International Journal of Consumer Studies最新文献

Social exchange theory (SET) is a leading sociopsychological theory that has enriched understanding of consumers' behavior. In this study, we examine application of SET in consumer research over last 52 years (1971–2022) in terms of predominant topics, publications, outlets, networks, and clusters. We adopt a holistic approach by amalgamating systematic literature review (SLR) using Scientific Procedures and Rationales for SLRs protocol; scientometric analysis utilizing bibliographic coupling and betweenness centrality; and topic modeling employing latent Dirichlet allocation. Based on text analysis of 215 full research papers, the study extracts five predominant areas of extant consumer research leveraging SET: (1) relationship marketing, (2) collaborative consumption, (3) gifting behavior, (4) brand experience, and (5) tourism and hospitality. Scientometric mapping reveals six cohesive clusters and identifies seminal studies in SET-based consumer research. Building upon the insights, the article concludes by presenting agenda for future research.

Given the growing importance of habit development in omnichannel literature, this study aims to explore the factors contributing to the development of omnichannel shopping habit and the subsequent impact on usage and word-of-mouth. Data from 512 omnichannel shoppers via an online survey were analysed using structural equation modelling. Results show that in-store employee interactions strongly affect cognitive engagement, while digital interactions predominantly influence affective engagement. Affective engagement is key for value consciousness, which, along with affective engagement, drives habit development. Significant moderation impact of income and relationship length also suggest that higher income and longer omnichannel usage foster stronger habit due to value consciousness. Additional analysis reveals a significant moderating influence of habit between value consciousness and its outcomes. This research advances omnichannel retail literature by illustrating how the mode of interaction (digital or in-store personal) can influence various types of engagement, and how habit works as a mediator and moderator for value consciousness in driving usage and word-of-mouth. Retailers can cultivate habitual omnichannel shopping by enhancing positive interactions across channels and monitoring affective engagement and value consciousness.

This study systematically reviews the current state of research on the impact of perceived risk on purchase intention (PR&PI) in e-commerce to propose an agenda for future research. The authors selected and reviewed 133 studies conducted over the last decade. The theory-context-method (TCM) framework sheds light on developing trends in theories, contextual coverage, and methodological approaches in PR&PI research. Simultaneously, the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework reveals and categorizes the factors influencing perceived risk and purchase intention. The study enriches the current literature by proposing a research agenda to unpack gaps in the current literature and instruct future studies. Additionally, it diversifies the framework-based systematic review by applying the SOR framework with seven sectors visualized in a Venn diagram. This enhances the explanatory power of different types of variables and mechanisms of patterns in PR&PI research. Further, the review also inspires businesses to develop risk-reducing strategies and software. The study also provides e-retailers and e-sellers with an understanding of factors affecting consumers' risk perceptions, emotions and responses to e-commerce, allowing them to improve their performance.

This research examines the impact of buyer–seller similarities (dissimilarities) in Big Five personalities—agreeableness, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness, and neuroticism—on impulsive buying in a dyadic setting. The study further analyzed how the interaction intensity and sensory stimulation mediate the effect of buyer–seller similarities (dissimilarities) on impulsive buying. The authors gathered 1020 dyad data from various beauty salons located in China to achieve research objectives. Difference score analysis was used to compute buyer–seller similarity (dissimilarity), and a variance-based structural equation modeling technique was applied to analyze the data. The results indicate that the similarity of dyads in agreeableness and openness increases impulsive buying, while similarity in neurotic dyads decreases impulsive buying. Furthermore, interaction intensity mediates the relationships of dyads' similarities—in extraversion and openness—with impulsive buying, while buyers' sensory stimulation mediates the associations of buyer–seller dyads' similarities—in extraversion, neuroticism, and openness—with impulsive buying. Finally, this study provides several implications for marketers in the services industry.

Metaverse has garnered considerable attention in recent times. Given its swift pace of development, it is imperative to study the adoption of the metaverse. This study analyses the perceptions and drivers influencing the behavioural intention to use the metaverse among Generation Z and millennials by employing a sequential mixed-methods approach. In the first stage of the study, in-depth expert interviews were conducted (n = 20), and the subsequent stage featured a countrywide survey (n = 1253). The outcomes of this study indicate that perceived usefulness, personal innovativeness, perceived enjoyment, facilitating conditions, telepresence, social presence, trust, and regulatory support influence attitudes and behavioural intentions towards the metaverse. The findings also reveal a significant difference in the strength of a few relationships across age, gender, and income levels, shedding light on the crucial factors for organisations seeking to position themselves strategically among various demographic groups. This study significantly contributes to the existing knowledge on emerging optimistic and pessimistic perceptions and factors affecting the adoption of the metaverse. By harnessing these outcomes, organisations can enhance the development and promotion of metaverse experiences.

