Paulo Henrique Muller Prado

Avaliação da satisfação do consumidor utilizando o método de equações estruturais: um modelo aplicado ao setor elétrico brasileiro

This article presents the Consumer Satisfaction Model for the Brazilian Electric Utility Industry, based on Structural Equations Method. There were used the evaluation of the Distribution Service Quality, and of the Perceived Value as Satisfaction antecedents. There was also created a latent variable representing the Global Satisfaction and it was used as the global score of each energy provider. Complementing the model, it also was inserted the loyalty construct, evaluated through some sceneries in which the consumer was exposed to some advantages and measured his intention to change to other option. The obtained results indicated a good model validity and internal consistency, as well as flexibility to measure the Satisfaction in several situations (for different companies, country regions, etc). In the same way, for the methodology replication in other Brazilian economic industries, it is allowed the performance comparison among them and with international benchmarks.

Análise das metas do consumidor: uma contribuição metodológica

The main objective of this work is to contribute th oretically and methodologically to consumer goaloriented behavioral research, using the Means-End C hains (MEC) proposition and checking how applicable this approach is for analyzing the hiera rchy of goals. Included in the model were a fourth level of complexity (“doing” goals) and an evolutio n of the Association Pattern Technique (APT), which extend the analysis capacity to more complex chains. The study was carried out with consumers who buy sports utility automobiles. They were chara cterized using the Latent Class model, allowing them to be classified into two groups: the “safety and well-being” group, which prioritizes values related to safety in the various aspects of life, a nd the “individuality and hedonism” group, which se eks values related to pleasure and is open to risks.

A qualidade do relacionamento com marca e as implicações sobre a lealdade

The objective of this study was to contribute to the literature on brand relationship through the measurement of the construct known as Brand Relationship Quality (BRQ), and test the relationship this variable has with loyalty, regarded as one of the most relevant results to the relationship structure. A survey was conducted with 508 respondents. Two product categories were evaluated: sports shoes and jeans. The analysis was performed using structural equation modeling. The results demonstrate the validity of the measurement model, and emphasize the positive and significant relationship between BRQ and loyalty. The findings add to this relationship a reflection on product category and gender differences. The female group and evaluators of the sport shoes category showed, respectively, the greatest impact on loyalty and greater explanatory power of this relationship. These results imply that the success of a brand relationship strategy can be linked to the variables of gender and product category, which suggests greater management attention be paid to selecting promotional strategies.

What a smile means: contextual beliefs and facial emotion expressions in a non-verbal zero-sum game

Research into the authenticity of facial emotion expressions often focuses on the physical properties of the face while paying little attention to the role of beliefs in emotion perception. Further, the literature most often investigates how people express a pre-determined emotion rather than what facial emotion expressions people strategically choose to express. To fill these gaps, this paper proposes a non-verbal zero-sum game – the Face X Game – to assess the role of contextual beliefs and strategic displays of facial emotion expression in interpersonal interactions. This new research paradigm was used in a series of three studies, where two participants are asked to play the role of the sender (individual expressing emotional information on his/her face) or the observer (individual interpreting the meaning of that expression). Study 1 examines the outcome of the game with reference to the sex of the pair, where senders won more frequently when the pair was comprised of at least one female. Study 2 examines the strategic display of facial emotion expressions. The outcome of the game was again contingent upon the sex of the pair. Among female pairs, senders won the game more frequently, replicating the pattern of results from study 1. We also demonstrate that senders who strategically express an emotion incongruent with the valence of the event (e.g., smile after seeing a negative event) are able to mislead observers, who tend to hold a congruent belief about the meaning of the emotion expression. If sending an incongruent signal helps to explain why female senders win more frequently, it logically follows that female observers were more prone to hold a congruent, and therefore inaccurate, belief. This prospect implies that while female senders are willing and/or capable of displaying fake smiles, paired-female observers are not taking this into account. Study 3 investigates the role of contextual factors by manipulating female observers’ beliefs. When prompted to think in an incongruent manner, these observers significantly improve their performance in the game. These findings emphasize the role that contextual factors play in emotion perception—observers’ beliefs do indeed affect their judgments of facial emotion expressions.

