Dawn Lerman

Consumer politeness and complaining behavior

Purpose – Aims to examine consumer politeness, an interaction style that may prevent a dissatisfied customer from complaining about a negative service encounter, and seeks to determine the relationship between politeness and the propensity to engage in various types of complaining behavior.Design/methodology/approach – Two surveys served to develop and validate a scale for measuring politeness and tested the relationship between consumer politeness and complaining behavior. The specific items for the politeness scale were developed based on the distinction between negative and positive politeness as described by politeness theory.Findings – The results suggest an inverse relationship between politeness and complaining behavior. The studies also find that polite and impolite consumers do not necessarily engage in the same types of complaining behavior.Research limitations/implications – In future studies, researchers may consider examining the conditions under which polite consumers do and do not voice com...

How cultural differences in uncertainty avoidance affect product perceptions

Purpose – To examine how people from countries that vary in uncertainty avoidance (UA) use information about product uncertainty when evaluating products.Design/methodology/approach – Two studies were conducted that vary in methodology, sampling and analysis. First, an experiment was designed to manipulate product uncertainty through the use of country of origin (COO) quality‐stereotypes. It was administered to university students from a diverse range of countries, all studying in the USA. Next, data from a large‐scale survey of consumers from ten countries was submitted to hierarchical binary regression analyses to include variables at the country and individual level.Findings – The studies support an interaction between product uncertainty (PU) and cultural UA on quality perceptions and behavioural intentions. Consumers from high UA countries evaluated high PU offerings less positively and held weaker behavioural intentions than those from low UA countries, but for low PU offerings, no difference was fo...

Structural Constraints in Code-Switched Advertising

Code switching, the use of mixed-language expressions, is gaining prominence in advertising targeting linguistic minorities. Two studies investigate the existence of linguistic rules governing the use of code switching and identify situations in which those rules have a greater impact on persuasion. The studies extend Myers-Scottons 1995 model of code switching by revealing an interaction between linguistic correctness and type of processing. More specifically, breaking the linguistic rules of code switching results in less persuasive messages but only when consumers process the ads in a highly data-driven mode. When consumers do not engage in highly data-driven processing, breaking linguistic rules does not influence persuasion.

Content analysis in cross-cultural advertising research: insightful or superficial?

Historically, cross-cultural researchers have used content analysis as their primary method for comparing ads. Recently, however, content analysis has been criticised for being a purely descriptive method that provides the researcher with little if any insight regarding advertising effectiveness. To address this methodological limitation, we argue that researchers should incorporate consumer interpretation into their cross-cultural advertising studies. More specifically, we explicate a variation of content analysis that is predicated on consumer interpretation of the advertising under study and test it against the traditional content analytic approach. The results of our study and the implications for future cross-cultural advertising research are discussed.

Consumer evaluations of price discounts in foreign currencies

Today’s consumers are becoming increasingly exposed to foreign markets through travel or via the Internet. They are facing new challenges in these less familiar shopping environments. One such challenge is the comparison of prices in a foreign currency. This issue is addressed by examining how consumers from different countries evaluate such price discounts. Hypotheses are developed regarding the impact of currency denomination familiarity on consumers’ attitudinal response to changes in prices. The results of an experimental study conducted in Italy and the USA support the proposition that consumers who are more familiar with the foreign currency’s denomination will be more influenced by price differentials than those consumers who are less familiar with the foreign currency’s denomination. The implications of the findings for pricing strategies in regional trade zones, international tourism, and global e‐marketing are discussed.

Little Emperors grown up: a case study of cosmetic usage

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how the pressures of being a Little Emperor in a rapidly changing society are reflected in consumer experiences, particularly in the meanings attached to products and brands. The paper aims to focus on young adults in urban China, specifically young professional women.Design/methodology/approach – The subject was shadowed at work for two weeks during the Spring of 2007 and for an additional two weeks during the Spring of 2008. Social interactions and purchasing behavior were carefully observed, as well as conducting a series of informal interviews. During the Summer of 2008, a formal, in‐depth interview was conducted with an informant in the USA.Findings – The unique pressures of growing up as a Little Emperor in a changing society are widely reflected in product usage and are ways in which to ease the tension and anxiety associated with the pressure of maintaining expectations from friends, family, and society.Research limitations/implications – The study...

Bridging marketing's intentions and consumer perceptions

Purpose – The papers aim is to explore consumer perceptions of marketing and test the malleability of those perceptions. Design/methodology/approach – Study 1 is exploratory in nature, and employs a free-response sentence completion to, “marketing is […]”. Study 2 employs an experimental design, testing whether the framing of communications about marketer performance (firm-oriented vs consumer-oriented) influences consumer perceptions of marketing. Findings – Based on free responses to “marketing is […]”, findings indicate that US consumers generally see marketing as something that is bad for them, but good for businesses. However, this asymmetry disappears when marketer performance is communicated with a consumer orientation. Practical implications – Marketers aim to create relationships with consumers based on value exchange, yet consumers do not see such value exchange. They see the value of marketing for business, but not for consumers themselves. By being more cognizant of how marketer performance i...