| 1. |
- Jansson, Johan, 1973-
(författare)
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Car(ing) for our environment? : Consumer eco-innovation adoption and curtailment behaviors: The case of the alternative fuel vehicle.
- 2009
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Determinants influencing consumer eco-innovation adoption and green curtailment behaviors in a travel context are at the center of this thesis. Previous research on green consumer behavior has uncovered that internalized personal attitudinal factors such as values, beliefs, and norms are influential in determining mainly non-consumption and post-purchase behaviors. This thesis extends the understanding of a moral basis of green consumer behavior by exploring the influences of attitudinal factors on both car curtailment behaviors, and on consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation – the alternative fuel vehicle. The integrated influences of innovation specific characteristics, car habits, knowledge and social norms, are also examined. Furthermore, differences between AFV adopters and non-adopters are explored, and the notion of consumers performing purchase and curtailment behaviors for different reasons is utilized in the development of nuanced profiles of three distinct consumer groups. Four studies, which build on two quantitative data collections on adopters and non-adopters of AFVs in Sweden, are included in this thesis.In the first study, similarities and differences among adopters and non-adopters of AFVs, and the effects of attitudinal factors (values, beliefs, and norms), knowledge, and sociodemographics on the adoption decision are analyzed. The results show that knowledge and personal norms are strong predictors of AFV adoption and that the VBN theory is applicable in this context. The main implication from the study is that high-involvement green purchase decisions, such as eco-innovation adoption, can be viewed as morally based.In the second study, a set of determinants influencing both curtailment of car use and willingness to adopt a less environmentally harmful vehicle are analyzed. Biospheric values, personal proenvironmental norms, and car habit strength are found to influence both types of behaviors in different ways. The main implication from this study is that green purchase decisions and curtailment behaviors within a specific context are determined by partly different factors but personal norm is a strong predictor of both types of behaviors.The third study extends the findings from the previous one in segmenting consumers on curtailment behaviors and proenvironmental purchases. Three distinct types of consumers emerge from the data. The Non-greens are found to exhibit the lowest levels of green attitudes and behaviors, and the strongest car habits. The Curtailers are distinguished by performing primarily reductionist behaviors, and by being the most willing to reduce negative environmental impact of car use. The Ecovators are found to be the most inclined to purchase eco-innovations and also display the greenest values. The study shows that green consumers are a heterogeneous group that can be separated on the basis of green curtailment behaviors and proenvironmental purchase decisions, and that there seems to be no inherent contradiction in being an early adopter of new green technology (such as the AFV) and also having high levels of proenvironmental values, beliefs, and norms.In the final study, innovation specific characteristics and consumer innovativeness factors are integrated with normative and attitudinal determinants influencing AFV adoption. The results show that personal and social norms, consumer novelty seeking, and four perceived innovation characteristics influence the adoption decision. Differences between AFV adopters’ and non-adopters’ ratings of AFV specific attributes are also analyzed. The contribution of this study is the integration of VBN theory and the DOI framework and the empirical conclusion that eco-innovations need to deliver on both traditional and proenvironmental attributes in order to be perceived as attractive by consumers.In sum, this thesis demonstrates the importance of proenvironmental personal norms for consumer adoption of a high involvement eco-innovation such as the AFV.
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| 2. |
- Byberg, Lars-Anders
(författare)
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Framgångsrika exportörer: En studie av strategiska faktorers inverkan på mindre företags exportutfall
- 2006
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The purpose of this study is to investigate which factors that are of particular importance for export performance among small and medium-sized manufacturers. The present study concentrates on strategic factors that are within the powers of the exporters to influence themselves. Additionally, different ways of measuring export success are studied. The resourse based perspective on internationalization and the contingency theory of organizations are used as theoretical framework of the study. Three control variables have been choosen for the study: firm-size, line of business and region. A survey was conducted on a sample of 339 companies which have less than 200 employees each. They are located in eihter of two different regions of Sweden and are involved in one of two selected lines of businesses. 239 usable questionnaires were completed and those were analyzed with correlation analysis, component (factor) analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results indicate that commitment is the factor having the strongest relations with export success, and that background variables have the weakest relations. Of four different fields of strategic and general success factors, relationship marketing is the most essential one. On second place comes internal locus of control, and on third place knowledge orientation. The results show that of the strategic factors, those related to entrepreneurship are the least important for export success. One conclusion from the study is that, depending on how export success is defined and measured, the results differ slightly. The results show that larger companies are more professional in their actions than smaller ones, and for that reason more successful in exporting. Industries of more advanced technology have more elaborate export behaviour, and are therefore more successful than others. Concerning the location, it is concluded that different regions have different competitive advantages and that otherwise similar companies can experience differences in export success for that reason. In the study, companies with a more central location are more successful than others.
