Ethics at the margins: How consumers defend decisions in a constrained market context

PurposeInternational strategy literature has shown that market context varies in terms of importance to international operations and competition. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of market context in influencing the relationship between internationalization and performance.Design/methodology/approachUsing cluster analysis, this study categorizes market context into two distinct groups: global and multidomestic. Later, it investigates the internationalization‐performance relationship for 263 firms distributed across two market contexts.FindingsSupport for an inverted U‐shaped relationship was found in the case of market contexts which have global characteristics, while a U‐shaped relationship was found in the market contexts which have multidomestic characteristics. Additionally, findings indicate that the moderating influence of diversification on the internationalization‐performance relationship varies by the market context of the firm.Originality/valueThe paper seeks to contribute to one of the most critical issues in the international strategy literature, namely, the linkage between internationalization and firm performance. While many studies have been conducted on the topic of internationalization and performance, specific research linking market context and the internationalization‐performance relationship has been lacking. The paper's findings offer strong support to the notion that the nature of the relationship between internationalization and performance varies by market context. Implications for managerial and researchers are presented.

Contextual marketing is defined as to communicate with consumers based on contextual information analysis with the support of mobile internet and contextual technology forces. The purpose is to stimulate consumers’ context-aware and guide the consumption behavior. More and more companies have realized the advantage of contextual marketing and brought it into the business model innovation. It has promoted the practical exploration of contextual marketing, and the related theoretical study is still in an initial stage. It is a rapidly growing research area in recent years. This paper reviews the related foreign literature on contextual marketing, and analyzes the conceptual connotation of contextual marketing from the perspectives of environmental response, contextual analysis and customer experience. Meanwhile, the essential characteristics of contextual marketing are summarized, including situation dependency, mobility and personalization, intelligent adaptation and connection. The theoretical construction of contextual marketing operation research focuses on the contextual technology forces that influence the operation of contextual marketing, including mobile devices, big data, sensors, social media and positioning system. Based on that, the contextual marketing operation mode includes multi-level marketing objects of content, context and meaning, and pays attention to the synchronous collaborative allocation of contextual marketing stimuli online and offline. Compared with the traditional marketing mode, contextual marketing has advantages in terms of operation space-time dimension, marketing function and value creation, and is also different from the general internet marketing. Current research on the value of contextual marketing to consumers mainly includes two aspects: one is the contextual sensory cognition research in the internet environment; the other is the value creation of contextual interactive communication, including the form of it, the supportive technology model and the value creation mechanism of contextual interactive communication on consumers’ contextual perceived value and communication performance. The value of contextual marketing to enterprises can be summarized into two aspects: one is identifying consumers, consumer requirements in context, and potential market segments based on contextual analysis; the other is reposition products and services based on contextual adjacency moves, promoting continuous innovation of products and services in new contextual dimensions. Contextual marketing has broad research prospects in age of mobile interconnection, so the future research directions that deserve attention include three aspects: the first one is the market segmentation method based on context and its effect evaluation; the second one is the contextual marketing mix model’s situational design in different industries, and its influence mechanisms on consumers’ psychology and behavior; the last one is the contextual intelligent sensory cognition mechanism and its impact on consumers’ behavior in the mobile internet environment.

With the impact of new technological advancement marketing strategies and tools have evolved significantly. Gamification is one of the trendiest tools which can be used to generate more brand engagement in the marketing context. Gamification has been used in different industries so far in order to generate brand engagement by targeting different sets of the target audience. Sometimes it has been linked with different types of platforms and mostly used to provide a better-gamified experience along with the brands in the marketing context. In many countries, this concept is tested in different platforms in order to use this more effectively in the marketing context. With the impact of severe problems and different circumstances, gamification has been used in the industry to generate better brand engagement and this notion has evolved and subsequently gained the attention of researchers. However, it is questionable what significant characteristics a firm needs to focus on gamification to have better brand engagement in the marketing context. As a result, the purpose of this paper is to attempt to review both empirical and theoretical arguments and aspects to consider in gamification as a platform and its impact on brand engagement in the marketing context. To objectively analyze the gamification components described by many writers, a thorough literature review is conducted by selecting both conceptual and empirical works mostly published recently in renowned publications. Based on the content, gamification components have been identified as mechanics & aesthetics, self-benefits, self-interaction, and self-achievement. A proposed model extends the findings into a conceptual realm by summarizing all these aspects.

It is crucial to arm users with the information and resources they need to protect their online presence in the dynamic world of cybersecurity, where threats are evolving at an alarming rate. This chapter examines contextual marketing as a potent strategy for delivering cybersecurity education and solutions. In order to effectively engage consumers and inform them about cybersecurity risks and best practices, contextual marketing is the strategic application of customised content and resources supplied at the appropriate time and in the appropriate environment. The chapter tackles the underlying difficulties that consumers confront in comprehending and managing their cybersecurity requirements. It emphasizes how critical it is to plug the knowledge gap by giving users access to information that is pertinent to their situation and degree of comprehension. By creating user-centric experiences, contextual marketing enables cybersecurity educators and solution providers to maximize the effect of their work. This chapter delivers several contextual marketing strategies that have been productive in enhancing users' cybersecurity awareness and skills. It accomplishes so by drawing on real-world examples and case studies. Educational activities can be made engaging and easily remembered by adapting messages, tutorials, and resources to meet users' roles, interests, and habits. The chapter also looks at how sophisticated cybersecurity solutions and contextual marketing work together. It exemplifies the benefits of context-aware security systems. The chapter concludes by arguing in favour of incorporating contextual marketing principles into cybersecurity instruction and solution delivery. Contextual marketing paves the way for a more informed and cyber-aware society that is better able to face the ever-evolving challenges of the digital world by providing users with personalized, timely, and relevant information.

