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The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluting industries globally. It negatively affects the environment throughout all stages of the product life cycle because it requires large amounts of water for production, long supply chains and utilizes unsustainable materials. At the demand side, consumers’ awareness regarding sustainability has grown and they increasingly question the consumption of fast fashion. This study aimed at investigating whether and how stressful events, such as the current health crisis, influence sustainable fashion consumption intention. In particular, it analyzed the impact of pro-environmental attitudes and susceptibility to social influence on consumers’ intentions to engage in sustainable fashion consumption. To account for the impact of the recent stressful event, i.e., the COVID-19 pandemic, and following attachment theory, it was tested whether and how the perceived stress due to crisis determines consumers’ pro-environmental attitudes and susceptibility to social influence. A quantitative survey, with 576 young respondents, during the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2021, was used to test the hypotheses. The findings showed that perceived stress due to crisis impacts their susceptibility to peer’s influence, providing evidence for attachment theory. In addition, one stress factor, i.e., perceived self-efficacy with regard to COVID-19, increased pro-environmental attitudes and, in turn, sustainable fashion consumption intention. From a managerial perspective, the research helps to understand how individuals’ consumption behaviors may change during a crisis and how to serve best their needs.

PurposeDemand for fake physical and digital products is a global phenomenon with substantive detrimental effects on companies and consumers. This raises various questions and issues, such as whether there are generalizable explanations of purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on consumer samples from three different countries. This paper develops and tests a model based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to explain both the demand for counterfeits and digital piracy. Respondents were questioned about physical products (e.g. clothing, accessories) from well-known brands and digital products (e.g. software, music).FindingsSocially oriented motives such as embarrassment potential, ethical concerns and social norms explain the intention to purchase fake physical and digital products, while personally oriented motives (e.g. self-identity) have indirect effects but not a direct impact on purchase intention.Research limitations/implicationsAs our results show, we find evidence for a general model – contributing and supporting our first and primary research goal of providing a theoretically robust model that bridges the gap between two streams of literature.Practical implicationsThe fact that drivers of buying counterfeit physical and digital goods are similar across countries provides justification for companies and international organizations to bundle their efforts and thus leverage them more strongly on a global scale.Originality/valueWe provide a basis for consolidating future research on demand for counterfeits and pirated goods because underlying factors driving demand are similar across the three countries studied herein.

Sharing economy organizations depend on customer cooperation. According to the existing theory, namely, the extended slippery slope framework, coercive and legitimate power are two means of achieving cooperation and trust. Based on this theory, we examine the role of coercive and legitimate power in the sharing economy in four studies. Study 1 has examined the extent of existing sharing organizations’ coercive and legitimate power (B2C, P2P, and communities) by employing website analysis. In Study 2, consumers have discussed which forms of power (coercive or legitimate) were perceived by sharing organizations in focus groups. Study 3 has investigated the impact of coercive and legitimate power on consumer cooperation in a laboratory experiment using a give-or-take-some (GOTS) game. Study 4 has examined the impact of coercive and legitimate power on cooperation using an experimental online questionnaire. We find that providers of sharing economy services highlight coercive measures on their websites, whereas consumers in the focus group discussions highlight the importance of legitimate power, as is evident in the experiments. Thus, while sharing organizations could increase their use of legitimate power, they should apply coercive power carefully.

As part of diminishing climate change, food consumption needs to be addressed to reduce greenhouse gases. In order to change food consumption habits to carbon-friendly eating patterns, consumers may be targeted by information campaigns and legal regulation. The current paper studies consumers’ diets and food purchase behavior. In particular, it aims to understand consumers’ motivational and emotional aspects that influence their behavior. Study 1, an interview study, aims to understand the development of and motivations for climate-friendly nutrition. Identifying eco-friendly motives also revealed that emotions seem to play an important role in nutrition and the purchase of climate-friendly products. Study 2 aims at identifying consumers’ positive and negative emotions when it comes to consuming carbon-friendly food. Again, qualitative interviews revealed a variety of positive and negative emotions. Study 3 quantitatively tested the theory of planned behavior, including positive and negative emotions and predicted carbon-friendly food purchases. The results show that attitudes, perceived behavioral control and positive emotions predict carbon-friendly food purchases. Derived from these findings, recommendations for information campaigns and legislation to foster carbon-friendly food purchases are presented.

