Conspicuous consumption symbolizes ostentatious and material consumption through the purchase of products and services with a higher economic value and that allows their consumers to excel socially. ...However, conspicuous consumption often does not represent social and environmental values, because their products are often not characterized by being made through sustainable processes. United Nations, through its sustainable development agenda, invited companies to be aware of the social and environmental problems of the world and to be able to generate strategies that can be sustainable over time and allow the growth of both the company and society in general. This study analyses the case of Starbucks as a global and sustainable brand, which also generates conspicuous consumption in emerging markets. In this way, we explain how this brand generates a social status in emerging markets, which allow their consumers to excel socially. On the other hand, we explain how Starbucks contributes positively to sustainability in these types of markets, generating greater well-being for both the environment and society in general. In this way, this brand manages to transmit messages with symbolic values of social status, as well as social and environmental awareness. This research allows us to see how Starbucks is able to generate conspicuous consumption in Colombia, which is the third largest exporter of coffee in the world but is also capable of generating sustainable processes that help Colombian coffee growers and the environment. This research used a quantitative methodology based on a structured questionnaire made for conspicuous consumers of the Starbucks brand in Colombia, whose data were processed through the statistical program PLS 3.2.7. This research details the sustainable processes carried out by this brand in this developing country and the reasons why its consumption in this emerging market is considered conspicuous. For this research, family allocentrism, ethnocentrism, and patriotism are considered antecedents of conspicuous consumption, and brand image and brand loyalty are considered their results.
The live music concert business was one of the economic sectors most affected by mandatory quarantine and social restrictions due to COVID-19. The quarantine forced this industry to reinvent itself ...through digital communication, to be able to continue offering this type of shows, but in a completely virtual way. Taking this into account, this research analyses the adaptation of the live music concert business through e-service quality management in digital communication, and how the consumer of this type of shows responded to this new commercial strategy. Through the PLS a sample of 294 consumers was processed in the city of Bogota, (Colombia), who, once the mandatory quarantine ended, attended some kind of live music concert, but completely in a virtual way. The results allow us to show the positive relationships between study variables, thus demonstrating the emergence of a digital consumer in this sector.
Purpose
This research aims to contribute to the existing literature on the image of global and foreign brands, but analyzing the impact on these brands, both ethnocentrism (CE) and xenocentrism (XEN) ...in the consumer. It also analyses the effects of XEN, dogmatism and national identity in the CE.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-cultural and quantitative study was carried out, through a total sample of 778 valid questionnaires collected online of which 451 questionnaires were from a developing country (Colombia) and 327 questionnaires were from a developed country (Spain). The data were processed through PLS-SEM software 3.2.7, which is usually used in this type of predictive studies, also containing variables of formative and reflective type.
Findings
Results show that XEN has a positive impact on the image of global and foreign brands, whereas CE does not always have a negative effect on the image of global and foreign brands, as was believed. Both effects are moderated by the national culture and the perceived brand globalness. XEN also has a negative impact on CE while national identity and dogmatism influence positively CE.
Originality/value
This research performs the analysis of the effects of XEN together with CE on the perceptions of a service global brand, considering the moderating effects of the national culture and perceived brand globalness were taken into account, between a developed country and a developing country.
Consumer animosity represents discomfort towards foreign goods, services and brands originating in countries with which there is some kind of conflict; in this way, a better understanding of consumer ...behavior in respect of hostilities between countries is sought. On the other hand, the conflicts in Latin America and the Caribbean are often overlooked in the academic literature, which focuses on studying the major Western economies and the great Asian tigers, given their political, economic and military value; for this reason, consumer animosity studies are mostly conducted in these countries. This study seeks to contribute to the scarce literature on consumer animosity in Latin America, through a current conflict between two South American countries, such as Colombia and Venezuela. The data processed through the PLS, allow us to demonstrate how the Colombian consumer, although he may have animosity towards Venezuela, has a positive image of the fast-food restaurants of Venezuelan origin in Colombia. In this way, this study shows that consumer animosity is not widespread, but must be studied specifically for each type of product, service, or brand.
Globally, governments implemented several quarantine periods to attempt to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As a result, people were unable to carry out their daily activities in person, and ...many began to undertake activities online. Gyms and sports schools were among the economic sectors that were required to physically close their operations at the beginning of these quarantines. Thus, many people stopped exercising and turned to social networks as a form of entertainment. The aim of this study was to demonstrate how consumers found a new form of entertainment in the social networks of gyms and sports schools, which allowed them to be entertained and perform physical exercise at home. In this manner, consumers generated an e-loyalty towards the social networks of the gyms that they previously frequented physically. Thus, based on the e-loyalty of their social networks, gyms were able to identify a mechanism that enabled them to approach their consumers and continue offering a variety of products and services online, taking into account the context of COVID-19.
