Consumer Attitudes Research Articles

A Critical Exploration of Tipping Practices in the American Hospitality Landscape from a Qualitative Approach

ABSTRACT This study provides a comprehensive analysis of tipping practices within the U.S. restaurant industry, integrating historical context, consumer experiences, and the impact of technological advancements. Utilizing a qualitative dataset via in-depth interviews with restaurant consumers, this study examines the complex nature of tipping, navigating its dual role as a voluntary gesture and a social norm. Thematic analysis via Latent Dirichlet Allocation reveals key themes such as the service-tipping relationship, customer interactions with touchscreen payment systems, cultural and economic factors, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both employees and customers. Network analysis and sentiment analysis further illuminate the intricacies of consumer behavior and attitudes toward tipping. Our findings underscore the necessity for a balanced approach to technological innovation in the service industry and advocate for a reevaluation of compensation models and labor practices. This research contributes to the academic discourse on tipping, offers actionable insights for the hospitality industry, and fosters dialogue toward a more equitable, transparent, and sustainable tipping culture.

Microbial Colonization, Biofilm Formation, and Malodour of Washing Machine Surfaces and Fabrics and the Evolution of Detergents in Response to Consumer Demands and Environmental Concerns

Bacterial attachment and biofilm formation are associated with the contamination and fouling at several locations in a washing machine, which is a particularly complex environment made from a range of metal, polymer, and rubber components. Microorganisms also adhere to different types of clothing fibres during the laundering process as well as a range of sweat, skin particles, and other components. This can result in fouling of both washing machine surfaces and clothes and the production of malodours. This review gives an introduction into washing machine use and surfaces and discusses how biofilm production confers survival properties to the microorganisms. Microbial growth on washing machines and textiles is also discussed, as is their potential to produce volatiles. Changes in consumer attitudes with an emphasis on laundering and an overview regarding changes that have occurred in laundry habits are reviewed. Since it has been suggested that such changes have increased the risk of microorganisms surviving the laundering process, an understanding of the interactions of the microorganisms with the surface components alongside the production of sustainable detergents to meet consumer demands are needed to enhance the efficacy of new antimicrobial cleaning agents in these complex and dynamic environments.

Consumer Attitudes Towards Potential Divergence of Food Safety Regulations Within the UK

Consumer Attitudes Towards Potential Divergence of Food Safety Regulations Within the UK

The road to mobile-advertising success: a strategic approach to influence consumer attitude

PurposeThe primary aim of this study is to thoroughly investigate strategic approaches that influence consumer attitudes, contributing to the attainment of success in mobile advertising campaigns.Design/methodology/approachThe theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is utilised as a significant and fundamental theory, imparting valuable insights into the field of mobile advertising. Probability sampling, specifically the simple random sampling technique is employed by the study to gather data from a representative sample of mobile users in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A conceptual model is constructed based on data collected through an online survey involving 350 respondents, which underwent rigorous empirical analysis using SPSS and AMOS software.FindingsThe results largely support the proposed hypotheses, affirming the relationships between the variables. However, the hypotheses regarding the impact of irritation on consumer attitudes and purchase behaviour are not supported.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that Malaysian marketers and advertisers ought to judiciously employ specific design principles to proficiently captivate their target audience in mobile advertising endeavours. They should devote their efforts to the meticulous development and tailoring of mobile advertising strategies, with the explicit aim of enhancing the positive influence of consumer attitudes and improving the effectiveness of mobile advertising success.Originality/valueMobile communications have become essential instruments for mobile marketers, seeking to understand customer attitudes and behaviours to enhance advertising acceptance and alleviate negative consumer sentiments.