Intellectual property (IP) infringement is widely researched in behavioural studies with manifold quantitative and qualitative research. The current chapter focuses on qualitative research and gives an introduction to how data from expert interviews and websites of relevant stakeholders can be analysed to understand and interpret IP infringement applying triangulation. This chapter selects the comprehensive perspective of the entire business and institutional environment in an international context, focusing on the social-cultural, legal, economic, political, and technological framework in different countries, which determines business activities. It answers three research questions on past, current, and future activities regarding IP with data from forty-six organizations (expert interviews, website analyses). The analysis of the data with Computer Assisted/Aided Qualitative Data AnalysiS (CAQDAS) follows four steps: (1) organizing the material; (2) coding; (3) searching; and (4) modelling and interpreting. The analysis revealed that first, there were several activities regarding IP that have been applied by different stakeholders, second, the present status of IP from the point of view of the different stakeholders has a strong legal aspect, and third, a cross-national collaboration for enforcement and harmonizing legislation is seen important for the future of IP specifically by governmental bodies. Overall, these findings allow for recommendations not only for legislators but also for industry and organizations lobbying for more lenient IP rights leading to a bright future for IP.

Purpose In today’s globalized world, countries are becoming increasingly multiethnic. This raises questions about the different dimensions of consumers’ territorial identities, and how these dimensions are differentiated, interrelated and interlinked. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Using qualitative interviews, this paper investigates how (40) respondents from two different ethnic minorities in a country that is not necessarily considered multiethnic perceive these dimensions of territorial identity (ethnic, regional and national) as a constituent element of their own person and of their behavior. Findings The authors highlight that these three dimensions of territorial identity co-exist as independent entities; they are distinct but interrelated and interconnected. Furthermore, idiosyncrasies in the ethnic sub-samples are investigated and described. These are related to the connection to the country of residence (being born there vs having immigrated there). Finally, avenues for future research, such as expanding the concept of territorial identities and its connection to consumer behavior, are suggested. Originality/value The authors extend the bipolarity commonly used in territorial identities (global vs local or ethnic vs national) to three conceptually independent dimensions. The authors explore the relationships between these dimensions of territorial identity and show that they may not conflict but, instead, co-exist.

With regard to ecological sustainability, an aspect of corporate social responsibility (CSR), a shift in business practices towards a stakeholder orientation was observed. However, little research was done on the activities carried out with regard to these stakeholders and the drivers of these activities. Drawing from a resource-based view and stakeholder theory, the current research thus aimed to uncover activities undertaken by companies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and examine the ways they communicate these activities to stakeholders in an effort to establish relations with them. By means of 16 semi-structured interviews in 14 companies and using a flexible pattern-matching approach, the results identified contextual, conditional, and intervening conditions that define the basis for a carbon footprint and its quantification, and at the same time influence the actions taken by companies. The findings offer a contribution to ecological sustainability literature and practice by identifying five areas of carbon footprint actions including heating, building, travel, transportation, and green services and products; and by showing that companies direct different actions in these areas towards different stakeholders to build relations with them.

The sharing economy is a new promising trend with many positive outcomes on society and the environment, as it provides potential for sustainable solutions due to the reduction of resource consumption and less waste. However, research and practice show that sharing comes with its own share of problems. People often act selfishly, and in worst-case scenarios try to take advantage of others without contributing to the shared good. To achieve the higher goal of sustainability, it is important that conflicts in the sharing economy are prevented, and a setting is achieved that allows people to easily behave in a cooperative and sustainable way. The present research examines which conflicts emerge in sharing communities (study 1) and community gardens in particular (study 2), and whether regulation can prevent conflicts in large groups. Two exploratory studies were conducted. First, a qualitative study with consumers and non-consumers of the sharing economy revealed that regulatory systems are perceived as important for preventing the exploitation of other community members, but also that cooperation should not be enforced with strict controls and punishment. Rather, problems should be discussed in a democratic group setting, rules and goals should be set up together, and trust should be built. Second, a questionnaire study with community gardeners in Austria confirmed these results, and showed that trust is related to less conflict in community gardens, while harsh forms of regulation are related to a potential for greater conflict. Additionally, the results indicate that soft forms of regulation are related to fewer relationship and task conflicts, better conflict resolutions, a high sense of community, and greater trust in the community. We then discuss how these findings can be used to regulate sharing economy activities and give limitations and directions for future studies.

The aim of this paper is to shed light on consumers’ concurrent ownership of original and counterfeit versions of a brand, a phenomenon that is lively in the global market place but has thus far failed to attract adequate research attention. Using findings from eight focus group discussions, this paper investigates the relationships consumers have with brands and counterfeits when they own both at the same time, based on different object-, self-, and other-centered engagements. Subsequently, three distinct consumer segments were identified that vary in their relationship trajectories over time. Along three established phases, a decline in purchasing of counterfeits can be observed; between Phases 1 and 2, this is due largely to negative emotional aspects, while making the transition to Phase 3 is always induced by a conflict with the social self. In all three segments the gap between the perceived and ideal social self widens, yet, once again, there are differences in the coping strategies.

