints, Ricardo Martin Ulivi

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Personal financial planning is a service that springs from the need for objective and centralized advice on a wide range of areas such as investments, insurance, money management, taxes, estate planning and others. A personal financial planner fits each one of those individual areas into a well- balanced, integrated plan, after a comprehensive financial analysis is undertaken— guided by a family's goals, attitudes and objectives.

The purposes of this study were (1) to identify characteristics which discriminate between households that are interested and those not interested in obtaining a personal financial plan; (2) to determine the relative importance of the …