The quarantines caused by the Covid-19, generated that thousands of university students had to abruptly abandon their classroom classes, and receive them in a virtual way. This sudden change caused a ...break in the daily life of thousands of university students, who were forced to use a teaching method that, although not new, was unusual at that time. This, initially generated a situation of rejection, stress and a perception of low quality classes that were received in a virtual way. However, with the passage of time, there was a need to know the perception of students about the quality of their virtual classes, but once the mandatory quarantine ended, because the literature has been focused only during the quarantine period. On the other hand, most studies on this topic have focused on developed countries, so there is little literature on the perception of virtual classes, taken by students from South America, whose countries have economic, social and technological characteristics, very different from developed countries. Based on the above, this study analyzes the perceptions of 867 students from 12 private business schools in the city of Bogota, Colombia. The data processed through PLS, allows us to observe that students have changed their negative perception towards virtual classes, and that, at present, these classes are considered of quality. Similarly, we can see that satisfaction, the willingness to continue using this methodology in the future, and the good performance of the university brand, are direct results of the quality of virtual classes.
Virtual classesQualityBusiness schoolDigital teachingUniversity brand.
This research contributes to the scarce literature that exists on the perception that Catholics have about the Eucharist online, which was continued through various digital platforms, but once the ...emergence of the COVID-19. In this way, the perception of Catholics is identified, regarding their spiritual experience, their satisfaction, and their intention to continue attending this type of religious practice in the future, but online. For this, a quantitative study was carried out through the PLS program with a sample of 1423 parishioners in the city of Bogotá, Colombia. Bearing in mind that Latin America has the largest number of Catholics in the world, the results of this study help the Catholic Church to generate possible strategies that can be developed in various parts of the world, to combine this type of religious services with the various virtual platforms.
Numerous studies have identified that ethnocentric consumers prefer buying products produced nationally rather than products from overseas. Nevertheless, this study has been focused on big economies, ...that's why its application in developing countries is still scarce, especially if we want to know their relationship with a global and foreign brand that operates in these developing countries. On the other hand, this study has been centralized in products, and that is the reason why the studies in hedonic services are also scarce. The objective of this study is to identify the antecedents and consequences of ethnocentrism in hedonic services by applying the variable to a developing country such as Colombia. Considering the cultural and economic importance of Colombian coffee and, regarding a global brand, foreign and hedonic services like Starbucks. This allows the presentation of a theoretical model that forms the basis of an empirical study with a sample of 305 consumers of Starbucks in Bogotá. Via data analysis with Smart PLS 3.0, it was observed that although the Colombian consumer is ethnocentric, they do possess loyalty towards the cited global brand. These results provide us with implications for the management of international businesses as well as with future research pathways.
Consumer animosity is often studied in the large economies of the world, in order to explain the negative feelings generated by an individual towards another country and its products, due to various ...political, economic and social conflicts. This study presents three specific developments in this field. First, to demonstrate how companies in the retail sector have been able to develop innovations in their business models through their shops and virtual channels, which generate a positive positioning in the mind of the consumer, capable of minimizing animosity towards them. In this way it is shown that a consumer can have strong feelings of patriotism, animosity and ethnocentrism, and yet a positive image towards a brand or product of the country with which the conflict takes place. Second, a contribution to literature regarding the scant research on consumer animosity in developing countries, and specifically in Latin America. Third, an analysis of animosity under a current context of conflict between countries, and not of studies carried out taking situations or facts from the past. In this way, a contribution is generated that allows to understand more the behavior of the consumer and his animosity in societies with emerging economies and as the innovations in business models allow to improve both the economic profitability of a company, as its brand image.
Business model innovations, Consumer animosity, Collective tendencies; Patriotic tendencies; Ethnocentrism tendencies; Foreign brand image
AbstractProcesses of innovation in the supply chain are frequently examined in depth within large firms across various economic sectors operating in developed economies. However, studies applied to ...small companies operating in emerging markets is still incipient, especially due to the few resources they have, which in turn affects their capacity for innovation. Taking into account the social and economic importance of small enterprises in the economic growth of developing countries, this study focused on the analysis of such enterprises, through a sample of 413 entrepreneurs who own small restaurants in Colombia. The data processed through PLS-SEM, analyze the perception of this type of companies, regarding the use of new technologies in the supply chain, through an indirect process of technological innovation, where they had to embrace the use of various platforms, such as apps or websites, to procure the supplies necessary for their restaurants. The results of this research show that Perceived Usability and Perceived Usefulness are antecedents of the quality of the Website and e-satisfaction is considered a result, through which you can indicate the success of the adoption of these technological tools, which allow a better daily operation for such small businesses.
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