Consumer Behaviour (consumer + behaviour)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Refuge-mediated apparent competition in plant,consumer interactions

ECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 1 2010
John L. Orrock
Abstract At the intersection of consumer behaviour and plant competition is the concept of refuge-mediated apparent competition: an indirect interaction whereby plants provide a refuge for a shared consumer, subsequently increasing consumer pressure on another plant species. Here, we use a simple model and empirical examples to develop and illustrate the concept of refuge-mediated apparent competition. We find that the likelihood that an inferior competitor will succeed via refuge-mediated apparent competition is greater when competitors have similar resource requirements and when consumers exhibit a strong response to the refuge and high attack rates on the superior competitor. Refuge-mediated apparent competition may create an emergent Allee effect, such that a species invades only if it is sufficiently abundant to alter consumer impact on resident species. This indirect interaction may help explain unresolved patterns observed in biological invasion, such as the different physical structure of invasive exotic plants, the lag phase, and the failure of restoration efforts. Given the ubiquity of refuge-seeking behaviour by consumers and the ability of consumers to alter the outcome of direct competition among plants, refuge-mediated apparent competition may be an underappreciated mechanism affecting the composition and diversity of plant communities. Ecology Letters (2010) 13: 11,20 [source]


Why Do Mortgage Markets Matter?

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, Issue 4 2000
Geoffrey Meen
1999 saw the return of large scale mortgage equity - ie mortgage borrowing to finance consumption rather than house purchase - for the first time for a decade. Recent developments of the OEF macroeconometric model of the UK economy have focused on the determination of mortgage lending, looking in particular at the impact of downpayment constraints - ie the deposit borrowers have to put down when they buy a house. In this article, Geoffrey Meen uses this model to analyse the effects of mortgages on: (i) the cycle in the UK housing market at a national level; (ii) regional house price differentials; and (iii) aggregate savings and consumer behaviour. [source]


Relationship-based e-commerce: theory and evidence from China

INFORMATION SYSTEMS JOURNAL, Issue 4 2008
Maris G. Martinsons
Abstract., Electronic commerce models and prescriptions from rule-based market economies like the United States have limited applicability in emerging markets. This paper adopts a strategic management perspective to examine the distinctive challenges facing e-commerce in China. A theory is developed to explain how the lack of dependable rules encourages guanxi and relationship-based commerce. It suggests that personal trust, contextual and informal information, and blurred boundaries between business and government have shaped e-commerce in mainland China. Case studies of online retailers in Beijing and Shanghai and a business-to-business (B2B) marketspace reveal how dynamic business relationships with complementary service providers and state agents can overcome institutional deficiencies. Short message service (SMS)-based mobile commerce (m-commerce) and other leapfrogging information technology (IT) applications could transform Chinese consumer behaviour and improve economic efficiency. The evidence from China helps to explain the influence of culture and institutions on different types of IT applications. Implications for e-commerce research and practice in China and other emerging markets are discussed. [source]


Integrating intelligent systems into marketing to support market segmentation decisions

INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS IN ACCOUNTING, FINANCE & MANAGEMENT, Issue 3 2006
Sally MckechnieArticle first published online: 13 MAR 200
For the last 50 years market segmentation has been considered to be a key concept in marketing strategy. As a means of tackling market heterogeneity, the underlying logic and managerial rationale for market segmentation is well established in the marketing literature. However, there is evidence to suggest that attempts by organizations to classify customers into distinct segments for whom product or services can be specifically tailored are proving to be difficult to implement in practice. As the business environment in which many organizations operate becomes increasingly uncertain and highly competitive, greater importance is now being attached to marketing knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to highlight market segmentation problems as a relevant area for a greater level of engagement of intelligent systems academic researchers and practitioners with their counterparts within the marketing discipline, in order to explore how data mining approaches can assist marketers in gaining valuable insights into patterns of consumer behaviour, which can then be used to inform market segmentation decision-making. Since the application of data mining within the marketing domain is only in its infancy, a research agenda is proposed to encourage greater interdisciplinary collaboration between information systems and marketing so that data mining can more noticeably enter the repertoire of analytical techniques being employed for segmentation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Consumer morality in times of economic hardship: evidence from the European Social Survey