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| 3. |
- Knutsson, Erika, 1975-
(författare)
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Bundling for consumers? : Understanding complementarity and its effect on consumers' preferences and satisfaction
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- It is a common market practice to offer two products in a package, so called bundling. While much research investigate how companies can use bundling to increase sales and profit, less is known about how bundling can be beneficial for consumers. There are many advantages with bundling for consumers, as bundles often are offered at a reduced price and provide convenience and reduced risk. But there are also major drawbacks, for example reduced freedom of choice and increased risk of over-consumption. In the present study, the general aim is to increase the understanding of how consumers’ perceive bundle value. To achieve this, focus is turned to bundle composition, more specifically the complementarity between bundle products, as a source of value for consumers. By exploring what complementarity is, how it influences consumer preferences for and satisfaction with bundles and how it interacts with bundle discount insights about the overall value of bundles for consumers is gained. In five scenario-based experiments, the influence of different kinds and different degrees of complementarity on consumers’ perceptions of bundle value is studied and compared to evaluations of separate products. The results show that bundles generally are not preferred over separate products and that they only exceptionally provide more satisfaction. However, the results also highlight the influence of bundle composition on consumer evaluations. Generally, bundle complementarity has a positive effect on preferences and satisfaction, especially when combined with a discount. The results also illustrates that complementarity is a multifaceted concept. Many kinds of relations between bundle products are considered complementary and the degree of complementarity may vary within and between different types of complementarity. Based on the results it is suggested that the notion of complementarity is closely related to consumers’ everyday practices and the value bundles provides in use. When consumers understand the value that bundle products provide in use, the perceived complementarity increases and preferences and satisfaction is positively influenced. It is suggested that bundling can be used as a strategic tool by companies to increase value for customers. By considering their customers’ needs and practices companies can compose bundles that are perceived as complementary and offer value-in-use.
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| 4. |
- Lindahl, Helena, 1970-
(författare)
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Sociala identiteter i seriösa fritidsaktiviteter : - om samspelen mellan seriösa fritidsaktiviteter, platser, sociala världar och konsumtionsföremål i downhillcykling
- 2011
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background This study is about social identity processes within downhill mountain biking. Downhill is portrayed as reflecting the development of consumer culture in today’s society. The development is characterized by the increasing importance of consumption, and social institutions, such as class, family and education, which previously provided individuals with sense of belonging, identity and norms, that are dissolving. Instead, leisure activities offer individuals opportunities to construct social identities. Social identities are defined as the part of the individuals’ identity, which is constructed in interaction with the social categories (identity dimensions) that the he or she belongs to. Four different identity dimensions were considered particularly relevant; serious leisure, places, social worlds and consumer goods. The following main question was raised: How are social identities constructed in interaction with serious leisure, places, social worlds and consumer goods? Method Constructionist grounded theory was used to collect, present, interpret and analyze the empirical information. The empirical study was conducted by active participation in downhill mountain biking (2004-2006) and 38 interviews with mountain bikers in Whistler (Canada) and Åre (Sweden). Results A grounded theory was gradually generated from empirical interpretations into a model of how social identities are constructed in serious leisure activities. The model presents four types of serious leisure participants; new beginners, experienced participants, non-active participants and non-participants. The model is also showing three main groups of sub processes; experience and norm processes, behavioral, physical and verbal identity expressions and the processes of personal investments and benefits. The model also shows three different phases (trial phase, construction/reconstruction phase and disengagement phase) in the participants’ identity processes. Conclusions The participants construct social identities in interaction with the identity dimensions serious leisure, places, social worlds and consumer goods through the processes of experience development, boundary work, leisure career, imitation, norm processes, personal investments and benefits, and behavioral, physical and verbal identity expressions. The participants’ identity processes are dynamic, where the personal investments and benefits of the participants are creating movements between the more stable identity phases formed by the experience- and norm processes, and the different identity expressions.
