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Empowering customers through participation is known to enhance brand promotion. A popular strategy involves asking customers to vote on marketing communication tactics, which activates empowerment effects through increased psychological ownership. Prior research has found that while winning voters experience empowerment effects, losing voters report lower psychological ownership, product evaluations, and demand. In this research, through four studies we develop and test a parsimonious common customer identity framework to understand and reduce the effects of losing. This research advances marketing communication theory by highlighting the distinctive processes underlying the empowerment versus losing effect and demonstrating the value of engaging losing voters by enhancing intergroup interdependence through the activation of cooperative mindsets. Specifically, the study identifies that framing a voting event as a collaborative (versus competitive) effort is effective in mitigating the losing effect, particularly among those with high self–brand connection. Therefore, this research offers managerial implications on managing empowerment strategies, which is potentially generalizable to other marketing communication channels involving customer participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three studies examine the effectiveness of social norm messaging in a green consumption context. The overall goal is to identify theory-based ways to increase consumer choice of biodegradable take-out food packaging with an extra charge versus single-use plastic with no charge in the US and South Korea. Results indicate that descriptive norm messaging is superior to prescriptive norm messaging in both countries. Prescriptive norm messaging produced significantly higher reactance and more negative attitudes toward the packaging selection experience in the US, suggesting serious backfire effects in that country, but not in South Korea. Results advance theory regarding the use of social norm messaging to increase consumers' willingness to pay an additional charge for take-out food packaging that is biodegradable versus single-use plastic. Managerial and policy implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior research in international markets has yielded two seemly opposing views regarding customer engagement with local/domestic versus foreign-made brands: a preference for foreign brands based largely on country-of-origin effects or a preference for local/domestic brands based primarily on consumer ethnocentrism. In the present research, the authors contextualize the investigation across international markets and propose that, in two national markets with different cultural characteristics, a combination of local and foreign appeals leads to more favorable brand and product evaluations, compared with either local or foreign appeals alone, due to a heightened level of perceived brand globalness, a phenomenon called "the coalescence effect." The authors report results from seven studies conducted in China and the United States and discuss ways to design branding strategies that enhance customer engagement in an era of intensified global competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Consumer well-being in health-care settings is often undermined by information asymmetries, uncertainty and complex choices. Men are generally less motivated to adopt support tools designed to facilitate shared decision-making (SDM) and increase involvement in health service delivery. This study aims to examine the effects of sports team metaphors in a male-centered decision aid on empowerment and preparedness within a sleep apnea treatment context, a common disease among men. Individual-level factors that influence the decision aid experience are also considered. Design/methodology/approach: An online panel sample of 296 US men was randomly assigned to a generic or gender targeted decision aid. The scenario-based method was used to simulate the decision aid experience. A one-way MANOVA tested the effects of gender targeting on SDM-related outcomes. Structural equation modeling was then undertaken to analyze relationships between self-construal and these outcomes. Findings: Participants who experienced the gender-targeted decision aid reported higher levels of empowerment and preparedness. The positive relationship between collective interdependence and empowerment was stronger among those who received the targeted decision aid. The positive relationship between empowerment and preparedness was also significantly stronger in the targeted group. Empowerment mediated the effect of self-construal on preparedness. Originality/value: Little to no research has evaluated the effectiveness of sports team metaphors in improving SDM and facilitating health-care value cocreation. Results provide insight into how to enhance service design and delivery for men facing medical decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Shared decision making (SDM) has long been advocated as the preferred way for physicians and men with prostate cancer to make treatment decisions. However, the implementation of formal SDM programs in routine care remains limited, and implementation outcomes for disadvantaged populations are especially poorly described. We describe the implementation outcomes between academic and county health care settings. Methods: We administered a decision aid (DA) for men with localized prostate cancer at an academic center and across a county health care system. Our implementation was guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework. We assessed the effectiveness of the DA through a postappointment patient