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 2 2010
*Article first published online: 1 FEB 2010, Cláudia Abreu Lopes
Abstract Crimes of everyday life, often referred to as unfair or unethical practices committed in the marketplace by those who see themselves and are seen as respectable citizens, have burgeoned as a result of the transformations in the European economy in the late 20th century, namely the transition to neo-liberal markets and the emergence of consumer society. A ,cornucopia of new criminal opportunities' has given rise to a new range of crimes such as ripping software, making false insurance claims or paying cash on hand to circumvent taxes. These shady behaviours (legal or not) are part of people's experience, albeit they are collectively regarded as morally dubious. Taken collectively, crimes of everyday life are indicators of the moral stage of a particular society and therefore a valuable instrument for social and political analysis. This paper addresses the question of whether and under which conditions feelings of economic hardship trigger crimes of everyday life. A multilevel theoretical and empirical perspective that integrates theories stemming from political science, sociology, and social psychology is adopted. I start by exploring the embeddedness of economic morality in social institutions, followed by an elaboration of the concept of market anomie to account for deviant behaviour in the marketplace, to finally step down to the examination of the correspondence between social attitudes and consumer behaviour, as postulated by the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The empirical study relies on micro data from the European Social Survey (ESS) (Round 2) and attempts to model, for each country, a formative measure of crimes of everyday life based on socio-demographic variables and the current economic situation, as it is perceived by the individual (taken as a measure of relative deprivation). The resultant country-specific regression coefficients are mapped onto the broader economic and normative context of 23 European countries. The results reveal that crimes of everyday life are driven by feelings of economic hardship only in countries where normative factors dictate their deviance. In countries where fraudulent behaviour is more generalized, inner motivations to offend play a secondary role as the more privileged consumers are more likely to commit fraud as they interact more often with the market. In turn, normative aspects result from a dynamic interplay of cultural and economic factors. As the economy grows faster, the tendency to offend in the market becomes more visible, but only in countries whose gross domestic product (GDP) stands above the European average. In countries with low GDP, the normative landscape is shaped by cultural factors that seem to obfuscate the power of economic factors favourable to consumer fraud. [source]


An examination of the values that motivate socially conscious and frugal consumer behaviours

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 2 2009
Miriam Pepper
Abstract This article extends social psychological research on the motivations for sustainable consumption from the predominant domain of ecologically conscious consumer behaviour to socially conscious and frugal consumer behaviours. A UK-based survey study examines relationships between socially conscious and frugal consumer behaviours and Schwartz's value types, personal and socio-political materialism, and demographics among the general public. Socially conscious consumer behaviour, like its ecological counterpart, appears to be an expression of pro-social values. In contrast, frugal consumer behaviour relates primarily to low personal materialism and income constraints. As such, it does not yet represent a fully developed moral challenge to consumerism. [source]


Value-based labels for fresh beef: an overview of French consumer behaviour in a BSE crises context

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 5 2008
Pierre Sans
Abstract In the last decade, the French beef industry has been through two major health scares related to bovine spongiform encephalopathy. This paper describes and discusses changes in beef supply in France from the consumer's perspective. The authors review the initiatives implemented in each crisis and show that the immediate effects (slump in consumption), however spectacular, were not the most lasting effects. By contrast, responses from the industry and the authorities brought about a far-reaching change in practices by requiring new instruments to be used (traceability). Yet the information conveyed by this innovation cannot readily be appropriated by consumers who are not conversant with the characteristics of beef production systems. [source]


Exploring the relationship between consumer knowledge and purchase behaviour of value-based labels

