Drawing on the multi-level perspective of socio-technical change and social practice theory, this paper argues that macrosocial marketing must attend to the challenge of aggregate demand reduction in ...order to support transition to more sustainable marketing systems. However, reversal of current production and consumption system trajectories is a prodigious challenge. To provide deeper insight into that challenge, an ethnographic case study of a failed plastic bag tax identified the mechanisms reinforcing unsustainable marketing systems. Despite widespread awareness and espoused support, the tax failed to meet policy goals. Embeddedness of plastic bags in two inseparable practices (waste management and household provisioning) gave rise to seven themes: Valuableness, skepticism, subversion, blame, juxtaposition, ubiquity and embeddedness, rights and responsibilities, highlighting the roles of habitus and dominant technological regimes, and the notion of markets as sites of conflict. Mapping the system mechanisms highlighted regulating loops locking in systems behaviors at macro (landscape), meso (regimes of technology and practice) and micro (individual consumer and firm) levels. Building on the idea of demarketing, a process of macrodemarketing is proposed as a multi-level challenge to systems unsustainability. A series of macrosocial marketing interventions is proposed, ranging from electoral and education policy, to incentives for closed loop supply chain innovations. Addressing the limitations of the voluntary individual choice perspective, the study contributes insight into sources of resistance and potential capitulation to systems interventions at multiple levels and among multiple stakeholders.
Green consumption is context-dependent, complex, and multifaceted. Research from environmental psychology, environmental sociology, cross-cultural communication, and consumer behavior is integrated ...to develop a set of six hypotheses and a new model for green consumption. The model proposes a composite cultural profile (including individual, social/relational, temporal, and biospheric factors) as a mediating variable between individual factors, behavioral intention, and green consumption. The model further proposes contextual factors (economic, social, political, and technological) as a moderating variable on individual attitudes, values and perceived control, individual cultural profile, behavioral intention, and green consumption. A systems approach addresses weaknesses in previous a-contextual models that do not take into account emotional, symbolic, and cultural factors embedded in consumer consumption decisions. The model may offer superior explanations for green consumption behaviors in non-Western socio-technical contexts than that offered by existing theory, supporting more effective decision-making for managers and policymakers.
Household electricity wastage poses a sustainability issue. Ergonomic interventions that prevent wastage through technological innovations are expensive and complex, making consumers unwilling to ...adopt them. The study aimed to investigate the motivations and impediments in avoiding electricity wastage. Thirteen Repertory Grid interviews were conducted on household electricity users relating to the behaviour of those living with them. The key motivational themes found were altruistic and egoistic reasons while the impediments were perceived behavioural control, hedonism and self-efficacy. Based on the research findings, a behavioural modification framework was developed to encourage consumers to adopt a higher level of responsible electricity practice through the following suggested interventions - (1) reframing sustainability from 'future-for-others' to 'present-for-us', (2) clarifying responsible consumption and (3) performance feedback. The research identified the key motivations and impediments of being a responsible household electricity user and provided a framework to encourage a higher responsibility level.
Practitioner Summary: Household electricity wastage poses sustainability issue: excess CO
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& high costs. We developed a mindset changing behavioural modification framework. We investigated HFE issues: motivations & impediments of avoiding the wastage, i.e. altruistic, egoistic, behavioural control, hedonism & self-efficacy. The framework provides governments insights into strategies to address the wastage.
Fungus gnats (Sciaridae) are one of the most devastating pests on mushroom farms. Generally, they are controlled using relatively inefficient physical means, like sticky or pheromone traps, or with ...chemical pesticides. Here, we have proposed an integrated fungus gnat control system combining a UV-A LED source at 365 nm and a high-power laser diode at 445 nm. The 365 nm UV-A LED serves a light trap, since previous studies have concluded that fungus gnats show maximum attraction in the range of 365–390 nm. The UV-A LED is also modulated at different frequencies, and the response of the gnats corresponding to these different frequencies was observed. We utilized an Arduino Uno microcontroller to run the integrated device, and a BASLER USB camera was used to capture the images. Our experiments indicated that a frequency of 40 Hz is the optimal choice for attracting the gnats most rapidly. Within 20 s of exposure, the UV-A LED operated at 40 Hz was found to trap approximately 80% of the gnats. In a restricted trapping zone measuring 2.5 × 2.5 × 3 cm3, our integrated module, which includes a 40 Hz modulated UV-A LED and a laser, resulted in a survival rate of only 50% for the total number of gnats. This outcome was accomplished through periodic 200 ms long exposures, amounting to a total duration of 2 min for a group of 100 gnats.