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| 5. |
- Marell Molander, Agneta, 1964-
(författare)
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The household decision making process in replacement of durable goods
- 1998
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- As durables are essential in many households, the level of ownership is high and, due to the high degree of penetration, a vast proportion of the current sales are replacement purchases. Even though a lot of research attention has been paid to decision making and decision processes many models are oriented towards non-durable goods and although a majority of purchases of many durable goods are replacements, few studies seem to make a distinction between a replacement purchase decision and a decision to buy an item for the first time.The purpose of this thesis has been to increase the understanding of the consumer decision process in replacement purchase. More specifically, the research focus has been on the cognitive mechanisms behind the formation of a replacement decision and on factors affecting the timing of a replacement purchase of durable goods. Choosing to study the timing of replacement decisions reflects the emphasis on the ongoing process, not merely on what is happening at a certain moment. Many studies in the consumer behaviour research are cross-sectional and by using cross-sectional data, there is a risk of identifying cohort effects rather then identifying effects stemming from the individual process over time. This thesis' focus on the process is reflected in and emphasised by the choice of method, both a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study have been undertaken.In order to address the research question, a theoretical framework and model were developed. The model is based on the traditional idea that many actual purchase decisions are realised through the approach of problem solving, entailing problem identification, information search, evaluation of alternatives, choice, and action. The underlying assumption of the model is that purchase expectations are related to a comparison between an aspiration level, defined in accordance with Simon's (1956) satisficing principle, and an evaluation of the currently owned product (current level). Purchase expectations are believed to be the result of a cognitive process encompassing the comparison between aspiration level and current level. When the discrepancy between aspiration level and current level goes beyond a noticeable difference, a purchase expectation is assumed to be formed and the purchase process initiated.The results from this studyreveal that the cognitive mechanism behind a replacement decision can be explained in accordance with the proposed model: Consumers compare the currently owned product with requirements of product for the same usage and if the current product falls below the requirements, replacement plans are formed. The timing of the replacement is therefore argued to depend both on factors effecting the requirements of a product for the same usage (the aspiration level), and on factors affecting the perception of the current product (the current level).Moreover, the study indicates that problem identification initiated through a change either in aspiration level or in current level might evoke different decision strategies and consequently, the problem identification stage might be more important for marketing strategies than previously assumed. The results aslo highlight the importance of considering the consumers present stage in the decision process for achieving an efficient segmentation for market communication as product attributes important early in the process might not be important later in the process.
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| 6. |
- Jansson, Johan, Professor, 1973-, et al.
(författare)
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Consumer Adoption of Alternative Fuel Vehicles: A Cluster Analytic Approach on Proenvironmental Technology Choices and Curtailment Behaviors
- 2015
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Ingår i: Marketing in Transition: Scarcity, Globalism, & Sustainability. - Cham : Springer Nature. - 9783319186863 - 9783319369563 - 9783319186870 ; , s. 3-3
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although the private passenger car brings consumers freedom of mobility and expression, the downsides to the car focused society are also becoming obvious. Perhaps air pollution and the squandering of dwindling fossil oil resources are the most commonly discussed issues. In order to reduce emissions and to consume less oil, the traditional approach has been to influence consumers to curtail their car use and influence them to switch to other modes of transportation. Considering the increasing private car use in most countries this approach has had limited effect. Another approach winning ground currently is the path of technological development, where new types of vehicles have been developed that are marketed as having a lesser environmental impact than the conventional fossil oil fuelled cars. From a consumer perspective these new alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs), running on fuels such as ethanol, natural/biogas and to some extent on electricity, can be viewed as proenvironmental innovations. The problem is that much research within environmental psychology has focused primarily on curtailment behaviors rather than on understanding consumer adoption of purportedly proenvironmental innovations. For example, Stern and colleagues have developed the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory postulating that activated personal norms influence consumers’ proenvironmental behaviors. Although well proven, the VBN-theory has mainly focused on curtailment behaviors. From a consumer behavior point of view, less is known about consumer adoption of proenvironmental innovations.