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 5 2008
Morven G. McEachern
Abstract Despite an increasing market presence, little research has been conducted regarding consumer-purchase behaviour of food products bearing ,value-based' labels. Moreover, as the effectiveness of these labelling formats is dependent upon consumer's knowledge of their existence, this paper aims to explore the relationship between knowledge, openness to experience (i.e. validated personality trait related to intellectual capability) and purchase behaviour upon consumer behaviour in this context. Using structural equation modelling techniques, causal influences on purchases of fresh meat bearing ,value-based' labels are identified and three multi-attribute attitude models are proposed. The paper concludes that these labels are of value to consumers and that product knowledge plays a significant role in aiding purchase decisions. Consequently, marketing communication implications arising from the proposed multi-attribute attitude models are discussed. [source]


Beyond drinking: the role of wine in the life of the UK consumer

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 5 2007
Caroline Ritchie
Abstract Since the development of wine sales via supermarkets in the UK in the 1970s wine consumption has more than doubled so now the UK is the largest wine import market (by value) in the world. Wine is now consumed by approximately 61% of the UK adult population on a regular basis. For many social wine consumption has become part of their lifestyle. Given the international importance of the UK wine market, plus the increasing incorporation of wine into regular consumption behaviour, it is remarkable how few academic studies have been undertaken into the consumption behaviour of moderate, social UK wine consumers. This paper aims to start developing that knowledge, thus adding to our understanding of consumer behaviour in general. The results show that consumers use wine in very sophisticated ways via purchasing, gifting and consumption. The findings also show that social interaction with wine varies significantly, dependant upon occasion and environment. Behaviour also varies if the purchase, as gift and/or for consumption, is perceived as a private or public activity. This paper places UK wine consumer behaviour within a social context, and is able to show that all consumers display a range of behaviours in relation to wine which are situation and occasion dependant. [source]


Associations between demographics and perceptions of unethical consumer behaviour

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 2 2003
Karen S. Callen
Abstract Retailers may lose profits as a result of shoplifting and other unethical consumer behaviour. Research focusing on consumer ethical decision making is needed. Information provided by 1117 undergraduate students from universities within the US revealed that women are less accepting of unethical consumer behaviour than men. Subjects who reported that they very consistently follow the teachings of their primary faith are less accepting of unethical consumer behaviour than subjects who reported that they do not very consistently follow the teachings of their primary faith. Relationships between consumer ethical response scores and other demographic characteristics are discussed. [source]


Do consumption expenditures depend on the household's relative position in the income distribution?

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 1 2002
Mohamed Abdel-Ghany
Abstract Even though the permanent income and relative income hypotheses have been introduced in past research to explain consumer behaviour, no previous attempt was undertaken to integrate them in one model. In this article, the hypotheses were synthesized into a single model. The model was empirically tested using data from the 1996 Canadian Family Expenditure Survey. The results indicate that household consumption behaviour is generally explained by both hypotheses when integrated into one model, contrary to previously treating them as mutually exclusive hypotheses. [source]


Polish and Belgian consumers' perception of environmentally friendly behaviour

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 1 2000
Irene T. M. Roozen
The aim of this study was to design a method for evaluating the importance that consumers place on the characteristics of environmentally friendly (EF) products and on consumer EF behaviour. Attitudes and opinions of consumers regarding the EF value of the different aspects of consumer behaviour , purchasing, using and disposing of goods , were measured. The perception of EF behaviour was analysed for Belgian and Polish consumers, a Western and an Eastern European country. The cultural, economic and political differences between Belgium and Poland may imply that their consideration of EF behaviour is different. The perception of consumers about buying, using and disposing of EF products does not necessarily indicate their own EF behaviour, but it gives an indication of what consumers think is EF behaviour. On the basis of the results, policy-makers and industry can diagnose the consumers' perceived cost,benefit relationship of EF consumer behaviour. An evaluation of what consumers think is EF can be made for the two countries. Marketers, government and EF organizations can draw on our research results when developing EF products and/or advertising campaigns. [source]