The European Union has been an important part of everyday life for European consumers, and companies actively encourage cross-national consumption experiences by developing and implementing pan-European marketing strategies. However, the theoretical underpinnings for the cultural dynamics within the EU remain sketchy and largely unexplored. This paper aims to understand how consumers balance the 'new' realities within the EU and their influence on consumption behaviour. Consumer culture theory, ethnic identity and acculturation theory are applied to the multifaceted EU context and particularly the effects on consumption behaviour. Focus groups with consumers in Austria, Denmark (i.e. countries with longer EU membership), Slovenia, Poland and Czech Republic (i.e. countries with short membership status) provide empirical insights to our theoretical contentions. Results for different product categories are discussed by means of emerging stories from focus group discussions.

Word of mouth (WOM) and its equivalent electronic word of mouth (eWOM) have been established as important influences in consumer decision processes. While recent research has explored the various aspects of eWOM and confirmed its importance as a source of information for consumers in online contexts (Zhu & Zhang, 2010), no study so far has investigated simultaneously traditional WOM and offline environments and the importance of eWOM in relation to other sources of information, namely, commercial and public channels. Thus, the aim of this study is to explore these relationships and to compare consumers’ online and offline information search behaviour, depending on need for cognition (NFC), web expertise and trust in offline and online sources, which are considered relevant influences to information search behaviour. Time consumers spend on a particular website is agreed as a crucial performance metric for websites (Danaher et al., 2006). Previous research suggests that usage duration better reflects consumer’s engagement than loyalty or intention measures (Dholakia et al., 2004). The experimental design (n = 366, 53.27% female, Mage = 30.23, SDage = 11.35) consisted of an interactive online information search task. Participants were asked to gather information for a buy or no-buy decision of a high-involvement product, namely, a HDTV monitor. This direct observation of consumers’ actions in a buying decision-related information search task was combined with a questionnaire focusing on their individual motives for choosing information sources (commercial, public and personal). Items measuring the need for cognition (Bless et al., 1994), web expertise, trust in and usage frequency of commercial, public and personal (online vs. offline) were used (5-point Likert scale). According to our results, consumer’s decision to search for information in the online environment depends very much on web expertise and trust, not on NFC. The search itself with usage frequency and time spent, however, is not influenced by web expertise anymore, but depends mainly on trust.

This chapter describes integrate research conducted in the area of online shopping into a theoretical model predicting consumers' buying intentions. It investigates affective states and purchase intentions and their relationship to risk factors in the online-environment. The chapter argues that integrate empirical findings in a conceptual model of online shopping also provide the framework for further empirical research. It assumes that online shopping, or the intention to shop online, is the result of a decision process that is determined by environmental variables, such as the type of product, the specific form of shopping; and psychological characteristics as well as socio-demographic profiles of potential online-shoppers. Motivational and values research shows that the perceived risk of online shopping and trust in retailers are important determinants of online shopping. The chapter focuses on consumer satisfaction with online shops. Satisfaction with a website decreases with a growing perception of a website's riskiness.

We aim to shed light on the role of consumers and what can be done to make them stay away from these illegal business practices and win them over (again) to originals. Specifically, through bringing together the counterfeiting and the piracy literature and highlighting similarities rather than differences between the two product categories, we outline (1) how these consumer insights are already reflected in consumer-directed anti-counterfeiting measures (CAMs), (2) how effective these activities are, and (3) what can still be done in the fight against counterfeits and digital piracy.

Individuals around the globe engage in sustainable consumption in their everyday life, e.g., when it comes to individual transportation. Although tourism behavior contributes to global carbon emissions to a considerable extent, consumers’ awareness of sustainability in the tourism industry is still underresearched. Placing eco-labels next to tourist offers on websites might direct consumer’s perception towards more sustainable offers. By employing eye-tracking techniques and surveys, this research aimed at linking information about sustainable tourist offers, perception of eco-labels and subsequent perception and preferences of tourism services. In Study 1, eight existing hotel offers with sustainability certification (four different labels) were selected and their websites presented to 48 participants (four websites each), whose eye movements were tracked. After looking at each website, they rated the overall appearance of the website. Based on the results, in the second study, participants’ (n = 642) awareness of labels, their values and attitudes regarding sustainable behavior were found to influence their preference for certified tour operators. In addition, individuals’ ideas of their perfect holidays were captured to allow a better understanding of their motivation. This research proposes implementing appropriate sustainable labeling in the tourism industry to increase awareness about sustainability among travelers and subsequently increase sustainable travel behavior.

Social systems play a pivotal role in shaping customers? views, the adoption process and subsequent product diffusion for novel products. Perceptions of Austrian consumers regarding payment systems were assessed in a cross-sectional analysis applying social representations theory. Social representations help to unravel the sources of individuals? attitudinal or perceptual similarities and differences, which often stem from inter-group differences. In short, they are useful for the investigation of ?deeper structure? aspects of consumer behaviour, as has been shown in previous studies (e.g, Penz and St�ttinger, 2008; Roland-L�vy, Boumelki, and Guillet, 2010; Stewart and Lacassagne, 2005). This may be seen as a further step forward for marketing research, which operates largely on social phenomena. This study addresses the shortage of non-cognitive based research in marketing by offering a methodological approach that uses triangulation based on associative answers from social groups. A four-step analytic design revealed that consumer groups transpose the abstract concept of payment systems into tangible objects and processes in a similar way, however, their social background impacted which value was attached to established as well as new means of payment. Cash is still seen as the prototypical form of payment; newer forms, such as credit-cards or ATM cards appear already in the periphery of representations, urgently needing well-concerted marketing efforts to become recognized as substitutes for cash. From a managerial view, the research employs social phenomena as a basis for segmenting natural rather than nominal groups in order to better serve consumers? needs in an increasingly connected social reality.

