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People use social comparisons to reduce uncertainty when facing new or stressful situations. This study explores how a stressful experience, the COVID-19 pandemic, changed how people compare their income. It relates these changes to subjective well-being (SWB). We use a repeated cross-sectional dataset of students at two German universities from before and during the pandemic. A novel survey instrument is employed to identify individualized reference groups used for income comparison and to analyze whether the comparison pattern changed. Our results reveal that, while there was little change in the size of the reference groups, there was some difference in the group composition. During the pandemic, survey respondents were more likely to select two types of individuals into their reference groups: relatives and people they only knew from social media. Income comparisons were beginning to have a negative association with SWB, while the relation had been positive before the pandemic. Moreover, upward income comparisons increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Systematic reviews of the relationship between alcohol consumption and all‐cause mortality have reported different relative risk (RR) curves, possibly due to the choice of reference group. Results have varied from 'J‐shaped' curves, where low‐volume consumption is associated with reduced risk, to monotonically increased risk with increasing consumption. We summarised the evidence on alcohol consumption and all‐cause mortality exclusively from systematic reviews using lifetime abstainers or low‐volume/occasional drinkers as the reference group. Methods: We conducted a systematic umbrella review of systematic reviews of the relationship between alcohol consumption and all‐cause mortality in prospective cohort studies using a reference group of lifetime abstainers or low‐volume/occasional drinkers. Several databases (PubMed/Medline/Embase/PsycINFO/Cochrane Library) were searched to March 2022. Reviews were assessed for risk of bias, and those with reference groups containing former drinkers were excluded. Results: From 2149 articles retrieved, 25 systematic reviews were identified, and five did not include former drinkers in the reference group. Four of the five included reviews had high risk of bias. Three reviews reported a J‐shaped relationship between alcohol consumption and all‐cause mortality with significant decreased risk for low‐volume drinking (RR range 0.84 to 0.95), while two reviews did not. The one review at low risk of bias reported monotonically increased risk with greater consumption (RRs = 1.02, 1.13, 1.33 and 1.52 for low‐, medium‐, high‐ and higher‐volume drinking, respectively, compared with occasional drinking). All five reviews reported significantly increased risk with higher levels of alcohol consumption (RR range 1.28 to 3.70). Sub‐group analyses were reported by sex and age; however, there were evidence gaps for many important factors. Conversely, 17 of 20 excluded systematic reviews reported decreased mortality risk for low‐volume drinking. Conclusions: Over 70% of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses published to March 2022 of all‐cause mortality risk associated with alcohol consumption did not exclude former drinkers from the reference group and may therefore be biased by the 'sick‐quitter effect'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the relationship between secessionist tendencies, which are understood to be the desire of a set of certain individuals to cease being part of an ingroup in order to form a new class or identity, and perceived conflict within the original affiliation. The working hypothesis is that there is a positive correlation between these variables. Two hundred and twenty-four volunteer participants responded to five questionnaires that measured the main variables of this study and supplied feedback through other questionnaires related to social identity: regionalism (a form of ethnocentrism), group identification, and essentialism. The main results indicate that secessionism is positively associated with the perception of conflict between the ingroup and the superordinate ingroup, and that both variables in turn correlate with the other variables studied. The results are discussed in terms of the possible causal determination between the variables drawn from the aforementioned empirical evidence and the supporting theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how injunctive, descriptive, and benefit appeals encourage consumers to engage in unfamiliar 'sustainable behaviours' – specifically, the consumption of surplus food, defined as edible foods that are never sold to or consumed by targeted customers. Three experiments involving 815 participants were run to assess reference group and message framing types as moderators of advertising appeal influence. Results indicate a significant interactive effect between reference group and advertising appeal on sustainable food consumption practices. For descriptive appeals, membership groups were the most effective for promoting sustainable food consumption; for injunctive and benefit appeals, aspirational groups were the most effective. Interaction between advertising appeal and message framing also exerted a significant effect on sustainable food consumption behaviours, with descriptive and benefit appeals the most effective when used with positive message framing, and injunctive appeals the most effective when used with negative message framing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In his life, a person performs many different roles in different social groups. In each of them, we perform a role that we combine with our other roles. In the most significant reference group, the family, these can be: mother, father, son, daughter and