Chris Dubelaar

In-store music and aroma influences on shopper behavior and satisfaction

Michael Morrison et al. — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 17:55:05 PDT

Retail markets are increasingly competitive and retailers continuously look to differentiate their retail offering. One way to differentiate is by providing a pleasant and exciting shopping ambience. This paper experimentally tests the effects of music (volume high or low) and aroma (vanilla scent present/absent) on young fashion shoppers in a real retail setting. Results show that volume of music and the presence of a vanilla aroma both have a significant impact on shoppers' emotions and satisfaction levels. Additional analysis reveals that the arousal induced by music and aroma results in increased pleasure levels, which in turn positively influences shopper behaviors, including time and money spend, approach behavior, and satisfaction with the shopping experience. Direct effects of arousal on behaviors as well as an interaction effect between music and aroma on pleasure and time spent in the store are also present. The paper contributes to the better understanding of shoppers' emotions and shopper behaviors in response to in-store atmospherics and offers retailers practical insights into how to create competitive advantage by customizing the atmosphere in their stores.

A meta analysis of unit size and its influence on consumption volume

Natalina Zlatevska et al. — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:10:59 PST

Increasing serving size increases amount consumed: Catch-22.

Natalina Zlatevska et al. — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:46:03 PST

The effect of serving size on consumption is well-established (see Chandon and Wansink, 2011 for a review). The larger the serve, the greater the amount consumed. However, little attention has been given to quantifying the serving size effect. We know that size influences volume consumed, but by how much? The present research used a meta analysis of 67 studies, and a combined N of 2792 respondents, to determine the relative effect of serving size on consumption volume (d=.47). More importantly, we extended our analysis to determine the absolute size of the effect: we found that a doubling of serving size increases consumption by 22%. Finally, we show that the serving size effect is larger among adults than children.

Understanding IT adoption and consumption within the social structure of a consumer's economy

Sherman Ting et al. — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:43:01 PDT

Research into adoption, acceptance and consumption of Information Technology (IT) within its diffusion cycle has been extensively studied in Information Systems (IS) and marketing. However, research often focused too narrowly on technology adoption rates and drivers leading to technology adoption and acceptance. This paper discusses how understanding the social structure of a consumer’s economy, a consumer’s portfolio of capital resources, can reveal the individual’s approach and experiences towards technology adoption and consumption present and future. It provides a novel multi-disciplinary and practical approach into understanding the technology consumer by looking at how economic, cultural, social, educational, technological and political capital resources differentiates consumer coping with complex technology consumption experiences. The cultural capital of three technology consumers is specifically compared in this paper. Outcomes from this research will assist designers and marketers in enhancing the future design and promotion of personal technologies.

To wrap or not wrap? What is expected? Some initial findings from a study on gift wrapping

Elizabeth Porublev et al. — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:43:00 PDT

This paper aims to explore and discuss the expectations surrounding the decision to wrap a gift. Gift wrapping can enable an object to be turned into a gift through the development of meaning that symbolises it as a gift. There are two key expectations surrounding the use of gift wrapping. The first expectation is that receivers prefer gifts to be wrapped and the second expectation is that the gift meets individual and social expectations of what a gift should look like. Data was gathered using three qualitative techniques; observation, interviews and projective workshops. These initial findings form part of a larger research study into gift wrapping.

Explaining celebrity match-up: Co-activation theory of dominant support

Lawrence Ang et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:52 PDT

The match-up hypothesis has been used as a general guide for selecting celebrity endorsement. However, beyond the general principle of congruence, this theory does not specify how and why match-up works. Previous theoretical frameworks have also been critiqued, and a new theory is offered to fill this theoretical gap in the literature. It revolves around the idea of finding dominant associations that support the celebrity and brand juxtaposition, and minimizing any contradictory ones.

The Internet: Leveler or divider? A cultural capital perspective

Esther Smith-Mitchell et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:51 PDT

Past contentions that the Internet will eliminate divisions between those of high cultural capital and low cultural capital (Bourdieu 1984) are examined in this research. We use a grounded theory approach using a sample of 10 respondents from within a limited demographic profile to demonstrate that those of high cultural capital use the Internet quite differently from those of low cultural capital. Our research provides evidence for two of the six dimensions of taste suggested by Holt (1998). These differences in use reproduce, reinforce, and exacerbate the extant differences between high and low cultural capital consumers.

Benefits, impediments and critical success factors in B2C e-business adoption

Chris Dubelaar et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:50 PDT

This paper reports the results of a study carried out to assess the benefits, impediments and major critical success factors in adopting business to consumer e-business solutions. A case study method of investigation was used, and the experiences of six online companies and two bricks and mortar companies were documented. The major impediments identified are: leadership issues, operational issues, technology, and ineffective solution design. The critical success factors in the adoption of e-business are identified as: combining e-business knowledge, value proposition and delivery measurement, customer satisfaction and retention, monitoring internal processes and competitor activity, and finally building trust. Findings suggest that above all, adoption of e-business should be appropriate, relevant, value adding, and operationally as well as strategically viable for an organization instead of being a result of apprehensive compliance.

