Gülen Sarial-Abi

Effect of Regulatory Focus on Selective Information Processing

Individuals tend to selectively rely on information consistent with their attitudes or decisions. In this research, we examine the possibility that regulatory focus influences selective information processing. We find that individuals selectively rely on information consistent with their regulatory orientation under high (vs. low) information load. Specifically, under high information load, relative reliance on positive (vs. negative) information is greater for promotion-focused (vs. prevention-focused) individuals. Consequently, when information load is high, promotion-focused (vs. prevention-focused) individuals have higher brand evaluations. Under low information load, individuals also rely on information inconsistent with their regulatory orientation. Specifically, under low information load, relative reliance on positive (vs. negative) information is greater for prevention-focused (vs. promotion-focused) individuals. As a result, when information load is low, prevention-focused (vs. promotion-focused) individuals have higher brand evaluations.

Consumers and brands across the globe: research synthesis and new directions

Extensive research has investigated branding practices, processes, and consumers’ reactions to brands in a globalized world. In this review, the authors aim to organize and synthesize the growing literature on branding, culture, and globalization from a behavioral perspective by reviewing 129 articles published over 25 years. Specifically, they explicate two perspectives found in the literature: (1) global-local branding and (2) the influence of culture on consumer and brand interactions. The authors identify conceptual gaps in the literature and discuss how new realities in the macro environment (e.g., political issues, digital transformation, environmental concerns) may affect the interaction between culture, brands, and consumers in a globalized world. This review facilitates a more impactful future research agenda in both theory and practice at the interface of branding and globalization from the perspective of behavioral outcomes.

Culture and Branding

This chapter provides an extensive review of academic research on the culture and branding interface that has been conducted since 1990s. We present a structured analysis of the major findings on how the changing landscape of culture influences how brands are perceived, provide managerial insights, discuss conflicting issues in the literature, and highlight some directions for future research. Specifically, we elaborate on how the cultural context and culturally sensitive consumer segments affect branding practices, and how consumer brand relationships are shaped by culturally relevant values.

How does self-concept clarity influence happiness in social settings? The role of strangers versus friends

Abstract Self-concept clarity (SCC), defined as the extent to which the content of an individual’s self-beliefs is clearly and confidently defined and internally consistent, influences experiences in social relationships. This paper extends the previous literature on SCC by proposing and demonstrating that high-SCC individuals anticipate and experience more happiness than low-SCC individuals when they share a social setting with friends and anticipate and experience less happiness than low-SCC individuals when they share a social setting with strangers and that this is because of perceived interpersonal distance. A series of four studies, including both online studies and a field study, support these predictions. Alternative explanations of self-esteem and self-efficacy are also ruled out. The findings yield both theoretical contributions and practical implications.

Whether One Looks for Means to Overcome Regulatory Restrictions or Show Source Negativity Depends on the Type of Regulatory Restrictions

Consumers all around the world live with regulations that are imposed on them. This article examines the effects of regulations that restrict consumer freedom to use media (e.g., social media, visual media, written media). We define two ways (i.e., direct and indirect regulatory restrictions) that these consumers might face regulations that restrict their freedom to use media and subsequently discuss the different behavioral responses that they might have as a result of the two types of regulations. In a set of three studies, this article demonstrates that when consumers are exposed to direct regulatory restrictions (i.e., regulatory restrictions that are imposed directly on the consumers), they find means to overcome those restrictions. However, when consumers are exposed to indirect regulatory restrictions (i.e., regulatory restrictions that are not directly imposed on consumers but have some consequences for consumers), they demonstrate source negativity.