High-end Research Articles

From prominence to preference: social and emotional value perception as mediator between the brand prominence and purchase intentions in the luxury market

PurposeThe study examines the mediating effects of social value perception and emotional value perception on the relationship between brand prominence and purchase intentions. Further, it examines the consumer preferences about the mark or logo showcased on luxury fashion products during the purchasing process.Design/methodology/approachThe data was obtained from a sample of 420 participants through the administration of questionnaires, utilizing both online and offline methods. The sampling approach employed was a combination of purposive and snowball sampling. For offline data collection, the shopping malls and flagship stores of Delhi NCR and Chandigarh were visited. For analysis of the data, Smart PLS 4 and IBM SPSS were used.FindingsSocial value perception and emotional value perception have a significant positive relationship with brand prominence and purchase intentions. The relationship between brand prominence and purchase intentions is fully mediated by social value perception and emotional value perception. Further, consumers in India have also shown a preference for brands that have displayed their logos prominently rather than subtly.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to the existing body of work on brand prominence by investigating the role of social value perception and emotional value perception as mediators. The research offers valuable insights for advertisers and practitioners to develop strategies for planning and implementing effective communication techniques.Originality/valueThis study fills the major gaps in the literature about brand prominence. The study unveils the Indian consumer preferences towards the level of brand marks during purchasing behaviours along with the social value perception and emotional value perception as mediators between brand prominence and purchase intentions.

The Paradox of Enjoyment in Luxury Consumption: Exploring Young Women's Expected and Actual Enjoyment of Luxury Goods

ABSTRACTDoes luxury consumption bring enjoyment, as various media messages, especially advertisements, suggest? This research investigates the anticipated and experienced enjoyment associated with the use of luxury goods. We propose that anticipated and actual use of luxury goods have different effects on enjoyment, which we refer to as the paradox of enjoyment in luxury consumption. In the first study, the majority of women (74.8%) believed that using a luxury handbag (vs. an ordinary handbag) would contribute to a higher level of enjoyment/happiness. Our second study showed that imagined use of a luxury handbag led to greater enjoyment than imagined use of an ordinary handbag. Conversely, the results of the third study showed that the actual use of a luxury handbag reduced enjoyment, driven by an increase in feelings of inauthenticity. The results of the fourth study confirmed this mechanism using a different luxury brand. Furthermore, we found that the actual use of a luxury handbag increased enjoyment, but only among individuals with high levels of brand engagement in self‐concept. Overall, the results show that young women's expected enjoyment of using a luxury product does not consistently match their actual emotional experience.

Pengaruh Current Ratio, Return on Asset, Debt to Asset Ratio dan Firm Size terhadap Price to Book Value (Pada Perusahaan Consumer Cyclicals Subsektor Apparel and Luxury Goods yang Terdaftar di Bursa Efek Indonesia Periode 2015-2023)

This study looks at the effects of firm size, debt to asset ratio, return on assets, and current ratio on price to book value in consumer cyclicals companies in the apparel and luxury goods subsector that are listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange between 2015 and 2023. This study used a quantitative technique that is both descriptive and verifying. Secondary data was used, and quantitative data in the form of financial statements (annual reports) from the 2015–2023 annual reports of Consumer Cyclicals Sector Companies in the Apparel and Luxury Goods Subsector listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange were used for data collection. According to the research's limited test results, the Price to Book Value is unaffected by the Current Ratio. Book value is unaffected by return on assets. The debt-to-asset ratio has no effect on price to book value, whereas firm size has a negative impact. The current ratio, return on assets, debt-to-asset ratio, and firm size all significantly affect price to book value, either separately or in combination, according to the simultaneous test research.

Reward based optimization of resonance-enhanced piezoresponse spectroscopy

Dynamic spectroscopies in scanning probe microscopy (SPM) are critical for probing material properties, such as force interactions, mechanical properties, polarization switching, electrochemical reactions, and ionic dynamics. However, the practical implementation of these measurements is constrained by the need to balance imaging time and data quality. Signal to noise requirements favor long acquisition times and high frequencies to improve signal fidelity. However, these are limited on the low end by contact resonant frequency and photodiode sensitivity and on the high end by the time needed to acquire high-resolution spectra or the propensity for sample degradation under high field excitation over long times. The interdependence of key parameters such as instrument settings, acquisition times, and sampling rates makes manual tuning labor-intensive and highly dependent on user expertise, often yielding operator-dependent results. These limitations are prominent in techniques like dual amplitude resonance tracking in piezoresponse force microscopy that utilize multiple concurrent feedback loops for topography and resonance frequency tracking. Here, a reward-driven workflow is proposed that automates the tuning process, adapting experimental conditions in real time to optimize data quality. This approach significantly reduces the complexity and time required for manual adjustments and can be extended to other SPM spectroscopic methods, enhancing overall efficiency and reproducibility.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Household Food Demand in Estuaire Gabon: A Near-Ideal Quadratic Demand System Approach