The proliferation of new technologies, such as personal digital assistants, or PDAs, and interactive television, amongst other things, has opened a wealth of potential for effectively targeting customers in real time while they are present in a virtual environment. This opens a lot of opportunities for businesses. Customers have access to the World Wide Web and the Internet through their wireless devices, no matter where they are or when they want to use them. Contextual marketing, often referred to as CM and commonly abbreviated as CM, is a strategy that entails providing customers with information that is both individualized and pertinent to their present position at the precise moment when customers need such information. This strategy is essential for luring in new clients and keeping the ones you already have. Clients in an economy that is already oversaturated with information demand not only knowledge, but also products and services that are relevant, personalized, and contextual at the time of purchase. The purpose of this research is to conduct a comprehensive review of the existing literature on contextual marketing in the preceding 20 years, focusing on both the global and the Indian contexts. The development and expansion of contextual marketing, as well as its contemporary consequences regarding earlier published works, are investigated. In the study, the systematic literature review approach of searching for relevant material is used. This research was carried out with the intention of conducting a comprehensive assessment of the existing literature with the purpose of ensuring that the fullest possible list of relevant studies is taken into consideration. To compile the papers comprising the systematic review, an algorithmic search strategy was utilized. An analysis of the previous research was carried out with the use of online databases such as Elsevier, Routledge, Emerald Group, Springer Nature, Sage, Directory of Open Access Journals, Semantic Scholar, Wiley, Academia, JSTOR, and Guildford Press. The study reaches its conclusion by providing a tangible theoretical foundation for contextual marketing while also outlining the ramifications that contextual marketing has in the modern digital world.

Purpose – There is a debate in literature about the generalizability of the structure and the validity of the measures of Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness (SET). This debate spans the dimensionality and validity of the construct, and the use of the measure for summative and formative purposes of teachers valuation and feedback. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate on the aforementioned issues. Specifically the paper tests the relationship of teacher’s “charisma” trait with a measure of SET consisting of the two dimensions of “lecturer ability” and “module attributes.” The market characteristics of the paper are those of an emerging market and cross-cultural context with a specific reference to India. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, a two-dimensional scale of SET, which was originally developed by Shevlin et al. (2000) in their study in the UK, was empirically tested with Indian students and modified. Empirical data were collected from Indian students pursuing their MBA program in a north Indian university and statistical testing using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses was undertaken. The proposed relationship of a teacher’s “charisma” trait was tested as a reflective construct comprising of the two dimensions of SET with the help of the software package Amos ver 4.0. Findings – The results indicate that the measure of SET is influenced by the teacher’s “Charisma” (trait), thus providing evidence of a halo effect. This raises the issue of validity of SET as an instrument for measuring teaching effectiveness (TE). The results provide support to the hypothesis that structure of SET is multidimensional along with the need for adapting the instrument in diverse cultural and market contexts. Originality/value – This study contributes to the debate on the validity, structure and use of SET as an instrument for measuring TE in a developing market with cross-cultural implications such as India.

Where do resources come from? a model of resource generation

PurposeThis study examines the effect of contextual perceived value activated by contextual marketing offers and information privacy concerns on consumer loyalty in mobile commerce.Design/methodology/approachThe survey was conducted through 340 mobile users in Morocco and the collected data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsThis study's results show that contextual marketing and information privacy concerns are key determinants in improving customer loyalty in the m-commerce context. Perceived ubiquity has a positive impact on perceived trust, which also impacts consumer loyalty. Information privacy concerns also have a positive impact on customer satisfaction, yet it does not impact perceived trust, which is contrary to the results of other researchers. It can also be concluded that customer satisfaction and trust are important antecedents of consumer loyalty.Practical implicationsThis research gives rise to some important managerial and strategic implications in order to integrate contextual marketing strategies, as well as theoretical implications that concern this field of study.Originality/valueThis research makes a significant contribution to knowledge by examining the role of contextual marketing and information privacy concerns in the m-commerce context. These results will be considered useful for marketers and for businesses in general who wish to integrate a marketing strategy that is based on a customer-centric approach. It also contributes to the related literature, as there are few studies focused on m-commerce and contextual marketing within the context of Morocco.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of relationships between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and performance, and between market orientation (MO) and performance in different market contexts that set boundaries for performance.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a review of studies containing empirical research incorporating EO, MO, market context and firm performance.FindingsPatterns regarding content of previous studies of the issue are outlined, and crucial research gaps are identified. These concern a lack of focus on relationships between EO/MO and performance of foreign units.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, further studies on international strategy need to develop EO/MO components that are consistent with foreign units’ value-adding roles. Second, the impact of dynamism originating from competitors in foreign markets needs attention. Third, direct impacts of market dynamism on performance of foreign units, and moderating roles of EO/MO need to be studied.Practical implicationsInternational competitiveness of the firm as a whole would benefit from higher performance of foreign units that may be achieved through aligning EO/MO with local market contexts.Originality/valueMeta-analyses show that it is difficult to establish universal direct relationship between EO/MO and performance and that the importance of market context is underestimated. The paper provides opportunities for further studies that may clarify underlying contingency mechanisms.

