Responsible sustainable consumer behavior (RSCB) involves a complex pattern of environmental and social issues, in line with the view of sustainability as a construct with both environmental and ...social pillar. So far, environmental dimension was far more researched than social dimension. In this article, we investigate the antecedents of both environmentally and socially RSCB and willingness to behave in environmentally/socially responsible way. We include measures of concern, perceived consumer control/effectiveness, personal/social norms and ethical ideologies/obligation to better explain and extend the traditional theory of planned behavior. Additionally, we test the impact of information availability about environmental or social impact on RSCB. Our findings on a representative sample of 426 respondents (ages 18 to 65) show that in general, antecedents of environmentally and socially responsible sustainable consumption are similar in their effect on consumer behavior, with personal norms, concern and ethical ideologies having the strongest impact on RSCB. When comparing both types of behavior, socially responsible behavior is more influenced by perceived behavioral control and possibly social norms than environmentally responsible behavior, while information availability plays its role for both behaviors. Sustainable responsible consumption can be achieved by embracing both dimensions of sustainability and consumers need to have a sense for both social and environmental issues. The complexity and struggles between doing what is good for environment and society could be the reason why consumers have difficulties achieving sustainable responsible consumption.
This study examines the relevance and conceptualizations of the authenticity concept in cultural tourism from the managerial standpoint. We propose a consumer-based model in which authenticity is a ...key mediating construct between cultural motivation and loyalty. The model is empirically examined by means of a survey conducted on 25 Romanesque heritage sites in four European countries. A confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were performed using LISREL 8.72. The results indicate that cultural motivation is an important antecedent of both object-based and existential authenticity, which in turn influence tourist loyalty. Theoretical, managerial and marketing implications of authenticity are discussed, showing that the consumer-based perspective can transcend some 'irreconcilable tensions' related to this concept.
People form gestalt country perceptions encompassing production, investment, and tourism perspectives. Surprisingly, country image research exists in two parallel research streams—country of origin ...and destination—with almost no cross-references between them. This study develops a holistic model of country-of-origin image (COI) and destination image (DI) that unites both research streams and tests the relative importance of cognitive, affective, and symbolic country connotations to predict three consumer behavior outcome intentions (1) purchasing products and services, (2) traveling abroad, and (3) conducting business with foreign companies. Results reveal that overall, affective, and symbolic image dimensions complement and outperform cognitive dimensions. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications and guidelines for further research.
Commitment is one of the most frequently studied variables in business-to-business relationships and several researchers propose it is the main antecedent of customer loyalty. However, while ...marketing relationships researchers agree on the importance of the construct, differences remain in its conceptualization and operationalization. This study examines commitment from the customer's perspective, consisting of three components: calculative, affective and normative. Relationships were tested between the three dimensions of commitment and social bonds, trust and satisfaction in the context of professional business services providers and their clients. The results of the model that was tested in Central and Eastern European companies show that affective commitment is the only one of the three components that significantly influences customer loyalty. Trust and social bonds have no significant relation either to normative or to calculative commitment while a relation of overall satisfaction with normative and calculative commitment is negative. The theoretical and managerial implications for the model to assist in the development of appropriate strategies to achieve affective commitment and loyalty in business relationships are discussed.
Visitor perceptions of the quality of a tourist destination, satisfaction with their experience and the resulting behavioural intentions are vital for successful destination management and marketing. ...The purpose of our research is to explore the complex relationships between these constructs using structural equation modelling, whereby both formative and reflective constructs are included. The structural model was tested on a sample of 1056 visitors at four tourist destinations in Slovenia. The empirical validation of the conceptual model supports the research hypotheses. Destination attributes affect the perceived quality of tourist offerings, which positively relates to satisfaction as well as visitors' behavioural intentions. The link between satisfaction and behavioural intentions was also confirmed. These research findings contribute to a better understanding of which behavioural mechanisms and factors represent a viable basis for increasing customer retention at the level of individual providers as well as a destination as a whole.
•Moral motives or “doing the right thing” outperform instrumental motives for CSER.•Initiating environmental practices does not necessarily depend on having excess funds.•Introducing desired social ...change is not limited to financially healthy firms only.•Sustainability strategy positively mediates the links between motives and practices.•Rational reasons exist why firms should not merely pursue short-term profit-maximizing.
This paper adds to CSR, environmental management and strategy literature by examining motivating and enabling factors of corporate environmental and social responsibility practices. We develop and compare two moderated mediation models – one related to the environmental (Study 1) and the other to the social (Study 2) dimension of sustainability. Survey-based data collected from 236 companies in Study 1 and 219 companies in Study 2 along with data on firm financial health from an external source are used. In both models, the moral motives of “doing the right thing” have stronger effects on environmental/social responsibility strategy, which then acts as an important mediator for translating those motives into specific environmental/social practices. Moreover, financial health negatively moderates the strategy–practices relationship in the environmental model, while its moderation role is not significant in the social model, suggesting that sustainability practices are not necessarily limited to financially healthy firms. Our research casts fresh light on the (N)RBV and stakeholder theories, proposing their integration when discussing corporate environmental/social sustainability models.
