Showing papers in "Journal of Consumer Behaviour in 2007"

Who are organic food consumers? A compilation and review of why people purchase organic food

Abstract: This paper integrates and synthesizes the findings of published research on organic food consumption. We identify several themes that reflect the various rationales used by consumers when deciding to purchase organic food. The literature clearly indicates that the word "organic" has many meanings, that consumers of organic foods are not homogeneous in demographics or in beliefs, and that further research could help better describe the various constituencies that are often lumped together as "organic food consumers". The organic and broader food industries must better understand the variety of motivations, perceptions, and attitudes consumers hold regarding organic foods and their consumption if their own long-term interests, as well as those of other stakeholders of food marketing, are to be best served. We conclude with implications and suggestions for further research.

Studying the ethical consumer: a review of research

Abstract: Although the focus of this special issue is on ethical consumption as an individual or semi-organised project, there are no clear boundaries between these areas. Additionally, ethical consumption remains an under-examined aspect of consumer behaviour. As such, therefore, we will draw briefly on these other areas of study and other disciplines and in particular geography, sociology and psychology. In doing so we will discuss the various themes that have developed within the study of ethical consumption and then introduce, and locate, the papers in this special issue.

Consumer recycling: role of incentives, information, and social class

Abstract: More and more communities have instituted recycling programs and consumer recycling is no longer a new fad; it is here to stay. However, consumer commitment to recycling and participation rates have leveled off. Whereas lack of access to recycling facilities was cited as a key inhibitor to participation in the early days of recycling, that is generally not the case anymore. Thus there is an imperative to revisit consumer recycling by focusing on behavioral issues that reflect today's context. In this study we review the past literature and propose a comprehensive model of consumer recycling. We identify two intervention mechanisms – incentives or information – that are believed to increase recycling participation. We, then, describe a longitudinal field experiment to evaluate the relative merits of these intervention programs. We conclude that either intervention program is effective, although informational programs appear to have more long-term effects than incentive programs. We also create a new measure of social class, one that includes other influential actors' characteristics, and show its relationship to recycling attitudes and behaviors. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Ethical consumption practices: co-production of self-expression and social recognition

Abstract: Ethical considerations regularly demand references to the moral climate, which, as a form of grand narrative or regime of truth, provides direction for choices between right and wrong, good and bad, ethical and unethical. Yet from a postmodern perspective, the moral climate has scattered into countless narratives, such that what is good or ethical may no longer be certain everywhere and in every situation. In a postmodern world, no essential grand narrative, regime of truth, or foundational ethical direction exists, because the self has been rendered free and autonomous from traditional values. As an independent agent, the postmodern self confronts a plethora of possibilities. Although the confrontation of multiple narratives appears in radical postmodern theory as saturating and disorienting, this article posits that clear signs of ethical directions within postmodern pluralism remain. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Families, food, and pester power: beyond the blame game?

Abstract: Given the moral and medical panic surrounding rising rates of childhood obesity, there has been much debate about who on what is to be blamed, with parents and HFSS (high fat, salt, and sugar) food advertising often censured for their role. In this paper, we review the literature on childhood obesity and pester power, and the broader context of consumer socialization within the family. We then discuss findings from a questionnaire and focus group study of 8–11 year old children in New Zealand exploring aspects of their advertising experiences and everyday snack food consumption. HFSS food ads were well-represented in their repertoire of favorite ads, and they reported being influenced by these. However, their accounts of snacking highlighted the extent to which their actual consumption was shaped by parental agendas and concerns. Although they gravitated towards less healthy snack foods, fruit, and vegetables were included in their categorization and repertoire of snacks, perhaps reflecting the level of monitoring and gatekeeping exerted by their parents, who established ground rules for snacking and in many cases directly controlled their access to snack foods, although the limits imposed varied according to context. The children were generally accepting of this, although they drew on a range of strategies and tactics to access their preferred snacks. We conclude by considering the implications of this study for parents who seek to provide their children with a healthy diet and others concerned about health and public policy, and we suggest some avenues for developing knowledge in this area. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Parental consumer learning or ‘keeping up with the children’