Gabon depends heavily on food imports to safeguard its food security; yet household food consumption patterns remain underexplored. This study investigates the structure of food demand in the Estuaire region, incorporating demographic determinants such as the age of the household head, household size, youth proportion, and residential distance from shopping centers. Using primary data collected from a randomized survey of 410 households, the analysis employs the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) model to estimate expenditure and price elasticities. The results indicate that expenditure elasticities are universally positive, with luxury items, including meat, eggs, and fish, exhibiting greater sensitivity compared to staple foods such as poultry, oil, rice, cassava, and bananas, which display inelastic demand. Price elasticities for meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and rice are negative, adhering to the law of demand. Demographic factors, including education, age, and residential location, significantly influence the consumption of meat, cassava, bananas, and oil. Household size, employment type, and youth composition also emerge as critical determinants of increased demand for poultry, fish, and rice. These findings offer policy-relevant insights to strengthen food security and address socioeconomic disparities.

Reassigning Functionalities: On the Taifa “Perfume Bottle” or Canteen from Albarracin, Teruel

The silver-gilt container discovered in 1964 in the vicinity of Albarracin is currently housed in the Teruel Museum in Spain and represents a pinnacle of Taifa sumptuary arts. It was commissioned by the second monarch of the Kingdom of Albarracin, ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Khalaf (r. 1045-?), as a gift to his wife Zahr. The object’s elevated technical sophistication, coupled with its bespoke commemorative inscription, lends credence to the notion that it was crafted in the royal workshops responsible for the production of luxury items. The vessel’s functionality, which has fluctuated between its traditional consideration as a perfume bottle and the more recent identification as a canteen, has been adequately postulated but not sufficiently examined. The aim of this paper is to discuss the primary function of the object in question, particularly in relation to its distinctive flattened spherical shape. To achieve this, the study will delve into the close and well-established historical association between the morphology and function of objects, which tends to endure and perpetuate within the same cultural context over the centuries. By employing this methodology, we can establish a connection between the studied piece and the flasks used for the storage of sacred water (zamzam) that pilgrims brought back from Mecca after performing the Ḥajj. This typology can be traced back to the pre-Islamic period and persisted through the Ottoman matara model.

Personal and Social Motivations of Second Hand Luxury Consumption Among Millennials

This research paper explores the relationship between Generation Y (Gen Y) conscientiousness and narcissism characters as well as social influence and electronic word of mouth (eWoM) on their intentions to engage in second-hand luxury consumption. With the rise of sustainability concerns and a growing interest in conscious consumerism, understanding the factors influencing the younger generation's choices in the vintage luxury market becomes paramount. A comprehensive review of existing literature provides the foundation for understanding the dynamics at play in the second-hand luxury market. Empirical evidence is drawn from a survey of Gen Y consumers, and the findings shed light on the relationships between consumer's conscientiousness, social influence and luxury second hand buying intentions. The paper concludes with practical implications and suggestions for marketers aiming to capitalize on the evolving landscape of sustainable luxury consumption.

The Red Frock

In this reflection, I recount my experience supervising a UTS student in Milan during her In-Country Study, where I became a luxury fashion faux buyer as part of her research on luxury shopping. An unexpected encounter in a high-fashion boutique taught me the importance of attentive observation and developing tools to help students make sense of complex global and local interactions. This moment reinforced my appreciation for elevating experiences in teaching and the value of speculative thinking in understanding the interconnectedness of global capitalism, culture, and place.