The quality of public services is a recurrent theme; however, it lacks the structuring of valid measures. The objective of the study was to build and validate a quality assessment scale for public services (PUBLICSERV). A total of 55 items were developed on a 5-point Likert scale. The instrument validation involved two phases. In the qualitative phase, the validation by specialists and the pre-test were carried out. In the quantitative phase, a sample of 660 cases was used in the exploratory stage, and another sample of 1284 individuals, in the confirmatory validation. The result of the study is the construction and validation of a scale for assessing the quality of public services composed of 50 items distributed in seven dimensions (tangible aspects, reliability, relationship, public value, transparency, equality and legality, and satisfaction), which evaluates the quality of public services. A methodology for applying the scale was developed to facilitate its use by researchers, managers, and public policymakers, who may have feedback on the quality of the service provided, helping to identify gaps and prioritize needs, thus being able to develop strategies for improvements in public administration.

This systematic literature review examines research on adaptive apparel for people with disabilities (PWDs), an underrepresented consumer group. Using the scientific procedures and rationales for systematic literature reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol and the theories, contexts, characteristics, and methods (TCCM) framework, 51 articles from three academic databases were analyzed based on specific keywords and inclusion/exclusion criteria. The review highlighted advancements addressing the needs of PWD consumers, such as innovative designs, user-centered methodologies, and inclusive marketing. However, there remain gaps in areas like disability types, methodologies, cultural factors, and societal barriers. The implications of this research underscore the urgent need for the apparel industry to prioritize inclusivity and adaptability, emphasizing that addressing these gaps can lead to broader societal acceptance and empowerment for PWDs. Moreover, this review enhances the understanding of adaptive apparel for PWD consumers, providing insights for researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders to promote inclusivity, accessibility, and fashion-forward solutions.

Secondhand purchasing, once associated primarily with financially marginalized individuals driven by economic necessity, has now emerged as a popular choice even among affluent consumers with sustainability concerns. This significant shift in consumer behavior underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive review that consolidates the fragmented literature on secondhand consumption, integrating its theoretical foundations and intellectual structure. In response to this imperative, our research, utilizing a theory-context-characteristics-methodology framework, fills this critical gap and sets a pioneering precedent as the first systematic literature review on this topic. Through a content analysis of 105 publications from 59 journals spanning over three decades, our findings unveil more than 70 influential factors shaping secondhand purchases and consumptions. Moreover, our research illuminates noteworthy trends in theories, contextual considerations, consumer traits, and methodological approaches, offering a holistic view of the past, present, and future thematic developments in secondhand consumption research. Scholars will find these insights invaluable for positioning their future studies. Furthermore, we outline compelling directions for future research, proposing a deeper exploration of consumer values, social influences, advertising appeals, religiosity, and green consumerism to unlock novel avenues for understanding and strengthening consumer motivations for secondhand products. By shedding light on this vibrant and evolving field, our research not only fills a critical void but also paves the way for meaningful contributions to the expanding realm of secondhand consumption.

Firms and their managers have long been concerned with encouraging customers to take on an active role in their marketing research activities. The critical question for these firms is how to foster collaboration with customers in marketing research to enhance the firm's marketing effectiveness and simultaneously benefit the customers. This study focuses on the role that individuals' cultural values and customer voice potentially play in shaping how customers perceive marketing research cooperation with the firm. We analyzed data from a sample of 270 customers of apparel store brands in an African country. Utilizing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, our research reveals that the combinations of antecedent conditions that enhance marketing research cooperation significantly differ from those that impede it. Theoretically and managerially, our study expands the understanding of how marketing research cooperation is contingent upon the combination of customers' cultural values and their voice.

Although prior research indicates that crowdsourcing is primarily beneficial for companies, this work reveals, across three studies, that quality perceptions of crowd-sourced (vs. company-generated) products are shaped by relationship norms: communal norms (vs. exchange norms). Study 1 indicates that developing a communal (vs. exchange) relationship with the company enhances quality perceptions of crowdsourced (vs. company-generated) products. Study 2 shows that firms' innovation ability works as an underlying mechanism: when consumers develop a communal (vs. exchange) bond with the company, they attribute greater innovation competence to crowdsourcing (vs. company-generated innovations). Finally, study 3 reveals that the beneficial effects of communal (vs. exchange) norms on perceived quality crowdsourced products only hold when the product innovation lacks complexity, and the effect is mitigated with high-complexity tasks. By demonstrating the importance of relationship norms and their interaction with innovation complexity, we resolve mixed findings on consumers quality perceptions towards crowdsourcing, contributing to recent studies and further offering important implications for firms seeking to leverage crowdsourcing strategies effectively.