The influence of service performance and destination resources on consumer behaviour: a case study of mainland Chinese tourists to Kinmen

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM RESEARCH, Issue 3 2009
Chien Min Chen
Abstract This paper draws upon the responses of 603 mainland Chinese tourists in Kinmen and attempts to understand their consumer behavior on the aspects of intentions, preferences, decision-making process, satisfaction, and willingness to revisit. Variables such as service performance and destination resources that affect visitor's satisfaction are also tested. The findings reflect a ,myth of mysteriousness' of mainland Chinese visitors to the destination and suggest that it is essential for the market segmentation to participate in the tourism planning of Kinmen to develop an integrated policy for promotion and marketing, in order to enhance consumers' interest. In addition, this research has implications for tourism planning in Kinmen and provides references for other destinations striving for tourists from mainland China. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Distribution, Inequality and Concentration of Incomeamong Older Immigrants in Canada

INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 1 2000
K.G. Basavarajappa
While there are many studies on differences in earnings between immigrants and the native-born or among immigrant groups, they do not consider distribution and concentration of income among immigrants explicitly. These aspects are important for understanding the distribution of economic welfare and consumer behaviour among members and hence are policy relevant. Using the 1991 Census data, the distribution and concentration of incomehave been examined among 15 broad birthplace groups for population aged55 years and over. About 19 per cent of males and 15 per cent of femalesreceive less than half the median income and obtain 5 per cent and 3 per centof the aggregate income respectively. About 30 per cent of males and29 per cent of females receive more than one and half times the medianincome and obtain 61 per cent and 59 per cent of aggregate incomerespectively. About 51 per cent of males and 56 per cent of females whoreceive incomes between half and one and half times the median income aretermed middle-class and their shares of aggregate income amount to 34 and38 per cent respectively. Although older immigrants aged 55 years and over, as a group, have roughlythe same quartile distribution and concentration of income as theirCanadian-born counterparts, the birthplace groups differ considerably. Those from the developing regions, that is, the groups that have loweraverage annual incomes, also have more inequitable distribution of incomethan the Canadian-born or their counterparts from the developed regions. Thus, income distribution is more polarized in populations from developingregions than in populations from developed regions or in the Canadian-bornpopulation. On average, females receive 45 per cent less income than males, and thereis less polarization of income among them than among males regardless ofthe place of birth. A part of the explanation lies in the receipt of government transfers, whichtend to equalize rather than polarize incomes, and older women derive ahigher proportion of their income from government transfers than older men. [source]


Modelling consumer entertainment software choice: An exploratory examination of key attributes, and differences by gamer segment

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 5 2010
Sunita Prugsamatz
From virtually nowhere 20 years ago to sales of US$9.5 billion in 2007, the video game industry has now overtaken movie industry box-office receipts in terms of annual sales, and blockbuster video games can out perform blockbuster movies for opening-week sales. This dramatic growth is likely to continue in coming years. Yet there has been little scholarly attention to consumers within the industry. This research fills this gap by providing a comprehensive study of consumer behaviour in the gaming industry, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB); a widely used, robust and reliable consumer research instrument. The study elicits key salient attributes for the major constructs in the TPB model , attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control , and shows how these key constructs affect purchase intention. To avoid aggregation error in analysing overall market data, this study segments the market and examines differences in perspective by gamer type. We therefore examine differences in these key salient attributes by gamer type to understand consumer motivations better. As the first systematic study to examine consumer behaviour issues in the gaming industry, this study provides useful insights to consumers' behaviour in a large, growing industry. Consumer perceptions and behaviour toward entertainment software is complex and this study is not the final word, but it is the first available empirical evidence and can thus move forward the discussion from speculation to replication, extension, and alternative approaches. For managers in this industry, this study demonstrates how a comprehensive model can be applied to entertainment software. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The application of Memory-Work in consumer research