Abstract: Children are socialized as consumers earlier now than any other time in history. The rapidly changing pace of society especially with regards to technology, information processing, transportation, etc. makes it possible for them to experience purchasing and consumption at a much faster rate than that of their parents. Children may possess knowledge which their parents lack and they may share their experience and knowledge and in so doing influence their parents. It can result in parents learning about consumption from their children, something which has not been sufficiently acknowledged by previous research. The purpose of this paper is to further the understanding of how consumption patterns and knowledge are transferred from children to parents. In-depth interviews carried out with ‘children’ of age group 13–30 show that they contributed information prior to and during the purchase, but also afterwards by helping to instal or showing parents how to use a product. The adolescents and adult children had often introduced new products to their parents and made them aware of recent trends. Often they also seemed to deal more easily with new technology than their parents. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Food for thought: a study of food consumption in postmodern US culture

Abstract: The objective of this research is to examine the symbolic meanings of contemporary food consumption and provide an in-depth understanding of related practices. Specifically, we view food as a prominent cultural category representative of postmodernism and approach our study using a postmodern perspective. The paper provides an insight into how US consumers relate to food and highlights the symbolic dimension of food in a culture that is often depicted as highly individualistic. Offering a theoretical framework rooted in an ethnographic account of food consumption we uncover its postmodern complexities that take into account social, cultural, and contextual dimensions. Food is discussed in the context of relationships, desire, and a globalized commodity. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Family purchase decision making: exploring child influence behaviour

Abstract: Children have long been acknowledged as playing an important role within family purchase decisions, with their ability to directly and indirectly influence decisions. The research discussed in this paper arose from an identified opportunity to develop knowledge surrounding the important role that children play within family purchasing by including them as direct research respondents. The methods adopted included an in-depth interview with parents and children separately, and the completion of a decision mapping tool followed by a family interview. The findings address a specific and important aspect of the data, namely the influence behaviour adopted by children during high-involvement family purchase decisions. The children in all of the respondent families were found to have direct influence over the purchases discussed. They demonstrated a range of sophisticated influence behaviours that included justifying and highlighting the benefits of purchases, forming coalitions, compromising and remaining persistent. These behaviours were underpinned and enhanced by the use of product-related knowledge and information, which was viewed positively and encouraged by parents.

To boldly go…exploring ethical spaces to re-politicise ethical consumption and fair trade

Abstract: This paper examines the modern iterations of ethical consumption which, we argue, are dominated by a highly individualised form, ‘shopping for a better world’, and marginalises the more overtly politicised and collective approach. This dissociative transformation of ethical consumption is illustrated through the case example of the fair-trade movement. We explore two related literatures, geography and politics, to suggest that the (re-)creation of ethical spaces hold great promise for expanding sales, shortening the distance between producer and consumer and reinvigorating the message of reforming and transforming international trade relations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A sociological perspective of consumption morality

Abstract: This paper considers how a sociological perspective of morality can inform understandings of consumption. In light of recent research that identifies moral forms of consumption practice at a socio-cultural level (e.g. ‘ethical consumers’ and ‘voluntary simplifiers’) it is apparent that an important relationship between consumption, society and morality continues to be of relevance and interest to consumer research. However, research into ethical consumption, fair trade, sustainability, green consumption and more recently consumer citizenship presuppose certain assumptions about the moral nature of the subject at the centre of their investigations whilst not evidencing an explicit or coherent understanding of the underlying sociological conception of morality itself. Accordingly, there is a need for consumer researchers framing their studies at a sociological level to be clearer about the conceptual nature of morality and, moreover, how it relates in a meaningful way to the theoretical claims made in their research. In response, this paper examines the dominant paradigmatic conceptualisations that constitute a sociological perspective of morality. Particularly, it considers (1) how a number of key sociological perspectives on morality can locate streams of consumer research better than is currently the case, (2) how these perspectives suggest that current research into fair trade and ethical consumption invoke a certain type of morality whereas a broader concept is available and finally (3) how a pluralist sociological conception of morality will allow consumer researchers to reframe the types of questions they can ask and so too the types of answers they may find. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Deterring illegal downloading: the effects of threat appeals, past behavior, subjective norms, and attributions of harm