Consumer Attitude and Purchase Intention towards Organic Food in Kritipur, Kathmandu

This study examined the relationship between consumer attitudes and purchase intentions toward organic products in Kritipur, Kathmandu. Using a 5-point Likert scale survey, data from 57 respondents were analyzed through correlation and regression techniques. The results reveal a considerable positive impact of consumer attitudes, specifically health concerns and environmental care, on purchase intention, with an unstandardized coefficient of 0.854 (p < .001). Consumer attitudes explained 64.7% of the variance in purchase intention, confirming the critical role of favorable attitudes in promoting organic product purchases. However, contrary to the hypothesis, subjective norms had a negative influence on purchase intention (β = -0.261, p = .004), indicating that social pressures may decrease consumer willingness to buy organic products. The findings suggest that marketers should focus on increasing consumers' trust in organic products and emphasize the health and environmental benefits to increase sales. This study expands existing theoretical models by incorporating health concerns and environmental care as crucial factors influencing consumer attitudes towards organic food.

Dilemmas of U.S. Decarbonization

This article investigates controversial relations between energy security and energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables that are observed in petroleum producing countries, since energy transition jeopardizes the long-term future of the oil and gas sector because it entails a gradual reduction in hydrocarbon production. This problem represents a serious challenge for all petroleum-producing countries, but this challenge is particularly serious in the United States, which recovered its former status of energy superpower due to the shale revolution. Simultaneously, it intends to become a global leader of energy transition under the presidency of Joe Biden. In general, the policy of oil companies’ decarbonization is influenced by a number of factors: government climate policy, activities of international organizations, attitudes of financial institutions, shareholders, investors, NGOs and consumers. While European oil companies feel quite a stable and consistent pressure from all these factors that force them to pursue a fairly radical decarbonization policy, the situation in the US is not that straightforward. On the one hand, government climate policy has recently sharply fluctuated, from Barak Obama to Donald Trump to Joe Biden, sending controversial messages to oil corporations. While currently decarbonization policy is a priority of Joe Biden’s administration, if Donald Trump wins the 2024 elections, the future of energy transition in the US might be challenged because he has always strongly focused on strengthening US energy security. On the other hand, the leading US oil companies through their lobbying efforts exert a significant influence on the government climate policy, seeking to ensure a long-term future of hydrocarbons and trying to find a balance between energy security and energy transition that would benefit them. They realize that it would be feasible for them to become leaders of the energy transition by adapting it to their strategic needs.

Analysis of the knowledge and attitudes of Brazilian consumers regarding microalgae: A strategy to assess the development potential of new foods

Analysis of the knowledge and attitudes of Brazilian consumers regarding microalgae: A strategy to assess the development potential of new foods

Measuring consumer perceptions towards S-commerce: scale development and validation

PurposeThis paper aims to develop and validate a comprehensive scale for measuring consumer perceptions towards social commerce (S-Commerce). With the growing prominence of social media platforms in electronic commerce (e-commerce), understanding consumer perceptions and attitudes is essential for businesses and researchers alike.Design/methodology/approachThe scale development process involved an extensive literature review and expert assessments to construct a robust measurement tool. Subsequently, the scale was administered to a diverse sample of respondents, and confirmatory factor analysis was performed to assess its reliability and validity.FindingsThe results confirm the scale’s internal consistency and discriminant validity, contributing to making it a valuable instrument for capturing consumer perceptions towards S-commerce. Eight factors were explored using exploratory factor analysis, namely, “satisfaction and advocacy of S-commerce,” “usability and enjoyment of S-commerce,” “trust and familiarity in S-commerce,” “trust in S-commerce policies,” “familiarity with S-commerce platforms,” “financial trust and security in S-commerce,” “price and rating influence on S-commerce shopping” and “perceived value and social expectations in S-commerce.”Practical implicationsThis research contributes to understanding S-commerce from a consumer perspective, aiding businesses in tailoring their strategies and enhancing the academic discourse on this evolving e-commerce phenomenon.Originality/valueThis study primarily develops a comprehensive scale to measure consumer perceptions of S-commerce sites, contributing to a deeper understanding of the factors driving consumer perceptions in this evolving digital landscape.

Consumer attitudes, willingness to pay and hedonic evaluations of innovative legume gnocchi products.