survey. Results: Sites differed by patient demographic/clinical characteristics. Reach (DA invitation rate) was similar and insensitive to implementation strategies at the academic center and county (66% v. 60%, P = 0.37). Fidelity (DA completion rate) was also similar at the academic center and county (77% v. 80%, P = 0.74). DA effectiveness was similar between sites, except for higher academic center ratings for net promoter for the doctor (77% v. 37%, P = 0.01) and the health care system (77% v. 35%, P = 0.006) and greater satisfaction with manner of care (medians 100 v. 87.5, P = 0.04). Implementation strategies (e.g., faxing of patients' records and meeting patients in the clinic to complete the DA) represented substantial practice changes at both sites. The completion rate increased following the onset of reminder calls at the academic center and the creation of a Spanish module at the county. Conclusions: Successful DA implementation efforts should focus on patient engagement and access. SDM may broadly benefit patients and health care systems regardless of patient demographic/clinical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The low completion rate of advance directives (ADs) has received attention in Japan and the United States, as policy makers and health care professionals face aging populations with multiple comorbidities. Among the barriers to AD planning, cultural values and attitudes appear to be particularly influential. A comparison of culturally distinct societies provides a deeper understanding of these barriers. Through such an approach, this study identifies strategies for increasing AD planning among late-middle-age Japanese and US individuals. Methods: After giving informed consent for the Institutional Review Board–approved study, Japanese and US respondents (45–65 y; 50% female) without ADs completed a language-appropriate online survey. Participants were asked to review a decision aid as part of a scenario-based physician consultation regarding artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH). Hypotheses were analyzed using multigroup structural equation modeling. Results: Important similarities were identified across the 2 groups. After reviewing the decision aid, both samples strongly preferred "no ANH." Respondents who strongly valued either self-reliance or interpersonal relationships experienced greater preparedness for AD planning. In both countries, greater decision preparedness and positive death attitude predicted greater confidence to discuss care options with a provider. Finally, cultural values predicted preference for family participation: respondents with a strong interdependent self-concept desired more family involvement, whereas high independents preferred less. Conclusions: Findings indicate the importance of documenting care preferences and accounting for individual differences. To increase AD adoption, providers should identify patient segments likely to benefit most from the interventions. Targeting individuals in both countries who value self-reliance and interpersonal relationships appears to be a good place to begin. Such individuals can be identified clinically through administration of validated measures used in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Country-level animosity effects on foreign products from disliked countries are fairly well understood, but little is known about the role of global company animosity (GCA). Such understanding is important in a world increasingly dominated by global brands that are rapidly losing their associations with individual countries. This study proposes a nomological net that features GCA and perceived value of global brands (PVGB) as "dual process antecedents" to global brand attitudes and mediators of four relevant exogenous constructs (consumer ethnocentrism and localism through GCA and cosmopolitanism and materialism through PVGB). Using nonstudent consumers, the authors test the model in three diverse national markets ranging from emerging to developed: Brazil, South Korea, and Germany. The results show support for the importance of PVGB as a counterbalance to GCA in Brazil and Germany. The dominance of the PVGB path in South Korea is due to the country's unique socioeconomic milieu. Although replication is warranted, international marketing managers should benefit from strategic consideration of the antecedents and pathways from GCA and PVGB to global brand attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to describe the results of four studies that examine the interaction effects between locus of causality and social presence on consumers' emotional response to a service failure and how they subsequently cope with the negative emotional experiences through support-seeking or vindictive negative word-of-mouth (NWOM). Design/methodology/approach: To evaluate the research hypotheses, one online content analysis study and three experiments were conducted. Findings: The results of the four studies show that when locus of causality information is not available (Studies 1 and 2), consumers are more likely to engage in support-seeking NWOM when there is social presence (versus no social presence). When a service failure is externally/internally attributed, social presence leads to less/more vindictive NWOM (Studies 3 and 4). The results clarify the underlying affective processes (frustration, anger and embarrassment) that account for the unique interaction effects involving locus of causality and social presence on NWOM. Originality/value: Despite promising progress in both social presence and service failure research, scholarly attempts aiming to draw the theoretical linkages between these two streams are relatively scarce, and