VIESES NA SATISFAÇÃO: O EFEITO MODERADOR DA DIFICULDADE E DA OBRIGAÇÃO SOBRE RECORDAÇÕES POSITIVAS E NEGATIVAS

Based on the theoretical assumption that individuals can distort information and opinions in their memories recovery process, this article proposes that satisfaction evaluations are influenced by such distortions. In two experiments individuals were requested to remind and to report facts about service providers companies, demonstrating that it is possible to positively influence (vs. negative) satisfaction evaluations by asking only positive facts (vs. negative). However, the influence of positive or negative valence does not act isolated, but depends on two other factors together, the difficulty and the obligation perceived. In volitional acts (with intention, not forced) individuals who had to recall positive events (vs. negative) of their business relationships evaluated themselves as more (vs. less) satisfied, but only when the perceived difficulty was higher, indicating more deliberation on the events. However, when forced to remember and disseminate information, the different valences influence only occurred when the task was perceived as easier. Therefore, this study contributes to relationship marketing theories by investigating the influence on an important factor, satisfaction evaluation and, contributes to information processing and decision theories by demonstrating that bias of evaluations depends not only of the perceived difficulty, but also of the perceived obligation on the task.Based on the theoretical assumption that individuals can distort information and opinions in their memories recovery process, this article proposes that satisfaction evaluations are influenced by such distortions. In two experiments individuals were requested to remind and to report facts about service providers companies, demonstrating that it is possible to positively influence (vs. negative) satisfaction evaluations by asking only positive facts (vs. negative). However, the influence of positive or negative valence does not act isolated, but depends on two other factors together, the difficulty and the obligation perceived. In volitional acts (with intention, not forced) individuals who had to recall positive events (vs. negative) of their business relationships evaluated themselves as more (vs. less) satisfied, but only when the perceived difficulty was higher, indicating more deliberation on the events. However, when forced to remember and disseminate information, the different valences influence only occurred when the task was perceived as easier. Therefore, this study contributes to relationship marketing theories by investigating the influence on an important factor, satisfaction evaluation and, contributes to information processing and decision theories by demonstrating that bias of evaluations depends not only of the perceived difficulty, but also of the perceived obligation on the task.

The impact of goal (non)attainment on consumer preference through changes in regulatory focus

Previous research has investigated how performance outcome impacts effort and subsequent goal pursuit. However, little is known about the incidental impact of goal (non)attainment on consumer preference via changes in regulatory focus. This paper aims to suggest that performance feedback has a direct impact on consumers’ regulatory focus, which in turn influences their attitudes and preferences toward future events. Additionally, the authors assess the extent to which emotions arising out of goal (non)attainment play a critical role in the process.,In a series of three experiments, this paper demonstrates that goal (non)attainment induces a specific regulatory focus, which in turn interacts with the frame of an upcoming advertisement to impact consumer preference.,This research demonstrates that previous goal (non)attainment interacts with the framing of an upcoming message (promotion vs prevention) and impacts consumer preference. The authors also find initial evidence for the role of emotions on the relationship between goal (non) attainment and preferences for regulatory-focused message frames.,The findings have important implications because they reveal consumers’ preferences after goal (non)attainment.,This study complements prior research by integrating two research streams (goal pursuit and regulatory focus) to address an open question of whether/how goal (non)attainment impacts message persuasiveness and consumer preference through changes in regulatory focus. Therefore, this research is intended to contribute to the literature by addressing the interacting effects of goal attainment and regulatory focus on consumer decisions and the role of emotions in this process.