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 1 2009
Thyra Uth Thomsen
Memory-Work is by origin a feminist, social constructionist method devoted to the investigation of socially constructed and culturally embedded phenomena. In this paper, Memory-Work is presented to consumer research in order to (1) widen the methodological scope of interpretive consumer research and thus advance new insights, (2) present a method well known to other scientific fields that may supplement micro-social studies of consumer's practices with more macro-cultural insights, and finally (3) to illustrate the application of the general method to the study of consumer behaviour. Apart from a few notable exceptions, Memory-Work has not yet been applied to consumer research and its benefits for this kind of research have not been discussed. This paper seeks to fill this gap, by illustrating how consumer research may apply and benefit from Memory-Work. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Perceived trustworthiness of online shops

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 1 2008
Oliver B. Büttner
Trust has been found to be crucial for consumer behaviour towards online shops. However, existing studies on the role of trust in electronic commerce are mainly based on ad hoc scales to measure trustworthiness, merely rely on self-reported consequences of trust such as intention to buy, and focus on low-risk products. In a web-based study, 634 participants interacted with a provider of medical goods, that is a simulated online pharmacy. The study develops and employs a psychometrically sound scale for assessing perceived trustworthiness of online shops. Moreover, it examines the impact of trustworthiness on both consumers' intended and actual behaviour towards online shops. Results show that trustworthiness promotes both intention to buy and actual financial risk taking. Perceived risk was not found to moderate the relationship between trustworthiness and intention to buy. Instead, trustworthiness partially mediated the influence of perceived risk on intention to buy. The results from the scale development challenge multidimensional conceptualizations of trust; comparing this finding with other studies suggests that the duration of the relationship might moderate the dimensionality of trust. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


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

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 5 2007
Andreas Chatzidakis
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. [source]


Communication about consumption: a family process perspective on ,green' consumer practices

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 6 2006
Alice Grønhøj
Family decision-making still constitutes a niche of consumer research. The preference towards using individualist approaches is even more prevalent in research on environmentally oriented consumer behaviour. However, many green consumer practices involve several family members, who may be able to exert significant influences on household subscription to these practices. The present study used qualitative research methods to examine family member interaction in relation to four topics: organic food, water and energy, waste and transport. Results show that peaceful as well as more conflict-ridden, day-to-day influences between family members are a common phenomenon, even when it comes to inconspicuous, everyday consumer behaviour. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Predicting and explaining the propensity to bid in online auctions: a comparison of two action-theoretical models

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 2 2006
Michael Bosnjak
The literature on the willingness to bid and the actual bidding behaviour of consumers in online auctions is currently dominated by approaches based on the economic decision-making and information processing paradigm and are primarily focused on what influences auction outcomes. To the best of our knowledge, no serious attempts have been undertaken to stringently test and compare existing models derived from an action-theoretical perspective to predict and explain consumers´ propensity to use online auctions as well as their actual usage. Two theoretical models seem most promising in this context: The Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen I, 1985, 1991) and a derivative of the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein M and Ajzen I, 1975) tailored towards using computer technologies, the Technology Acceptance Model (Davis FD, 1989). In both theories, intentions play a central role in predicting behaviour. The models differ in their descriptions of the factors that determine behavioural intentions. In the Theory of Planned Behaviour, attitudes towards the behaviour, perceived behavioural control and subjective norms are assumed to influence intentions. In contrast, the Technology Acceptance Model suggests that intentions and attitudes are influenced by the perceived usefulness of a certain technological tool to improve shopping productivity (e.g. by enabling the consumer to obtain a better price or save time) and the tools´ perceived ease of use. In principle, both theories can be used to predict and explain technology-dependent consumer behaviour, but which one is more suited to online auctions? We compared both theories in terms of their predictive power and their practical utility. Although both models explain the propensity to bid in online auctions very well, the Technology Acceptance Model provides more specific recommendations for facilitating the use of online auctions. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Effects of consumer perceptions of brand experience on the web: brand familiarity, satisfaction and brand trust