it remains unknown regarding whether and how social presence influences NWOM in the event of service failure. Against this backdrop, this research examines the effects of social presence on consumer NWOM in service failure. The authors further contribute to both research streams by testing the effects of an important set of emotions as mediators, as well by exploring the conditions under which a particular emotion is more predictive of its corresponding outcomes. These findings offer important insights that help service managers effectively mitigate customer NWOM at the point of service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors examine (1) the extent to which cross-national marketing scholars report measurement invariance (MI) assessment results and (2) what cross-national marketing scholars think about MI assessment in general. In Study 1, the authors analyze all cross-national empirical articles (243) published in 15 well-respected and peer-reviewed marketing journals from 2000 to 2005. Although the results indicate a steady growth of published cross-national empirical marketing research and assessment of MI, only 28% of the studies undertook the procedure. In Study 2, the authors analyze responses from 86 cross-national empirical marketing scholars regarding their knowledge about, attitudes toward, and use of MI assessment. The results indicate that the relatively low utilization of MI assessment is due to low MI knowledge and the sophistication of the techniques. The authors conclude with suggested implications for the field of international marketing and a discussion of future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the moderating roles of self-construal and need for cognition (NFC) on brand attitudes and purchase intentions in response to comparative versus noncomparative advertising. To enhance reliability and external validity, the study is conducted in two culturally and economically distinct countries, Thailand and the United States. Independent self-construal exerts a moderating effect in both countries. Furthermore, as expected, this effect is observed for consumers with low but not high NFC. Unexpectedly, however, for low-NFC consumers, comparative ads are more persuasive among those with low rather than high independent self-construal. Heightened situational involvement, evoked by incongruity between self-construal and ad message structure, appears to be the psychological mediator underlying this effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have tested models incorporating cognitive as well as affective mechanisms that help explain different levels of perceived humorousness in advertising (cf. Alden and Hoyer 1993; Speck 1991). In the first of two studies, an extended incongruity resolution model of humor perception in television advertising is proposed and tested. In that test, schema familiarity is found to moderate surprise resulting from ad content incongruity. Furthermore, playfulness of the ad, ease of resolution of the incongruity in the ad and warmth created by the ad moderate the effects of surprise on humor. Thus, surprise appears to be a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for humor in television advertising. In the second study, the role of surprise in generating humor is examined in more detail. Specifically, evidence supports the hypothesis that, following exposure to incongruity, surprise can be transformed into diverse affective outcomes such as fear and humor depending on the presence of different contextual moderators. Implications of the overall model are discussed from both theoretic and applied perspectives and directions for future research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the authors examine the emergence of brand positioning strategies in advertising that parallel the growth of the global marketplace. A new construct, global consumer culture positioning (GCCP), is proposed, operationalized, and tested. This construct associates the brand with a widely understood and recognized set of symbols believed to constitute emerging global consumer culture. Study results support the validity of the new construct and indicate that meaningful percentages of advertisements employ GCCP, as opposed to positioning the brand as a member of a local consumer culture or a specific foreign consumer culture. Identification of GCCP as a positioning tool suggests one pathway through which certain brands come to be perceived by consumers as 'global' and provides managers with strategic direction in the multinational marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humor is a commonly used communication tool in American advertising, but little is known about what makes an ad more or less humorous. This study examines a sample of television ads to determine whether recent psycholinguistic theories of humor can help explain why certain ads that intend to be humorous are perceived as such while others are less successful. For example, ads which employed a contrast between everyday life and the unexpected were generally perceived as more humorous than those employing a contrast between everyday life and the impossible. The theoretical and applied implications of such findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research has shown that processing based on the product-category schemas of consumers can influence the manner in which consumers evaluate products. This article presents a series of studies that explore how processing based on such schemas interacts with consumer expectations prior to the trial of a new product and influences disconfirmation judgments and product evaluations following the trial. An initial study finds that, when attributes included in the