Attitude contagion in consumer opinion platforms: posters and lurkers

International audienc

Modeling the Effects of the Three Dimensions of Trust towards the e-Vendor on Online Consumer Behavior

Studies that integrate online consumers’ trust toward the e-vendor with key constructs from technology acceptance models draw on one-dimensional or second-order conceptualizations of trust to explain shopping behavior. However, marketing and consumer research supports that a richer understanding of behavior, in particular relational behavior, is gained when trust is decomposed into three dimensions. Using Gefen, Karahann and Straub’s (2003) integrated website response model as a theoretical foundation, this research investigate the relationships between three dimensions of trust (consumers’ beliefs about the e-vendor’s integrity, benevolence and competence) and two key constructs from technology acceptance models (perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of commercial websites) to explain online consumers’ intentions to engage in a business relationship with the e-vendor. The empirical results show the superiority of the tri-dimensional trust model over the one-dimensional one

Ethical Consumerism in Emerging Markets: Opportunities and Challenges

Despite the economic, social, and environmental importance of emerging countries, most existing research into ethical consumerism has focused on developed market contexts.We introduce this Special Issue (SI) and provide a comprehensive thematic literature review considering three broad categories or aspects of ethical consumerism research, (1) contexts of ethical consumption, (2) forms of ethical consumerism, and (3) approaches to explaining ethical consumer behavior. We summarize the articles of this SI as part of the thematic literature review to provide an understanding of how these articles and this SI’s overall contribute to ethical consumerism research. Each article in this SI offers new insights into a specific field of ethical consumerism while focusing on emerging market contexts. Overall, this SI expands knowledge related to the dynamics and challenges of ethical consumerism and offers future research directions in this area

Exploring the impact of social axioms on firm reputation: a stakeholder perspective

This study proposes a model of how deeply held beliefs, known as ‘social axioms, moderate the interaction between reputation, its causes and consequences with stakeholders. It contributes to the stakeholder relational field of reputation theory by explaining why the same organizational stimuli lead to different individual stakeholder responses. The study provides a shift in reputation research from organizational-level stimuli as the root causes of stakeholder responses to exploring the interaction between individual beliefs and organizational stimuli in determining reputational consequences. Building on a conceptual model that incorporates product/service quality and social responsibility as key reputational dimensions, the authors test empirically for moderating influences, in the form of social axioms, between reputation-related antecedents and consequences, using component-based structural equation modelling (n = 204). In several model paths, significant differences are found between responses of individuals identified as either high or low on social cynicism, fate control and religiosity. The results suggest that stakeholder responses to reputation-related stimuli can be systematically predicted as a function of the interactions between the deeply held beliefs of individuals and these stimuli. The authors offer recommendations on how strategic reputation management can be approached within and across stakeholder groups at a time when firms grapple with effective management of diverse stakeholder expectations

Building better employer brands through employee social media competence and online social capital

Despite the significant and increasing influence of social media on employees' work lives, there is limited focus on employees' social media competencies from an employer branding or internal marketing perspective. Building on social identity and social exchange theories, this paper links employees' social media competence to an increase in online brand citizenship behaviour and reduction in feelings of psychological contract violation towards their employer's brand. We also examine the distinct mediatory effects of two forms of online social capital—bonding mediates the influence of employee social media competence on online brand citizenship and feelings of psychological contract violation, whilst Bridging only mediates the effect of social media competence on feelings of psychological contract violation. In doing so, we contribute to extant literature in two ways: (1) Address the need for research on social media in relation to employer branding; and (2) highlight the importance of building employee‐to‐employee and employee‐to‐employer relationships by virtual means in the context of employer branding. Therefore, this paper responds to calls for research that advances more responsible approaches to employer branding and internal marketing; that is, approaches that take into account employee competencies (emphasise need for skill development) as well as wellbeing (emphasise need for support)

The type-of-internet-access digital divide and the well-being of ethnic minority and majority consumers: a multi-country investigation

Wireless technologies and smartphones revolutionize the way consumers use the internet. How do these technological advancements affect consumer well-being or life satisfaction? We hypothesize that mobile- as compared to regular only- internet use enhances consumers' perceptions of personal economic situation, which in turn, enhances life satisfaction. Ethnic status (majority vs. minority) and national wealth (richer vs. poorer countries) set up boundary conditions for these effects. We test our hypotheses using multi-level modeling and a large scale multinational dataset covering responses of > 26,000 consumers from 21 countries. The results show that perceived personal economic situation mediates the relationship between type of internet access (regular vs. mobile) and life satisfaction; the positive effect of mobile internet use is weaker for ethnic minority than for majority consumers and stronger in poorer than in richer countries. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications for marketing and public policy

[Lecture] Marketing Localization Strategy: Influence of Cultural Adaptation on Consumer Trust : A Study on Cultural Customization of WEB Site Design

本稿は,2007年6月16日から7月31日までの期間,外国人招へい研究者として,関西大学総合情報学部に滞在したボリス・バルティコウスキー氏が7月4日に行った総合情報学部講演会「マーケティング・ローカライゼーションの展開-地域性に基づくカスタマイゼーションの重要性-」の記録である.講演のテーマは,マーケティングの分野におけるグローバリゼーションとローカライゼーションの有効性をめぐる議論である.具体的な考察対象として,企業のWEBサイトを題材とした調査から,進出先の地域的な文化に適応させることが消費者の信頼や態度にどのような影響を及ぼしているかについて,次の諸点が明らかとなった.(1)ローカリゼーション(地域文化適応)戦略は,状況によって,異なる効果をもたらす.(2)ブランド力は,ローカリゼーション(地域文化適応)の効果をしのぐ傾向にある.(3)WEBサイトを通じたさまざまなサービス提供は,WEBサイトのローカリゼーション(地域文化適応)から大きな影響を受ける.The ever lasting debate on globalization versus localization has gained new importance in many fields of marketing. This conference will introduce the localization topic and develop into the issue of Website localization. Results from a current research dealing with effects of Website localization on consumer trust and consumer attitude will be presented in detail

Effects of ethical certification and ethical eWoM on talent attraction

Whilst previous studies indicate perceived company ethicality as a driver of job seekers’ job-pursuit intentions, it is poorly understood how and why ethical market signals actually affect their application decisions. Perceptions of company ethicality result from market signals that are either within the control of the company (e.g. ethical certifications) and from market signals that are beyond the company’s control (e.g. ethical eWoM). Building on communication and information processing theories, this study therefore considers both types of ethical market signals, and examines the psychological mechanisms through which they affect job seekers’ intention to apply for a job. The results from a controlled online experiment show that both types of ethical market signals increase job seekers’ job-pursuit intentions. These relationships are mediated by applicants’ attitude towards the job advertisement, their perceptions of corporate employment image and self-referencing. Consequently, the present study alerts practitioners to consider the effects of company-controlled and non-company-controlled ethical market signals, particularly when aiming to recruit highly-qualified millennial candidates

Corporate reputation past and future: a review and integration of existing literature and a framework for future research

The concept of corporate reputation is steadily growing in interest among management researchers and practitioners. In this article, we trace key milestones in the development of reputation literature over the past six decades to suggest important research gaps as well as to provide contextual background for a subsequent integration of approaches and future outlook. In particular we explore the need for better categorised outcomes; a wider range of causes; and a deeper understanding of contingencies and moderators to advance the field beyond its current state while also taking account of developments in the macro business environment. The article concludes by presenting a novel reputation framework that integrates insights from reputation theory and studies, outlines gaps in knowledge and offers directions for future research