European Journal of Marketing

Mahajan, Gautam; Kumar, V.; Tregua, Marco; Bruni, Roberto

doi: 10.1108/ejm-11-2022-0816pmid: N/A

This paper aims to present the seven organizational principles for developing value-dominant logic (VDL) thinking and advancing it toward making a business purposeful and open to a lifestyle of value for humanity at large.Design/methodology/approachVDL considers value as rooted on axiology, actor-network theory, the hygge concept and is deployed through seven organizational principles deriving from the original eight VDL principles (Mahajan, 2017).FindingsIt is necessary to consider value in its polysemous meanings as an emergent element and a result of people’s interpretation based on norms and beliefs. At the same time, managers conceptualize businesses to create stimuli for the markets and society and favoring the emergence of a positive and sustainable value. This study explains how organizations and managers can be driven by norms and beliefs and a purpose to make decisions and assume postures and behaviors capable of stimulating the emergence of positive and sustainable value, creating opportunities for humanity at large; this managerial behavior creates conditions for value creation, and it is framed in VDL.Research limitations/implicationsA research agenda is provided that can spawn fruitful research in VDL.Practical implicationsThis study develops the theoretical roots for a management approach that will support organizations and managers in interpreting their role as stimulators of value.Social implicationsThe study focuses on the well-being and happiness of all the stakeholders.Originality/valueThe study developed organizational principles deeply rooted in the VDL.

Alsaeed, Ghadeer R.; Keeling, Kathleen Anne; Sarantopoulos, Panagiotis; Gadalla, Eman

doi: 10.1108/ejm-10-2021-0785pmid: N/A

This paper aims to investigate an integrated, holistic assessment of the characteristics by which consumers judge non-sponsored product review video (PRV) source, message and medium components as credible, and how these are linked to personal values for a deeper understanding of multidimensional credibility assessments of PRVs.Design/methodology/approachEmploying a means-end approach, the authors draw on credibility theory and the persuasion knowledge model to analyse data from 21 in-depth semi-structured laddering interviews.FindingsFirst, the authors demonstrate distinctive contributions of the video modality towards PRV credibility assessments and the interplay between specific PRV characteristics, cognitive and socio-emotional consequences, and personal values in an ongoing process of credibility assessment. Second, high persuasion knowledge creates awareness of the potential phoniness of the market, revealing a dark side to PRV use even in non-sponsored PRV seemingly created and shared as an act of benevolent concern between consumers.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focused on the credibility of non-sponsored PRVs, future studies might investigate motivations and attributes by which users judge sponsored reviews. Also, the roles of specific product categories and existing brand trust on PRVs credibility provide avenues for further research.Practical implicationsThis research offers practical implications for reviewers and brand managers to leverage the unique informational values of video by focusing on the interplay between credibility attributes and customer values.Originality/valueThis work advances credibility theory in the PRV context by examining how non-sponsored PRVs are evaluated as credible, by highlighting consumer persuasion knowledge and scepticism and including the holistic effects of the interplay between source, message and video format characteristics and by linking these to consumers’ goals and values.

Septianto, Felix; Garg, Nitika; Agrawal, Nidhi

doi: 10.1108/ejm-06-2021-0461pmid: N/A

A growing literature shows that (integral) emotions arising in response to firm transgressions may influence consumer punishment. However, incidental emotions (which are unrelated to the decision at hand) can also be powerful drivers of consumer decision-making and could influence responses to firm transgressions. This paper aims to examine the role of incidental gratitude, as compared to incidental pride and a control condition, in shaping the acceptance of questionable consumer behavior toward a transgressing firm and the mediating role of self-righteousness in this regard.Design/methodology/approachFour experimental studies are conducted to examine the effect of gratitude, as compared to pride and a control condition, on the acceptance of questionable consumer behavior against a transgressing firm. Further, this research tests the underlying mechanism and a boundary condition of the predicted effect.FindingsThe results show that consumers experiencing gratitude, as compared to pride and a control condition, judge a questionable consumer behavior directed against a transgressing firm as less acceptable. These different emotion effects are found to be explained by self-righteousness. The findings also demonstrate that an apology by the firm attenuates the effect of emotions on consumer response toward the transgressing firm.Research limitations/implicationsThe present research contributes to the literature on consumer punishment by identifying the role of incidental emotions in determining self-righteousness and ethical judgments. The research focuses on and contrasts the effects of two specific positive emotions – gratitude and pride.Practical implicationsThis paper offers managerial implications for firms involved in a transgression by highlighting the potential of gratitude. Notably, the findings of this research suggest that gratitude activation via marketing communications may help firms mitigate the negative effects of transgression events.Originality/valueThe present research provides a novel perspective on when and how positive emotions, such as gratitude and pride, can differentially and systematically influence ethical judgment toward a transgressing firm.