Hierarchical Structure of Brand Authenticity

This study proposes a brand authenticity scale based on consumer assessment considering the hierarchical structure of the scale’s dimensions. A survey was conducted (780 individuals) via online panels, in Brazil and the USA. As a result, a consistent and parsimonious scale was obtained, based on nine dimensions, which form the construct: spontaneity, quality commitment, essence, nostalgia, values, simplicity, design, originality, and origin. Also, the IRT procedure was conducted in order to analyze the hierarchical structure of these dimensions. A brand can possess a dimension with higher hierarchy without others with less impact and could be evaluated as more authentic compared with another with less important dimensions. This chapter contributes to the literature of brands by developing a metric that addresses dimensions unexplored, so far. For managerial purposes, the scale is a tool to assess the brand positioning and therefore provide new strategic approaches and to keep track of the changes in brand awareness.

Os Pop-up Ads estão entre Nós: A Invasão desse Placement Televisivo e seus Efeitos sobre o Consumidor com Auxílio da Tecnologia do Eye Tracking

C ompanies are investing exponentially in inserting their products and brands in television shows called placement . This empirical article tests the effects of pop-up ad prominence and congruence type of placement on visual attention, memory , attitudes and brand purchase intention by the consumer . From an exploratory and an other causal study done in an American university and with the help of Eye Tracking technology , it was found that the prominence significantly impacts the consumers attention , but no significant effects for the other constructs .

Impacto da distância social nas transgressões entre empresas e consumidores

This study seeks to contribute with the theories of transgression in relationships and social influence, by considering not only the dyadic relationship (consumer-company) but also other consumers that become aware of the transgression of the company. Such consumers are herein called third parties. The authors propose that the social distance between the third party and the victim of the transgression may influence the evaluation of the relationship between the company and the third party, even if the third party has not suffered the transgression. Two experiments were conducted, both with three conditions of social distance in the perspective of consumer transgression (victim vs. third party near the victim vs. third party distant from the victim). The results indicate that the impact of a transgression on the evaluation of the relationship is the same for the victim and for the near third party, but it is significantly smaller for the distant third party. It was found that this direct relation is mediated by the irritation emotion.

SESGOS DE SATISFACCIÓN: EL EFECTO MODERADOR DE DIFICULTAD Y OBLIGACIÓN DE RECUERDOS POSITIVOS Y NEGATIVOS

Based on the theoretical assumption that individuals can distort information and opinions in their memories recovery process, this article proposes that satisfaction evaluations are influenced by such distortions. In two experiments individuals were requested to remind and to report facts about service providers companies, demonstrating that it is possible to positively influence (vs. negative) satisfaction evaluations by asking only positive facts (vs. negative). However, the influence of positive or negative valence does not act isolated, but depends on two other factors together, the difficulty and the obligation perceived. In volitional acts (with intention, not forced) individuals who had to recall positive events (vs. negative) of their business relationships evaluated themselves as more (vs. less) satisfied, but only when the perceived difficulty was higher, indicating more deliberation on the events. However, when forced to remember and disseminate information, the different valences influence only occurred when the task was perceived as easier. Therefore, this study contributes to relationship marketing theories by investigating the influence on an important factor, satisfaction evaluation and, contributes to information processing and decision theories by demonstrating that bias of evaluations depends not only of the perceived difficulty, but also of the perceived obligation on the task.Based on the theoretical assumption that individuals can distort information and opinions in their memories recovery process, this article proposes that satisfaction evaluations are influenced by such distortions. In two experiments individuals were requested to remind and to report facts about service providers companies, demonstrating that it is possible to positively influence (vs. negative) satisfaction evaluations by asking only positive facts (vs. negative). However, the influence of positive or negative valence does not act isolated, but depends on two other factors together, the difficulty and the obligation perceived. In volitional acts (with intention, not forced) individuals who had to recall positive events (vs. negative) of their business relationships evaluated themselves as more (vs. less) satisfied, but only when the perceived difficulty was higher, indicating more deliberation on the events. However, when forced to remember and disseminate information, the different valences influence only occurred when the task was perceived as easier. Therefore, this study contributes to relationship marketing theories by investigating the influence on an important factor, satisfaction evaluation and, contributes to information processing and decision theories by demonstrating that bias of evaluations depends not only of the perceived difficulty, but also of the perceived obligation on the task.