Counterfeiting has emerged as a major problem for global marketers. It has risen dramatically over the past years and now represents some 5-8% of total world trade (Balfour, 2005). While supply side deterrents may still be helpful in this context, the active role of the consumer as ‘accomplice’ (Bloch, Bush, & Campbell, 1993) calls for demand side counteractions. As long as the demand is thriving, counterfeiters will always find new ways to serve customers (e.g., Albers-Miller, 1999). Substantial research has looked into what drives consumers to buy the fake rather than the original product and various influences were identified (Eisend & Schuchert-Guler, 2006; Staake, Thiesse, & Fleisch, 2009). Many of these studies have focused either on industrialized countries (e.g.,Gistri, Romani, Pace, Gabrielli, & Grappi, 2009; Penz & Stottinger, 2005)or emerging markets in SE-Asia (e.g., Phau & Min, 2009; Prendergast, Chuen, & Phau, 2002). One region, however, was neglected - the Middle East. Little is known about how consumers in the region perceive counterfeits (versus original brands), their motivations to buy fake products or their relationship and experience with fake goods - aspects of a phenomenon which is strongly related to culture (Eisend & Schuchert-Guler, 2006). This takes with surprise as countries in the region have a growing and young customer base. This makes them a particularly attractive target markets for branded products and at the same time easy prey to counterfeits (Ollier & Behean, 2009).

Research on joint decision-making processes in households is particularly relevant for marketing, especially for understanding who decides what to buy in purchasing decisions and how decision processes evolve. However, the investigation of such complex processes requires adequate research methods to account for the dynamics in close relationships. We provide a critical overview of past research in the arena of economic decision-making among couples, concentrating on methodological issues. After describing different types of decisions we proceed by describing findings on interaction dynamics, including the nature and occurrence of conflicts. In reviewing relationship structures we focus on the dimensions of harmony and power. The descriptive process model utilized includes the partners' use of influence tactics, as well as the emergence of utility debts at the end of a decision-making process. Reviewing the adequacy of various research methods, observational and survey techniques are discussed as conventional psychological research methods. The Vienna Partner Diary is introduced as novel method and suggested as being useful for collecting data on the complex interaction processes in the everyday life of couples. O texto fornece um panorama crítico da investigação realizada na área da tomada de decisão entre cônjuges, concentrando-se nos aspetos metodológicos. Descreve diferentes tipos de decisões e retira conclusões sobre as dinâmicas da interação no seio de casais, incluindo a natureza e a ocorrência de conflitos. Discute a adequação de diversos métodos e técnicas de investigação, observação e pesquisa enquanto métodos de investigação psicológica convencional. A investigação no âmbito de processos de tomada de decisão conjunta em agregados familiares é particularmente importante para o marketing, especialmente para entender quem decide o que comprar e como se desenvolvem os processos de decisão. No entanto, a investigação de processos tão complexos requere métodos adequados que deem conta das dinâmicas nas relações próximas. Procuramos fornecer aqui um panorama crítico da investigação realizada na área da tomada de decisão entre cônjuges, concentrando-nos nos aspetos metodológicos. Depois de descrever diferentes tipos de decisões, retiramos conclusões sobre as dinâmicas da interação no seio de casais, nomeadamente sobre a natureza e a ocorrência de conflitos. Na análise das estruturas dos relacionamentos concentramo-nos nas dimensões de harmonia e de poder. O modelo utilizado para descrição do processo inclui a utilização pelos casais de táticas de influência, bem como o surgimento de dívidas após um processo de tomada de decisão. O texto discute a adequação dos diversos métodos e técnicas de investigação, observação e pesquisa enquanto métodos de investigação psicológica convencional. Apresenta-se o Estudo por Diário de Viena (Vienna Partner Diary) como novo método, salientando-se a sua utilidade na recolha de dados sobre os complexos processos de interação do dia a dia dos casais. La recherche sur les procédures de décision conjointe dans les familles est d'une importance particulière en ce qui concerne le marketing, permettant de comprendre qui décide de quoi acheter dans les décisions d'achats et comment les processus de décision évoluent. Toutefois, la recherche sur des processus si complexes exige des méthodes de recherche adéquates permettant de tenir compte des dynamiques existant dans ces rapports étroits. Nous proposons une approche critique globale des anciennes recherches dans le domaine de la prise de décisions économiques des couples, nous penchant sur des questions méthodologiques. Après avoir décrit différents types de décisions, nous sommes passés à la description de résultats des dynamiques d'interaction, y compris de la nature et de l'occurrence de conflits. En ce qui concerne les structures de la relation, nous nous centrons sur les dimensions d'harmonie et de pouvoir. Le modèle de description du processus que nous avons utilisé comprend le recours par les partenaires à des tactiques d'influence, ainsi que l'émergence de dettes aux services à la fin du processus de prise de décision. En analysant l'adéquation de plusieurs méthodes de recherche, nous nous sommes penchés sur les techniques d'observation et d'analyse qui sont les méthodes de recherche psychologique conventionnelle. Le Journal des Partenaires de Vienne est introduit comme nouvelle méthode; nous suggérons qu'elle est d'utilité pour colliger des données sur les processus complexes d'interaction dans la vie quotidienne des couples.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer perceptions of personal risk and benefits of digital piracy behavior as determinants of one's justification for such behavior and the consequent future piracy intention. Temporal effects of rationalization in shaping future piracy intent are also addressed.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was developed using counterfeiting and piracy literature. Data were gathered via mail and online survey of adults in five European Union countries. The model was tested on pooled sample using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.FindingsRationalization mediates the relationship between perceived benefits and piracy intention, but not between perceived risk and intention. Both perceived risk and benefits affect piracy intent, with risk reducing it and benefits increasing it. Rationalization of past behavior increases future digital piracy intent.Research limitations/implicationsRisk measure was limited to technical problems, thus future studies should examine a wider scope of risk dimensions. The cross‐sectional design of the study also creates some limitations. A longitudinal methodology could provide a better insight into sequencing of rationalization.Social implicationsMarketing communications should increase public awareness of risks and reduce perceived piracy benefits to reduce future piracy intent. Public persuasion activities should counter the arguments consumers use to rationalize their piracy behavior.Originality/valueThis research fills in a void in knowledge on how expected consequences drive rationalization techniques, particularly with respect to future piracy intent. A realistic data set drawn from adult population in five countries is used, enhancing external validity.

