Online consumer ratings play an important role in purchase decisions, yet most research examines products consumed over a short period. In contrast, durable goods are used over many years, allowing consumers to learn about product attributes gradually through ownership and use. This paper investigates whether product age—defined as the time elapsed between a product’s market introduction and the posting of an online rating—systematically affects both rating valence and the way consumers weight product attributes in their evaluations. Focusing on owner-generated online ratings of automobiles, we analyze 21,328 ratings across 1,008 brand–model–year combinations introduced between 2001 and 2008. Using a Bayesian ordinal logit model, we examine whether ratings decline as products age and whether the relative importance of design and quality evolves over time. The analysis controls for known dynamics of online ratings—including order effects, temporal effects, macro-temporal trends, and social influence—as well as heterogeneity across vehicle models and individual reviewers. The results show that ratings decline with product age, even after accounting for established rating dynamics. More importantly, the roles of product attributes evolve systematically: design exerts a stronger influence on ratings early in a product’s life cycle, whereas quality becomes increasingly influential as products age. These findings demonstrate that online ratings reflect not only social and temporal dynamics but also consumer learning from accumulated usage experience.
Vulnerable road users’ fatalities and injuries have been on the rise, resulting from the risky behaviors of vulnerable road users and motorists alike. The safety of active transportation modes (i.e., walking and biking) is critical in creating safe and active communities. Message framing is an essential component of creating effective communication messaging strategies that aim at promoting adaptive safe behaviors and enhancing the safety of vulnerable road users. This research employed an experimental design to investigate the effect of different message framings, based on the Regulatory Focus Theory (prevention- vs. promotion-focused framing) and its interaction effect with the individual level of perceived control on traffic safety message persuasiveness. Additionally, the sequential mediating role of perceived message persuasiveness and message response efficacy in explicating the relationship between the prevention- vs. promotion-focused message and behavioral intentions is investigated. The results of this research provide transportation decision-makers with valuable insights for designing effective traffic safety messages to alter the behavior of vulnerable road users and motorists, creating safer active communities.
The challenge in today’s evolving and globalized economies is to find the best approach to stimulating innovation and entrepreneurship for economic development. The conceptualization of an ecosystem has emerged as an attempt to explain the critical drivers of economic development: innovation and entrepreneurship. Different authors have contributed to five ecosystem models: Innovation Systems, National Innovation Systems, National Innovation Ecosystems, Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, and Entrepreneurial Education Ecosystems. These five ecosystem models are the principal focus of this study. By comparing the five systems based on the related literature, this study provides a comprehensive overview. These models aim to explain the complex networks of individuals, institutions, and resources that facilitate the formation and growth of new ventures and the development of innovative adaptations by established firms, governments, and communities. This paper discusses the current approach based on these models, identifies their shortcomings, and recommends a modified bottom-up approach to developing a causal understanding of the critical drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship for economic development, subject to empirical examination.
Artificial intelligence is widely expected to shape humanity, yet current debates often rest on limited applications and premature conclusions. As an emerging technology, AI discourse oscillates between excessive optimism and outright skepticism. At this introductory stage of its life cycle, unresolved issues remain regarding costs, risks, and unintended consequences. Simultaneously, rapid advancements present meaningful opportunities for marketers, whether as stand-alone tools or integrated solutions to complex challenges. Unlike much of the academic literature that emphasizes AI’s promise, this paper offers a more balanced perspective, exploring both opportunities and limitations of AI with a focus on marketing applications.
To improve the quality of mobile applications, developers add features to apps. This increases the size of the app. While quality is valuable, users may dislike larger apps due to storage limitations. This raises a question: how much can developers increase app size while maintaining user satisfaction? This study analyzes 14,000 Apple App Store apps to investigate the impact of app size on user satisfaction. A concave quadratic relationship was identified which indicates an optimal app size beyond which satisfaction declines. This optimum was smaller for utilitarian apps compared to hedonic apps. The analysis of same apps with changes in their sizes a year later shows the same results. The sentiment analysis of user reviews about app size supported our findings for hedonic apps but not for utilitarian ones. Findings highlight an important issue in developing mobile apps and offer insights for marketers of mobile applications.
Social media posts are a great way for organizations to showcase their sustainability efforts and positive contributions. This paper investigates the effects of sustainable posts on consumer engagement in the fashion industry. We will show social media posts alone will not be enough to engage a consumer with a brand. Brands that are known for their sustainability will tend to have more engagement with sustainable content. The purpose of this study is to identify the impact that content type, brand identity, and brand price point have on social media engagement and social value.
