Cheryl Leo

Cross-cultural differences in consumer decision-making styles

This article compares consumer decision‐making styles between Singaporeans and Australians. Utilising Hofstede’s framework, the paper argues that cultural dimensions influence consumer decision making styles. It is essential that managers understand cross‐cultural consumer decision‐making styles to make strategic decisions or effectively handle members of these nationalities. Marked differences were found between the two populations for: brand consciousness, innovativeness and overchoice confusion. The results suggest that some consumer decision‐making styles differ due to consumers’ cultural values. Managerial implications and future research directions are discussed.

Moderating teen drinking: combining social marketing and education

Purpose – This paper outlines a pilot study that was undertaken in Australia in 2011 that combined social marketing with education. An intervention targeting 14‐16 year olds to influence attitudes and behavioural intentions towards moderate drinking was developed and tested. Game On:Know alcohol (GO:KA) is a six‐module intervention that is delivered to a year level cohort in an auditorium. GO:KA combines a series of online and offline experiential activities to engage (with) students.Design/methodology – Following social marketing benchmark criteria, formative research and competitive analysis were undertaken to create, implement and evaluate an intervention. The intervention was delivered in one all boys’ and one all girls’ school in April and June 2011, respectively. A total of 223 Year 10 students participated in GO:KA with the majority completing both pre‐ and post‐surveys. Paired samples t‐tests and descriptive analysis were used to assess attitudinal and behavioural intention change.Findings – Attit...

One size (never) fits all: segment differences observed following a school-based alcohol social marketing program

BACKGROUND According to commercial marketing theory, a market orientation leads to improved performance. Drawing on the social marketing principles of segmentation and audience research, the current study seeks to identify segments to examine responses to a school-based alcohol social marketing program. METHODS A sample of 371 year 10 students (aged: 14-16 years; 51.4% boys) participated in a prospective (pre-post) multisite alcohol social marketing program. Game On: Know Alcohol (GO:KA) program included 6, student-centered, and interactive lessons to teach adolescents about alcohol and strategies to abstain or moderate drinking. A repeated measures design was used. Baseline demographics, drinking attitudes, drinking intentions, and alcohol knowledge were cluster analyzed to identify segments. Change on key program outcome measures and satisfaction with program components were assessed by segment. RESULTS Three segments were identified; (1) Skeptics, (2) Risky Males, (3) Good Females. Segments 2 and 3 showed greatest change in drinking attitudes and intentions. Good Females reported highest satisfaction with all program components and Skeptics lowest program satisfaction with all program components. CONCLUSION Three segments, each differing on psychographic and demographic variables, exhibited different change patterns following participation in GO:KA. Post hoc analysis identified that satisfaction with program components differed by segment offering opportunities for further research.

Differential segmentation responses to an alcohol social marketing program

OBJECTIVE This study seeks to establish whether meaningful subgroups exist within a 14-16 year old adolescent population and if these segments respond differently to the Game On: Know Alcohol (GOKA) intervention, a school-based alcohol social marketing program. METHODOLOGY This study is part of a larger cluster randomized controlled evaluation of the GOKA program implemented in 14 schools in 2013/2014. TwoStep cluster analysis was conducted to segment 2,114 high school adolescents (14-16 years old) on the basis of 22 demographic, behavioral, and psychographic variables. Program effects on knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, social norms, alcohol expectancies, and drinking refusal self-efficacy of identified segments were subsequently examined. RESULTS Three segments were identified: (1) Abstainers, (2) Bingers, and (3) Moderate Drinkers. Program effects varied significantly across segments. The strongest positive change effects post-participation were observed for Bingers, while mixed effects were evident for Moderate Drinkers and Abstainers. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide preliminary empirical evidence supporting the application of social marketing segmentation in alcohol education programs. Development of targeted programs that meet the unique needs of each of the three identified segments will extend the social marketing footprint in alcohol education.

Social Marketing Customer Orientation: A Conceptualization, Typology, and Conceptual Framework

There has been increased application of the customer orientation concept in social marketing. While an organizational-level customer orientation concept has been adapted in nonprofit settings, there is little understanding of the behavioral concept in social marketing. This conceptual article draws from theory and research in the areas of customer orientation and social influence to propose a conceptualization of an employee-level customer orientation concept in social marketing services termed social marketing customer orientation (SMCO). SMCO consists of five key dimensions: fairness and respect, involvement, extension of care, expertise, and authoritative influence. The article further proposes a typology based on varying degrees of concern and influence, and a conceptual framework of the key outcomes. An increased understanding of customer-oriented behaviors suited for welfare goals in social marketing presents a basis for future research to delineate or operationalize the concept.