description of a new product are very discrepant from a prior category schema, consumers may switch schemas in forming pretrial expectations. A second study finds that more negative product evaluations following the trial may result when consumers' experience with a product during the trial is very different from schema expectations, compared with the situation in which the product matches schema expectations. A third study demonstrates that disconfirmation judgments and posttrial evaluations may occur through processing at the product-category schema level, rather than through processing at the product attribute level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humor is a commonly used communication tool in advertising in the United States, but U.S. marketers know little about its use and effectiveness in foreign markets. Such limited knowledge hinders international managers' ability to determine which aspects of humorous communications are likely to be amenable to global standardization and which should be adapted to local expectations. The authors examine the content of humorous television advertising from four national cultures: Korea, Germany, Thailand, and the United States. Findings indicate that humorous communications from such diverse national cultures share certain universal cognitive structures underlying the message. However, the specific content of humorous advertising is likely to be variable across national cultures along major normative dimensions such as collectivism-individualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors develop and apply a probabilistic model designed to identify currently nonexporting manufacturers with a relatively high potential for future exports. The proposed model includes a new predictive construct (market expansion ability), which incorporates the time dimension of firm behavior, in addition to more familiar attitudinal constructs such as perceived barriers to exporting. The model is demonstrated with a sample of 345 nonexporting manufacturers. Several evaluative tests, including a test of predictive validity with a sample of 43 current exporters, provide evidence of the model's ability to identify nonexporting manufacturers with export potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Research suggests that desired family involvement (FI) in medical decision making may depend on cultural values. Unfortunately, the field lacks cross-cultural studies that test this assumption. As a result, providers may be guided by incomplete information or cultural biases rather than patient preferences. Methods. Researchers developed 6 culturally relevant disease scenarios varying from low to high medical seriousness. Quota samples of approximately 290 middle-aged urban residents in Australia, China, Malaysia, India, South Korea, Thailand, and the USA completed an online survey that examined desired levels of FI and identified individual difference predictors in each country. All reliability coefficients were acceptable. Regression models met standard assumptions. Results. The strongest finding across all 7 countries was that those who desired higher self-involvement (SI) in medical decision making also wanted lower FI. On the other hand, respondents who valued relational-interdependence tended to want their families involved – a key finding in 5 of 7 countries. In addition, in 4 of 7 countries, respondents who valued social hierarchy desired higher FI. Other antecedents were less consistent. Conclusion. These results suggest that it is important for health providers to avoid East–West cultural stereotypes. There are meaningful numbers of patients in all 7 countries who want to be individually involved and those individuals tend to prefer lower FI. On the other hand, more interdependent patients are likely to want families involved in many of the countries studied. Thus, individual differences within culture appear to be important in predicting whether a patient desires FI. For this reason, avoiding culture-based assumptions about desired FI during medical decision making is central to providing more effective patient centered care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper to use Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to explain the online brand community (OBC) identity internalization process through brand website interactivity. Secondary purpose of the research is to explore the role of several individual difference factors and brand-specific constructs in predicting brand website interactivity. Design/methodology/approach – This study proposes the OBC motivation development continuum of brand website interactivity. Thus, a national panel was collected by a reputable online survey firm and a structural equation model was used to test the proposed model. Findings – The authors examined four brand-related antecedents and mediators (brand engagement in self-concept, susceptibility of normative influence, opinion leadership, and consumer innovativeness) and found evidence of the differing roles that brand engagement in self-concept and purposive motives play as mediators to brand website interactivity. Practical implications – Marketing managers can use the proposed model as a useful tool for understanding ways to target and motivate segment specific consumers in ways that will increase the effectiveness of managers’ OBC building strategies. Originality/value – This study utilized SDT to explain the internalization process of brand website interactivity. Further, several individual difference factors were explored as antecedents and mediators of brand website interactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Two studies examine the role of the cultural value orientation, self-construal, as a moderator of the relationship between social presence and service satisfaction. Cross-cultural data are collected in China and the USA to maximize variation on self-construal. Results suggest that social presence effects vary depending on the consumer's independent self-construal. Regardless of whether the service encounter is positive or negative, social presence increases the strength of satisfaction or dissatisfaction for low independents but not for high independents. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies in Japan and the United States investigate preferences for patient–physician decision-making style among young adults in the context of a primary care clinic visit for an upper respiratory infection. A treatment scenario described 1 of 3 decision-making styles: a young adult and doctor using a passive (physician decides), shared (patient and physician decide together), or autonomous (patient decides from a set of medically appropriate alternatives) decision-making style. Unexpectedly, Japanese respondents evaluated the autonomous interaction most positively. US respondents evaluated the shared decision-making scenario most positively. Overall, despite large cultural differences, both country samples favored higher participation in decision making. These results suggest that passive patient approaches are falling out of favor as patient-centered care expectations diffuse globally, even in traditionally hierarchic societies with high levels of respect for authority. The implications of these findings along with managerial implications and suggestions for future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Service franchising is a business model that involves building a network of outlets (franchisees) that are locally owned, but act in coordinated manner with the guidance of a central headquarters (franchisor). The franchisor maintains quality standards, provides managerial training, conducts centralized purchasing and promotes a common brand. Research indicates that franchising private reproductive health and family planning (RHFP) services in developing countries improves quality and utilization. However, there is very little evidence that franchising improves RHFP services delivered through community-based public health clinics. This study evaluates behavioral outcomes associated with a new approach - the Government Social Franchise (GSF) model - developed to improve RHFP service quality and capacity in Vietnam's commune health stations (CHSs). Methods: The project involved networking and branding 36 commune health station (CHS) clinics in two central provinces of Da Nang and Khanh Hoa, Vietnam. A quasi-experimental design with 36 control CHSs assessed GSF model effects on client use as measured by: 1) clinic-reported client volume; 2) the proportion of self-reported RHFP service users at participating CHS clinics over the total sample of respondents; and 3) selfreported RHFP service use frequency. Monthly clinic records were analyzed. In addition, household surveys of 1,181 CHS users and potential users were conducted prior to launch and then 6 and 12 months after implementing the GSF network. Regression analyses controlled for baseline differences between intervention and control groups. Results: CHS franchise membership was significantly associated with a 40% plus increase in clinic-reported client volumes for both reproductive and general health services. A 45% increase in clinic-reported family planning service clients related to GSF membership was marginally significant (p = 0.05). Self-reported frequency of RHFP service use increased by 20% from the baseline survey to the 12 month post-launch survey (p < 0.05). However, changes in self-reported usage rate were not significantly associated with franchise membership (p = 0.15). Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence regarding the ability of the Government Social Franchise model to increase use of reproductive health and family planning service in smaller public sector clinics. Further investigations, including assessment of health outcomes associated with increased use of GSF services and costeffectiveness of the model, are required to better delineate the effectiveness and limitations of franchising RHFP services in the public health system in Vietnam and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive research on adults, we know relatively little about the factors and processes that influence adolescent satisfaction with clinical reproductive healthcare. In this study, survey responses from 135 adolescent clinic users in the western U.S. support a client-satisfaction model that differs from the traditional coping response framework by featuring negative emotions as a primary antecedent of service-quality evaluations, rather than a consequence. Quality evaluations directly impacted satisfaction, which, in turn, affected word of mouth and intentions to return to the clinic. This research represents an initial step toward better understanding of ways that adolescents may differ from adults on factors influencing satisfaction with clinical reproductive healthcare and, hence, holds both theoretical and managerial significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social franchising, an effective social marketing business model, has increased the quality of health care services in developing and developed countries. Typically, private sector physicians and pharmacies are recruited by local or international nonprofit organizations into branded networks of clinics that benefit from economies of scale, a standardized business model, higher quality services, and sophisticated social marketing. While generally effective in the private