Often touted as a key driver of competitiveness, supply chain optimization can sometimes yield counterproductive results when applied too rigidly. This research note highlights the pitfalls that arise when logistical process management overlooks the realities on the ground. Instead of focusing solely on cost reduction, it is essential to incorporate flexibility and adaptability to local specifics and market fluctuations. The approach outlined here, which challenges traditional supply chain management models, advocates for rethinking the optimization of logistical processes through the lens of contextual intelligence. From a marketing perspective, leaders must adopt strategies that prioritize responsiveness and adaptability, enabling them to enhance not only supply chain efficiency but also the overall customer experience. Emerging research is exploring several key areas, including the impact of information technologies, the interaction between automation and human intervention, and the critical role of resource localization in achieving high-performance logistics.
COVID-19 had a profound impact on society. It led to widespread hospitalizations and loss of lives. Yet, even after the development and availability of vaccines, many individuals remained hesitant to get vaccinated. But how should marketing messages from vaccine providers or the government be framed to persuade the public in such situations? Drawing on Aristotle’s theory of persuasion, this study focuses on three key rhetorical elements: logos (reasoning), ethos (credibility of the source), and pathos (emotional appeal). We analyzed over 13,000 posts from Platform X, collected in March 2021 when the vaccine was available, but the public remained hesitant. Our findings reveal that logos-based rhetoric, characterized by logic and reasoning, is negatively associated with positive attitudes toward the message. In contrast, pathos-based rhetoric, which involves emotional appeals, is positively associated with a more positive attitude toward the message, with a stronger overall effect. These results offer important implications for persuasive communication strategies in public health, marketing, and efforts to drive large-scale behavioral changes.
Obesity in the US has caused increased rates of diseases. Public health intervention is needed to address this issue. Several strategies have been explored to encourage healthy eating, including calorie labeling. Research has shown that the efficacy of calorie labeling depends on context and demographics. The current study investigates this effect in a new context-young African American communities. The result reveals that people reduce their calories from sides first, although the overall number of calories may not decrease. A compensatory mechanism appears to be present among the three components—entrée, side and dessert and it can be explained by moral self-licensing theory.
This manuscript used information entropy-based methods to assess the quantity of information contained in customer satisfaction surveys. More specifically, this manuscript assessed whether customers provided a larger quantity of information in their responses when asked about the overall bundle of services they received, compared to when they were asked to evaluate otherwise identical survey items addressing a more narrowly defined set of services sold as part of the overall bundle. The methodology was applied to survey data drawn from an initiative to assess alumni satisfaction with their college experience. When assessing the quantity of information provided by each respondent across multiple survey items, respondents who assessed a more comprehensive set of services provided a significantly higher quantity of information than those who were asked for perceptions covering a more narrowly defined set of services.
Some firms have typically given dividends to their shareholders while others have not and have invested the money back in their business. Fortune magazine (2020, 2024), Bloomberg Businessweek magazine (2024), and Forbes magazine (2024), report that in comparison to Airbus, Boeing gave higher dividends to its shareholders. Fortune’s article titled, “Boeing’s Long Descent”, regarding Boeing’s focus on paying high dividends to its shareholders at the expense of R&D. If Boeing had not been paying high dividends to its shareholders, it could have invested that money in R&D, which would have been much more beneficial to Boeing in the long-term. This research uses data from 2000-2024 to compare the two big airplane manufacturers - Boeing and Airbus and finds that Boeing gave much higher dividends to its shareholders than Airbus and invested less than Airbus in R&D, which, in turn, could have resulted in lower revenue growth, lower market share, and lower shareholder value.
This study examines the critical role of response time in identifying careless respondents (CRs) and their impact on the integrity of online survey data. Using a survey design with time filters and bogus items, this study demonstrates that data from inattentive participants introduces significant contamination to datasets. The results indicate that data from flagged CRs distort construct structures, inflate inter-construct correlations, and compromise construct validity. This case study highlights the severe effects of data contamination and emphasizes the importance of measuring response time as a key detection method, providing practical recommendations for its application to ensure data quality.
This study investigates the role of bilateral agreements, visa regulations, and social integration policies regarding the labour migration of Bangladeshi workers in Malaysia, considering various factors and agreements like the G2G program, MoU, and MM2H. A primary quantitative approach was used to gather relevant information on Bangladeshi labour migration. Data was collected from 61 participants directly involved in this migration. The dependent and independent variables informed the question formulation, with IBM SPSS software used for analysis. Statistical analysis indicated extensive use of employment passes (EP) among Bangladeshi workers, characterized by low skill and educational qualifications. This study provides insights into the implications of Malaysian government policies and recommends strategic options for performance improvement.