others. This group is not only the most significant for each person, but also the one that accompanies him throughout his life. The changes that occur over time are related to a change in the role and its members. The other significant reference groups are the friend group, the interest groups, the team at work. In each of them, we fulfill a given role, which we reconcile with our other roles. Along with them, there is another role that is very different in nature, essence and purpose from the others. This is the role of the consumer. The main purpose of the consumer role in human life is to satisfy our needs and wants by participating in a process of exchange. The goal of this article is to make a brief review of the theoretical concepts of the consumer, refracted through the prism of different scientific fields, which will serve to build a more multi-layered appearance of this concept. The evolution in the understanding of the concept of consumer has been traced, presented through a historical review of theoretical concepts and research. Modern interpretations of the role of the consumer in the conditions of a market economy are discussed. The model of a consumer in modern society is about an individual who has needs, seeking to satisfy them in a rational way, so as to improve his quality of life. The goal of organizations is to know the needs of consumers by providing them with the most suitable product. An overview of the theoretical statements about the concept of consumer from the positions of an interdisciplinary approach is made. The study of the consumer is subject of various scientific fields. This also allows for its deeper understanding. For one of the scientific fields, it is the focus of all the activities and that is marketing. According to marketing philosophy, people have different needs. This is also the starting point for marketing - the existence of needs that are subject to satisfaction. Placing the consumer and his needs at the heart of marketing requires that they must be studied. This can be achieved through marketing research. With the wide distribution of the Internet, prerequisites were created for the implementation of online marketing research. From the point of view of marketing, the consumer exhibits a certain behavior that is expressed in the decisions and actions he takes in the selection, purchase and way of using a given product. Studying the needs and behaviors of the target consumer will help marketers create more effective marketing strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of reference groups, perceived value, and institution image on student behavior intention at a private STIE institution in Medan. The study, which involved 400 students, found that students' behavioral intentions are influenced by their own values and the presence of a supportive group. The article emphasizes the significance of reference groups and perceived value in attracting prospective students to choose a university. It also highlights the role of image and reputation in student retention and loyalty. The research methodology used was a descriptive survey, and the results indicate that reference groups have a stronger influence on student behavior intention compared to perceived value. The article further explores the relationship between client regard and commitment in higher education institutions, emphasizing the importance of providing regard to clients for client satisfaction, loyalty, and institutional improvement. Overall, the article concludes that when reference groups, perceived value, and institution image align positively, it can attract students to choose the institution. [Extracted from the article]

Live farming assistance, which is an important channel for emerging agricultural sales, alleviated the challenges of disrupted agricultural sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in past years. As the final purchasers of products, consumers are directly related to the sales conversion rate of live farming assistance. Unlocking the potential influence of consumers' purchase intentions in live farming assistance and exploring ways to improve consumers' purchase intentions will help the sustainable operation of live farming assistance. The hidden quality of agricultural products, the public welfare nature, and the high interactivity of live farming assistance make consumers more susceptible to the group effect during the shopping process. This paper analyzes the impact of the group effect on consumers' purchase intentions based on reference group influence theory and emotional contagion theory. Data is obtained through questionnaires for empirical testing. Three kinds of group effects are examined: informational effect, normative effect, and emotional effect. The research results indicate that the group effect has a positive and direct impact on consumers' purchase intentions, and experience value plays a critical mediating role in this relationship. We further predict a moderated-mediation model, whereby the indirect effect of the group effect on consumers' purchase intentions, through experience value, is moderated by tie strength. The research findings contribute to the study of consumer buying behavior in live e-commerce, and provide insights for practitioners to improve the conversion rate of live farming assistance and promote sustainable operation of live farming assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst the forceful public demand for organisational transparency, there is an ambition to explore the limits of openness. What kind of information could and should firms keep secret and under which conditions? In this paper, we explore the limits of transparency in the marketing domain and develop a conceptual model of secrecy in marketing. We describe three modes of 'secretive' relations: between the brand and customers who know the brand