Abstract: The study employs two experiments to examine the effectiveness of various strategies used to dissuade consumers from downloading music illegally. The research investigates two specific strategies that the recording industry has used: (1) fear or threat appeals (e.g., the threat of punishment, such as fines and/or jail time), and (2) attribution of harm (informing consumers of the harm caused by the illegal downloading of music, such as financial loss to either the artist or the recording company). The study also considers whether past illegal downloading behavior reduces the effectiveness of these disincentive strategies. Finally, the impact of subjective norms (i.e., whether subjects think their friends would approve of downloading music) was also investigated. A 3 (level of threat: low, moderate, or high) X 2 (who is harmed by illegal downloading: artist or recording company) experimental design was employed for study one. Undergraduate students (n = 388) participated in the study. Study two expanded on the design of the first study by adding a variable of subjective norms and by including previous downloading behavior in the model. Undergraduate students (n = 211) also participated in the second experiment. Findings indicate a significant effect of threat appeal such that stronger threat appeals were found to be more effective than weaker threat appeals in reducing illegal downloading. The first study also showed that prior illegal downloading behavior does not curtail the effects of threat appeals aimed at reducing illegal downloading. In addition, results reveal no differences in downloading behavior in terms of attribution of harm deterrent strategy (harm to either the recording artist or company). The most interesting finding from the second study is that subjective norms appear to equalize low versus high past downloaders, but only under conditions of weak fear. The current manuscript is the first to examine the impact of four different variables (threat appeals, attribution of harm, subjective norms, and previous downloading behavior) on subjects' likelihood to illegally download music in the future. In particular, this research illuminates the potential importance of social norms in discouraging a type of undesirable consumer behavior but shows that this occurs only under a restricted set of conditions: when threat is low and the consumer is not a habitually high downloader. It should be of interest to those in fields where intellectual property can be pirated on the Internet. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Beyond recycling: ‘Commons friendly’ waste reduction at new consumption communities

Abstract: This paper broadens current knowledge on consumer waste and disposal behaviour by exploring the diverse and complementary waste-reduction strategies and behaviours adopted by environmentally-conscious consumer communities in the UK. Using a critical ethnography methodology and a multi-locale approach to designing the field, six distinct ethical voluntary simplifier communities were studied. Findings suggest their alternative lifestyles and waste management choices offer society much in terms of environmental soundness, while also presenting several personal trade-offs for community members that deserve critical consideration. Practical implications for marketers and policy-makers are addressed.

A gender perspective on environmentally related family consumption

Abstract: Studies of ‘green’ consumer behavior have often reported differences in male and female environmental concern and participation. This paper looks into the nature of such differences within the family. Husband-wife differences with regard to family participation in a number of environmentally significant consumption issues were explored in a qualitative study including 30 couples with children. The partners' responses to the issues did not differ much. Nevertheless, the participants perceived the differences between themselves and their partner to be rather large. A number of reasons for this could be discerned. Most notably, the division of household and consumption roles within families often made sub-activities of pro-environmental practices the prime responsibility of either one of the partners. Thus, a gender-based inside-outside division of household responsibilities with regard to pro-environmental practices could be noted. It is suggested that the processes whereby environmentally oriented consumer practices are adopted and transmitted among family members receive closer research attention. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Computer ethics and consumer ethics: the impact of the internet on consumers' ethical decision‐making process

Abstract: Despite the maturity of the literatures that consider ethical consumer behaviour and the role of the internet, very little work seems to have been undertaken to bring these two themes together. This is unfortunate because the internet is increasingly pervasive and is used at some stage in a significant number of consumer activities. Our primary purpose is to bring together key insights and themes from research into both ethical consumer behaviour and the internet to highlight further research opportunities. In particular, we seek to demonstrate how the ethical consumerism and consumer ethics literatures together can provide a rich foundation to study ethical and moral dimensions of online consumer behaviour. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Travelers and their traits: a hierarchical model approach

Abstract: Adventure travel represents an interesting form of consumer behavior that has seen tremendous growth as a segment of the tourism industry. In Study 1, we employ a hierarchical model of personality to identify the personality traits predictive of a broad measure of adventure travel. In Study 2, we distinguish several types of travel, including soft-adventure travel, hard-adventure travel, luxury travel, and camping. We then compare the trait predictors of each of the constructs. The results reveal that the motivational network of traits is different for the divergent types of travel interest. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Space of One's Own:: Women's Magazine Consumption Within Family Life

Abstract: This is a study of women's magazine consumption in the home. It explores issues of time and space, and addresses the importance the women who took part in the study place on magazine consumption in their lives, given the 'juggling' lifestyles experiences by most of them. The study reveals family life to be a landscape within which these women carve out what they perceive as valuable and rare time and space for themselves. The authors argue that in contemporary life women's magazines play a key part in the quest for me-time and time away from others, in both a tangible and experiential sense.