The demand for fake products is a constant headache to brand manufacturers and policy makers across the globe. Past research has explored cognitive and social drivers of buying fakes. To add to the discussion, we explore emotional aspects and motivations surrounding the ownership and purchase of fake products in contrast to originals. Findings from eight focus groups in a small EU country point to the fact that emotional aspects are important drivers of purchasing decisions for both product categories. Results indicate different patterns of positive, negative or mixed emotions for originals versus fakes.

Vietnam is undergoing a rapid transformation to a more prosperous society. This article analyzes household decision making in a transforming economy that has undergone modification of the traditional view of the family, from being an autonomous unit to an object of state policy. This is relevant because policy interventions shape household consumption through gender equality programs and thus have an impact on sex-role specialization. The aim of this study is to advance understanding of Vietnamese household consumption decisions and spouses’ current influence patterns by investigating sex-role specialization in Vietnamese middle-class families’ decision making. Overall, no significant sex-role changes were observed. It seems that traditional Vietnamese sex-role specialization does not (yet) differ among age groups. Instead, traditional sex-role segmentation remains predominant across all investigated age groups. While economic and consumption habits change rapidly, middle-class families appear to preserve their traditional influence patterns in purchase decisions.

Qualitative international research is increasingly popular in marketing, management and business practice. Cultural dimensions, most importantly language, play a central role in this research context. The importance of language in the context of questionnaire design and international data gathering has long been stressed in various sources (Pike 1966; Brislin 1970; Piekkari & Welch 2004). However, the practice of qualitative data collection and analysis has not been addressed sufficiently, although new and innovative software-based tools are available to help these efforts. This paper deals with methodological and practical issues in analysing qualitative interviews with corporate elites. We illustrate conceptual challenges in setting up qualitative projects that build on interviewing corporate elites and address practical implementation issues in terms of multilingual coding, node creation and theory building by means of computerassisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS). To this end a specific empirical example will be used.

PurposeMixed emotions (i.e. consumer ambivalence) play a central role in approach‐avoidance conflicts in retailing. In order to assess how consumer ambivalence impacts shopping behaviour, this paper seeks to conceptualize and investigate the multi‐dimensional antecedents of approach‐avoidance conflicts, experienced by shoppers in changing retail environments, and the importance of approach‐avoidance conflicts for consumers' decision to stay and complete their purchase in that particular shopping channel.Design/methodology/approachUsing a cross‐country study, which compared online and offline consumers, the paper tested the influence of the situation, product, and reference group on shoppers' intentions; and identified how consumers' mixed emotions influenced approach‐avoidance conflicts in different retail settings.FindingsWhereas some distinctions could be drawn between online and offline contexts when examining the impact of market‐related, product‐related and social factors on consumers' decision to shop (H1, H2, H3 and H4), no clear distinction could be drawn between online and offline channels in terms of mediating effects of mixed emotions (H5, H6 and H7). Mixed emotions (ambivalence) did mediate the impact of certain product‐related, market‐related and personal factors on consumers' intention to purchase.Practical implicationsRetailers need to reduce the impact of consumers' emotional responses to the retail setting where mixed emotions are likely to lead to consumers leaving the stores. For online shops, those retailers are successful who are able to induce behavioural reactions that make consumers return and explore the web site and not use it for search only.Originality/valueResponding to calls for further research on mixed emotions and their consequences, the paper captures the complex impact of consumers' mixed emotions on approach‐avoidance conflicts, and thereby extends earlier work on consumer ambivalence.