secret (insiders), between the brand and customers from whom the secret is hidden (outsiders), and between insiders and outsiders. The effects of secrecy in marketing extend along with these three modes. First, secrecy creates value for insiders by reinforcing their connection to the brand. Second, it provokes outsiders' curiosity, especially when the secret is related to a prominent brand. Finally, secrecy establishes insiders as an aspirational reference group for outsiders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green consumption is a realistic alternative to relieve the pressure on the environment and resources and realize sustainable development. As an important force affecting individual attitudes and behaviors, a reference group has a significant impact on consumers' purchase evaluation, judgment and decision-making. Unfortunately, the influence of a reference group on the willingness to pay (WTP) a premium price for green products is still unclear. In addition, environmental awareness is defined as the level of understanding and cognition of the environment and environmental protection. How environmental awareness affects the relationship between the influence of a reference group and consumers' WTP a premium price for green products is also a black box. To answer the above questions, this study divides green products into environment-friendly products and resource-conserving products according to their nature and attributes the influence of a reference group to four dimensions: informational influence, utilitarian influence, value-expressive influence and belief-reinforced influence. Then, we systematically investigate how a reference group affects consumers' WTP a premium price for different categories of green products and evaluate the moderating effect of environmental awareness. The empirical results indicate that the influence of the reference group is positively correlated with the WTP a premium price for green products. Meanwhile, environmental awareness significantly strengthens the above relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides a new perspective of peer effects that coexist in different consumer activities and investigates how consumption of a household is affected by the level of incomes of its peers. Using unique panel data on Chinese households between 2011 and 2019, we explore the causal relationship between peers' income and household consumption and then analyze plausible mechanisms behind it. We find that the peer effect of income in consumption is significantly positive. Higher level of average income in a reference group is associated with the household's greater expenditure on consumption and the improvement of consumption structure. There is also evidence that peer household income helps to encourage the household consumption through its impact on household income and peer household consumption. By identifying peers' income as the average income of other households living in the same region, in the same age group and with the same level of education, our research contributes to the literature on peer effects in consumption, mapping relationships between intragroup income and individual consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates the relationship of self-discrepancy theory and social identity theory with secrecy and consumption. The effects of reference groups and social norms on consumption preferences and the effects of preference conflicts on consumption practices were investigated. The theoretical model of the study focusing on secret alcohol consumption was tested with structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that social norms and reference groups have significant effects on self-conflict and therefore on secret consumption tendency. In the face of the strict norms of the society and the negative attitudes of the close environment, self-conflict can lead to the practice of secret consumption. This study, which reveals the effects of social norms and negative attitudes of the immediate environment on self-conflict and therefore on secret consumption, also contributes to the literature of secret consumption and social identity theory and selfdiscrepancy theories. Since there are limited studies examining the relationship between secrecy and consumption in the literature, this research enriches the secret consumption literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peers may both promote conformity and discourage ambitious choices when students make educational decisions. Low socioeconomic status (SES) students may be more sensitive to outside influence than high SES students when making educational decisions. Considering the case of choosing between an academic track and a vocational track in Danish post-compulsory education, I test whether low SES students are more prone to conform to peer preference or more likely to be deterred from choosing the more ambitious academic track by more ambitious peers. I test these hypotheses using multilevel models with school fixed effects on survey data from 882 Danish 9th-grade students, with information on track choice and survey measures of normative track preference. I find that higher classroom peer preference for the academic track is associated with higher probability of choosing the academic track, especially for low SES students. Thus, ambitious peers may help compensate for inequality in track choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How migrants' behaviour shapes their intention to settle in their destination (settlement intention) has rarely been examined. This paper pays special attention to the role of the reference-group effect, captured by subjective economic status, in shaping migrants' intention to settle in urban China. We found that both sending communities and receiving communities contribute to the reference-group effect on