With growing concerns over the adverse effects of animal-derived products on health, animal welfare and the environment, the rising popularity of plant-based foods underscores the importance of understanding consumer preferences and determining acceptance. The present study takes the form of a case study that utilized innovative legume-based flours to develop multiple gnocchi products. The Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) mechanism as an auction method was employed to elicit consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) following a hedonic evaluation test involving 127 Spanish consumers. The findings indicate that a majority of consumers exhibit a high level of environmental concern, coupled with increased trust in, as well as perceptions of, the benefits of consuming plant-based products. However, they demonstrated moderate attitudes with regard to plant-based products. Notably, product sample tasting had a negative impact on consumers' WTP for legume-based gnocchi. The respondents' education level, income, financial situation, government support, environmental concerns, perceived risks, flavor and color significantly influenced consumers' WTP. The present study offers initial insights into consumer attitudes and WTP for legume-based products in Spain. The findings are of relevance for producers and marketers aiming to promote environmentally-sustainable food production and consumption. They may also play a pivotal role in facilitating the successful introduction and sale of such plant-based products in the Spanish market. Going forward, addressing any limitations of this study and exploring further research avenues will be crucial for refining our understanding of consumer behavior in this context. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The impact of changes in consumption patterns in the post-pandemic period in Hungary

AbstractThe study investigates the impact of negative economic changes on Hungarian consumption habits on a representative sample of 1,000 people during the post-COVID period, which we interpreted as the period after December 2021. The quantitative research shows that a significant part of the population was affected by the unexpected effects of the economic environment. The change in purchasing habits was driven by the search for promotions and value for money products. Regarding the place of purchase, the research showed that the share of online shoppers did not increase for the 12 product categories surveyed, while the role of discounters in offline purchases increased. The survey highlighted that a third of the population cannot afford to make large purchases, while at the same time avoiding loans. Two-thirds of the population's view of the future is quite pessimistic. In consumption attitudes, the first priority is the aforementioned “discounting”, while the second priority is saving money on packaging. Hungarians tend to save more on electricity and heating. Finally, the result of our cluster analysis is that we have been able to distinguish five consumer groups that are able to describe the main consumer attitudes in the post-Covid crisis period. The defined clusters are the following: Resistant, Bargain hunter, Conscious, Rationing and What you can afford is what you can get.

Greenwashing and its Consequences in Brand Equity: A Systematic Bibliometric Review

Background: Greenwashing has been increasingly popular in recent decades. Companies have used eco-friendly marketing approaches to convey their environmental initiatives, aiming to enrich their competitive advantage and attract consumers with ecological awareness. However, there is still a need for extensive and rigorous study, particularly on the emergence of this phenomena and its consequences on brand equity. Objectives: To identify the existing studies on greenwashing, noting gaps and recommending future study opportunities. Methods: The bibliometric study includes 576 items from the “Web of Science” database and “VOSviewer” software was used for analysis. Literature review is based on 12 papers that are highly significant to the study. Results: Analyzing the latest research, this study identifies gaps that can guide future investigations. Potential avenues for further exploration include the influence of greenwashing on consumer buying intentions, attitudes, online business, stakeholders, and cross-cultural aspects. Conclusion: In summary, this study highlights the damaging effects of greenwashing practices on organizations’ brands and images. By analyzing past, present, and future research areas, it underscores the importance of raising awareness to reduce greenwashing acts. Overall, this study helps to better understand the implications of deceptive environmental practices and advocates for greater accountability in promoting environmental responsibility.

Evaluating Students’ Literacy on Safe Pesticide Use and Sustainable Resource Management: A Case Study in Alentejo, Portugal

The intensive use of pesticides contaminates soil and water, raising the risk of diseases like cancer and hormonal/neurological disorders. The continuous exposure to pesticides through water and food is concerning. Therefore, raising awareness about biological pest control is essential to reduce the harmful impact of pesticides on food and the environment. This study evaluates students’ literacy on pesticide use and its implications, focusing on three topics, pesticide use, disease prevention, and sustainability and health promotion. Thus, a questionnaire was drawn up and distributed to students of both genders, aged between 12 and 16 years old, from Alentejo (Portugal). The students were asked to indicate their agreement grade with statements related to key themes, such as pesticide use and consumer attitudes, healthy practices and disease prevention, and sustainability and health promotion. The cohort includes 1051 students, and the results suggest that environmental education and student awareness are crucial for promoting sustainable water resources and minimizing exposure to environmental and food pesticides. This study presents an Artificial Neural Network model, with its accuracy surpassing 90%, to assess students’ literacy on pesticide use and its implications. It also proposes a new approach to evaluate their potential for improvement, which is essential for developing educational strategies on health and the environmental impacts.