A hierarchy-of-effects approach to designing a social marketing game

ABSTRACT While there is great enthusiasm and interest by social marketers for games as a social marketing intervention, there is little evidence of the impact of these games. This research seeks to fill this gap by testing a theoretical model based on the experiential hierarchy of effects. An online game about the physiological effects of drinking was designed for high-school students and implemented in an educational curriculum with 223 participants (96% response rate) completing an online survey. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) and showed support for nine of the eleven hypotheses. The results show game characteristics of enjoyment (feel), knowledge (learn), and challenge (do) significantly related to attitudes and moderate-drinking behavioral intentions, ability to control drinking, and awareness of the physical consequences of drinking. There were no gender differences.

Investigating Customer-Oriented Deviance (COD) from a frontline employee's perspective

Abstract While frontline employees (FLEs) are known to bend the rules or act in non-conforming ways for customers, the phenomenon of FLEs over-servicing customers is not well understood. This paper proposes a behavioural concept termed customer-oriented deviance (COD) and a conceptual model of its key drivers. Using a qualitative study involving 22 in-depth interviews with FLEs, the analysis reveals three categories of COD behaviours: deviant service adaptation (DSA), deviant service communication (DSC), and deviant use of resources (DUR). The drivers of COD are categorised as individual (risk-taking, service aptitude, and pro-social moral values), situational (resource availability, social capita with customers, legitimacy of customer problems, and avoidance of hassles), and organisational (unconducive service climate and anticipated rewards). This paper contributes to understanding how and why FLEs over-service customers and extends current research by exploring multiple categories of behaviours within a services marketing context.

A comparison of Australian and Singaporean consumer decision-making styles

It is important to understand the differences and similarities between cultures as they influence consumer attitudes and behaviours (Aaker and Maheswaran 1997). Most research in customer behaviour, however, is primarily focused on western cultures which are characterized as individualistic, low in uncertainty-avoidance, masculine, short-term oriented and low in power-distance (Hofstede 201; 1980). There is little research that directly compares consumer behaviour in both western and eastern cultures. Any research that has been done tends to use student samples and not real consumers. This study examines cultural differences between Singapore and Australia, as two key trading partners in the Asia-Pacific which have been shown to have different cultural values (Hofstede 1980). The findings show support for consumer behaviour differences in brand-consciousness, innovativeness, and confusion by overchoice decision-making styles.

The beginning of value co-creation: understanding dynamics, efforts and betterment

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the beginning of value co-creation by uncovering the roles, efforts, and desired outcomes of employees and how they affect employees’ responses to their firm’s co-creation initiatives. Design/methodology/approach This study applies a single case study to explore micro-level processes at the beginning of value co-creation informed by a case about how a Taiwanese firm moved from a conventional to a co-creative business model. Findings The case study findings affirm nine subthemes that underlie three key themes: co-creation dynamics, efforts, and betterment. The authors provide a value co-creation framework that is informed by nine subthemes derived from interview data. Research limitations/implications Current literature on understanding value co-creation processes focuses on formalized co-creation processes which produce diverse and contextually dependent findings. The authors contribute to current value co-creation literature by offering convergent insights into the interplay of dynamics, efforts, and betterment experienced by employees transitioning to a value co-creation process. Practical implications The authors offer a diagnostic value co-creation checklist and propose three benefits of using the checklist, which can help managers mitigate the uncertainty that arises during the transition from a conventional to a co-creation firm. Originality/value The study responds to calls for research to investigate where and when the co-creation of value emerges, value co-creation behavior from employees’ point of view, and employees’ roles in the co-creation of value.

Segmenting Australian High School Students Utilising a Two-Step Cluster Analysis: Differential Effects Following the Game on Know Alcohol Program

The majority of alcohol education programs in school settings follow a one-size-fits-all approach meaning that they are using the identical program (universal programs) for all participants (Botvin and Griffin 2007; Foxcroft and Tsertsvadze 2012). However, a one-size-fits-all approach may limit program effectiveness as large numbers of the audience may be left dissatisfied, uninterested, or unchallenged (Snyder et al. 2004). This study is part of a larger cluster randomised control design research project that is implementing and evaluating an alcohol social marketing education program named Game On: Know Alcohol (GOKA) that is currently in field.