Internationalization of the firm traditionally has been examined using theoretical frameworks that do not focus on the firm's marketing context. In this paper, it is argued that international growth strategies are different for firms in different marketing contexts. Different international growth strategies for manufacturing and service companies in consumer and business-to-business market are studied. Using case studies, the study identifies different barriers in different marketing contexts and identifies different international growth strategies. The study shows that various internationalization theories are appropriate in different marketing contexts.

Who shops at local farmers' markets? Committed loyals, experiencers and produce-orientated consumers

Consumers may access the interweb and internet anywhere anytime via wireless devices. The strategy of contextual marketing (CM), or providing customised and contextual information to customers at the point of need in real time, becomes the key to reaching and retaining online customers. This study attempts to empirically explore the new business model of CM and its resulting e-commerce performance in a business-to-consumer setting. Survey data of online users were utilised to examine quantitatively the perceived importance of CM and both its potential positive and negative outcomes. The results provide some initial evidence of its positive influence on users' perceived e-commerce outcomes (eg, site value, user satisfaction and online purchases). In addition, the results indicate that CM does not necessarily lead to a higher level of negative outcomes (eg, consumer complaint behaviours of providing incomplete information and incorrect information online), although one may expect them as the potential dark side of technology development.

This paper includes an examination of two key issues on price decisions: (1) how should price decisions be made (the strategic and normative issue) within market contexts, and (2) how are price decisions actually made (the execution and implementation of price decisions). The paper closes with some observations useful for applied research and strategies for making effective pricing decisions. The propositions and literature review show that one pricing strategy does not fit a brand in all market contexts that brand executives experience annually in managing brands. Setting specific price points requires continuing deliberate management responses to dynamic market contexts. This paper provides useful sense-making conjunctive steps to accomplish such deliberate thinking effectively relevant for different market contexts.

PurposeThis study aims to examine how the appraisal of both incidental and direct positive other-agency emotions (vs self-agency emotions) enhances brand trust and, subsequently, brand attitudes.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents three experiments that examine the effect of other-agency emotions (vs self-agency emotions) on brand trust and brand attitudes by both Australian and USA consumers. Studies 1 and 2 compared the effect of self- and other-agency emotions evoked through an irrelevant reflective task. Study 3 used real-world marketing communication to evoke self- or other-pride.FindingsGratitude (Study 1) and other-pride (Study 2) evoked through an irrelevant, reflective task enhanced brand trust and attitudes for both familiar and unfamiliar brands. The authors replicated these effects using marketing communications that evoked other-pride (Study 3) and showed how these findings can be applied in a marketing context.Research limitations/implicationsThere are contradictory findings in the literature on how positive emotions influence brand trust and attitudes. The findings show that other-agency appraisal is a crucial appraisal within a marketing context and reveals why not all positively valenced emotions increase brand trust and brand attitudes. The findings highlight the importance of examining the effects of emotions on brand trust and attitudes beyond the consideration of their valence.Practical implicationsThe research provides significant implications for marketers to improve brand trust and brand attitudes through the elicitation of other-agency emotions. The findings also demonstrate that different components of emotions, such as appraisal structure, may influence consumer trust and attitudes towards marketing and branding communications.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to empirically demonstrate how other-agency appraisals of emotions can influence consumer brand trust and attitudes in a marketing context.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate market-contextual variations in consumers’ self-service technology (SST) usage intentions. Design/methodology/approach – Applications of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology support the exploration of antecedents of usage intention for SSTs in two market contexts, through a survey among Taiwanese and Austrian college students. The cross-cultural nature of the study suggested the need for factor analyses to evaluate measurement equivalence. A Chow-Test confirmed structural stability, followed by regression analysis and independent samples t-tests to confirm the hypotheses. Findings – Substantial differences arise across market contexts that shape usage intentions. In a collectivistic, emerging market context (Taiwan), performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and personal innovativeness significantly influence usage intention. In an individualistic, advanced market context (Austria), only performance expectancy and social influence have significant impacts on usage intention. Personal innovativeness moderates only the relationship between performance expectancy and usage intention. Practical implications – The findings suggest that usage intention is subject to the market environment in which the technology is introduced. Consumers are influenced by the local and institutional-cultural environment. Originality/value – Globalization has accelerated the launch of retail services innovations. It is imperative to understand consumers’ usage intentions from a global perspective. This study advances SST research by analyzing and comparing adoption behavior in an advanced vs emerging market setting.