Negative Consumer Research Articles

Information Acceleration: Validation and Lessons from the Field

There is strong management interest in the use of multimedia stimuli to gather data with which to forecast consumer response to really new products. These vivid methods have high face validity and are attractive to top management, but they have only begun to be tested for validity. The authors evaluate one virtual representation called information acceleration (IA) that has been applied eight times to consumer and business-to-business products. They report on three tests of validity—two internal and one external. The first internal test compares the ability of IA to represent a physical automobile showroom and salesperson. The second internal test compares the ability of IA to represent the interpersonal interaction of a medical technician with a physician when evaluating a new medical instrument. The external test compares forecasts, made in 1992 for a camera launched in 1993, with actual sales for 1993 and 1994. The authors also compare actual sales to forecasts modified for the actual marketing plan and for an unforeseen negative Consumer Reports article. Using real-world applications of IA as a basis, the authors conclude with a summary of the lessons that have been learned during the past five years.

UK retailers and AIDS ‐ an exploratory study

Examines UK retailers’ attitudes towards employee welfare in general, and the development and implementation of policies in respect of staff with HIV/AIDS in particular. From the research results, provides a valuable insight into retailer motivation in respect of staff welfare provision and the methods adopted by retailers in the development of welfare policy; identifies the need to ensure that a credible support strategy exists in order that welfare policies, such as those related to HIV/AIDS, can be implemented effectively. Indicates that the management of HIV/AIDS within the retail sector is complicated further by the threat of criminal attack on retail staff and the potential for negative consumer reaction to policy decisions, and concludes by suggesting that the development of a considered response to HIV/AIDS is one which UK retailers cannot afford to ignore.

THE INFLATIONARY IMPACT OF OIL PRICE SHOCKS: A VECTOR AUTOREGRESSIVE STUDY

The paper estimates a seven‐variable vector autoregressive model of the U.S. economy over the period 1970.1 to 1990.4. Forecast error variance and impulse analysis are performed on the estimated system to determine the inflationary impact of increases in the price of oil over this period. The analysis shows that a negligible percentage of inflation's forecast error variance can be attributable to increases in the price of oil. Moreover, the impulse simulations result in negative Consumer Price responses to increases in the price of oil. The primary response to a positive shock in the price of oil was a decrease in real output. The results, in general, support previous studies emphasizing the demand‐side of response to oil price shocks rather than shifts in aggregate supply.

Effectiveness of Varying Sales Style on Consumer Orientations

Using the role-play technique, the effect of four different sales orientations on customers with four different need patterns was examined by the authors. In a factorial design, product-centred,company-centred, customer-centred and self-centred salespersons interacted with strong need, marginal need, no need, and negative need consumers, attempting to sell a radio set. Neither the salesperson nor the customer was aware of the other's orientation. The study was conducted separately on the two different samples: three groups of salespersons and three groups of students with eight persons in each group. Results indicated that product-centred salespersons made a more positive impact on consumers followed by the customercentred and the company-centred salespersons. Self-centred salespersons made a relatively low impact. Furthermore, product-centred salespersons made a greater impact on low need customers while company-centred salespersons made a greater impact on high-need customers. Customercentred salespersons showed more consistency in the impact they made than the other three types of salespersons, indicating that they are likely to be consistently effective irrespective of the need patterns or customers.

Reactions to Blood Spots and Albumen Condition

THE present study was initiated to obtain further information on consumer reaction to variations in blood spot size and thick albumen height. These quality criteria, one a negative factor (blood spots—a defect) and the other a positive factor (albumen condition) have been widely used by standardization and grading agencies as well as by research workers. Since neither of these criteria is associated with nutritive value or healthfulness of eggs, it would seem that they may truly be considered quality factors only if there are positive or negative consumer responses to them. It has been assumed that the quality standards of an esthetic nature currently in use by official agencies and research workers (such as blood spots and albumen condition) reflect consumer opinion. Increasingly the weakness of this position has been recognized and consumer surveys have been carried out to determine direct reactions to so-called quality criteria. Such a study …