The articles in this Special Issue on the sharing economy’s role in fostering sustainability comprise eight contributions to answer how trust and regulation shape relations of providers and consumers. We identify indispensable aspects of the sharing economy to show its potential in fostering sustainability. This is in some contrast to existing definitions and applications of sharing economy business models, which do not place sustainability in their focus. The studies employ a variety of methods, covering quantitative and qualitative research to investigate building of communities on the consumer side, as well as trust-building and implementation of regulations in the interaction between providers and consumers in Asia and Europe. Some areas in the sharing economy foster sustainability, some foster social cohesion and in the end build social capital, but others focus at first sight on convenience and lifestyle.

Over the last decade, markets for investments have changed in Europe. Consumers have become more aware of ethical standards and violations of social values and norms. While in some countries, such as the United States, this change took place decades ago, the market for ethical investment in Europe is still at an early stage. The present study investigates the underlying motives for ethical assets of consumers in early-stage markets. Using seven interviews with financial experts and five focus groups with ethical and conventional investors, we examine how investors view ethical investment, how ethical investors are described in terms of socio-demographics and personality characteristics, and which attitudinal factors are related to ethical investment behaviour. Interviews and focus groups are recorded and qualitatively analysed according to grounded theory. Ethical investment is found to be characterised through negative and positive ethical criteria. Our findings demonstrate how essential it is for ethical investors to lead a certain lifestyle driven by particular ecological and social values. Attitude theory serves to explain ethical investment behaviour. Conclusions for the marketing of ethical investment funds and for future research are drawn.

In zunehmendem Maße verwenden KonsumentInnen computer-basierte Kommunikationsformen, Bulletin-boards, Newsgroups, Chatrooms, Emailverteiler und Webseiten und sonstige online Formate um sich auszutauschen beziehungsweise um nach Produkten zu recherchieren und diese zu vergleichen. Online Communities haben sich als ausgezeichnete Möglichkeit erwiesen um allgemein verfügbares Wissen und Produkt Know-how KonsumentInnen und auch Unternehmen verfügbar zu machen. In der Praxis der Marketingforschung wird dieser Wissenspool jedoch noch unzureichend genutzt und Produktneugestaltung und Produktvariationsentscheidungen auf der Basis von Online Communities sind noch eine Seltenheit. Dieses Manuskript stellt Online Communities als eine kostengünstige und vielfältige Alternative für qualitative Marktforschung vor. Es werden Wege und Möglichkeiten diskutiert wie qualitative Information aus Online Communities für Analysen verfügbar gemacht werden können und wie diese als Grundlage für Neuprodukt- und Produktvariationsentscheidungen Verwendung finden können. Rudolf R. Sinkovics Manchester Business School, Booth Street West, M15 6PB Manchester, UK E-Mail: Rudolf.Sinkovics@manchester.ac.uk Tel.: +44-161-306 8980 URL: http://www.personal.mbs.ac.uk/rsinkovics/ Elfriede Penz Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien, Augasse 2–6, 1090 Wien, Österreich E-Mail: Elfriede.Penz@wu-wien.ac.at Tel.: +43-1-31336 5102 URL: http://www.wu-wien.ac.at/imm/penz/ Francisco J. Molina Castillo University of Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain E-Mail: fjmolina@um.es Tel.: +34-968-367826 URL: http://www.marketing.um.es/professor/fjmolina

Counterfeiting, i.e., producing and selling copies of branded products that strongly resemble the original, has emerged as a major problem for global marketers, rising dramatically over the past several years. Surprisingly, factors driving the demand for fake products have attracted far less attention than supply-side remedies. This paper attempts to redress this imbalance by investigating the demand for counterfeits. Specifically, we consolidate existing findings and develop a comprehensive yet parsimonious model of the antecedents and drivers of voluntary counterfeit purchases. Following the frequent call for more cross-national comparisons, we used a sample of over 900 consumers from Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Mexico to test our model. This large-scale approach calls existing findings into question and raises provocative thoughts guiding future research in the area.