Impact of Influencers Marketing on Consumers Beahvior and Purchase Intention: Mediating Role of Influencer Credibility

In the realm of digital marketing, influencer marketing has risen to prominence, particularly on platforms like TikTok, which wield considerable influence among younger demographics. This study focused on the faculty and students from four different public and private universities in KPK. Employing a non-probability simple random sampling technique for sample selection, the study utilized an adopted questionnaire to measure responses, confirming the reliability of the measurement scales with an impressive Cronbach's Alpha score of 0.967. Results of the study revealed that influencer marketing significantly and positively impacts consumer attitudes toward brands and their purchase intentions. Further influencer credibility has significantly mediated the effect of influencer marketing on attitude towards brand and purchase intention. This underscores the critical need for culturally tailored influencer marketing strategies to maximize relevance and effectiveness in the Pakistani market. Moreover, it highlights the untapped potential of TikTok as a powerful platform for influencer marketing. These results offer invaluable, actionable insights for marketers and significantly advance our theoretical understanding of influencer marketing's profound impact on consumer behavior, laying the groundwork for future research on emerging social media platforms.

New profit models for property management in the post-pandemic era: A study on consumer attitudes towards community value-added services.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in 2020, has had a tremendous impact on various industries and the daily lives of the general populace, thereby contributing to increasing uncertainty in business competition. Property management enterprises, despite witnessing a mostly stagnant expansion and enhancement of their existing operations, have, owing to the unique nature of their services, continued to experience a relatively positive competitive environment. Notably, the recent emphasis in property management companies has been on the development of value-added services at the community level, which represents a critical avenue for securing a competitive edge by addressing consumer demands. This study, grounded in the ABC theory and the theory of planned behavior, seeks to analyze consumer attitudes towards the provision of value-added services by property management firms, including facets such as community healthcare services, community lifestyle amenities, community educational offerings, and personalized services. Moreover, the study delves into the mediating role played by satisfaction with fundamental property management services. The empirical findings emphasize the significant enhancement in consumer receptivity to property management firms' value-added services, particularly in the domains of community healthcare, lifestyle amenities, education, and personalized services. In addition, it highlights the indirect effect of property owners' contentment with essential property management services on their perspectives concerning the delivery of value-added services by property management firms. The implications of these research conclusions bear significant relevance for organizations engaged in offering such services.

Hip and Practical: Cultural Capital and the Two Faces of Sustainable Food Consumption

The paper presents an analysis of the connections between attitudes toward sustainable food consumption and cultural capital based on a nationally representative survey conducted in Hungary in 2018 (N=2,700). Drawing on the literature on food consumption associated with the creation of social boundaries, we sought to capture the characteristics of food-related attitudes of consumers with high cultural capital. According to our results, sustainable attitudes toward food did not form a coherent eco-habitus, but rather, elements of ethical consumption were mixed with (1) elements of conspicuous consumption and (2) health concerns. We identified two dimensions: (1) hipster and (2) practical components of food sustainability. However, our multivariate analysis showed that both components were related to the cultural capital of the survey participants. In linear regression models, we distinguished different (embodied and institutionalised) forms of cultural capital. We found that the effect of cultural consumption overwrote the effect of education on sustainable food consumption attitudes.