sector, social franchising of public government operated clinics is very limited. As a result, the social franchise model is relatively untested as a means of enhancing the capacity and quality of public health care services for individuals with limited financial resources. Addressing the need for additional study, this case analysis traces development and launch of a social franchise network of reproductive health services through community public health clinics in two provinces in central Vietnam. Improvement of the clinic infrastructure, increased standardization of quality services, staff instruction on proactive relationship management, and promotion of a culturally relevant brand all appear to have contributed to the successful launch of the network in this case study. The decision to implement a standardized schedule of affordable service fees in one of the two provinces also appears to have improved perceived service quality. Implementation of planned staff incentives has proven to be the most challenging aspect of what is referred to as the government social franchise (GSF) model. Overall, initial evaluation suggests that significant improvement in reproductive health care service quality can be achieved through adaptation of the social franchise model to public sector context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Given the ongoing globalization debate and lack of agreement about whether consumer cultures are predominantly globalizing, glocalizing, or localizing, the purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework designed to help clarify discussion and facilitate theoretical progress. Design/methodology/approach - By integrating Rosch's categorization theory into the discussion of whether consumer cultures globalize, glocalize, or localize, several propositions can be formulated that help structure this discussion systematically. Findings - It is demonstrated that arguments for global consumer culture (GCC) are most easily made at the superordinate level. However, their strength (versus glocal and local consumer culture) at the basic and subordinate levels is moderated by whether meanings associated with the consumption factor are primarily functional or symbolic. Research limitations/implications - Future research should empirically validate this initial effort. In addition, scholars should examine from a non-western centric perspective whether GCC is emerging across the different category levels and meaning systems. Furthermore, emic research is needed to examine the emic meanings of the categories herein. Practical implications - This proposed framework is also designed for marketing managers as a new tool to facilitate their global strategic planning. Originality/value - This paper moves the GCC culture debate forward by integrating, for the first time, categorization theory into the discussion. This is of value for both academics and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relative impact of narrative versus factual message strategies on product evaluation was explored. The role of ad message involvement (AMI) as a mediator was also investigated. Narrative versus factual print ad copy resulted in more favorable product evaluations for two fictitious brands, one each from the cell phone and sunglasses product categories. Narrative print ad copy also elicited higher ad message involvement which, in turn, mediate the differential effect of narrative versus factual copy on product evaluations. The study demonstrated one of the major pathways through which the relatively more persuasive effects of narrative versus factual print ad copy appears to operate. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's multinational marketplace, it is increasingly important to understand why some consumers prefer global brands to local brands. We delineate three pathways through which perceived brand globalness (PBG) influences the likelihood of brand purchase. Using consumer data from the U.S.A. and Korea, we find that PBG is positively related to both perceived brand quality and prestige and, through them, to purchase likelihood. The effect through perceived quality is strongest. PBG effects are weaker for more ethnocentric consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested whether, among consumers in developing countries, brands perceived as having a nonlocal country of origin, especially from the West, are attitudinally preferred to brands seen as local, for reasons not only of perceived quality but also of social status. We found that this perceived brand nonlocalness effect was greater for consumers who have a greater admiration for lifestyles in economically developed countries, which is consistent with findings from the cultural anthropology literature. The effect was also found to be stronger for consumers who were high in susceptibility to normative influence and for product categories high in social signaling value. This effect was also moderated by product category familiarity, but not by consumer ethnocentrism. The results, thus, suggest that in developing countries, a brand's country of origin not only serves as a "quality halo" or summary of product quality (cf. Han, 1989), but also possesses a dimension of nonlocalness that, among some consumers and for some product categories, contributes to attitudinal liking for status-enhancing reasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which developed a model explaining marketing managers' attitudes toward and use of consumer sales promotions. Discussion of the model based on Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior; Information on price versus non-price oriented promotions; Methodology of the study; Results and discussion.