The article addresses consumer ethnocentrism (CET) and consumer decision-making styles (CDMS) of young-adult consumers. We explore the level of between- and within-regional differences in CDMS in ...East Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. Drawing on Social identity theory, we explore various “constellations” of young-adult consumers with regards to their CDMS and assess to what extent can we discriminate between various consumer segments based on CET. We test hypotheses on matched samples' survey data from China, Japan, Slovenia and Croatia. Our study confirms low ethnocentric tendencies of young-adult consumers at regional, country and segment levels. We identify diverse CDMS archetypes between and within the respective countries and regions. Inter-regional differences are not bigger than country-level differences. We find weak pair-wise correlations between CET and some CDMS only in the case of Central and Eastern Europe.
Although the importance of various brand‐related stereotypes held by consumers has been acknowledged in the marketing literature, their interplay has not yet been considered. We derive four ...alternative theoretical models of the relationships between brand, brand origin and brand user stereotypes and their effects on consumers’ value perceptions. The four models are subsequently tested on two nationally representative samples in Germany and Serbia, respectively. The best‐performing model in both studies predicts that brand origin and brand user stereotypes act as complementary drivers of the brand stereotype. In turn, value perceptions mediate the positive impact of the brand stereotype on purchase intent. This investigation is the first to: (a) juxtapose and empirically assess alternative theoretical perspectives on the interplay of brand‐related stereotypes; (b) reveal the combined influence of multiple stereotypes on consumers’ value perceptions and through them, on intentions to buy the brand; (c) determine the relative influence of distinct stereotype content dimensions (i.e. warmth vs. competence) on consumers’ perceptions of value; and (d) highlight the extent to which the interplay among different stereotypes in influencing consumer outcomes is stable across different market settings. Implications of the findings are considered and future research directions identified.
The availability and use of mobile apps in health and nutrition management are increasing. Ease of access and user friendliness make diet-tracking apps an important ally in their users' efforts to ...lose and manage weight. To foster motivation for long-term use and to achieve goals, it is necessary to better understand users' opinions and needs for dietary self-monitoring.
The aim of this study was to identify the key topics and issues that users highlight in their reviews of diet-tracking apps on Google Play Store. Identifying the topics that users frequently mention in their reviews of these apps, along with the user ratings for each of these apps, allowed us to identify areas where further improvement of the apps could facilitate app use, and support users' weight loss and intake management efforts.
We collected 72,084 user reviews from Google Play Store for 15 diet-tracking apps that allow users to track and count calories. After a series of text processing operations, two text-mining techniques (topic modeling and topical n-grams) were applied to the corpus of user reviews of diet-tracking apps.
Using the topic modeling technique, 11 separate topics were extracted from the pool of user reviews. Most of the users providing feedback were generally satisfied with the apps they use (average rating of 4.4 out of 5 for the 15 apps). Most topics referred to the positive evaluation of the apps and their functions. Negatively rated topics mostly referred to app charges and technical difficulties encountered. We identified the positive and negative topic trigrams (3-word combinations) among the most frequently mentioned topics. Usability and functionality (tracking options) of apps were rated positively on average. Negative ratings were associated with trigrams related to adding new foods, technical issues, and app charges.
Motivating users to use an app over time could help them better achieve their nutrition goals. Although user reviews generally showed positive opinions and ratings of the apps, developers should pay more attention to users' technical problems and inform users about expected payments, along with their refund and cancellation policies, to increase user loyalty.
Purpose
Marketing accountability is currently receiving increased attention from scholars and practitioners alike, with its usage mostly being linked to the improved position of marketing within the ...firm and to better firm performance. The purpose of this study is to assess whether a supplier’s marketing accountability also has an unobserved signaling effect on customer perceived value.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a survey of advertising agency-client dyads, the authors develop and test a multilevel model that assesses the relationship between the supplier’s marketing accountability and perceived value of the client.
Findings
Empirical results indicate that marketing accountability of the agency is positively related to client-firm perceived value, that is marketing accountability also has a positive signaling effect on customers’ value perceptions.
Originality/value
This study provides novel insights on how perceptions of customer value are created in business relationships. More specifically, it highlights that marketing accountability of a supplier positively contributes to shaping clients’ value perceptions. Implications for marketing theory and practice, focused on the need for building, improving and sustaining marketing accountability within the firm and its relevance for value, are discussed and future research directions are identified.
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