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| 7. |
- Lindahl, Helena, 1970-
(författare)
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Konsumtionsbeteende och sociala identiteter : om samspelet mellan konsument, subkultur, upplevelserum och konsumtionsföremål i friåknings- och downhillcykling
- 2006
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Syftet med denna studie är att utveckla kunskap om och skapa en ökad förståelse för hur konsumenter skapar och uttrycker sociala identiteter i samspel med subkultur, upplevelserum och konsumtionsföremål. Tidigare forskning om konsumtionsbeteende och sociala identiteter har i många fall fokuserat på antingen den enskilda konsumenten, gruppen (subkulturen), upplevelserummen eller konsumtionsföremålen eller i bästa fall kombinerat två av dimensionerna. Denna studies bidrag är att använda förklaringsgrunder från flera olika forskningsområden och med utgångspunkten i empirin utveckla kunskap om och förståelse för hur konsumenter konstruerar och uttrycker sociala identiteter i samspel med subkulturen, upplevelserummen och konsumtionsföremålen. Den praktiska nyttan är att öka förståelsen för hur nära kopplade upplevelser, varor och tjänster är till konsumenternas sociala identiteter. I utveckling, paketering och marknadsföring kan praktiker använda insikterna i denna studie om hur konsumenter använder sitt sociala och kulturella sammanhang, upplevelser, varor, tjänster och platser som byggstenar för att konstruera och uttrycka sociala identiteter. Det empiriska materialet i denna studie är intervjuer med konsumenter ur, samt egna observationer i, subkulturen friåknings- och downhillcykling i Åre och Whistler. Intervjuerna och observationerna analyseras utifrån en tolkande och teorigenererande ansats. För att utveckla kunskap om och öka kunskapen om hur sociala identiteter skapas och uttrycks har analysen delats upp i två delar. I den första delen beskrivs och analyseras ett antal olika dimensioner i den identitetsrelaterade infrastruktur som konsumenter använder för att skapa och uttrycka olika sociala identiteter. I intervjuer och observationer framträder två grundläggande dimensioner; konsumenternas erfarenhetsgrad samt ett antal aktiviteter som individerna genomför som kan ha en bevarande eller förändrande inverkan på hur sociala identiteter skapas och uttrycks. Utöver dessa dimensioner beskrivs och analyseras också andra dimensioner i den identitetsrelaterade infrastrukturen som är betydelsefulla för hur konsumenter skapar och uttrycker sociala identiteter. Dessa är konsumenternas identitetsstödjande subkulturella nätverk, konsumenternas identitetsrelaterade upplevelserum och konsumtionsföremål. Dessutom beskrivs och analyseras ett antal processer som genereras när konsumenter skapar och uttrycker sociala identiteter. I den andra delen av analysen sammanfogas de olika dimensionerna i den identitetsrelaterade infrastrukturen till en fyrfältsmatris. De två grundläggande dimensionerna, erfarenhetsgraden och de bevarande/förändrande aktiviteterna placeras på varsin axel och genom att kontrastera och relatera dessa dimensioner mot varandra och mot de övriga dimensionerna i den identitetsrelaterade infrastrukturen framträder fyra olika typidentiteter; ”oerfaren identitetsbrytare”, ”oerfaren identitetsbekräftare”, ”erfaren identitetsbevarare” samt ”erfaren identitetsutmanare”. För var och en av dessa typidentiteter beskrivs och analyseras varje typidentitets särskiljande drag och unika karaktäristika. I fyrfältsmatrisen visas också en identitetsresa som konsumenter kan göra när de väljer att utveckla sin sociala identitet och därför rör sig mellan (eller väljer att stanna kvar i) olika typidentiteter.
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| 8. |
- Nilsson, Elin, 1984-
(författare)
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Where to shop? : understanding consumers' choices of grocery stores
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- For the last couple of decades consumer decision-making has been of increasing interest for retail as well as for consumer behaviour research. Food shopping constitutes a unique type of shopping behaviour. In comparison to other types of shopping, food is essential to life, and not often are there as many choices to be made in a short period of time as when shopping groceries.The purpose of this dissertation was to advance the knowledge of what influences consumers’ choices of grocery stores. More specifically, the main focus has been on how different situations (e.g., type of shopping) influence choices of grocery stores. Five papers, which build on three surveys on how consumers choose grocery stores in Sweden, are included in this dissertation.In the first paper a comprehensive set of ten aggregated attributes that determine store choices were developed. The second paper brought forward five consumer segments (Planning Suburbans, Social Shoppers, Pedestrians, City Dwellers, and Flexibles) based on where and how they shop. In the third paper it was shown that accessibility attributes (e.g., accessibility by car, availability) and attractiveness attributes (e.g., price, service) have different impacts on satisfaction, depending on consumer characteristics and shopping behaviour in supermarkets compared to convenience stores. In the fourth paper the result showed that satisfaction is affected by type of grocery shopping (major versus fill-in shopping) in conjunction with time pressure and which store attributes that are important for satisfaction. It was also shown that the effect of time pressure and type of shopping on satisfaction varied in different consumer segments. In the final paper it was shown that a store has to be more attractive in terms of attributes for a consumer to switch from the grocery store they usually patronage, even if the new store is situated right beside or closer than the consumer’s regular grocery store. The view of a “good location” is further developed in this dissertation, arguing that consumers’ mental distance to a store – their cognitive proximity – is much more important than the physical place of the store.In sum, this dissertation revealed that the situation is more important than previous research has shown. Depending on the situation, consumers will face different outcomes (different stores) and value different store attributes. Hence, stores need to manage different store attributes depending on which consumer groups the stores want to attract and what situation the consumers are facing. Therefore, consumers’ choices of grocery stores are situation-based choices.
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