Peter Kenning

Social discounting involves modulation of neural value signals by temporoparietal junction

Significance People often consider the well-being of others. However, they are more likely to be generous toward individuals they feel close to than to those they only meet sporadically. Using neuroimaging tools, we show that the decline in generosity across social distance is realized by the interplay of two brain structures—the ventromedial prefrontal cortex coding the relative appeal of a selfish or a generous option, and the temporoparietal junction modulating appeal signals of the generous outcome, depending on social distance between participant and beneficiary. Based on these findings, we developed a biologically plausible model explaining social discounting in particular, and prosocial behavior in general. Our study opens up new avenues to understand and tackle frictions arising in social networks. Most people are generous, but not toward everyone alike: generosity usually declines with social distance between individuals, a phenomenon called social discounting. Despite the pervasiveness of social discounting, social distance between actors has been surprisingly neglected in economic theory and neuroscientific research. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study the neural basis of this process to understand the neural underpinnings of social decision making. Participants chose between selfish and generous alternatives, yielding either a large reward for the participant alone, or smaller rewards for the participant and another individual at a particular social distance. We found that generous choices engaged the temporoparietal junction (TPJ). In particular, the TPJ activity was scaled to the social-distance–dependent conflict between selfish and generous motives during prosocial choice, consistent with ideas that the TPJ promotes generosity by facilitating overcoming egoism bias. Based on functional coupling data, we propose and provide evidence for a biologically plausible neural model according to which the TPJ supports social discounting by modulating basic neural value signals in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex to incorporate social-distance–dependent other-regarding preferences into an otherwise exclusively own-reward value representation.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a new tool for neuroeconomic research

Over the last decade, the application of neuroscience to economic research has gained in importance and the number of neuroeconomic studies has grown extensively. The most common method for these investigations is fMRI. However, fMRI has limitations (particularly concerning situational factors) that should be countered with other methods. This review elaborates on the use of functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) as a new and promising tool for investigating economic decision making both in field experiments and outside the laboratory. We describe results of studies investigating the reliability of prototype NIRS studies, as well as detailing experiments using conventional and stationary fNIRS devices to analyze this potential. This review article shows that further research using mobile fNIRS for studies on economic decision making outside the laboratory could be a fruitful avenue helping to develop the potential of a new method for field experiments outside the laboratory.

Customer Relationship Management im Handel

Stagnierende Markte, zunehmender Wettbewerbsdruck und heterogenes Konsumentenverhalten fuhrten in den letzten Jahren zu einer Veranderung des unternehmerischen Handelns. Wahrend Unternehmen noch bis zu Beginn der 1990er Jahre auf die reine Durchfuhrung von Transaktionen fokussierten, stehen heute vielmehr der Aufbau und die Intensivierung langfristiger Kundenbeziehungen im Fokus unternehmerischen Denkens. Sowohl die Unternehmenspraxis als auch Marketingforschung konzentrierten sich dabei insbesondere auf Themenkomplexe wie Kundenzufriedenheit, Kundenbindung und Kundenorientierung.

The influence of retailers’ family firm image on new product acceptance

Purpose – The long-term survival of companies depends strongly on successful new product introductions. However, insufficient customer new product acceptance (NPA) often leads to high failure rates for manufacturers. Retailers, as intermediaries between the company and the customer, often obtain a crucial role as primary touchpoint. Previous research shows that customers’ perception of a company is transferable to its products and thus influences NPA. Family firms, as successful company type, are supposed to positively influence NPA. The purpose of this paper is to analyse whether manufacturers achieve a strategic advantage regarding NPA when choosing retailer that are perceived as family firms. Design/methodology/approach – Conducting an online survey, the authors tested whether the family firm image (FFI) of a retailer’s brand influences customers’ belief in the trustworthiness of a new product brand and their purchase intention, which reflect two components of NPA. Findings – The results indicate that ...

Die Bedeutung von Vertrauen für die Interaktionsbeziehungen zwischen Dienstleistungsanbietern und -nachfragern

In der Okonomie beschaftigt man sich seit geraumer Zeit mit der Bedeutung von Vertrauen fur die Prozesse innerhalb und zwischen Unternehmungen einerseits und zwischen den Kunden und dem Unternehmen andererseits (Albach 1980, S. 2ff.). Im Hinblick auf die Beziehung zum Kunden titulierte bspw. Hans Domizlaff schon 1951 sein wohl bekanntestes Buch “Die Gewinnung des offentlichen Vertrauens” und erhob damit das offentliche Vertrauen zur zentralen Zielkategorie der Markentechnik. Heute erlebt der Vertrauensbegriff im Zuge der Diskussion des Relationship Marketing an Bedeutung.