settlement intention. Compared with their relatives, friends, and colleagues in their hometowns and destinations, migrants with a higher subjective economic status have a stronger intention to settle. A 1-unit increase in the relative position of a migrant's subjective economic status in the sending or receiving community contributes to a 19.6 per cent or 19.4 per cent increase in the possibility of a migrant's intention to settle. Additionally, cultural assimilation, social participation, and identification mediate the relationship between subjective economic status in the reference group and settlement intention. We also found that objective economic status in the destination increases subjective economic status in the reference group in the hometown and destination. Both objective and subjective economic status affect migrants' settlement intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

iPhone can now be said to have a distinctive brand image because it uses a distinctive information system. Marketing activities are closely related to the concept of product quality so that what consumers think and feel about a particular brand can make perceived benefits. This study aims to examine the effect of product quality, price, and reference group on the purchase interest of iPhone smartphones among students at Panca Marga University, Probolinggo. In this study using the causal-comparative method. Respondents in this study were students of Panca Marga University, Probolinggo. The questionnaire was distributed to 104 respondents. Sampling was done by purposive sampling technique. Based on the results of research using SPSS. Through the results of this research, it can be concluded that: Simultaneously Product Quality, Price, and Reference Group have a positive and significant effect on Purchase Interest for iPhone smartphones for Panca Marga Probolinggo University Students, Partially Product Quality, Price and Reference Group has a positive and significant effect on Purchase Interest of iPhone smartphones for Panca Marga Probolinggo University Students, and Product Quality has a dominant effect on Purchase Interest of iPhone smartphones for Panca Marga Probolinggo University Students.

This study aims to understand how prospective first-generation college students develop their perceptions of college engagement before college attendance through secondary sources. A group of high school students were assigned to read a college-themed mystery novel and rank a series of statements relating to college engagement before and after the activity. Viewpoints of college engagement shifted from a solely academic focus to a more holistic focus after reading the novel. Enjoyment and relatability of the novel were major factors contributing to the shift in viewpoints. Findings suggest that college preparation programs need to expand beyond academics to include social and emotional components through engaging mediums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the factors that are associated with subjective class identification by using Australian national survey data. Results show that social networks play a significant role in respondents' subjective evaluation of where they fit in the social hierarchy, with those individuals who have a reference group for social comparison being more likely to identify as middle class. Participating in social clubs, having a sense of neighborhood belonging and being able to access social resources from network members are positively associated with perceived social class. The hypothetical negative effect of social exclusion on subjective class identification is not statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the relationships between entrepreneurial skills (ES), entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), entrepreneurial marketing intentions (EMI), and entrepreneurial marketing behaviours (EMB) of university students, while considering the influence of family business exposure as a moderating factor. A sample of 149 Malaysian university students was analysed using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess the roles of ES, ESE, and EMI in predicting EMB. Our findings reveal that EMI partially mediates the effects of ES and ESE on EMB. In addition, having a family-owned business background did not affect the relationships in our model. However, students with friends involved in family businesses exhibited significantly higher levels of EMB due to acquired entrepreneurial skills than those without such connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this technological era, online business is expanding due to increased internet conveniences. Smartphone users are drastically growing in Bangladesh, where it plays a vital role as a strong catalyst for economic development. On the other hand, the success of the online business is associated with creating online purchase tendency by determining influencing factors of consumers’ intention. The ultimate purpose of this paper is to identify the influential variables of consumers’ purchase intention to buy smartphones on online platforms. To fulfill the aim, a structured questionnaire has been elaborated based on the literature review to find this study’s objective. Cronbach’s alpha value was used to assess the inner surface of this study. The non-probability convenience sampling method and a 5% significance level are used to accept the hypotheses. Altogether, 350 survey questionnaires were distributed among the online-based social media customers, and finally, 288 responses were received genuinely, where the response rate was 82%. Henceforward, the sample size of the study is n = 288. SPSS version 26.0 has been applied to scrutinize hypothesis tests in this study. This paper also offers implications for online business people and several impactful guidelines for future research studies.

