Stephen J. Newell

The development of a scale to measure perceived corporate credibility

Abstract This paper describes the development and validation of a short, reliable, and valid self-report scale designed to measure corporate credibility or the amount of expertise and trustworthiness that consumers perceive in a corporation. Corporate credibility is thus conceptualized as a type of source credibility focused on a specific corporation as the maker of a product and/or the source of advertising and of other marketing communications. Empirical research into the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of perceived corporate credibility has been hindered by the lack of a reliable and valid measure. Five studies using data from a total of 864 subjects are described detailing the development and validation of an eight-item, Likert-type scale containing two dimensions: expertise and trustworthiness. Evidence is presented attesting to the scales dimensionality, reliability, and validity.

THE DUAL CREDIBILITY MODEL: THE INFLUENCE OF CORPORATE AND ENDORSER CREDIBILITY ON ATTITUDES AND PURCHASE INTENTIONS

This study proposes a theory of the combined influence of corporate and endorser credibility. Participants assessed the credibility of the companies and spokespersons as well as their attitudes toward the ads and brands, and their intent to purchase the advertised product. The covariance matrix was subjected to a path analysis. The model fit the data, and the findings corroborated prior research indicating that both types of source credibility have an impact on attitudes and purchase intentions albeit a differential one. The results suggest that the Dual Credibility Model partially predicts and explains advertising effectiveness for these dual sources of credibility.

Innovativeness and price sensitivity: managerial, theoretical and methodological issues

Presents a simple and concise survey method for measuring price sensitivity and illustrates its use by examining the relationship between innovativeness and price sensitivity within a specific product category. The results of a survey of 457 students revealed a negative relationship between fashion innovativeness and fashion price sensitivity, thereby confirming previous studies. Additional analyses showed that the individual scale items and the short summed scales operationalizing the constructs possessed discriminant validity, enhancing the credibility of the findings. Discusses applications of this self‐report method for measuring price sensitivity to other pricing issues.

The Effect of Misleading Environmental Claims on Consumer Perceptions of Advertisements

This study investigates whether consumers who are exposed to an ad containing a deceptive environmental claim have significantly different attitudes about the ad than those consumers exposed to a s...

The Role of Purchase Importance on Buyer Perceptions of the Trust and Expertise Components of Supplier and Salesperson Credibility in Business-To-Business Relationships

The success of business-to-business relationships between sales representatives and buyers depends on many factors. Past literature has indicated that the credibility (trust and expertise) attributed to the sales representative and the sales representative’s firm may significantly affect a number of variables related to this relationship. Little research, however, has been undertaken to determine whether the importance of the purchase decision affects buyer perceptions of the trust and expertise components of credibility. Specifically, the current study investigates whether buyer perceptions of trust and expertise of the salesperson and the company they represent vary by the perceived importance of the purchase decision. Contrary to prevailing thought, the results indicate that buyer perceptions of supplier and salesperson expertise and trust were higher in minimally important purchases than in extremely important purchases.

The Effect of Personal Relationship and Consultative Task Behaviors on Buyer Perceptions of Salesperson Trust, Expertise, and Loyalty

Creating long-lasting business partnerships between buyers and sellers continues to be a major concern of marketing managers and scholars. The effect of salesperson personal relationship and consultative task behaviors on buyer perceptions, however, has not been thoroughly explored. In response, this study investigates the connection between sales behaviors and buyer assessment of salesperson attributes and loyalty. The results support the contention that consultative task and personal relationship behaviors play a vital role in influencing buyer perceptions of expertise, trust, and relationship loyalty.

Evaluating the Significance of Placement on Recall of Advertisements during the Super Bowl

Abstract This study investigates whether the specific placement of ads during a television program affects ad and brand recall. Subjects were surveyed the day after Super Bowl XXXIV and Super Bowl XXXVI to determine unaided recall of brands and ads shown during the game. The results indicate that those ads placed first in a group (pod) of ads and those placed at the beginning of the program were recalled significantly more than ads later in the pod and later in the program.

The role of advertiser motives in consumer evaluations of ‘responsibility’ messages from the alcohol industry

In response to social problems associated with alcohol consumption, several alcohol industry participants have produced ad campaigns urging consumers to use their products appropriately. Although many of these campaigns have directed consumers to use ‘moderation’ and/or ‘drink responsibly’, consumer interpretations of the messages has not been extensively researched. This study was undertaken to better understand how alcohol advertisements with socially responsible messages are discerned by consumers, and how this discernment may affect well‐known advertising outcomes. Results indicate that alcohol moderation advertisements are perceived as being more ambiguous than product advertisements and that consumers may perceive the advertisers motive as self‐serving. Together, these results suggest that using strategically ambiguous ‘responsibility’ messages may potentially negatively impact both the alcohol manufacturers corporate credibility and consumer purchase intention.

The Impacts of Affective and Cognitive Social Conflict in Business-to-Business Buyer-Seller Relationships: A Comparison of New versus Ongoing Buyer-Seller Relationships

ABSTRACT Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to report empirical research that examined the impact of conflict in two different buyer-seller situations, an ongoing relationship and a choice situation where the buyer had to choose between two or more alternative suppliers. Conflict was defined as social conflict and has two distinct types, affective and cognitive. Methodology/Approach. The methodology used was two mail surveys to a random sample of purchasing association members who had buying responsibilities in their firms. In one survey respondents were asked to self-select a current buyer-seller relationship they had for a period of at least one year and to indicate the degree of perceived conflict they had with the key supplier representative as well as the amount of relationship loyalty they perceived they had with that supplier. The second survey randomly assigned respondents to evaluate either a supplier whom they gave business to in a choice situation or one they did not, thus establishing as the dependent variable the actual choice of whom they gave business to. Findings. The findings are clear for affective types of conflict. When affective conflict is perceived as higher the chance of getting an order in a choice situation as well as the magnitude of the relationship loyalty perception is negatively related. Cognitive conflict is not as clear. In choice situations conflict was negatively related to choice, whereas in on going relationships there was no impact. There was no indication of cognitive conflict having a positive relationship. Originality/Value/Contribution of the paper. This study is the first to examine perceptions of conflict with a significant other in a buyer-seller relationship to try to determine how those perceptions might relate to either buyer choice or loyalty. While the findings support the expected relationship between affective conflict and outcomes, the findings with regards to cognitive conflict suggest that this may be more complex then originally thought and further points out the difficulty in managing conflict across organizational boundaries.

Comparing Marketing and Non-Business Students’ Choice of Academic Field of Study

This manuscript presents the results of a study that investigates the differences between marketing and non-business college students’ decision making process when deciding on a field of study. The results reveal that while there are a number of differences in the some areas of the process, the students in both groups have some interesting similarities. This information may be helpful to marketing educators when trying to recruit students who are also interested in non-business fields of study.