The well-known gap between organ-donor supply and demand in the United States is particularly acute for Asian Americans. Lower participation in organ donation programs by Asian Americans has been hypothesized as one explanation for this observation. This study finds that, relative to European Americans, Asian Americans hold more negative attitudes toward and participate less frequently in a large, urban organ- donor program. The study also hypothesizes and tests possible reasons for subcultural differences in attitudes toward donation. Two cultural belief constructs hypothesized to more strongly predict Asian American attitudes and behaviors appear to impact both groups equally. Reasons for these results along with public policy implications and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though an integral component of many marketing strategies, relatively little has been written about the management of consumer sales promotions. This study introduces a framework that examines the relative importance of key factors on managers' use of two consumer promotions: coupons and sweepstakes. Our results show that brand managers use trade and consumer sales promotions more extensively than media advertising, but do not consider sales promotions to be more effective in meeting objectives. Our sample of U.S. brand managers heavily favor price-oriented over non-price promotions. We conclude that managerial use of sales promotions is influenced primarily by competition and short-term pressures. A national survey of brand managers of packaged convenience goods provides support for the proposed framework. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Despite agreement on the importance of satisfaction processes to the adoption and maintenance of pro‐social behaviors (Andreasen, 1995), social marketing theory in this area is limited. This paper proposes a model that integrates mainstream and social marketing theories in order to better understand how increasing knowledge within the “maintenance stage” affects the ways that contraceptive, social marketing clients reach satisfaction judgements. The model's research propositions are currently being tested in a four‐country study involving Nepal, Australia, the US and Vietnam. Preliminary results will soon be available. The paper concludes with a discussion of the proposed model's potential applications for social marketing managers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The effects of two factors (congruity of product information with consumer expectations and perceived risk associated with the product) on strategies used by consumers to evaluate products are tested in the United States and Thailand. When product information does not match expectations, consumers in both cultures increase evaluation effort and shift from using summary representations stored in memory to evaluation based on actual product attributes. Perceived risk also enhances evaluation effort in both cultures, but does not result in a similar shift from category-based to attribute-based processing. ©1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional equivalence of products and consumer activities across cultures is a largely unexplored area. Yet, the lack of functional equivalence that exists may suggest the need for modification of some concepts and theories of consumer behavior. The study reported in this paper explores the functional equivalence that exists between U.S. and Japanese consumers in an important consumer activity-gift giving. The results suggest a lack of functional equivalence of this activity and illustrate how researchers should give explicit consideration to this issue in the development and testing of consumer concepts and models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study that examined the structural and cultural characteristics of television advertising that uses humor in Japan. Methodology of the study; Results and discussion on the study.

Extending theoretical frameworks tested in other national markets, this study provides an in-depth look at the structural and content characteristics of television advertising that uses humor in Japan. Similar types of humor structures are found but important content differences are observed as well. In addition, structural characteristics previously shown to be associated with higher levels of perceived humor in U.S. television advertising, are not found to affect perceptions of humor in Japanese television advertising. The study's implications for academics and international marketing managers interested in improving performance in the Japanese market are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The personal and social costs of unintended pregnancy and HIV infection point to the need for ongoing research designed to enhance the effectiveness of preventive advert/sing, particularly to those segments at greatest risk. One segment that appears to be at significant risk is comprised of individuals who experience high levels of guilt about sex. This study seeks to determine whether high sex-guilt (SG) individuals are unique in their processing, recall, and evaluative responses to advertising for condoms. Two hundred fifty-two college-aged men and women were randomly assigned to two versions of a condom advertisement that differed in terms of self-referencing vs. other-referencing in the message copy. A 2 x 2 x 3 (Gender x Self-Versus Other-Referencing Message Copy x High, Moderate, and Low Sex Guilt), between subjects ANOVA design was used to test hypothesized relationships. For female, but not male, participants, high SG was inversely related to depth of processing, recall, positive thoughts about the ad, and perceived credibility of the ad. For both genders, high SG was inversely related to perceived ad informativeness, attitude toward the ad, and attitude toward the brand. Message design interacted with SG and gender on an important outcome measure--purchase intention. Study implications are discussed, and avenues for future research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which tested alternative promotional strategies to improve condom advertising. Two-sided versus one-sided advertising; Industry practices in print advertising; Implications to health care marketers.

The study extends the country-of-origin (CO) literature by demonstrating several important effects o perceived risk on consumer trial for a low involvement product. A high versus low risk country-of-origin (CO) causes subjects to take more time forming an impression and to have more evaluation thoughts. They also have more negative thoughts during trial and form more negative impressions of the brand immediately following trial. Thus, higher risk associated with a product's country-of-origin appears to significantly enhance elaboration during trial while reducing favorableness of the trial experience. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]