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 6 2005
Hong-Youl Ha
Abstract Creating a customer experience that is synonymous with a particular (website) brand is becoming increasingly recognised as a vital driver of e-performance. E-tailors are just as likely to try to influence consumers' shopping behaviour, through atmospherics and service, as brick-and-mortar stores. This study investigates several questions that have been left unanswered in recent studies of consumer behaviour in the context of internet-based marketing. Its focus lies in addressing the issue of whether there is a direct relationship between brand experience and brand trust or whether there is an indirect relationship via satisfaction or brand familiarity. The results of an empirical study of e-consumer behaviour show that brand trust is achieved through the following dimensions operating and interrelating as antecedent constructs: first, various brand experiences and the search for information, secondly, a high level of brand familiarity, and thirdly, customer satisfaction based on cognitive and emotional factors. These findings should assist marketers and academics in their understanding of the development of brand trust in an internet-based environment. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


An exploration of values in ethical consumer decision making

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 3 2005
Deirdre Shaw
Abstract Consumer concern for ethical issues has been well documented across much of the developed world. Research on values is also prominent in the literature. Neglected in consumer behaviour is an understanding of the pertinence of particular values in ethical decision making contexts. This paper outlines the results of qualitative research, which explores those values pertinent to ethical consumers in decision making and the nature of their influence in grocery consumption contexts. A questionnaire was used to ascertain the dominance and nature of values influencing consumer decision making in this context. [source]


Deconstructing consumer behaviour: theory and practice

JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 1 2001
Dr David Marsden
Abstract This paper challenges the conventional opposition, or distinction, between consumer behaviour theory and practice. This binary dualism, it is argued, is predicated on a simplistic ,either/or' logic that ignores the effects theory and practice have on each other. Furthermore, it obscures a hierarchical relationship between academic researchers and marketing practitioners in which basic research is more dominant and privileged than applied research. In response to these criticisms, an alternative ,both/and' logic is proposed for exploring the interrelationships between consumer behaviour theory and practice and new social relations among consumer researchers. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications. [source]


Collective Household Models: Principles and Main Results

JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 4 2002
Frederic Vermeulen
In the traditional approach to consumer behaviour it is assumed that households behave as if they were single decision-making units. This approach has methodological, empirical and welfare economic deficiencies. A valuable alternative to the traditional model is the collective approach to household behaviour. The collective approach explicitly takes account of the fact that multi-person households consist of several members which may have different preferences. Among these household members, an intrahousehold bargaining process is assumed to take place. In addition to providing an introduction to the collective approach, this survey intends to show how different collective household models, each with their own aims and assumptions, are connected. [source]


The poverty of economic explanations of consumption and an action theory alternative

MANAGERIAL AND DECISION ECONOMICS, Issue 3-4 2000
Richard P BagozziArticle first published online: 27 MAR 200
The purpose of this essay is to critique economic conceptualizations of consumer behaviour and explanations of consumer choice, and to propose an alternative rooted in the philosophy of mind and action, as well as in nascent social psychological and marketing models of purposive behaviour. It is claimed that economic theory harbours ideological and methodological biases in how consumer behaviour is conceived and obscures understanding of the many decision processes constituting consumer behaviour and its causes and effects. A novel multistage model is proposed to account for consumer goal achievement/goal failure, where goal outcomes are hypothesized to be joint functions of consumer actions and physical, social, or other environmental forces. Consumer action, in turn, is proposed to begin with reasoning processes (subject to nonconscious biases found in neural operations), to undergo appraisals of anticipated goal outcomes, which are experienced as positive and negative emotions, to involve a subsequent integrative stage of desire production, where reasoning, emotional, and social processes are integrated and transformed into a decision to act or not, and finally to encompass additional affective and reasoning processes that are initiated in a stage termed, ,trying to consume', wherein decisions are planned and implemented, and goal-directed behaviours activated. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Changes in utilisation of hormone replacement therapy in Australia following publication of the findings of the Women's Health Initiative,,§

PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, Issue 9 2008
Penelope Main BSc (Hons) MA MMedSc (Clin Epi)
Abstract Purpose To examine the impact of publication of the findings of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) on the utilisation of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in Australia with particular reference to the influence that media may have had on prescriber and consumer behaviour. Methods Retrospective data from the Australian Government Department of Health, Ageing DUSC Database and media hits from Factiva were reviewed to obtain prescription numbers, total cost and cost to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and number of media hits from the year before publication of the combined HRT arm of the WHI. Results Prescribing of HRT products decreased significantly immediately following publication of the combined HRT arm of the WHI and continued to decline at a slower rate following publication of the memory and oestrogen only arms of the study. Conclusions These results represent a more accurate national estimate of the change in HRT use in Australian women relative to previous findings from surveys carried out in Australia. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


One little Lebanese cucumber is not going to break the bank: Price in the choice of fresh fruits and vegetables

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2002
Kate M. Owen
This paper reports on empirical research into individual consumer behaviour in the context of fresh fruit and vegetable purchases. The discussion draws on research results from two studies conducted around the actual shopping process. The findings suggest that consumers' price response behaviour may not be consistent with that predicted by economic theory and that this could be significant at the aggregate level. The existence of ,acceptable price ranges' points to the presence of price thresholds within which consumers are relatively insensitive to price movements. Also of relevance is that the primary influence of the budget constraint may be at a broader level rather than at the level of choosing particular products. [source]


Consumer integration in sustainable product development

BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 5 2007
Esther Hoffmann
Abstract Changes in production and consumption patterns are a crucial element of the sustainability agenda. Communication between product developers and users, and user integration in product development, can serve as a means for organizational as well as individual learning processes, resulting in sustainable product development. Recent approaches to innovation research describe the role of users in the innovation process as essential. However, conventional market research gives consumers a passive role as a mere object of research instead of considering them as possible innovators themselves. Improved methods, such as INNOCOPE (innovating through consumer-integrated product development), tested in this study with a cycle manufacturer and resulting in a new product, a pedelec, are needed for effective communication, activating consumers and enabling them to promote sustainability goals. Through co-operative product development processes key factors facilitating and obstructing the adoption of sustainable innovations may be identified. Such processes can enhance the emergence and diffusion of sustainable product innovations and different forms and bodies of knowledge can be combined. Integrating users' contextual everyday knowledge of the product with the technical knowledge of companies may lead to mutual learning, technical innovations and changes in consumer behaviour. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source]


Sustainability: Consumer Perceptions and Marketing Strategies

BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 3 2006
Seonaidh McDonald
Abstract Studies of green consumer behaviour, in particular purchasing and disposal, have largely focused on demographics and/or socio-demographics, with mixed and frequently contradictory results. To move the debate forward, we investigated a wide range of 40 sustainability activities with 78 consumers, who placed each activity on a matrix according to perceived effort and perceived difference to the environment. Patterns both across respondents and between certain pairs of activities were identified, and we suggest that this model increases our understanding of how consumers view sustainable activities. Marketers can use this information to consider marketing strategies that positively influence consumers' perceptions of such activities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source]


Can ,market transformation' lead to ,sustainable business'?

BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 2 2004
A critical appraisal of the UK's strategy for sustainable business
This paper traces the origins and development of the concept of ,market transformation', from its beginnings as a part of energy policy in the USA, to its subsequent development in the UK. It discusses whether it could become a strategic option for British business in pursuit of sustainable growth. Drawing together themes from the academic literature on marketing, consumer behaviour, business, and energy policy, together with data from national programmes, and British government sources, the paper argues that such an approach would be based on a twin false premise , that selling energy efficiency to consumers is in accordance with modern marketing thinking, and that it has much to do with achieving sustainable development. It concludes that while achieving sustainable development will certainly encompass the transformation of markets for many products, ,market transformation' itself cannot be seen as a key driver for change. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source]