Louis M. Capella

An examination of perceived risk, information search and behavioral intentions in search, experience and credence services

Though the marketing literature offers an abundance of research on the topics of perceived risk, information search, and purchase intentions, very few researchers have empirically examined these constructs in the context of services. This research explores the linkages among these three constructs when services are classified on the basis of search, experience, and credence attributes. Specific hypotheses are developed and tested. The results of this study indicate that perceived risk increases along a continuum from search to experience to credence service purchases. Other hypotheses relating to information search length, information sources, behavioral intentions, and service attributes, received moderate support. Finally, managerial implications of the study were provided, along with directions for future research.

The Effect of Brand Attitude and Brand Image on Brand Equity

Brand equity has been criticized by some for an alleged lack of managerial relevance. This paper reports a study which operationalizes brand equity and empirically tests a conceptual model adapted from the work of Aaker (1991) and Keller (1993) considering the effect of brand attitude and brand image on brand equity. The results indicate that brand equity can be manipulated at the independent construct level by providing specific brand associations or signals to consumers and that these associations will result in images and attitudes that influence brand equity. The results suggest that focusing on the constructs that create brand equity is more relevant to managers than trying to measure it as an aggregated financial performance outcome.

Web sites of the Fortune 500 companies: facing customers through home pages

Abstract The growing popularity of the information superhighway has opened up exciting opportunities for companies looking to, not only maintain their current customer base, but also to reach new customers. One of the most popular methods to enter into cybermarketing has been to establish a home page or Web site on the Internet. Almost two-thirds of Fortune 500 companies currently maintain home pages on the Web. An analysis of the content of corporate home pages provides useful insights. Over four-fifths of the companies display products and services (93.2%) and company overview (86.1%) information. Roughly three-fourths of the companies present interactive feedback (79.3%) and whats new (71.1%). Less than one-third (26.2%) of Fortune 500 companies provide for online business. An analysis of the data also provides valuable insight into the future trends of home page usage by large business organizations.

Information sources of elderly for vacation decisions.

The travel industry is discovering a new love: elderly travelers. People over 65 constitute a perfect market for the travel industry because many senior citizens have the time to travel and are willing to spend an appreciable amount of their income for this purpose. The older market also holds a large share of the country’s discretionary income because their children are usually grown and their house payments are complete. In addition, the over 65 market can fill the peaks and valleys for airlines and hotels because of the flexibility of their travel schedules. Moreover, older persons like to travel. A 1977 National Travel Survey indicated that more than 50 percent of all persons over 65 took a vacation the previous year (Allen and Bretman 1981:50). Another factor that makes this market attractive is that older people spend more money than average on vacation travel, entertainment, and restaurant needs (W&L StreetJournal 1983). The purpose of this research is to identify the demographic and psychographic characteristics that are significantly related to the perceived importance of information sources regarding the selection of a vacation trip destination among the elderly. This investigation is designed to be more exploratory than definitive because of the lack of theoretical or empirical grounds on which to base expectations at the nature of these relationships. Not much is known regarding the relative importance of different sociodemographic and psychographic variables in explaining the perceived importance of pre-purchase information sources for the elderly. However, knowledge of consumers in general provides some indication as to what might be expected. Generally-consumers that are information seekers, more self-confident, more open-minded, better educated, higher socioeconomic status, and lower in age engage in more information search (Hawkins, Best, and Coney 1986:587).

Practical Applications of Music in Service Settings

Discusses many of the empirical studies relating to the effects of background music on a wide range of consumer behaviours and outlines the relevant features and limitations of these studies. Suggests that, while research has identified relationships between specific behaviours and specific musical characteristics (e.g. tempo, volume, mode), retailers should practice caution when attempting to manipulate specific aspects of their background music. A safer and potentially more effective strategy would be to select background music that reflects the musical preferences of targeted consumer segments. Presents useful information regarding selection of appropriate background music.

Shopper reactions to perceived time pressure

Reports the results of an exploratory study of the effects of time pressure on consumer supermarket shopping behaviour. Unique to the study are the use of measures of both actual and relative shopping time and purchase amount, and measures of self‐reported perceived time pressure. Measures of relative shopping time and purchase amount potentially provide more accurate methods for measuring time pressure effects in certain shopping situations while the use of self‐reported time pressure makes the results applicable to a wider variety of consumers. Results indicate that time‐pressured shoppers do not necessarily spend any more or less time or money in supermarkets. Instead, supermarket shoppers tend to spend less time making any given purchase and more money in the time available to them. Provides several suggestions for improving future research of time pressure effects as well as several possible retail strategies for dealing with the time‐harried consumer.

Service pricing: a multi‐step synthetic approach

Examines the advantages and disadvantages of six service pricing approaches in the service literature including: traditional cost‐oriented approach; traditional competitive‐oriented approach; extended cost‐oriented approach; differentiation premium approach; client‐driven approach; and bundle pricing approach. Proposes a multi‐step synthetic pricing approach and a framework to deal with the complexity of service pricing. Compared with other pricing approaches, the multi‐step synthetic service pricing approach has the advantages of considering simultaneously the crucial aspects of service pricing: market competitiveness; internal cost‐profit structure; bundling and unbundling service pricing; service characteristics premium; price standard limits; client‐oriented price/demand sensitivity; and client‐oriented profit maximization. Provides an example to demonstrate the managerial application of the proposed approach.

Child Influences, Attitudinal and Behavioral Comparisons between Single Parent and Dual Parent Households in Grocery Shopping Decisions

Female-headed single parent families are the fastest growing family type in the United States. Using a mail-out survey this study tests several hypotheses that differences exist between this family type and two parent families on grocery shopping attitudes and behaviors. Single mothers and married mothers hold similar attitudes toward grocery shopping. It is the behavior of the children and the interaction of the parent with the children that represents the major source of difference between the two family types. Family shopping is three times as common for single parent families, and children of single parents shop alone for the family at three times the rate of children raised in dual parent households. Potential marketing implications are discussed.

Strategic pricing differentiation in services: a re‐examination

Presents various aspects of price discrimination in the context of services marketing. Provides a mathematical model which takes demand‐related variables, competitive factors and basic costs into consideration. Factors affecting price discrimination are studied under service intrinsic factors and extrinsic/environmental factors. Also presents mathematical models to demonstrate the viability of price discrimination under different capacity utilization and demand constraint scenarios. Finally, provides the managerial implications of the models along with directions for future research.

MALE GROCERY SHOPPERS′ ATTITUDES AND DEMOGRAPHICS

Presents the results of research on male grocery shoppers′ (MGS) attitudes, behaviour and demographics. Demographic data are used as independent variables and differences in attitude and behaviour towards the grocery shopping task are observed. Preferences for the task, list preparation and task participation are the three dependent variables. The results show that different demographic characteristics account for changes in MGS attitudes and behaviour towards the grocery shopping task. Proposes implications for strategy development.