Rachel Ashman

Resource configurations for services success in manufacturing companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate which resources and capabilities are most important to enable large manufacturers undergoing servitization to develop and deliver successful services. Design/methodology/approach – A survey of 155 UK-based manufacturers provided the basis for the study. Data analysis was undertaken using confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression. Findings – In total, five constructs (“resource configurations”) which enable the development and delivery of successful services and a construct to measure services performance (“Success of Services”) were developed from the literature. A measurement model based on these constructs was empirically tested and verified. Two resource configurations; “Leaders and Services Personnel” and “Services Methods and Tools” were found to make a unique and statistically significant contribution to “Success of Services.” Research limitations/implications – The study highlights the importance of corporates leaders and service empl...

The influence of image interactivity upon user engagement when using mobile touch screens

Touch screens are a key component of consumer mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as an increasingly common self-service component of information retrieval on fixed screens and mobile devices in-store. The ubiquity of touch screens in daily life increases consumer accessibility and extended use for shopping, whilst software innovations have increased the functionality of touch screens, for example the extent to which images respond to fingertip control. This study examines how users engage with interactive visual rotation and tactile simulation features while browsing fashion clothing products on touch screen devices and thus contributes to retail touch screen research that previously focused on in-store kiosks and window displays. Findings show that three dimensions of user engagement (endurability, novelty and felt involvement) are positively influenced by both forms of manipulation. In order to examine the extent to which touch screen user engagement varies with individual preferences for an in-store experience, the paper also examines whether user engagement outcomes are mediated by an individuals need for physical touch. Findings indicate that the need for touch does not explain the variance between individuals. We conclude that touch screen technology complements the physical retail environment.

Simulating attachment to pure-play fashion retailers

The purpose of this thesis is to empirically identify how pure-play fashion retailers can simulate attachment to their websites (through trust, loyalty and purchase intentions) by using different marketing communications media (static product presentation, moving product presentation, guidance and community) to overcome the intangible nature of the online sales environment.The word ?simulating? in the title has been chosen due to the nature of the relationship which can exist between a consumer and a pure-play retailer. The word ?simulate? means ?imitate the appearance or character of? and ?pretend to have or feel (an emotion)? (Google a, 2012). A computer facilitates the relationship between a consumer and the pure-play retailer and cannot feel; therefore the relationship cannot exist in a real way and only exists in the eyes of the consumer. Just as a simulator is used for pleasure rides, such as flights or rocket ships, the flight does not exist, but is simulated by a computer and a director who ensures the film starts simultaneously with motion. The same is true for the relationship between a pure-play retailer and a consumer, it is not real, and therefore it is appropriately ?simulated?. Descriptive statistics set the scene for a following body of multivariate statistical analysis (EFA, CFA and SEM) using AMOS 16.0. 15 hypothesized relationships are tested after being generated from an extensive literature review. A sample of 688 female young fashion consumers from The University of Manchester participated in this study. There is clear variability in the build up of attachment when a consumer shops for products communicated via different marketing media. Different facets of attachment can be simulated by using static product presentation, moving product presentation and guidance. Community tools can be used to fuel product viewing in rich media and moving formats whilst acting as a discursive platform. Static product presentation has direct relationships with trust and purchase intention, whereas moving product presentations are related to building loyalty. Generalisation of results is limited due to the use of an exclusively female, student sample and the centrality on the UK fashion industry. Further development of the constructs used in this study is needed to further test the conceptual model. This study is one of the first to empirically study pure-play fashion retailing, providing insightful and pragmatic advice by identifying which communication mediums foster enduring relationships with young fashion consumers.

#freethenipple – Digital Activism and Embodiment in the Contemporary Feminist Movement

ABSTRACT Contemporary, or so-called fourth-wave feminism has heralded an era of online activism which celebrates the potential of this space to reconfigure and reorder gender relations. In this paper we explore an example of an online campaign, #freethenipple, which attempts to disrupt and destabilise a highly sexualised patriarchal breast ideal. We examine both the mechanisms of (re)inscription that feminist activists are using in the campaign and the readings and interpretations of the campaign. We find subtle slippages between these intentions and interpretations. In closing we question the ability of the campaign to revoke dominant patriarchal inscriptions of female bodies, and raise questions about the efficacy of the online environment in effecting real world change.