How the cool-core population transitions from galaxy groups to massive clusters. A comparison of the largest Magneticum simulation with eROSITA, XMM-Newton, Chandra and LOFAR observations

Our aim is to understand how the interplay between black hole (BH) feedback and merge processes can effectively turn cool-core galaxy clusters into hot-core clusters in the modern universe. Additionally, we also aim to clarify which parameters of the BH feedback model used in simulations can cause an excess of feedback at the scale of galaxy groups while not efficiently suppressing star formation at the scale of galaxy clusters. To obtain robust statistics of the cool-core population, we compare the modern Universe snapshot (z = 0.25) of the largest Magneticum simulation ( Box2b/hr ) with the eROSITA eFEDS survey and Planck SZ-selected clusters observed with XMM-Newton. Additionally, we compare the BH feedback injected by the simulation in radio mode with Chandra observations of X-ray cavities, and LOFAR observations of radio emission. We confirm a decreasing trend in cool-core fractions towards the most massive galaxy clusters, which is well reproduced by the Magneticum simulations. This evolution is connected with an increased merge activity that injects high-energy particles into the core region, but it also requires thermalisation and conductivity to enhance mixing through the intra-cluster medium core, where both factors are increasingly efficient towards the high mass end. On the other hand, BH feedback remains as the dominant factor at the scale of galaxy groups, while its relative impact decreases towards the most massive clusters. The problems suppressing star formation in simulations are not caused by low BH feedback efficiencies. They root in the definition of the black hole sphere of influence used to distribute the feedback, which decreases as density and accretion rate increase. Actually, a decreasing BH feedback efficiency towards low-mass galaxy groups is required to prevent overheating. These problems can be addressed in simulations by using relations between accretion rate, cavity power, and cavity reach derived from X-ray observations.

Diet and trophic structure of fishes in the Barents Sea: between empty and full stomachs - large individual variability follows a common pattern.

More than 27,000 stomachs from 70 species of fish were collected from the Barents Sea in 2015. Quantitative stomach content expressed relative to the body weight of the predator fish (g g-1 as %) varied by four to five orders of magnitude for six species with the largest sample size (Atlantic cod Gadus morhua, haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus, Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides, long rough dab Hippoglossoides platessoides, polar cod Boreogadus saida, and Atlantic capelin Mallotus villosus). The quantitative stomach contents of individual fish followed a common and strict statistical relationship for predator species or groups of species (by families), and for prey categories across predator species. The common pattern was log-normal-like and was modelled with good fit by different types of right-skewed distributions, that is, variants of the Box-Cox, generalized inverse Gaussian, inverse gamma, or gamma distributions. The long tail in the high end reflects high variation with no clear sign of a plateau, as could be expected from the concept of a "full stomach". This is interpreted to reflect that high stomach contents are rare events that are sampled at low frequencies. The maximum recorded stomach content varied from 1% to 34% of body weight for 55 species of fish, being positively correlated (R2 = 0.45) with sample size. About a third of the stomachs were empty, and the low tail of the log-normal-like distribution represents the transition to empty stomachs. The amount of food in the stomachs was overall low compared to maximum values, with mean and median of 2.0% and 1.1%, respectively, for the 17,873 stomachs containing food. Supported by bioenergetic considerations, this suggests relatively low feeding rates of the various fish predators but sufficient to meet their energy demands.

An assessment of current policy scenarios over the 21st century and the reduced plausibility of high-emissions pathways

The literature on current policy scenarios has become increasingly robust in recent years, with a growing consensus that the central estimate of 21st century warming is now likely below 3 °C. This reflects progress on both clean energy technologies and climate policies that has reduced the plausibility of high-emissions pathways, as well as a recognition that the higher end of emissions scenarios was never intended to represent the most likely no policy baseline outcome. However, it is difficult to fully preclude warming of 4 °C or more under a current policy world if there are continued positive emissions after 2100 or if carbon cycle feedbacks and climate sensitivity are on the high end of current estimates in the literature. Current policy scenarios are a useful benchmark for assessing climate impacts and the effects of further mitigation, but should not be seen as either a ceiling or a floor on future warming outcomes.

Uncovering the hidden mechanics of upper body rotations in tennis serves using wearable sensors on Dutch professional players.