This study explores the evolution of customer engagement in the digital era for businesses, a crucial concept in today's interconnected marketplace facilitated by a variety of digital platforms. The ...study identifies a gap in the comprehensive understanding and conceptualisation of digital customer engagement across various social media platforms and mediums. By using a bibliometric analysis approach, this study reviews 547 articles published between 2010 and 2021, offering a holistic view of the existing research landscape. The analysis uncovers four distinct bibliometric clusters representing unique facets of customer engagement: brand engagement, behavioural insights, loyalty dynamics, and relationship dynamics. These clusters provide insights into the multifaceted nature of customer relationships and engagements facilitated by digital platforms. The study concludes by proposing seven future research directions, aiming to guide scholars in exploring uncharted territories in digital customer engagement and its implications for businesses in the digital age.
Marketing and management scholars agree that organizations should focus on their core resources and capabilities in their effort to create a competitive advantage. However, tourism researchers and ...practitioners need more empirical evidence from emerging tourism destinations, viz. under what conditions can core destination resources and capabilities deliver this edge more effectively. Consequently, this paper examines the effect of core destination resources, namely natural resources, heritage resources and created resources on destination image, and the moderating effects of customer value and destination satisfaction. International tourists to Qatar (an emerging tourism destination) provided the data for the study. The results show that natural resources and heritage resources are significantly related to the destination image, but created sources are not. Customer value positively and negatively moderates the association of natural resources and heritage resources respectively with destination image. Destination satisfaction positively moderates the relationship between heritage resources and destination image. The findings suggest a preponderance of inimitable endowed resources over imitable created resources in explaining destination image, thus justifying a focus on the former when crafting destination benefits proposal to international tourists. Practitioners and policymakers should also emphasize the unique value of these resources, be mindful of price in/sensitive customers when making destination resources cost/benefit decisions, and deliver delightful experience to customers to enhance destination image. Detailed managerial and theoretical implications of the study are presented.
•Inimitable endowed tourism resources are significantly associated with destination image.•Natural and heritage resources have significant relationship with destination image.•No significant relationship between created resources and destination image.•Customer value significantly moderates the resources-destination image relationship.•Endowed resources predicts destination image better than created resources.•Greater emphasis on inimitable endowed tourism resources by practitioners than on imitable created resources.
Despite the risk of negative consequences from bad publicity, many brands continue to engage in unethical marketing. With unethical marketing being widely reported in the media, this study commenced ...with the assumption that awareness of consequences (AC) has little impact on ethical decision-making (EDM). This assumption, however, was empirically refuted based on a survey where marketing professionals with high levels of AC engage more in EDM. Noteworthily, this study found that the relationship between AC and EDM is mediated by self-identity (SI), which highlighted the importance for marketing professionals to recognize their own moral identity in ensuring the translation of their AC into EDM. The study also revealed that gender plays a moderating role in the aforementioned relationship, with the effect being stronger for men as opposed to women, a noteworthy deviation from past findings. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to theory and practice, wherein a foundational theory of ethical decision-making is established.
One of the most attractive approaches in biomedicine and pharmacy is the application of multifunctional materials. The mesoporous structure of clinoptilolite (CZ) absorbs various types of substances ...and can be used as a model for studying the carriers for targeted drug delivery with controlled release. CZ-dye composites are fabricated by incorporation into clinoptilolite pores commonly used dyes, aluminum phthalocyanine, zinc porphine, and hypericin. We examined and compared the effect of pure dyes and CZ-dye composites on insulin amyloidogenesis. The formation of insulin amyloid fibrils and the disassembly of preformed fibrils is significantly affected by any of the three compounds, however, the strongest effect is observed for aluminum phthalocyanine indicating a structurally-dependent anti-amyloidogenic activity of the dyes. The incorporation of dyes into CZ particles resulted in enhanced anti-amyloidogenic activity in comparison to pure CZ particles. The cell metabolic activity, biocompatibility and fluorescence biodistribution of the dyes entrapped in the composites were tested in vitro (U87 MG cells) and in vivo in the quail chorioallantoic membrane model. Considering the photoactive properties of the dyes used, we assume their applicability in photodiagnostics and photodynamic therapy. It can also be expected that their anti-amyloidogenic potential can be enhanced by photodynamic effect.
The energy conservation behaviour of people is a significant issue given the growing global concern about environmental issues. The current study is part of a larger intervention project aimed at ...changing the energy use behaviour of people living in rural households in Kerala, India. Preliminary activities of the project started in early 1997. The management and administration of the project spread over a period of 8 years. The study explores the extent of energy saved by these rural households when awareness, availability and training about the technologies are present, and thereby examines the impact of attitudinal variables and contextual factors on the energy-saving behaviour of people. This paper revisits the theories of behavioural change in the context of energy-saving behaviour and investigates whether Attitude, Behaviour, Context theory can be used to predict environmentally significant human behaviour. Findings revealed that traditional habits and beliefs influenced attitude formation in rural households and hence should be treated as an important consideration in changing energy conservation behaviours in the future.