School plays a crucial role in adolescent development and in the prevention of antisocial behaviors. This study focuses on five common antisocial behaviors within the school environment. Analysis was conducted with various groups of adolescents aged 11–16, including a normative sample of Spanish adolescents, and two samples of adolescents from high psychosocial risk areas: Polígono Sur (Seville, Spain), and IV Municipalità (Naples, Italy). The normative sample consisted of a representative group of Spanish adolescents who responded to the 2014 HBSC questionnaire, whereas data from Polígono Sur and IV Municipalità were collected specifically from these populations. The prevalence of each antisocial behavior was analyzed according to reference group, age, sex, and two key school adjustment variables: feelings about school and perceived school pressure. Additional analysis explored how these variables and their interactions contribute to variations in antisocial behavior. The findings offer valuable insight for designing prevention and intervention programs aimed at addressing antisocial behaviors within the school context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the many achievements in health tourism, relatively few studies conducted on the health tourism consumption decisions of young consumers. This study primarily investigates how different types of reference group influence affect young consumers' health tourism intentions. Based on the theoretical framework of Stimuli-Organism-Response (SOR), a mediation model including perceived value was constructed and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationship between the types of reference group influence, perceived value, and health tourism intention. The results showed that both informational influence and utilitarian influence in the reference group influence have a positive impact on health tourism intention. Of these, informational influence is greater. Secondly, perceived value also has a positive effect on consumers' health tourism intention and plays a mediating role between the reference group influence and the health tourism intention. The findings contribute to our understanding of the impact of different types of reference group influence on health tourism intentions and enrich the application of SOR theory. The findings have implications for promoting healthy tourism consumption among young consumers.

In a pandemic context, public health events are receiving unprecedented attention, and identifying ways to enhance individual public health compliance behaviors has become an urgent practical problem. Considering that individual decisions are susceptible to group members' behaviors and that descriptive norms provide social information about the typical behaviors of others, we focused on the effects of the properties and reference groups of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors. We also investigated the mechanism with risk perception as a mediator and the applicable condition with behavioral visibility as a moderator. Through a 2 x 2 x 2 between-subject survey experiment with 529 subjects, we demonstrated that (1) compared with the negative norm, the positive norm was more effective in promoting public health compliance behaviors; (2) compared with the distal group norm, the proximal group norm more significantly promoted public health compliance behaviors; (3) the effect of the property of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors was weakened in the treatment of the proximal group norm; (4) risk perception partially mediated the association between the property of descriptive norms and public health compliance behaviors and fully mediated the effect of the interaction of the property and the reference group of descriptive norms on public health compliance behaviors; in the treatment of the negative-proximal group norm, individuals perceived more risk, thus effectively nudging their public health compliance behaviors; (5) compared with low-visibility behaviors, public health compliance behaviors were significantly stronger for high-visibility behaviors; (6) the property of descriptive norms had a weaker effect on public health compliance behaviors for low-visibility behaviors. In terms of theoretical significance, we refined the study of descriptive norms to promote the application of behavioral public policy. Moreover, the new model of public health compliance behaviors constructed in this study explains the mechanism and applicable conditions of public health compliance behaviors. In practical terms, this study has implications for designing intervention programs to nudge public health compliance behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coffee is currently a part of people's lifestyles, so the coffee shop is one of the most promising businesses, especially among teenagers. This study uses product quality, reference group and convenience as exogenous variables that influence the repurchase intentions of customers, with satisfaction as a mediation. The respondents in this study were millennial customers (Generations Z and Y) who buy Janji Jiwa brand coffee in the city of Surabaya, the determination of the number of samples in this study used a purposive sampling technique with a sample of 150 respondents. The method of collecting data is using a questionnaire; the data is analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results showed that product quality, reference group and convenience significantly affected customers' repurchase intentions. The product quality, reference group and convenience had a significant effect on satisfaction; satisfaction had a significant effect on repurchase intentions. Satisfaction can partially mediate the relationship between product quality, reference group, and convenience to customers' repurchase intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims at investigating the social factors of the tendency to self-harming with cutlass, which has not only been objected to by many religious and social experts, but also has led - in significant cases - to various social and cultural harms such as apostasy, anxiety and violence, destruction of Shiite image among other religions and the like. The statistical society was compose of individuals practicing this rite in Khomeini Shahr was selected. Using the Cochran formula, a sample size of 260 people was selected using snowball sampling. The researcher-made questionnaire and its validity were confirmed by certified and reliability experts with a mean Cronbach’s alpha of 0.915. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the variables and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficient and t-test) were used to examine the relationship between variables. Theories of social construction, mutual interaction, learning, subculture, exchange and social control were used as theories of the theoretical framework. Test results were as follows: There is a meaningful relationship between the lack of knowledge of religious teachings, the existence of some reference groups among women, the fanaticism of family traditions, the level of literacy, the relationship with peer groups and the spiritual motivation and the tendency to self-harm with cutlass. There was no significant relationship between the economic and social base on the one hand and a tendency to self-harming with cutlass.