Women have proven to be more risk-averse than men in investment decisions in many studies. In Western cultures, risk taking is perceived as a masculine characteristic. We therefore hypothesize that the more people associate themselves with masculine attributes, the more financial risks they tend to take, regardless of biological sex. Study 1 showed that differences between men and women in financial risk taking decreased when identification with masculine attributes remained constant. Femininity, on the other hand, was not related to financial risk taking. In the second study, gender priming on masculinity and femininity affected risk taking of the male sample.

The demand for counterfeits has become a major headache for brand name manufacturers across the globe. This paper investigates two key demand drivers: (1) corporate image, in the form of evaluative and descriptive judgments of the original manufacturer and the counterfeiter, and (2) product attributes, split into physical, beneficial, and symbolic aspects, and their impact on consumers' intentions to buy fakes, based on the tripartite model of attitudes and by applying Peabody's concept of unconfounding evaluative and descriptive judgments (Peabody, 1984; Peabody & Goldberg, 1989; Saucier, 1994; Saucier, Ostendorf, & Peabody, 2001). In total, 1846 consumers were surveyed in six different countries: the United States, Austria, Mexico, Sweden, Slovakia, and the Ukraine. According to the results, corporate image and product characteristics show a strong impact on the consumers' intention to buy fakes. The relative importance of the concepts' sub-dimensions, however, differs substantially across the countries selected. With respect to the corporate image, respondents use mainly emotional responses to describe the image of original manufacturers and counterfeiters, and they clearly distinguish them based on image. Product-level comparisons revealed that looks, functionality, image, and physical appearance differed between originals and fakes across countries, whereas quality and durability of originals and fakes are perceived very similarly. The paper closes with managerial implications and avenues for future research. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Consumer decisions to purchase fakes instead of originals has developed into a major concern for brand manufacturers worldwide. This research looks at the customers' understanding of the key concepts “original brand” and “counterfeit brand.” Using the theory of social representations helped to gain rich insight into the consumers' perception of counterfeit brands in the light of their counterpart original brands, to determine the main differences and similarities, and to identify core aspects and relative evaluations of these two concepts. Taken collectively, the results indicate that, based on single associations, respondents' mental maps of the two concepts do not overlap. It seems that they have a clear picture of what they get with the purchase of original brands versus counterfeits. Although similar attributes to evaluate “original brand” and “counterfeit brand” were used (quality and price), they contribute differently to the nature of the concepts. The benefits of both categories are strongly related to consumers' norms prevalent in their social environment. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the Internet's paradoxical nature from the perspective of consumers.Design/methodology/approachFirst, it is discussed that negotiations between companies and consumers about their respective shares of power lead to different models of consumer power. Second, the paradoxical effects of technology on social relations and an individual's sense of identity and responsibility are discussed. These changes have altered not only consumer behaviour but also the relationship between producers and customers, in the sense that power shifts to consumers. The case of the international music industry is used as an example. This case embodies many of the studied aspects of the paradox concept and proves useful in the development of implications for companies and their strategies.FindingsThe paper finds that while negotiations between companies and consumers about their share of power lead to different models of consumer power, the effects of technology on social relations and individuals' sense of identity and responsibility lead to changes in consumption behaviour.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies how business practices have changed in response to the changes in intellectual property matters and the power constellations between companies and consumers. The theoretical models presented in this paper represent different positions that companies and consumers can take and are helpful in explaining the current power struggles, such as file sharing activities, which on a more individual level also correspond to paradoxical effects of the Internet (social relations, deindividuation effects).Originality/valueThis paper takes a fresh look at the Internet's paradoxical nature from a consumer point of view. It is argued that some of the Internet's paradoxical effects stem from socio‐political and socio‐cultural changes, for example, a power shift from companies to consumers, and normative and anti‐normative behaviours.

PurposeThis paper aims at contributing to the conceptual and methodological advancement of international marketing research.Design/methodology/approachThe theory of social representations is utilized to study what the representatives of a certain culture think of objects and products; which values they associate with these, which norms they follow, and in general how they view the world.FindingsTriangulation was employed to facilitate researchers' access to the social representations approach. Six focus group discussions were conducted combined with a free association instrument answered by a sample of 250 respondents. The empirical study began from a social constructionist perspective. Findings showed that several conceptual and functional aspects of a technological innovation (m‐commerce services) are idiosyncratic to particular groups, reflecting the group's societal affiliation and position.Research implications/limitationsA translation problem prevails when dealing with specific words from cross‐cultural research and the similarity of concepts must be considered when translating free associations in the course of international research. Other methodologies were only conceptually presented but not empirically used. Visual approaches such as pictorial instruments or ethnographical tools should be applied in future research.Originality/valueThe results provide a solid basis for international marketing research and suggestions for expanding the current study into international marketing research are provided.

The emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web has been argued to fundamentally reshape economic conditions and business practices of firms. It is seen as a promoter of rapid internationalisation of companies, particularly small and medium enterprises. In the aftermath of the burst of the electronic-bubble business practitioners and academics look with scrutiny on successful web-strategies, relevant dimensions of online-success and try to identify viable website practices which enable long-term rewards. The literature offers a rather patchy pattern for successful web-strategies and consumer perspectives on what is expected from websites is hardly available. Within this paper, we introduce the dimension “web-empowerment”. This is a multidimensional construct comprising of consumer views on various dimensions of relevant and successful websites. The web-empowerment scale is based on a large sample from Austria, and developed according to scale development procedures. The relevance of this construct and practical issues in the context of a cross-country sample of SME’s is empirically examined. The paper concludes by offering implications for SME practitioners and for research.

PurposeTo provide guidance for the formalised analysis of qualitative data and observations, to raise awareness about systematic analysis and illustrate promising avenues for the application of qualitative methodologies in international marketing research.Design/methodology/approachConceptually, the nature of qualitative research, globalisation and its implications for the research landscape, text‐data as a source for international research and equivalence issues in international qualitative research are discussed. The methodology section applies these concepts and analysis challenges to a real‐world example using N*Vivo software.FindingsA 14‐step analytic design is developed, introducing procedures of data analysis and interpretation which help to formalise qualitative research of textual data.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of software programs (e.g. N*Vivo) helps to substantiate the analysis and interpretation process of textual data.Practical implicationsStep‐by‐step guidance on performing qualitative analysis of textual data and documenting findings.Originality/valueThe paper is valuable for researchers and practitioners looking for guidance in analysing and interpreting textual data from interviews. Specific support is given for N*Vivo software and its application.

The electronic purse (chip-card) is promoted as an option offering consumers an easy means of payment. It also offers advantages to traders and banks by reducing transaction costs. However, successful launching of the electronic purse depends mainly on consumers' acceptance, which in the past was very low in Austria. We study consumers' acceptance of the electronic purse, cash and established non-cash payment systems by analysing social representations of payment facilities. Semantic contents of associations raised in response to the stimulus words “means of payment in general”, “cash”, “cheque”, “ATM-card”, “credit-card” and “electronic purse” have been analysed. Overall, 264 people were studied applying two techniques: the “associative network” and the “conceptual network”. It is shown that means of payment are categorised on two dimensions: cash and non-cash. Non-cash payment facilities are characterised by high abstraction levels, and loss of subjective control over expenditures. The electronic purse is perceived as highly dissimilar to other means of payments.

Social, cultural, political and technological forces have significantly transformed the competitive landscape of the global economy. Amongst these forces, technology has arguably had the most rejuvenating impact on the way international businesses interact with each other and their customer base. End-users are making use of computer-mediated communications, newsgroups, chat rooms, email list servers, personal World Wide Web pages and other online formats at an unprecedented pace, and as they share ideas and obtain information about products and services, firms are extending their market research activities to these domains. These new tools, online communities, virtual communities and virtual worlds have emerged as a fascinating and useful pool of collective experience for international business. However, the utilization and analysis of this body of knowledge for international business decisions is still in its infancy. This paper analyzes the potential of these tools to inform international business decisions. We explain how to identify and access each of these communities, and how to convert the qualitative information available from online communities into a strategic input for the firm.

This paper uses the social distance concept and employs a revised version of Bogardus' [Bogardus, E. S. (1933b). Social problems and social processes: Selected papers from the proceedings of the American sociological society. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press] social-distance scale, to explore cognitive structures of Austrian residents towards Japanese and German tourists. The removal of conflicts between residents and international tourists is vital to improve the economic outcomes of the exchange of individuals from various cultural backgrounds. This can help the tourism sector, which is significant factor in the service industry. Data from a quota-sample of 449 respondents, commenting on everyday life interactions with German and Japanese tourists is used. Similarity analysis methodology is applied to [`]link' statements and interpret differences in views towards tourist encounters. Austrian residents view tourist groups similar in terms of brief interactions (e.g. when visiting museums or walking in gardens). However, long-term relationships (e.g. kindergarten and schools vs. personal invitation to homes) manifest themselves differently. The cognitive structures of interaction we identify can be seen as conflict-coping strategies. For residents, social distance serves as a means to avoid malfunctioning relationships. In that respect, Austrians are more reluctant to engage in personal interactions with Japanese tourists than with German tourists. The paper concludes with managerial recommendations for international business and tourism managers that are designed to improve social and economic performance of interaction. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2009.06.002

Die qualitative internationale Marketingforschung findet in zunehmendem Mase Zuspruch in der betrieblichen Praxis. Uber die Bedeutung der Sprache im Kontext der Fragebogengestaltung und auch der landerubergreifenden Datenerhebung wurde bereits viel publiziert (Brislin 1970, Piekkari/Welch 2004, Pike 1966). Allerdings wurde die Praxis der qualitativen Datenerhebung und Analyse mehrsprachiger Forschungsprojekte bislang nur in unzureichendem Mase vor dem Hintergrund neuartiger softwaregestutzter Verfahren besprochen.