Dong, Meichen; Saini, Ritesh

doi: 10.1108/ejm-11-2021-0841pmid: N/A

This paper aims to investigate how recommendations from close- versus distant-others influence consumer preferences. This paper explores how the consumption setting (public vs private) differentially affects the relative weight given to recommendations from these two sources.Design/methodology/approachThrough five scenario-based experiments and an internal meta-analysis, this paper examines whether consumers are more likely to follow recommendations from distant- (vs close-) others in public consumption settings. As a test of the underlying process, this study also investigates the mediating role of distinctiveness-signaling motivation in why consumers overweight recommendations from distant others in public settings, and the moderating role of atypical product design.FindingsThe findings of this study support the hypothesis that recommendations from distant-others have a greater impact on consumer preferences in public consumption contexts, as opposed to recommendations from close-others. This result can be attributed to the heightened salience of consumers’ distinctiveness-signaling motives in public consumption contexts, leading them to prioritize exhibiting uniqueness over conforming to close-others’ recommendations. However, this study also reveals that the presence of alternative sources of distinctiveness, such as atypically designed products, can mitigate this effect, leading consumers to seek conformity to close-others’ recommendations even in public consumption contexts.Research limitations/implicationsThis research did not look into the possible culture impact on the nonconforming consumption behavior. Previous research indicates that in collectivist cultures, nonconformity and distinctiveness are valued less (Kim and Drolet, 2003). This may imply that even with provoked signaling motives, collectivist consumers may not exhibit divergence from close-others. In fact, they may do the exact opposite and possibly become even more conforming to recommendations from close-others.Practical implicationsThis research shed light on the business practice regarding word-of-mouth (WOM). Specifically, this research results suggest that for publicly consumed product, companies may need to seek a nontraditional WOM and use less WOM from consumer’s close-others.Originality/valueMarketers often use referrals and recommendations from close-others to shape consumers’ preferences. In contrast, this study shows that for publicly consumed products, consumers may diverge from conforming to their close-others.

Carrigan, Marylyn; Wells, Victoria; Athwal, Navdeep

doi: 10.1108/ejm-10-2021-0804pmid: N/A

This paper aims to develop a deeper understanding of what (un)sustainable food behaviours and values are transmitted across generations, to what extent this transference happens and the sustainability challenges resulting from this for individuals and households.Design/methodology/approachA total of 25 semi-structured in-depth interviews are analysed regarding the value of inherited food, family food rituals, habits and traditions, aspects of food production and understanding of sustainability.FindingsIntergenerational transferences are significant in shaping (un)sustainable consumption throughout life, and those passed-on behaviours and values offer opportunities for lifelong sustainable change and food consumption reappraisal in daily life, beyond early years parenting and across diverse households.Research limitations/implicationsParticipants were limited to British families, although the sample drew on multiple ethnic heritages. Future research could study collectivist versus more individualistic cultural influence; explore intergenerational transference of other diverse households, such as multigeneration or in rural and urban locations, or whether sustainable crossover derived from familial socialisation continues into behaviours and values beyond food.Practical implicationsThe findings show the importance of families and intergenerational transference to the embedding of sustainable consumption behaviours. Mundane family life is a critical source of sustainable learning, and marketers should prioritise understanding of the context and relationships that drive sustainable consumer choices. Opportunities for intentional and unintentional sustainable learning exist throughout life, and marketers and policymakers can both disrupt unsustainable and encourage sustainable behaviours with appropriate interventions, such as nostalgic or well-being communications. The paper sheds light on flexible sustainable identities and how ambivalence or accelerated lives can deflect how policy messages are received, preventing sustainable choices.Originality/valueThe findings provide greater understanding about the mechanisms responsible for the sustainable transformation of consumption habits, suggesting intergenerational transferences are significant in shaping (un)sustainable food consumption throughout life. The study shows secondary socialisation can play a critical role in the modification of early behaviour patterns of food socialisation. The authors found individuals replicate food behaviours and values from childhood, but through a process of lifelong learning, can break formative habits, particularly with reverse socialisation influences that prioritise sustainable behaviours.