The relationship between channel metrics, strategy and marketing performance

Michael Valos et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:50 PDT

The role of marketing channels is to implement marketing strategy. The difficulty of channel strategy is compounded by the emergence of e-channels and the need to integrate e-channels into traditional or “bricks and mortar” channels (Rowley 2002). As a result, managing performance across a greater number of channels with diverse characteristics is more difficult.

Organization and marketing performance is to some degree a function of the quality of channel implementation and particularly channel performance measurement. The channels literature suggests a “channel performance metric paradox”. Approaches to channel performance metrics have been mutually orthogonal or even negatively correlated. (Jeuland & Shugan 1983; Lewis & Lambert 1991; Larson & Lusch 1992). This paradox implies that it is impossible for all channel performance metrics to be maximized simultaneously and tradeoffs exist.

This paper proposes a research model and propositions which extend previous research and attempts to reconcile this “channel performance metric paradox”. The model assumes that testing the relationship between the Miles and Snow strategy types and a comprehensive range of channel performance metrics may explain this paradox. Previous implementation performance research has focused more on the Porter strategies rather than the Miles and Snow strategy types.

What gives salespeople their competitive edge?

Elizabeth Hemphill et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:49 PDT

Marketing literature asserts that many things influence buyers considering whether or not to commit to a purchase decision. This research paper reports results of a study that examined the interaction between real estate agents and customers at the point of sale of services to be delivered at a future time (engagement of a principal). This paper captures actual commitment to future business by whether or not a sale was made (an agency relationship was established). This paper makes an important contribution in two ways. Firstly, application to real estate agent exchange draws agency theory closer to more general marketing theory away from the more usual strict management, economics or legal contexts. Secondly, by examining the real estate context we provide new evidence to support the modeled relationship of interaction between the sales person and customer to increase our understanding of purchase decisions. Structural Equation Modelling is used to demonstrate that salespeople need to reach a certain level of ‘rapport’ in order to have a resulting phase transition to negotiation that may contribute to a sale.

Measuring retail productivity: What really matters?

Chris Dubelaar et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:48 PDT

Retail productivity measurement has commonly used ratios of outputs, such as sales, and input factors like capital and labour to measure different facets of productivity. However, these store-specific ratios are also likely to be influenced by other context-specific factors affecting the reliability and validity of these measures. This paper contributes to the research on productivity measurement by developing and testing a composite set of measures for retail productivity including exogenous factors. The empirical work is based on pharmacists in New Zealand (354) and Australia (336) using an instrument that is pretested in Canada (74) for both its external and internal validity. The data were analysed using LISREL to create comprehensive models of the relationships between and among the identified productivity factors. The study revealed that some competitive factors and demand-related factors play a significant role in the productivity of the stores in both New Zealand and Australia. This implies that correct measurement of retail productivity must include exogenous factors to be accurate. The theoretical and managerial implications of these results are discussed.

Formation of trust: Experimental approach towards investigating the formation of trusting beliefs in an online environment

Malvin Yeo et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:47 PDT

In this paper, we aim to investigate the process of trust formation particularly from an electronic commerce perspective using an experimental approach based on our belief that trust studies adopting a cross-sectional research design are only showing us snap shot views of different people at different stages along the process, but not necessarily the complete view of trust. Since there is a general agreement in the literature of trust as a behavioural concept which develops over time through online interactions (Blau 1964, Kramer 1994, Mcknight, Cummings & Chervany 1998, Zand 1978), then it may be possible that such snap shots taken at different points of the trust formation process tell very different stories which eventually leads to very different conclusions on what may be the same object of investigation. The question is what can we discover of the trust formation process when we take snap shots at the various crucial points of an online transaction. To facilitate this investigation, we adapted the conceptualization of Papadopoulou and colleagues (2001) to our study and designed an experiment to test the model which we believe captures the dynamism of the trust formation process.

Lemons on the web: A signalling approach to the problem of trust in Internet commerce

Boon-Chye Lee et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:46 PDT

Asymmetric information is at the heart of situations involving trust. In the case of B2C Internet commerce, the information asymmetry typically relates to the difficulty that consumers have of distinguishing between “trustworthy” and “untrustworthy” Web merchants. The impasse can be resolved by the use of signals by trustworthy Web merchants to differentiate themselves from untrustworthy ones. Using an experimental design where subjects are exposed to a series of purchase choices, we investigate three possible signals, an unconditional money-back guarantee, branding, and privacy statement, and test their efficacy. Our empirical results confirm the predictions suggested by signalling theory.