This study investigates the determinants influencing the adoption and usage of e-payment systems in Brazil, emphasizing perceived usefulness, ease of use, trust, risk, incentives, and social influence. Drawing on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the research surveyed 180 Brazilian users to evaluate behavioral and demographic predictors of e-payment adoption. Results from correlation and regression analyses revealed that perceived usefulness and income were the strongest predictors across multiple usage metrics—frequency, amount spent, and percentage of monthly expenses via e-payment. Perceived risk and trust were also influential, albeit to a lesser degree. Contrarily, incentives and social influence did not significantly affect adoption behavior. These findings underscore the importance of perceived value and security in shaping digital payment behaviors in emerging markets. The study contributes to the literature by refining existing models of technology acceptance and offering insights for policymakers and fintech providers aiming to enhance financial inclusion and digital adoption in Brazil.
Service performance appears to be particularly crucial in the airline industry following the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, perceived justice is another construct within this industry that impacts customer satisfaction. A model is proposed that considers the impact of perceived justice and service performance on customer satisfaction within the airline industry. The findings indicate that service performance is positively related to both perceived justice and customer satisfaction, and that perceived justice is also positively related to customer satisfaction.
Drawing on research indicating that individuals with trait inauthenticity often experience a diminished sense of meaning in life, this study investigates how vintage-themed therapeutic servicescapes can help restore meaning and enhance consumer well-being. We theorize that perceived brand authenticity (PBA) symbolism is critical in this meaning reconstruction process. Across a survey study, we identify three key antecedents of PBA-symbolism—brand continuity, self–brand attachment, and self-image congruence— and examine their impact on eliciting positive affect and feelings of authentic pride among consumers. Crucially, the results demonstrate that the positive effects of PBA-symbolism on affective outcomes are significant for individuals with low, but not high, trait authenticity, underscoring the moderating role of individual differences. This research contributes to consumer and marketing scholarship by illuminating how therapeutic commercial environments can alleviate the unease stemming from inauthenticity, thereby advancing understanding of when and for whom brand symbolism restores meaning and fosters positive emotional responses. Additionally, the findings offer practical insights into the strategic design and management of therapeutic servicescapes that deliver both consumer well-being and managerially relevant outcomes.
Companies, athletes, celebrities, and politicians all attempt to present persuasive arguments supporting their desired accounts about past events. After such attempts, consumers can evaluate the content of different proposed explanations and come to their own conclusions. In such instances, how do consumers weigh each explanation, and what determines their degree of belief in each explanation? This study explores the impact of alternative explanations on consumer lay beliefs, focusing particularly on the explanatory virtues of each explanation that correspond to established criteria for justifying past descriptions in historical analysis. In a study involving 200 participants, individuals were asked to evaluate two proposed causal explanations for a recent hypothetical event connected to a potential corporate scandal. After providing initial degrees of belief for each cause, participants were introduced to additional information intended to improve support for one of the explanations along different dimensions of established explanatory criteria. Results indicate that all arguments along the dimensions of explanatory criteria increased belief in the favored cause while simultaneously reducing belief in the unfavored cause.
This conceptual review examines how theory-based instructor training can support learner success in online education by fostering autonomy, engagement, and self-regulation. Drawing on self-regulated learning (SRL) and transactional distance theory, the paper highlights the critical role of instructors in reducing psychological distance and promoting student-directed learning. It emphasizes that many faculty members lack formal preparation in pedagogy, particularly for the online environment, and thus require structured development opportunities. The review advocates for training programs that mirror the student learning experience, enabling instructors to practice and apply SRL strategies in their teaching. Components such as reflective goal-setting, peer interaction, meaningful feedback, and structured content delivery are essential to student and instructor development. Institutional approaches to faculty support— such as mentoring, incentives, instructional design collaboration, and alignment with quality standards— are explored. By adopting training frameworks grounded in SRL and transactional distance theory, institutions can improve instructional consistency, increase faculty confidence, and ultimately enhance student achievement in flexible and distance learning environments.
Chatbots are widely used for online consumer service. However, how consumers react to chatbots using emojis in human-robot interaction is not fully examined. Through two experiments, this study investigated how and when using chatbot emojis in human-robot interaction affected consumer satisfaction. Study 1 showed that emojis significantly increased interaction satisfaction, which is mediated by intimacy. Study 2 showed that consumers with hedonic consumption goals were more satisfied in the emoji-present condition than those in the emoji-absent condition. However, such differences did not emerge among consumers with utilitarian goals. These findings deepen our understanding of how chatbots using emojis affect consumer response and provide insights into how to deploy chatbots with emojis in customer service.
Strategy simulation software packages (e.g., Glo-Bus©, Capsim©, Marketplace Live©, Micromatic©, Business Policy Game©, etc.) are a standard tool in both undergraduate and graduate business capstone courses (Gove, 2012, Halpin, 2020). In the literature, there has been a call for more focus on teaching methods to assure strategy simulations are maximally effective (Clapper, 2015, Schmeller, 2019). This analysis examines foundational learning theories, particularly Novak’s (2010), to explain which elements of strategy simulation correspond to those needed for Novak’s meaningful learning (2010). This analysis will help business capstone professors who use strategy simulations to improve student learning.
