Leah Watkins

Methodological issues in using Kahle's list of values scale for Japanese tourism behaviour:

The literature clearly provides support and empirical evidence linking personal values and consumption, and acknowledges cross-cultural differences in these values. Personal values have been shown to be efficient, measurable sets of variables that are less numerous, more centrally held and more closely related to motivations than demographic and psychographic measures. The list of values (LOV) is a widely used scale for the measurement of values in a variety of consumer behaviour contexts. It has been used for the purposes of cross-cultural comparison and in tourism behaviour research. Kahle has suggested the instrument is a viable candidate as a widely accepted measure for cross-cultural comparison of values. This paper examines the reliability and validity of the LOV in the context of Japanese tourism behaviour. Results suggest several problems with the scale in this context, and the paper discusses some philosophical and methodological issues in cross-cultural values research in tourism.

The cross‐cultural appropriateness of survey‐based value(s) research

Purpose – Cross‐cultural research in marketing has been dominated by survey‐based quantitative approaches; however, the assumption of prior validity required for the adoption of the survey approach to values in cross‐cultural research has yet to be established. This paper aims to review the literature and outlines the problems of the survey‐based approach to cross‐cultural values research. These criticisms relate both to the choice of the method and its execution. The paper outlines the multiplicative effects of these problems, that threaten the validity of the survey methodology in this context, and suggests a methodological alternative.Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews and synthesises the relevant literature on conceptual and methodological issues pertinent to the survey approach to values research in a cross‐cultural context.Findings – A review of the literature suggests numerous methodological problems that threaten the validity and reliability of the survey approach to cross‐cultural v...

Japanese Tourism Values A Means–End Investigation

This study evaluates the research method of means–end in a cross-cultural research context in order to understand Japanese tourists’ values that drive travel choices in New Zealand. It contributes an extensive critique of means–end analysis and its advantages over quantitative research methods in cross-cultural research. Its theoretical contribution comes in the form of a set of values or travel motivators, including a number of culturally motivated values that reveal unique insights into Japanese travel experiences. The article argues that meaningful values research must consider not only those values that are commonly understood across cultures but also those that are particular to the culture of interest, in order to understand what drives perception and satisfaction relevant for destination management and marketing. The data can be used to address a number of practical issues facing tourism practitioners such as segmenting the Japanese market, positioning tourism offerings within this market, and developing communication strategies.

Environmental influences on pre-schooler’s understanding of brand symbolism

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors influencing young children’s (aged three to five years) understanding of brand symbolism. Design/methodology/approach Multiple hierarchical regression was used to analyse the relationships between age, gender and environmental factors, including family and the media, on the development of brand symbolism in pre-school children based on 56 children and parent dyad interviews. Findings Results confirmed the primary influence of age, television exposure and parental communication style on three to five-year-old children’s understanding of brand symbolism. The study demonstrates that the tendency to infer symbolic user attributes and non-product-related associations with brands starts as early as two years, and increases with age throughout the pre-school years. Children exposed to more television and less critical parental consumer socialisation strategies are more likely to prefer branded products, believe that brands are better quality and that they make people happy and popular. Social implications Identifying the factors that influence the development of symbolic brand associations in pre-school children provides an important contribution to public policy discussions on the impact of marketing to young children. Originality/value The paper extends existing research by considering, for the first time, the role of environmental factors in pre-schooler’s understanding of brand symbolism. The results provide a more informed basis for discussion about the impact of marketing messages on very young children and the environmental factors that may lead to a more critical engagement with brands.

Correlates of parental mediation of pre-schooler’s advertising exposure

This paper aims to explore the correlates of parental mediation of pre-schoolers’ television advertising exposure, focusing on the influence of other siblings in the home.,Participants included 486 parents of pre-schoolers. A cross-sectional design involving a quantitative online survey measured the number and age of children in the home, parents’ mediation styles and advertising attitudes, parents’ levels of education and pre-schoolers’ television exposure.,Co-viewing was the most frequent viewing experience followed by instructive and restrictive mediation. A univariate analysis revealed that parental education and negative attitudes towards advertising were associated with less viewing time for pre-schoolers, although the presence of other siblings mediated this relationship. Logistic regression revealed mediation styles were associated with parental education, attitudes towards advertising, viewing time and the presence of other siblings. Pre-schoolers with an older sibling were less likely to experience co-viewing and more likely to experience instructive mediation.,The findings revealed that parents of pre-schoolers are concerned about advertising to children and actively mediate their child’s exposure. Parental attitudes and education, and sibling composition influence pre-schoolers’ television consumption, and pre-schoolers with an older sibling might be most vulnerable to negative media effects. The sample was limited to primarily higher educated parents and might not generalize.,The study extends the field by focusing on pre-schoolers and provides novel insights into the influence of sibling composition on television consumption.