Increasing quality in measuring advertising effectiveness: A meta-analysis of question framing in conversion studies

Arch Woodside et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:45 PDT

We describe a meta-analysis of advertising conversion research findings that includes examining the influence of question framing on key output measures of advertising effectiveness. The article summarizes findings for 32 tourism-advertising studies. Two hypotheses are tested: (H1) the response rate to questionnaires mailed to sampled advertisement inquirers is lower when the brand sponsoring the study is identified versus not identified; and (H2) the estimated buyer/inquirer conversion rate is higher when the brand sponsoring the study is identified versus not identified. The findings support H1 and strongly support H2. Conclusion: framing a study and questions to persons sampled by referencing these persons' prior known requests for information about a given brand is likely to reduce interest in responding among nonbuyers of the stated brand and bloat estimates of inquiry-to-purchase conversions for the brand. To confirm and estimate the size of such distortions, we recommend designing-in context manipulations in planning surveys to measure the effectiveness of inquiry-generating advertisements.

Interaction between the salesperson and customer: A framework for improving the sales outcome

Elizabeth Hemphill et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:44 PDT

This paper examines the role of disclosure on agency establishment. Structural Equation Modeling reveals the need for salespeople to reach a level of “rapport” for a phase transition prior to any eventual sale. Reaching this level is a key driver of successful outcomes, rather than the negotiating skills.

Consumer behaviour and satisfaction

Chris Dubelaar et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:44 PDT

This study investigates customer satisfaction using a market segmentation approach. Yet emerging customer satisfaction research has been investigating satisfaction only at the aggregate level. In this study, customer satisfaction is examined in segments based on a typology of consumer search behavior. The findings demonstrate that the type of consumer as defined by whether and how they search for information (passive, rational-active, relational-dependent) has an effect on satisfaction. Rational-active and relational-dependent consumers are found to be the dominant consumer types who actively search out information before purchasing a product and thus perceive higher level of satisfaction than passive consumers. The identification of satisfaction within each type of consumer provides a reason for customers to repurchase the same product, or recommend it to other people. As a result, companies will be able to achieve an increase in profitability. Recommendations for companies and future research directions are presented.

Factors influencing paradoxes of technology adoption and consumption

Sherman Ting et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:42 PDT

With the rise of the internet and mobile telephony, many agree that Mobile-Business is the logical next step in the Electronic-Business revolution. Investigation of mobile electronic marketing is essential to ensure both consumers and organisations gain true value from the adoption and consumption of M-Business into their personal and working lives. Marketing to date has primarily focused on understanding the diffusion of M/E-Business technologies, adopter categories and adoption rates, whereas research in Information Systems (IS) often focuses on quantitatively predicting its adoption and usage by individuals and organisations. Few theories focus on investigating how a user’s perception, expectation and experience of the technology change post adoption. This paper brings together research interests from a range of disciplines from marketing and consumer behaviour to IS to sociology. Using MBusiness as a technology medium, it investigates a unique aspect of electronic marketing: Understanding how an individual’s cultural, educational, social, economic, political and technological characteristics can influence how they adopt, consume and experience technology’s vast array of psychological and behavioural experiences.

The consumption of gift wrapping

Elizabeth Porublev et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:41 PDT

Gift Wrapping is part of a valued ritual of giving that is important culturally, socially and economically. Consumer researchers have studied the process and meanings of gift giving with little consideration for the gift wrapping. The way a gift is wrapped involves a complex range of decisions and meanings. Building on existing literature we propose a model based on existing models of the gift giving process. Our model is based on value, context, relationship, and appropriateness of consumption as perceived by the donor.

Performance measurement in the Australian online securities marketplace

Chris Dubelaar et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:41 PDT

This study examines performance measurement in on-line securities companies in the Australian marketplace. Marketing managers of seven on-line stock brokerage companies in Australian capital cities were interviewed and their on-line strategies and approaches were systematically reviewed and analysed. The findings suggest that only four of the seven companies were able to articulate a core value proposition and that only two companies used performance measurement in strategic decision-making about the on-line component of their businesses. None of the firms was able to draw a direct connection between the performance measures implemented and the value proposition they claimed to offer to their customers. These findings have important implications for both practitioners and academics as they indicate a substantial deficiency in both the theory and practice of on-line performance measurement. Avenues for further research in the area of on-line performance measurement are suggested.

Process mapping techniques to investigate the implementation of customer relationship programs

Marion Steel et al. — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:16:40 PDT

Within the debate about what constitutes ‘good research’ in marketing is a need for data collection tools and analytical tools that can assist researchers in identifying potential causal links between factors in exploratory, qualitative research and to reduce bias through methodological diversity. Process mapping is a data collection and analytical tool that has been well established in the engineering field and is used to identify areas for improvement or develop implementation maps for new processes. More recently it has been used in management business processes such as Enterprise Resource Planning to better understand implementation. Process mapping is discussed as a tool for the investigation and analysis of customer relationship management implementation.