Consumer confusion in German food retailing: the moderating role of trust

Purpose – Due to the rising number of product, service, and shopping possibilities available to consumers, food shopping has become increasingly more complex. As a result, consumers can become confused, and this state of confusion may influence their purchase behaviour (e.g. may cause them to not buy a product) and the personal needs they have in a shopping environment (e.g. certification to signal product quality, salesperson consultation for assistance in decision making, or governmental regulation). However, trust can reduce complexity, and may thereby moderate the influence of consumer confusion for negative outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to identify outcomes of consumer confusion and to investigate the moderating role of broader-scope trust on the negative outcomes of this confusion. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual model was developed to study potential negative outcomes of consumer confusion. In order to assess consumer confusion and the degree of negative outcomes, a telephone su...

Die negativen Folgen von Kundenverwirrtheit und die moderierende Rolle von Vertrauen in der Konsumgüterdistribution

Angesichts einer steigenden Anzahl von Produkten, Dienstleistungen und Einkaufsmoglichkeiten werden die Einkaufsprozesse der Kunden zunehmend komplexer. Mit dieser wahrgenommenen Komplexitatszunahme einher geht bei einigen Kunden ein Gefuhl von Verwirrtheit. Dieses ist nicht nur aus betriebs-, sondern unter Umstanden auch aus volkswirtschaftlichen Grunden bisweilen problematisch. Es verwundert daher nicht, dass marktwirtschaftliche Instrumente und Mechanismen der Komplexitatsreduktion wie z. B. Marken, verlassliche Preise und allgemeiner Vertrauen in den letzten Jahren an Bedeutung gewonnen haben.

Das Handelsunternehmen als Marke

In den letzten Jahren hat das Markenkonzept im institutionellen Handel eine erhebliche Aufwertung erfahren (vgl. Ahlert/Kenning/Schneider, 2000; Esch/Wicke, 1999, S. 34). Gros angelegte Kampagnen der Firmen OBI, Karstadt, Media Markt und Saturn — um nur einige zu nennen — zeigen deutlich, dass viele Handler das Thema Marke auf der Agenda haben. Ein Indikator hierfur mogen auch die deutlich gestiegenen Kommunikationsaufwendungen des Handels sein (vgl. o. V., 2003 d).

Sustainable Marketing – Definition und begriffliche Abgrenzung

Gegenstand des vorliegenden Beitrags ist es die fur die weitere Diskussion des Konzepts des Sustainable Marketing wichtigsten Begriffe zu definieren und zu systematisieren. Hierzu wird der Begriff zum einen gegenuber anderen in ahnlichen Kontexten verwendeten Begriffen abgegrenzt. Zum anderen werden unterschiedliche Definitionen und Interpretationen von Sustainable Marketing bzw. Nachhaltigkeits-Marketing genannt und diskutiert. Im Ergebnis zeigt sich, dass der Begriff unter einer gewissen Unscharfe leidet, die an bestimmten Stellen problematisch ist.

The application of mobile fNIRS to “shopper neuroscience” – first insights from a merchandising communication study

Purpose This study is the first to examine consumer’s neural reaction to different merchandising communication strategies at the point-of-sale (PoS) by applying functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). By doing so, the purpose of this study is to extend consumer neuroscience to retail and shopper research. Design/methodology/approach Two experiments were conducted in which 36 shoppers were exposed to a realistic grocery shopping scenario while their brain haemodynamics were measured using mobile fNIRS. Findings Results revealed that mobile fNIRS appears a valid method to study neural activation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the field of “shopper neuroscience”. More precisely, results demonstrated that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) might be crucial for processing and predicting merchandising communication strategy effectiveness. Research limitations/implications This research gives evidence that certain regions of the PFC, in particular the OFC and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), are crucial to process and evaluate merchandising communication strategies. Practical implications The current work opens a promising new avenue for studying and understanding shopper’s behaviour. Mobile fNIRS enables marketing management to collect neural data from shoppers and analyse neural activity associated with real-life settings. Furthermore, based on a better understanding of shoppers’ perceptual processes of communication strategies, marketers can design more effective merchandising communication strategies. Originality/value The study is the first to implement the innovative, mobile neuroimaging method of fNIRS to a PoS setting. It, therefore, opens up the promising field of “shopper neuroscience”.