Joanne Sneddon

Young Australian consumers’ preferences for fashion apparel attributes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of functional, hedonistic and ethical attributes of denim jeans attributes and the trade‐offs young adult Australian consumers made within these attributes when making a purchase decision.Design/methodology/approach – A two‐stage mixed‐method approach was used to explore the importance of denim jeans attributes and the trade‐offs made within these attributes. First, focus groups were used to identify attributes that were important to young Australian adult consumers. In the second stage, conjoint analysis was used to estimate the relative importance of the product and ethical attributes that were identified in the focus groups and the trade‐offs made within this attribute set.Findings – Focus group participants identified style, price, brand, country of origin and ethics as attributes that they used to evaluate denim jeans. In the conjoint analysis respondents identified price as having the highest relative importance, followed by brand, cou...

ON-FARM INNOVATION IN THE AUSTRALIAN WOOL INDUSTRY : A SENSEMAKING PERSPECTIVE

In agricultural innovation, the success of widely used technologies is often assumed to have been inevitable. Conversely, the blame for the failure of new technologies that researchers, policy makers and extensionists consider superior to existing solutions is often placed on farmers. However, these assumptions can be challenged by taking a social-constructivist view of on-farm innovation to examine how and why farmers made sense of new technologies and how this sensemaking shaped their use of these technologies over time. The present study took such an approach in its analysis of Australian woolgrowers’ adoption, abandonment, implementation and use of new wool-testing technologies that highlighted the social and dynamic nature of innovation on-farm. On-farm innovation in this case was an evolving, dynamic process that changed over time as woolgrowers made sense of new technologies. The primary message to agricultural innovation researchers, technology developers, policy makers and extensionists is that successful on-farm innovation requires the active, ongoing engagement of industry participants. In order to engage industry participants in the innovation process, sensemakers’ personal identity frames and social context, and how these interpretation frameworks relate to the new technology need to be understood.

Exploring wool apparel consumers’ ethical concerns and preferences

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the potentially conflicting positive and negative ethical aspects of wool apparel and the relative importance of these ethical attributes when consumers in the USA make wool apparel purchase decisions. Design/methodology/approach – A two-stage mixed-method approach was used to explore the positive and negative ethical aspects of wool apparel and the relative importance of these ethical attributes in wool apparel purchase decisions. First, focus groups were used to identify ethical attributes that were important to wool apparel consumers in the USA. In the second stage, a conjoint survey was used to estimate the relative importance of the ethical and product attributes that were identified in the focus groups and the trade-offs made within this attribute set. Findings – Seven themes of ethical issues related to wool apparel consumption emerged during the focus groups: animal welfare, workers’ rights, environmental impact, extrinsic attributes, natural wool,...

Exploring consumer beliefs about wool apparel in the USA and Australia

The wool industry has responded to the decline in wool’s share of the textile market with innovations in production, processing and marketing that are aimed at increasing consumer demand for wool apparel. However, little is known about whether consumers’ beliefs about wool apparel reflect these innovations and whether consumers’ beliefs are uniform or vary in different markets. This exploratory study investigated consumers’ beliefs about wool apparel in three different locations (New York and Colorado in the USA and Western Australia). The findings indicate that both positive and negative perceptions of garment attributes are related to perceived garment value, as illustrated in the proposed model. Further, beliefs about wool were found to vary dramatically depending on context.

Testing and Extending Schwartz Refined Value Theory Using a Best–Worst Scaling Approach:

The theory of human values discriminated 10 basic values arrayed in a quasicircular structure. Analyses with several instruments in numerous samples supported this structure. The refined theory of human values discriminates 19 values in the same circle. Its support depends on one instrument, the revised Portrait Values Questionnaire. We introduce a forced choice method, the Best–Worst Refined Values scale (BWVr), to assess the robustness of the refined theory to method of measurement and also assess the distinctiveness and validity of a new animal welfare value. Three studies (N = 784, 439, and 383) support the theory and the new value. Study 3 also demonstrates the convergent and discriminant validity of the 19 values by comparing the BWVr, the revised Portrait Values Questionnaire, and value-expressive behaviors and confirms the test–retest reliability of BWVr responses. These studies provide further information about the order of values in the value circle.

Making sense of consumers’ wool apparel preferences

In an attempt to keep pace with changing demand for wool apparel, the wool industry has increasingly focused on developing technologies to measure consumers’ physical response to wool apparel as a means of predicting their preferences. However, it is unclear whether such technologies alone will predict consumer preferences as they do not take into account the broad range of attributes that consumers use to evaluate wool apparel. This study explored how consumers integrate their perceptions and expectations of wool apparel attributes during garment evaluation. The findings indicate that the evaluation of wool apparel is a more holistic and dynamic process than previously considered. Consumers evaluate new wool garments by extracting sensory cues and interpreting and integrating those cues with past experiences. It is proposed that experimental garment testing research be combined with interpretive research techniques to develop a more accurate picture of consumers’ response to wool apparel.

A Socio-cognitive Perspective of Industry Innovation Initiatives

Abstract This article contributes to the emerging theory of industry belief systems and the social construction of innovation by examining how industry actors conceptualise and negotiate industry transformation through the development and diffusion of new technologies. In a qualitative study of innovation in the Australian wool industry, we found that the social construction of industry belief systems and new technologies was an evolutionary process of social sensemaking in which there was reciprocity between individual and collective meaning‐making that reflected conflict, consensus and compliance between industry actors about new technologies and industry beliefs.

Traceability systems in the Western Australia halal food supply chain

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the emergence and implementation of traceability systems in the Western Australian (WA) Halal food industry. In particular, to understand how individuals in facilitating organizations perceive the Halal idea logic and the benefits that a traceability system can provide to the Halal food processing industry. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical qualitative approach was employed to examine these issues utilizing in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was carried out using Leximancer software. Findings – Findings suggest that individual’s perception of Halal idea logic is aligned to the roles they perform. These perceptions were impacted by the specific objectives or business interests of each organization. Facilitating organizations also perceive that traceability systems are a strategic tool in the Halal food processing industry. Practical implications – The research provides insights into how to improve existing understanding of the Halal idea logic ...

Entrepreneurship, values and Muslim values: some insights from Minangkabau entrepreneurs

The purpose of this paper is to examine personal values and entrepreneurship in a Muslim society. Some insights are taken from Minangkabau entrepreneurs who come from a devoted Muslim society in Indonesia. They are migrant entrepreneurs who go to new environments which offer intense business competition. This represents a huge challenge for them. The present study used individual interviews of a sample of 15 Minangkabau entrepreneurs. Four themes have been identified from the interviews and they indicate that most of the interviewees see Islam and Minangkabau culture as providing the stimulus for becoming entrepreneurs. They do however encounter difficulty in achieving a balance between individualism and collectivism in their current situations. The paper highlights the uneasiness of entrepreneurs within a Muslim society seeking to maintain their own values without these inhibiting organisational innovations. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first study which addresses the importance of values among Minangkabau entrepreneurs in dealing with a new emerging and dynamic market (Indonesia). The present study has also identified some problems in implementing innovation among Minangkabau entrepreneurs within the context of both Minangkabau and Muslim values.

Personal Value Characteristics as Representative of Destination Values: An Abstract

Destination branding has become an important way to differentiate destinations in highly competitive holiday markets (e.g., Morgan et al. 2004; Ekinci & Hosany 2006; Pike 2012). Prior studies have also found that people are able to perceive brands as having personal values that reflect Schwartz (1992) higher-order dimensions (Torelli et al. 2012). In this study, we examine whether destinations are perceived as having human values across and within people’s perceptions.