It is assumed that the tennis serve is performed according to the kinetic chain principle in which a proximal-to-distal sequence in peak angular velocities of subsequent body segments can be observed to reach high end point ball velocities. The aim of the present study was to investigate if the magnitude and (intersegmental) timing of peak angular velocities of body segments in professional tennis players are different between first and second serves and if they are associated with serve performance. Eight (two female and six male) professional tennis players performed each 48 tennis serves on a tennis court. Serve performances: Ball speed and accuracy were measured with a PlaySight system. Kinematics were assessed with a custom made high-end inertial measurement units (IMUs) system, sampled at 1,000 Hz. Magnitudes of, as well as the intersegmental timing between, three dimensional peak angular velocities of the pelvis, trunk, and dominant upper arm were analysed in relation to ball speed and accuracy with generalized estimating equations. Peak angular velocities of the pelvis, trunk and upper arm were significantly higher in the first compared to the second serve. The intersegmental timing did not show significant differences. Also, the intersegmental timing was not associated with the ball speed. Ball speed was significantly positively associated with peak angular velocities of the trunk and upper arm on both the first and second serve. Accuracy was positively associated with the peak trunk angular velocity and intersegmental timing between the pelvis and trunk in the first serve. Accuracy was negatively associated with peak trunk angular velocity in the second serve. The arm movement is important to produce high ball speed during a tennis serve. Additionally, the trunk, proximal to the upper arm in the kinetic chain, showed associations with ball speed. In contrast to the upper arm also with accuracy. Interestingly, professional players do not strictly follow a proximal-to-distal sequence. Intersegmental timing appears to be less important in the tennis serve compared to the segmental angular velocities, which were higher in the first compared to the second serve. Future research should investigate the uncovered role of the trunk in relation to tennis serve performance.

A comparative analysis of smoking status among the Roma and the general population during pregnancy: The critical role of midwives in smoking cessation.

Tobacco consumption poses severe health risks, particularly for pregnant women, where it exacerbates maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. This issue is especially critical among minority groups such as the Roma, who face unique socio-economic and cultural challenges that contribute to higher smoking rates. This study investigates the smoking behaviors of pregnant Roma women and the general population, highlighting the role of midwives in smoking cessation. The study involved 142 pregnant women, split equally between Roma women from specific regions in Greece and their counterparts from the general population in 2023. We conducted data collection through multiple site visits, utilizing a comprehensive questionnaire that covered aspects like tobacco use, exposure to passive smoking, and the role of midwives. We performed statistical analysis using SPSS, focusing on differences between the two groups using chisquared tests and linear regression analyses. We noted significant differences between the groups in age, education level, income, and living conditions (p<0.05). The Roma participants displayed a higher prevalence of smoking during pregnancy (76% vs 54.9%, p=0.018). A higher proportion of the Roma group exhibited moderate to high nicotine dependence compared to the non-Roma group, with 27.8% having moderate and 24.1% having high nicotine dependence (p=0.029). The study also found that Roma women are less likely to have structured healthcare support (17.2% had monitoring from a specific doctor compared to 78.9% of non-Roma, p=0.020) and more likely to engage midwives in discussions about smoking cessation (56.5% vs 48.7%, p=0.024). The findings emphasize the need for culturally informed healthcare interventions that enhance the training of midwives in smoking cessation techniques. Such approaches are vital for improving health outcomes for pregnant women within marginalized communities like the Roma, where socio-economic and cultural barriers significantly influence health behaviors.

Clinicians' confidence in diagnosing atypical anorexia nervosa: An experimental study of the role of patient and clinician characteristics.

This experimental study investigated the weight loss parameters and resulting end weight that influence clinician confidence in diagnosing atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN). Clinicians (N=67) read a series of vignettes where patient weight loss and end weight varied, then rated their confidence in an AAN diagnosis and alternatives. Using repeated measures ANOVAs, we examined patient (weight loss, end weight) and the possible relationship between clinician (e.g., age, profession) characteristics and confidence in diagnosing AAN. Clinicians were most confident in an AAN diagnosis when patients had lost 10% or 15% of their body weight, leaving them at a high or normal weight. Clinicians considered 5% as significant weight loss for AAN, but only when the patient ended at a high or normal weight. However, they did not clearly differentiate AAN from unspecified feeding and eating disorder (UFED) when there was a 5% weight loss resulting in high or normal end weight. Clinician characteristics did not impact on confidence in diagnoses. The DSM's 'significant weight loss' criterion leaves room for clinicians to interpret it idiosyncratically. The lack of a clear pattern of UFED and AAN diagnosis has important clinical implications, as UFED tends to be dismissed as being less serious.

Dynamic Analysis of the Second-hand Luxury Goods Market in an E-commerce Context: A Network Motif and Time-series Perspective

Dynamic Analysis of the Second-hand Luxury Goods Market in an E-commerce Context: A Network Motif and Time-series Perspective

The Impact of Consumers’ Self-Concept on Luxury Goods Marketing

The Impact of Consumers’ Self-Concept on Luxury Goods Marketing

Export competitiveness network of Chinese provincial agricultural products: E volution, performance, and influencing factors.

