Kjell Grønhaug

Perceived Risk: Further Considerations for the Marketing Discipline

Examines the construct of perceived risk, as used in consumer and marketing research. In the light of the shortcomings of past research, develops and tests three hypotheses. Findings show that the risk dimensions proposed in the literature (i.e. financial, psychological, social, performance, physical and time‐related risk) capture a very high fraction of perceived overall risk, and that a parsimonious structure of the risk concept exists as the other risk dimensions are mediated through individual psychological risk. Implications are highlighted.

Uncertainty, flexibility, and sustained competitive advantage

Flexibility is assumed to be one of the most important requirements for firms to survive and prosper in turbulent and unpredictable environments. In this article, we first define the concept of flexibility, showing that there are, in fact, several different types of flexibility, e.g., supply, production, and product assortment flexibility. A longitudinal study designed to overcome difficulties encountered in previous empirical studies based on the resource view of strategy found that different, balanced forms of flexibility are required for firms to cope in uncertain, turbulent environments. Finally, the article discusses the theoretical and practical implications of flexibility.

Corporate social responsibility: investigating theory and research in the marketing context

Purpose – This review article aims to develop an integrating overview of the present status of the theory of corporate social responsibility (CSR) applied in the marketing context and asks whether, to what extent and how the discipline of marketing has addressed CSR.Design/methodology/approach – After clarifying core concepts and proposing a new definition of CSR, 54 articles in leading marketing journals between 1995 and 2005 are analyzed in terms of publication characteristics, research design, variables, sampling, level of analysis, issues raised, and key findings.Findings – Recommendations include a broadened perspective in empirical research to address CSR in its entirety, expand the focus beyond consumers, include a broader range of samples and conduct more inductive, exploratory empirical studies. These steps will contribute to a multidimensional view of the future customer.Research limitations/implications – The number and specific choice of journals was subject to a compromise between comprehensi...

Building foreign brand personalities in Russia: the moderating effect of consumer ethnocentrism

Based on a survey of Western brands in Russia, three contributions are offered to the literature on international brand-building. First, the Aaker brand personality scale (Aaker 1997) was tested in a Russian context. Important similarities and differences between Western and Russian brand personality perceptions were identified. Second, the results show that brand personalities of Western brands also have an impact on brand attitudes among Russian consumers. Third, and most importantly, it is demonstrated that the effect of Western brand personalities is heavily moderated by consumer ethnocentrism. Specifically, only low-ethnocentric consumers are influenced by foreign brand personalities.

Computing in the home: shifts in the time allocation patterns of households

An empirical study of 282 users of home computers was conducted to explore the relationship between computer use and shifts in time allocation patterns in the household. Major changes in time allocated to various activities were detected. Prior experience with computers (i.e., prior to purchase of the home computer) was found to have a significant impact on the time allocation patterns in the household. The study provides evidence that significant behavior changes can occur when people adopt personal computers in their homes.

A transaction cost approach to consumer dissatisfaction and complaint actions

Abstract This paper analyzes consumer dissatisfaction and complaint behavior from a transaction cost point of view. Transactions involve uncertainty and are subject to contracts. Due to uncertainty and costs, most transactional contracts are incomplete. Here, perceived dissatisfaction is conceived as realized risk, i.e. ex post regret experienced by consumers. By employing basic dimensions from the transaction cost perspective, it was found that a high proportion of reported bad buying experiences can be related to market institutional arrangements, outside the contractual arrangements between individual sellers and buyers. Opportunistic seller practice was also observed. Reported complaint behavior in prior research was found to be in accordance with intended, rational behavior when interpreted in the perspective presented. Implications are highlighted.

Exploring barriers to the successful implementation of a formulated strategy

This paper reports a case study conducted to identify barriers to the successful implementation of activities as part of a planned strategy in a Norwegian ferry-cruise company. Data were gathered among workers on one of the companys vessels using a structured sequence of questions with open-ended answers. Our findings indicate that various types of communication problem which may be influenced to some extent by the organizational structure, constitute the key barriers to the implementation of planned strategic activities.

Implementation Activities and Organizational Sensemaking

Corporate change initiatives trigger a series of activities aimed at implementing change. It is often assumed that successful implementation requires consistent action based on a shared understanding of the changes among employees. This article examines how implementation activities affect individual and organizational sensemaking processes and thereby contribute to a shared understanding and consistent change action. Based on inductive analyses of longitudinal data, the study suggests that many implementation activities focus predominantly on further planning and creating a cognitive understanding among change recipients prior to any action. Although participation in planning activities facilitates sensemaking at the individual level, it neither ensures organizational sensemaking nor necessarily leads to collective action. The limitations of cognitively focused implementation activities are discussed, followed by suggestions on how change agents can supplement these with activities aimed at sensemaking through action.

Action research and knowledge creation: merits and challenges

Action research is conducted by researchers from a variety of disciplines, e.g. sociology, psychology, organization theory, management, marketing and accounting. Over the years, action research has been acclaimed and criticized. This paper focuses on controversies surrounding action research, and its specific merits and requirements. Action research as reflected in the literature is briefly reviewed and characterized and contrasted with traditional research. Specific challenges to do high quality action research are emphasized as well.

Atmosphere: Conceptual Issues and Implications for Hospitality Management

The importance of atmosphere for accomplishing a high‐quality service delivery in the hospitality industry has for long been recognized both among practitioners and researchers. However, present insights are limited and scattered. This paper provides a systematic overview of atmosphere, including its antecedents and consequences, to guide hospitality managers in their efforts to improve the attractiveness of their firms. The paper offers managerial recommendations and discusses the need for enhanced knowledge among hospitality professionals in order to harness benefits and manage risks in relation to atmosphere investments. Recommendations for further research are highlighted.