James G. Helgeson

Trends in Consumer Behavior Literature: A Content Analysis

While a comprehensive review and classification of consumer behavior literature has been called for periodically, none has been forthcoming. This paper attempts partially to rectify this situation. It classifies by several key variables 32 years of consumer behavior literature from selected journals and proceedings.

Price Expectation and Price Recall Error: An Empirical Study

Expectations are known to affect the encoding and recall of stimuli. In this study the impact of deviations from price expectation (reference price) on price recall error is assessed. We found that an assimilation pattern most adequately represents the relationship between deviation from price expectation and price recall error. When individuals err in price recall they err in the direction of their price expectation, i.e., an expectation effect. As hypothesized, this effect is much stronger and more consistent for less involving products than for more involving products.

Information Load, Cost/Benefit Assessment and Decision Strategy Variability

The effect of four potential information load-producing variables on decision strategies and decision time and accuracy was examined. These variables included two task-effects, the number of alternatives and attributes, and two context effects, the variability of information on the attributes and alternative similarity. Number of alternatives had the most impact on decision strategies, which were determined via protocols collected during a decision task. The four loadproducing variables all had a significant effect on decision time, with the task-effect variables having the greatest influence. Of the two load-producing variables that showed a significant relationship with decision accuracy, alternative similarity had the most impact.

The Decision Process Equivalency of Electronic Versus Pencil-and-Paper Data Collection Methods

An experiment was conducted comparing electromc versus pencil-and-paper data collection methods. The consistent Ending was that the electromc data collection method displayed more stability across levels of the methodological variables. No significant differences were found in the responses received for the data collection methods or interactions. The findings for these two primary topics of study combined with the absence of significant differences across data collection methods for measures of three additional variables, involvement with the product, attitude toward survey research and questionnaire completion time, lead to the conclusion that electronic and pencil-and-paper data collection approaches provide data that is equivalent and interchangeable in many if not all ways. Keywords Electromc data collection, data collection methods, response effects, decision processes, protocol analysis, survey research.

Boomers and their Babies: An Exploratory Study Comparing Psychological Profiles and Advertising Appeal Effectiveness Across Two Generations

In two studies, consumer values, personality traits, and responses to various advertising appeals were examined for intergenerational differences between Baby Boomers and Generation Y. As hypothesized, Gen Y consumers displayed higher levels of materialism and brand-signaling importance, and lower levels of religiosity than did Baby Boomers. Gen Y consumers also showed higher levels of self-monitoring and lower levels of dispositional guilt and empathic concern. With respect to advertising appeals, Gen Y consumers reported more positive attitudes toward image, extravagance, sex, and greed appeals than did Baby Boomers. Practical implications of these findings and ideas for future research are presented.

Using price as a weapon: An economic and legal analysis of predatory pricing

Abstract Predatory pricing is an illegal attempt to destroy competition on a certain area or market by setting low prices. This article seeks to clarify the practices that are considered illegal predatory pricing. Generally, it was found that proving that a certain pricing practice is illegal is difficult; however, there are set standards related to cost that the courts usually apply.

The Price Weapon: Developments in U.S. Predatory Pricing Law

ABSTRACT Predatory pricing is an illegal attempt to destroy competition in a certain area or market by setting unreasonably low prices. This article provides a review of the practices that are considered illegal predatory pricing in the United States. As has been the case in recent litigation, it was found that proving that a certain pricing practice is illegal carries a high level burden of proof. There are standards related to cost, and more recently recoupment of loss, that the courts usually apply as indicators of predation. Predatory pricing litigation trends toward the future are advanced. Applications for marketing researchers are presented. Applications for marketing practitioners, both as plaintiffs and defendants of predatory pricing cases, are also presented.

Crisis Management Across Borders: Effects of a Crisis Event on Consumer Responses and Communication Strategies in Norway and Russia

ABSTRACT This research examined the impact of a crisis on product attitudes and emotions of consumers in Norway and Russia, and the effectiveness of crisis marketing communication using authority endorsement across and within the two countries. Our research shows that not only are different communication strategies effective in the two markets, but also that those that work well in one country may actually worsen the crisis and lead to more negative attitudes and emotions in the other country. We conclude that research needs to incorporate country-level, individual-level dimensions of culture and consumer emotions in order to develop optimal marketing communication strategies.

Consumers' Use of Country-of-Manufacture Information? Norway and the United States: Ethnocentric, Economic, and Cultural Differences

ABSTRACT The influence and use of the country-of-manufacture (COM) information on purchase decisions is examined in Norway and the USA in a nonlaboratory setting. Ethnocentrism, dependence on imported products, market size, and cultural difference are variables that may have led to differences in measured behaviors between Norway and the USA. Respondents in Norway showed less ethnocentrism, were less aware of COM, and showed no difference in the rating of COM importance, but cited self-reported COM as a purchase influencing factor more frequently than consumers in the USA. The overarching finding is that COM is rarely used by the studied consumers in actual purchase decisions with little difference found between Norway and the USA.

Multiple Respondent and Measurement Relationship Approach to Measuring Industrial Salesperson Performance

This paper presents a brief review of the literature on salesperson assessment. It proposes a model for measurement that uses multiple groups of respondents as sources of measures of a set of input variables.