The development of top-tier agricultural product bases and demonstration zones aims to propel Chinese agriculture into the global market, form international competitiveness, and advance to the high end of the global industrial and value chain. This study contributes to the existing literature by investigating the performance and factors influencing the competitiveness of Chinese agricultural product exports at the provincial level, using a complex network perspective, and offers recommendations for improvement. In this regard, the article uses agricultural product export data from 2015 to 2022 to create export competitiveness networks of Chinese provincial agricultural products. Our analysis revealed four primary observations. Firstly, significant opportunities exist to improve the competitive edge of agricultural product exports across various Chinese provinces. Secondly, with the exception of Guangdong Province, the types of competitively robust agricultural products exported by each province are inconsistent. Thirdly, international sister-city relationships can foster the development of an export competitiveness network of Chinese provincial agricultural products, while geographic distance may hinder this network. These findings are consistent. Lastly, the development of this competition-focused export network is also influenced by province-level and national characteristics, and these influences have unique differences. All provinces should strive to produce distinctive and globally competitive agricultural goods to build their competitive advantage in international trade. They should also implement strategic regional planning to support the global expansion of their agricultural products.

Class For Mass: Elevating Loyalty Through Consumer's Well-Being for Masstige Brands in Pakistan

The purpose of the current study is to understand the underlying structure of Brand masstige and its subsequent effects. Specifically, this study aims to empirically examine the impact of Masstige (Mass prestige, brand perception, and propensity to pay premium) on consumer well-being (CWB) and brand loyalty (BL). Furthermore, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of CWB on BL, and the mediatory role of CWB between Masstige (MP, BP, and PPP) and BL. Additionally, it seeks to investigate the interactive effect of Lifestyle congruence with Masstige (MP, BP, and PPP) to enhance CWB. Employing a cross-sectional research design, data has been collected through multi-stage and convenience sampling from masstige Hotel visitors (N=395) in the twin cities of Pakistan. The results of the study show a positive impact of MP, BP, and PPP on CWB. Furthermore, the current study supports the mediating role of consumer well-being between MP, BP, and PPP with Consumer loyalty. Moreover, the results prove the moderating role of lifestyle congruence between the association of Masstige and consumer well-being. Our study of masstige marketing for luxury services does not take into account technological advancements; thus, future studies can consider the importance of technology in the market, which can be useful to understand customer behavior and thus provide marketers with insights to plan for customer consumption and loyalty.

FIRM SIZE &amp; SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Firm size has been a key variable since time immemorial and there have been regular efforts by the State to control this variable to avoid monopoly to safeguard the interest of the consumers. Since the shared values need to be infused within the employees first and keep them exposed to the stakeholders for taking decisions so as to take care of the economic, environmental and social aspects benefitting all shareholders, we presume that beyond a certain size, the relationship and interconnection within all stakeholders shall be too complex for the firm to manage which would lead to unsustainability. The other variables are also important for the firm to be resilient as narrow scope, high end indivisible technology, complex management structure and concentrated ownership cannot keep the firm adaptive to the changing environment which might be deter the sustainable performance. In this study, I have looked at the variable firm size in depth while touching upon other variable to look for performance of the firm in terms of sustainability.

Specular Modernity in Motion: The Design of the Osa Scooter, Leisure, and Consumption in the Long Sixties

In recent history scholarship, the concept of the long Sixties characterized by cultural and social transformation expanded beyond the West to include, among other parts of the globe, the socialist world. In the West, one of the defining features of the long Sixties was the rise in leisure and the abundance of consumer goods. In the planned economies of socialist countries, consumer goods became a major consideration. In Poland, one of the premises of de-Stalinization in 1956 was the provision of objects for everyday life as the Stalinist Party had failed to meet the expectation of material abundance. And design was cast in the role of creating desirable objects under socialism in a similar way as in the West. Taking the Osa scooter as a case study, this essay examines the role that design played in consumption under socialism in Poland. To do so, the essay engages with the Production – Consumption – Mediation Paradigm, developed in design history by Grace Lees-Maffei. This model acknowledges consumption and mediation in the analysis of design objects. Following this, the essay considers how the Osa scooter appeared on the pages of Motor, a magazine aimed at motorists, and examines how the Osa was consumed. Designed to reflect the functions of the scooter, the body of the Osa represented modernity, and, on the pages of Motor, the Osa facilitated leisure and was promoted toward a male owner. In consumption, the Osa became a luxury item that while imbedded into youth culture was representative of the inequities of individual motorization. Keywords: socmodernism, motorization, consumerism, Osa scooter, Poland