Replacement purchase decisions: on the effects of trade‐ins, hedonic versus utilitarian usage goal, and tightwadism

Abstract: The paper examines the effects of usage goal (i.e., hedonic versus utilitarian usage), whether the consumer is offered a discount or the ability to trade-in the old product, and tightwadism on the likelihood of replacing a still-functioning product. Supporting previous research, the results revealed that the likelihood of replacing a still-functioning product is higher when a trade-in is offered. As expected, however, this main effect was moderated by whether the good was purchased for utilitarian rather than hedonic purposes. If the purchase was for hedonic purchases, the likelihood of purchase was significantly lower when the promotion was a sale rather than a trade-in. However, the promotion type did not influence the purchase if it was for utilitarian purposes. Additionally, when the usage goal was for hedonic purposes, the likelihood of replacement was significantly lower for those high in tightwadism. In contrast, tightwadism did not influence the likelihood of replacement when the usage was for utilitarian purposes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Consumer sophistication and the role of emotion on satisfaction judgments within credence services

Abstract: Evidence which demonstrates a link between the affective dimension and satisfaction in a tangible product based context is well documented However, when placed in a credence service context the role of Affect becomes more complex Previous research in this field has assumed consumer homogeneity when there is increasing evidence of consumer heterogeneity This research attempts to address this by examining affective reactions to service encounters between two groups of respondents, one with the ability to make performance assessments about the service and one without Findings suggest consumers of differing sophistication will vary in the way they form expectation and performance assessments about the technical, functional and affective components of credence services and that consumer sophistication may have a moderating influence on affective reactions evoked This in turn has implications for the design and delivery of service offerings within such contexts Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Extending the brand image on new products: the facilitative effect of happy mood states

Abstract: Investigates the influence of mood and brand favorability on the evaluation of brand extensions. It is argued that affective states have an impact on the likelihood that the evaluation of a new product is based on the implications of the brand rather than on the implications of the features of the new product. Specifically, participants reported more positive evaluations of a new product when it was introduced by a positive rather than a negative brand – and this differential impact of category information was more pronounced for participants in a positive compared to a neutral or a negative mood.

Compared to whom? The impact of status on third person effects in advertising persuasion in a South African context

Abstract: In an experiment conducted in South Africa, we show that perceptual differences between the self and other that underlie third person effects have not only magnitude (e.g., third person effects increase as perceived self-other differences increase), but also valence. Specifically, individuals contrast themselves against lower status others, resulting in greater third person effects, but compare themselves favorably with higher status others, resulting in smaller third person effects. High status others serve as a norm against which people gauge their own and others' responsiveness to persuasion attempts like advertising. Implications for third person effects, status and the construal of the ‘other,’ and the socio-cultural context of advertising are discussed. Additionally, we describe managerial considerations regarding branding and target marketing that diverge from Western assumptions about persuasion knowledge and receptivity toward advertising. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An exploratory study of consumer style: country differences and international segments

Abstract: An important consideration for marketers is determining the best approach to take when marketing their product or service across national borders. It has become clear that the answer to this is not as simple as complete standardization or adaptation, and the appropriate approach may be contingent on a complex set of variables. One key aspect of the puzzle relates to an understanding of the attitudes and behaviours of consumers. The current study examines consumer style (variables related to the way people engage in their consumption activities) as an important area of consideration related to international marketing efforts. Consumer style was investigated in three European countries and the US, using data from the DDB Brand Capital Study (a multi-country survey). Although results showed that country differences are evident on consumption style, a cluster analysis suggests that there were four segments of consumers that transcend country boundaries. The findings add to our knowledge about consumers in these countries and the characteristics of the segments with respect to differing styles of consumption. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Motives for dissolution in export relationships: evidence from the UK