Ifie, Kemefasu

doi: 10.1108/ejm-11-2021-0832pmid: N/A

This paper aims to investigate the effect of top management’s customer interactions (TMCI) on customer satisfaction. This study argues that TMCI’s overall relationship with customer satisfaction follows an inverted-U shape due to its positive and disruptive effects on the customer relationship efforts of frontline service/sales employees (FSEs). This paper further investigates the frontline competence of both FSEs and the top management team (TMT) as moderators of the impact of TMCI on customer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model was tested empirically using data from managers, frontline employees and customers of microfinance firms. A multilevel structural equation modeling approach was used to test the hypothesized model.FindingsThe results show that TMCI has a curvilinear relationship with customer satisfaction. The results also show that frontline employees’ collective efficacy attenuates this relationship by shifting the turning point of the curvilinear effect to the right. Furthermore, TMT frontline competence amplifies both the positive and negative effects of TMCI on customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThis study advances knowledge on the effects of TMCI on customer satisfaction and highlights the nuanced relationship between top management involvement and indicators of firm performance.Practical implicationsThe findings show the importance of considering the frontline competence of both top management and frontline employees when encouraging TMCI in organizations.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is one of the first to examine TMCI’s direct impact on customer satisfaction and propose the frontline competence of both top management and frontline employees as boundary conditions on this relationship.

Wen, Xiaohan; Atakan, S. Sinem

doi: 10.1108/ejm-12-2020-0910pmid: N/A

This study aims to examine consumers’ responses to crowdsourcing campaigns in the request initiation stage using the signaling theory from economics. The purpose of the research is threefold. First, it provides a comprehensive classification of various task types within crowdsourcing. Second, it conceptualizes crowdsourcing announcements as signals of customer orientation and empirically tests the differential effects of the two most common crowdsourcing task types (product- and communication-related) on customer orientation perceptions. Third, it illuminates the downstream behavioral consequences of crowdsourcing campaign announcements.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted secondary data analysis of 883 crowdsourcing campaigns (pilot study) to provide evidence on the differential effects of crowdsourcing task types. In addition, four laboratory experiments were conducted to test the theoretical arguments. To test the main effect of crowdsourcing task types, Study 1A (N = 252 MTurk workers) used a one-factor (product- vs communication-related crowdsourcing vs control) between-subject design, whereas Study 1B (N = 171 undergraduate students) used a 2 (task type: product- vs communication-related) by 2 (product category: restaurant vs fashion) between-subject design. Study 2 (N = 93 MTurk workers) explored the underlying mechanism using a one-factor (product- vs communication-related) between-subject design. Study 3 (N = 375 MTurk workers) investigated the boundary condition for the effect of task type with a 2 (task type: product- vs communication-related) by 3 (company credibility: low vs neutral vs high) between-subject design.FindingsThe pilot study provides evidence for the conceptualized typology and the differential effects of crowdsourcing task types. Study 1A reveals that product-related crowdsourcing tends to have a more substantial impact than communication-related crowdsourcing on how customer-oriented consumers perceive a company. Study 1B validates the results of Study 1A in a different product category and population sample. Study 2 shows that the differential customer-orientation effect is mediated by the perceived cost of implementing the crowdsourcing outcome and unravels the differences in consumers’ purchase and campaign participation intentions depending on task type. Study 3 highlights that the customer-orientation effect attenuates as company credibility increases.Research limitations/implicationsThis research contributes to the crowdsourcing literature by categorizing the various types of crowdsourcing campaigns companies undertake and revealing the differential impact of the different types of crowdsourcing campaigns on consumers’ perceptions and behavioral intentions. In doing so, this research converges two lines of consumer research on crowdsourcing, i.e. product- and communication-related crowdsourcing. The findings add to the debate over the returns from research and development (R&D) versus advertising and extend it from marketing strategy to crowdsourcing literature.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the importance of choosing specific task types for crowdsourcing and lead to practical recommendations on designing crowdsourcing campaigns to maximize their benefits to crowdsourcing brands.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that differentiates crowdsourcing task types and compares their effectiveness from a consumer perspective.