Wi-Fi technology is one of the most electronic services that recently emerged in the banking sector that provides significant benefits to clients and banks. Thus, the study aims to validate the factors influencing the adoption of Wi-Fi (Near Field Communication) technology by banking sector clients using an extended technology acceptance model. One hundred sixty-two valid surveys were gained from Jordanian clients via an online survey. Data were analyzed using the PLS-SEM technique. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived bank credibility all have a significant effect on the adoption of Wi-Fi technology services. However, perceived awareness, reference groups, and security concerns have no significant effect on the adoption of Wi-Fi technology services. The research has several implications for theory and practice. It also makes several suggestions for future studies and points out some limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing air, water, and plastic pollution, wastage of food, deforestation, and chemical manufactured products have given rise to the concept of green marketing. Nowadays, consumers are more aware of their environment and health, and they look for eco-friendly products that are free of toxic materials. Many brands have looked into these issues. Keeping in mind the consumer's desire, they have started manufacturing eco-friendly, free of toxic and recyclable products. This study aims to determine the antecedents that will affect the purchase decisions of Generations Y and Z consumers purchasing green products from the beauty and personal care industry, which can finally lead them to become brand loyal. An explanatory research design was carried out to develop an empirical result for the study. A self-administered questionnaire was elaborated. The responses were measured through a 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaires were distributed through online mode to the respondents. The sample for the study was selected through self-selection sampling. A total of 250 responses were analyzed. The data was analyzed through structural equation modeling with the help of the statistical tool Smart-PLS version 3.3.9. The study's findings showed that green marketing mix, brand knowledge, and culture positively affect green purchase intention and finally lead to brand loyalty. The results also depicted that the reference group moderates between green purchase intention and brand loyalty. The overall understanding of green marketing and its impacts on the consumer's purchase decisions, which leads to brand loyalty, would help the brands establish different marketing strategies for attracting and engaging the consumer with higher consumer retention. It would help the brands to create brand image, consumer satisfaction, and trust among the consumer towards the brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the comparison of the impact of the use of athletes and bloggers in marketing communication on purchasing preferences of individuals which belong to the so-called Generation Z. There are two interdependent methods used for the research. The first of these methods is a questionnaire survey, which includes 508 respondents. 32 respondents separated in two groups attended the second method, which is a focus group. The research results show that athletes influence the behavioral intentions of members of the Generation Z more than bloggers in every researched sphere. The main difference in effectivity is clear from the comparison between both groups by respondents.