Exploring consumer attitudes towards whey's health benefits

Whey, a byproduct of cheese production, is rich in nutrients and bioactive components, making it a focal point for both environment-concious cheese manufacturers and health-conscious consumers. This study investigates consumer attitudes toward health and nutritional claims related to whey, particularly amidst a growing interest in minimally processed options. A questionnaire, distributed to 172 participants, assessed general demographics, lifestyle choices, and attitudes towards whey's health benefits. Participants were categorized into two clusters, Nutritional Enthusiasts (NE) and Nutritional Indifferents (NI) by hierarchical cluster analysis. To discern differences between clusters, a nonparametric comparison (Mann-Whitney U test) was utilized. NE participants, who actively incorporate whey into their diets, demonstrate a strong belief in its health benefits, particularly in immune support, body regeneration and vitality. NI respondents largely express the lack of opinion regarding health claims, reporting the taste of whey unbearable (23.1%). The preference among NE respondents underscores a trend toward goat whey (82.4%). Lack of knowledge egsists regarding whey’s sugar content, indicating a need for better consumer education. The findings emphasize the importance of responsible marketing that highlights whey’s nutritional advantages while avoiding unfounded health claims. Promoting direct purchases from local producers could promote sustainability of small-scale dairy businesses. This research enhances our understanding of consumer trends in whey consumption, emphasizing opportunities to boost product appeal through innovative, minimally processed options.

Understanding food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of consumers and vendors: An umbrella review

Understanding food safety knowledge, attitude, and practices of consumers and vendors: An umbrella review

Environmental Awareness Toward Issues and Challenges of Sustainable Consumerism in the Indian Apparel Industry

This confirmatory study focused on studying the attitude and behavior as well as environmental awareness towards sustainable consumerism. The study also aimed to check if accountability on the part of brands and the government could enhance sustainability in the apparel industry. An empirical inquiry was conducted with 396 respondents, considering they are consumers with purchasing power. The collected data were analyzed using correlation and descriptive analysis. Based on the findings, consumers’ apparel use and brand accountability are positively associated. At the same time, it was found that the attitude and behavior of consumers are the least essential determinants for sustainable apparel consumption. This might imply that their optimistic outlook may not always translate into real purchase behavior, which is consistent with earlier studies. The results of this research provide a foundation for a better comprehension of the many factors, including the sustainability of a clothing brand or product, which may affect consumer behavior. This approach could help the fashion industry develop practical strategies and alter how people think about and utilize apparel in the future.

What factors influence consumer attitudes towards alternative proteins?

Achieving the sustainability of protein is central to creating a sustainable food system. Current meat consumption patterns require a paradigm shift, as the status quo is unsustainable. However, at present, consumer participation in this shift is limited necessitating a change in consumer behaviour. This review seeks to understand consumer willingness to consume alternative proteins (cultured meat, edible insects, plant and fermentation-based proteins) and the factors influencing their decisions, considering variations across protein categories and cultural backgrounds. Understanding these factors is vital for designing interventions that effectively enhance acceptance levels. Consumer behaviour is complex, influenced by a spectrum of personal and societal factors, which must be interpreted within the specific context of the target society or demographic segment.

Sentiments, barriers and predictors of acceptance for meat alternatives among UK meat consumers

There is a growing global demand for diets to be better for the environment and for human health. To support the shift toward sustainable diets, it is crucial to understand consumer attitudes and the barriers they face. To achieve this aim, this paper addresses the questions: What are the prevailing sentiments of UK meat consumers towards meat alternatives? What barriers do UK meat consumers face in trying and sustaining the consumption of meat alternatives? Data was obtained from 1074 UK respondents. The majority of respondents (82.4%) had tried plant-based meat alternatives, whereas most had not tried edible insects (88.8%), cultured meat (96.5%) or algae (73.7%). Sentiments towards plant-based alternatives were mainly positive while views on cultured meat, insects, and algae were more mixed or negative. Motivations for accepting and eating meat alternatives were primarily personal health benefits, animal welfare and environmental reasons in order of ranking. The results show that 18% are very likely to include meat alternatives in their future diets, followed by 39% who are open to the possibility and may consider it under the right circumstances. Ordered logistic regression identified several significant predictors for incorporating meat alternatives into future diets. Positive predictors included price competitiveness, variety, environmental motivation, health benefits, past experience with plant-based meat and algae and gender. Conversely, frequent meat consumption and safety concerns were negative predictors and reduced the odds of incorporating meat alternatives into diets. Key actions which consumers opine would encourage acceptance of meat alternatives includes educational programs, financial incentives and media campaigns with strong support for coordinated stakeholder efforts.