Gillian Naylor

Price and Brand Name As Indicators of Quality Dimensions for Consumer Durables

Delivering quality products requires an understanding of the critical dimensions and cues that consumers use to judge quality. To that end, this article addresses two fundamental research issues. Using a qualitative study, the authors first develop a generalizable typology of quality dimensions for durable goods that includes ease of use, versatility, durability, serviceability, performance, and prestige. Second, the authors conduct a process-tracing laboratory experiment to examine how key marketing variables—price, brand name, and product attributes—affect consumers’ judgment processes and inferences about how products perform on the six quality dimensions. Results of the experiment indicate that consumers use price and brand name differently to judge the quality dimensions, searching for price and brand name much more frequently when evaluating prestige than when evaluating any other quality dimension. Results suggest that managers must determine the relevant quality dimensions for a product category and the cues that are salient for judging those dimensions.

The Role of Professionalism in Determining Job Satisfaction in Professional Services: A Study of Marketing Researchers

The services literature extols the importance of the link between satisfied customers and satisfied employees. In this study, the authors develop and test a job satisfaction model that examines the role of rewarding professionalism. Specifically, they examine whether rewards for professional behavior foster professionalism and esprit de corps (a set of enthusiastically shared feelings, beliefs, and values about group membership and performance) in order to further understanding of job satisfaction for professional service providers. Using surveys from marketing researchers, the authors assess the importance of rewarding professional service providers for professional behavior by examining the links between reward structures, esprit de corps, and job satisfaction. Research findings indicate that as organizations reward professional behavior they help foster the development of key aspects of professionalism. The findings are that a reward structure favoring professional behavior directly leads to higher esprit de corps and employee job satisfaction.

The effect of price bundling on consumer perceptions of value

Examines the importance of delivering an all‐inclusive price bundle to consumers. A longitudinal study is conducted to test the role of expectations of both price and other costs (e.g. hassle, time spent) associated with a price bundle on perceptions of value across first‐time and repeat guests at an upscale resort/spa. The findings confirm that consumers consider more than just benefits (quality) and price when assessing value. Specifically, finds that providing an all‐inclusive price package, even if actual monetary outlay is higher, will significantly increase perceptions of value for first‐time consumers.

The impact of retail sales force responsiveness on consumers’ perceptions of value

Extant research suggests that salespeople can significantly impact consumers’ outcome perceptions. Examines the importance of initial contact with salespeople on consumers’ perceptions of value and the impact of salesperson service failure on perceptions of value among non‐purchasers. An exit survey of shoppers was conducted to realistically study these issues. Results show that outcome perceptions were significantly lower when either there was no contact with salespeople, or the consumer had to initiate the contact. The retailer that had the highest percentage of salesperson initiated contact, earned the highest perception ratings and also had the highest ratio of buyers to browsers. Furthermore, non‐purchasers that experienced service failures (slow service or offended by a salesperson) discounted not just the perception of that retail visit, but also overall value compared to other retailers. These results suggest that retailers must encourage their sales staff to initiate consumer contact.

Exploring the differences in perceptions of satisfaction across lifestyle segments

This research examines whether satisfaction difers across consumers of a vacation experience. By segmenting consumers of an all-inclusive upscale health andfitness resort by lifestyle characteristics, it is found that satisfaction does not vary across the groups but that the benefits that lead to satisfaction do. For example, consumers who prioritise status need fulfilment of symbolic benefits, such as seeing interesting guests, to feel satisfied. In contrast, low variety and low status seekers simply need to enjoy themselves to be satisfied. Implications for vacation managers suggest that the type of customer they desire may dictate which benefits they try to provide. Promotional strategies should reflect the benefits the various lifestyle segments seek.