Song, Lei; Suri, Rajneesh; Huang, Yanliu

doi: 10.1108/ejm-10-2021-0802pmid: N/A

This paper aims to examine how a stereotype threat, which entails being aware of a negative stereotype about one’s social group (e.g. gender), affects consumers’ price perceptions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted four studies to examine the effect of a stereotype threat on consumers’ perceptions of a product’s price–quality relationship.FindingsThis study found that being aware of a negative stereotype about one’s social group (i.e. gender here) led consumers to use price more as a quality indicator. This study also determined that reappraisal – an alternative way of coping with stereotype threats – reduced the impact of a stereotype threat and, subsequently, decreased reliance on price to infer quality.Research limitations/implicationsThis research contributes to the consumer decision-making literature by examining stereotype threat effect in in-store product purchasing contexts; provides theoretical contributions to the processing of price information by exploring the role of a stereotype threat in price perceptions and revealing that impairment of consumers’ working memory resources affects price perceptions; adds to the existing stereotype threat literature by investigating the effect of a stereotype threat on systematic versus heuristic information processing; and advances the stress and coping literature by suggesting that consumers adopting a reappraisal strategy cope better with a stereotype threat than when opting for a suppression strategy.Practical implicationsThis research provides important implications for consumers. For example, the findings suggest that consumers who would like to avoid paying more for stereotype-associated products may adopt reappraisal to cope with a stereotype threat. Reappraisal may allow consumers to use fewer cognitive resources when coping with stereotype threats, thus minimizing the possibility that they might overpay for high-priced products.Originality/valueThis research uniquely examines the effect of a stereotype threat on consumers’ price perceptions and the role of reappraisal in this effect.

Jain, Avinash; Dash, Satyabhusan; Malhotra, Naresh K.

doi: 10.1108/ejm-11-2021-0864pmid: N/A

This study aims to investigate the role of consumption coping in managing collective tragedy stress and stress outcomes using the COVID-19 pandemic context.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-method study with a sample size of 931 was conducted to develop the questionnaire, followed by a quantitative study with 1,215 respondents to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results of this study empirically validated the use of consumption coping and found it effective in managing collective tragedy stress and its outcomes (subjective well-being and continuance intention).Research limitations/implicationsThis study advances the literature on stress coping in a collective tragedy context, with a specific focus on consumption coping.Practical implicationsThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected all elements of the marketing mix. Understanding pandemic-induced stress and the role of consumption coping can help managers to proactively formulate strategic responses suitable for changing consumer habits.Social implicationsThe COVID-19 pandemic has affected all elements of the marketing mix. Understanding pandemic-induced stress and the role of consumption coping can help managers to proactively formulate strategic responses suitable for changing consumer habits. This should lead to better social outcomes.Originality/valueThis study developed a scale for pandemic-induced stress that integrates various well-established theories to identify the role of consumption coping in managing collective tragedy stress and the psychological mechanism behind the shift in consumer behavior after a collective tragedy.

Liang, Xiaoning; Frösén, Johanna; Gao, Yuhui

doi: 10.1108/ejm-04-2021-0233pmid: N/A

Despite the availability of many metrics and tools for marketing performance measurement, the way in which firms use their marketing metrics remains underexplored. This study aims to address this gap by empirically establishing the differing effects of the diagnostic and interactive uses of marketing metrics on firms’ market-sensing capability, contingent on competitive intensity and focus on market-related metrics.Design/methodology/approachThis study builds on survey data collected from 210 Irish-based firms, complemented by 21 in-depth interviews with business managers. Survey data are analysed using regression analysis.FindingsThis study finds that firms using marketing metrics interactively to communicate organizational focus are better able to sense their markets, especially under high competition. The authors observe a positive impact of the interactive use of metrics on market-sensing capability, but a U-shaped impact of their diagnostic use, the magnitudes of which further depend on competitive intensity and firms’ focus on market-related metrics.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides a nuanced view of marketing performance measurement (MPM) practices within firms, particularly focussing on diagnostic versus interactive uses of marketing metrics. It also sheds further light on how two diverse uses of marketing metrics – diagnostic and interactive uses – influence a firm’s market-sensing capability. Moreover, the identification of boundary conditions also contributes to the discussion of contextuality in MPM, highlighting the importance of aligning a firm’s uses of marketing metrics with its business environment.Practical implicationsThis study provides novel insights into how diverse uses of marketing metrics may benefit firms. The differing effects of diagnostic and interactive uses of marketing metrics on market sensing highlight a primary need for developing the latter and for using the former only with caution. It establishes that all firms would equally benefit from an interactive use of marketing metrics that is pivotal to improving their ability to anticipate, detect and sense market changes.Originality/valueThis study provides novel understanding of the role of marketing metric uses in firms’ market-sensing capability and contributes to the discussion of contextuality in marketing performance measurement. It highlights the importance of aligning a firm’s use of marketing metrics with its business environment.