Abstract: This study examines the motives for dissolution in long-term export relationships – an area that has received limited attention in the marketing literature. The primary research was conducted in two stages (in-depth interviews followed by a mail survey) using the perceptions of export managers in the UK. The findings suggest that export relationship dissolution is attributable to 23 motives from four categories (buyer factors, supplier factors, competitor action and environmental conditions). The chief cause of export relationship dissolution was identified as being price-related. An exploratory factor analysis of the 23 motives for dissolution resulted in six factors that reflect the multi-attribute (and cross-category) nature of relationship dissolution. The study offers some insights into why export relationships might dissolve and provides implications for practitioners in avoiding the premature dissolution of export relationships. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Purchasing decisions in non-traditional households: the case of lesbian couples

Abstract: Extant research on family purchase behavior has focused almost exclusively on heterosexual couples. This exploratory study of non-traditional households shows that lesbian couples are strongly egalitarian in decision behavior for a wide range of products and services. Perceptions about relative influence of each partner in these dyads are increasingly congruent as the decision process progresses. Findings demonstrate the inapplicability of two concepts long associated with family research, that is, power and relative resource theory, in lesbian couples. Instead, gender dynamics and equity play dominant roles in these relationships. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

‘Mr. MASS motivations himself’: explaining Dr. Ernest Dichter

Abstract: During the 1950s and into the 1960s no marketing consultant was better known than Dr. Ernest Dichter (1907–1993). Business leaders, advertising professionals, journalists, and even academics attributed to Dichter near-magical powers to penetrate to the very heart of consumer motivations with his unique psychoanalytic version of ‘Motivation Research’. Social critics saw him as a menace to free societies. Much of what he claimed, however, was inaccurate and needs to be critically checked against other sources, as will be done here, where archival and other primary sources are evaluated to explore Dichter's career and his legacy. Dichter exploited the esteem of psychoanalysis yet was not particularly well versed in it himself. He was hardly the ‘father’ of Motivation Research (MR) but rather took from its originators without acknowledgement. His work represented only part of MR. On the positive side, Dichter's creative and intuitive approach enabled him to portray consumer behavior in ways that celebrated mass affluence, enriched popular mythology, and still influences advertising creatives. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Doing what has to be done: strategies and orientations of married and single working mothers for food tasks

Abstract: Food-related tasks are demanding activities in all households because of their regularity, frequency, and centrality to family activities and relationships. This study develops typologies for food task orientations and strategies used by mothers, and studies the relationships among them. It uses a systems-based framework to examine related inputs and outcomes of these orientations and strategies and compares the situations of married and single mothers. The findings indicate some strategies are more successful than others as predictors of various work-family outcomes. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cinemusical meanings in motion pictures: commerce, art, and Brando loyalty … or … De Niro, My God, To Thee

Abstract: The theme of art-versus-commerce has surfaced in many motion pictures but serves here to juxtapose three otherwise disparate films that draw upon the power of jazz as a force toward the dramatic development of character, plot, central themes, and other cinemusical meanings. Specifically, via the significance of its ambi-diegetic music, New York, New York (1977) shows the elevation of artistic integrity (Robert De Niro as Jimmy Doyle) over commercialism (Liza Minnelli as Francine Evans). In Heart Beat (1980), the raw honesty of a committed-but-doomed creative genius (Art Pepper) provides nondiegetic music that signifies the self-destructive degradation of a key protagonist (Nick Nolte as Neal Cassady). Finally, in The Score (2001), the appealing nature of diegetic jazz in a cinemusically-enriched nightclub environment helps to explain why a soon-to-be- reformed criminal (Robert De Niro, again, as Nick Wells) would risk everything in collaboration with two bizarre partners (Marlon Brando as Max Baron and Ed Norton as Jack Teller) in hopes of a payoff big enough to allow him to retire from a lucrative career in crime in order to run his legitimate jazz venue and to settle down with his true love (Angela Bassett as Diane Boesman). Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Writing consumer research: the world according to Belk

Abstract: Writing is a core scholarly competence. Not only is it a skill that every academic must acquire, regardless of their methodological, philosophical or empirical affiliations, but also it is ‘a substantial differentiating characteristic of eminent researchers’. This article offers an analysis of the writing style of one of the field's most eminent researchers, Russell W. Belk. It identifies five literary devices that help Belk's writing stand out from the crowd and, while the article does not claim to contain the secret of writing success, it considers the crucial part writing plays in the consumer research process. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.