Crowdsourcing innovation community has become an important platform for enterprises to gather group wisdom. However, how the crowdsourcing innovation community plays a reference role in creative crowdsourcing participation is unclear. Based on the reference group theory, taking online impression management as the explanatory framework, this study explores the impact of crowdsourcing innovation community reference on the creative territory behavior, and the differences in the crowdsourcing innovation community reference effect among members of different community age groups. A total 524 valid two-stage questionnaires were collected. The empirical analysis results show that under the influence of informational reference and utilitarian reference of the crowdsourcing innovation community, community members are significantly more likely to adopt acquired impression management (AIM) than defensive impression management (DIM); under the influence of value expressive reference of the crowdsourcing innovation community, the possibility of adopting DIM behavior is significantly greater than that of adopting AIM behavior; compared with DIM behavior, AIM behavior has a more inhibitory effect on creative territory behavior. Interestingly, there are different community reference effects among members of different community age groups. In particular, the positive contribution of the elder members is not as good as that of the newcomers. The above research conclusions not only confirm the influence of crowdsourcing community reference on crowd participation decision making but also provide theoretical and practical enlightenment for exploring the cooperation mechanism of crowdsourcing innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The compromise effect is an important context effect, but its research is still insufficient under the influence of social factors and purchase tasks. This study explores the change of compromise effect in different group norm scenarios by constructing three different group norm reference points. Three conclusions were drawn. First, the compromise effect always exists under the influence of different groups' normative reference points if there is a compromise effect in a product set. Second, the effect value of the compromise effect will be significantly different with the change of group norm reference point. Third, group norms can indeed induce the compromise effect. Therefore, these findings would help to further enrich the literature results of the compromise effect and strengthen its application in marketing practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the importance of income, relative income, monetary and non-monetary poverty for individual wellbeing or happiness in rural Bangladesh. The study is the first estimate of a wellbeing function for Bangladesh using nationally representative micro-panel data. Employing a linear panel model with individual random effects and a large set of control variables like education, work status and disability, we found a strong and positive relationship between wellbeing and income. Being further below the poverty line—estimated using the depth-of-poverty measure—was found to have a significant negative effect on happiness. On the other hand, the income of the reference group was found to be just as important as one's own income for an individual's happiness. Comparisons were found to be asymmetric and upwards. Improvements in a multidimensional poverty index, constructed using indicators of household education, health and living standards, were found to have a positive and significant relationship with happiness in all specifications. Gender-disaggregated analysis reveals that, while the income effect was found to be stronger for male individuals, the effects of relative income, monetary and non-monetary poverty on subjective wellbeing are larger for female individuals. The results thus point towards a need to incorporate such notions into the assessment of individuals' wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional masculinity norms are generally defined as hegemonic because they contribute to maintaining men's favorable position in the gender hierarchy. Nevertheless, many observers argue that traditional masculinity norms are fading away under the pressure of feminist movements and are being replaced by more progressive, non-hegemonic masculinity norms. The present research examines men's perceptions of how traditional masculinity norms are viewed by three reference groups: society as a whole, other men, and women. We assessed these perceptions via two experiments based on the self-presentation paradigm and involving American (N = 161) or British (N = 160) men. Participants in both experiments perceived traditional masculinity as being valued by other men but not by society as a whole or by women. We discuss the implications of these findings in the light of current changes in masculinity norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crowdsourcing innovation community has become an important platform for enterprises to gather group wisdom. However, how the crowdsourcing innovation community plays a reference role in creative crowdsourcing participation is unclear. Based on the reference group theory, taking online impression management as the explanatory framework, this study explores the impact of crowdsourcing innovation community reference on the creative territory behavior, and the differences in the crowdsourcing innovation community reference effect among members of different community age groups. A total 524 valid two-stage questionnaires were collected. The empirical analysis results show that under the influence of informational reference and utilitarian reference of the crowdsourcing innovation community, community members are significantly more likely to adopt acquired impression management (AIM) than defensive impression management (DIM); under the influence of value expressive reference of the crowdsourcing innovation community, the possibility of adopting DIM behavior is significantly greater than that of adopting AIM behavior; compared with DIM behavior, AIM behavior has a more inhibitory effect on creative territory behavior. Interestingly, there are different community reference effects among members of different community age groups. In particular, the positive contribution of the elder members is not as good as that of the newcomers. The above research conclusions not only confirm the influence of crowdsourcing community reference on crowd participation decision making but also provide theoretical and practical enlightenment for exploring the cooperation mechanism of crowdsourcing innovation.

This study investigates how carbon emissions and energy consumption related to the life satisfaction of Chinese households over the 2010–2018 period. The China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data from 25 Chinese provinces shows that the effect of provincial carbon emissions on life satisfaction is positive, and increases in fuel and electricity consumption also predict a higher life satisfaction level. Fuel consumption, especially, has a greater impact on life satisfaction among older people with lower income or education levels. In addition, an increase in relative energy consumption negatively affects Chinese households’ life satisfaction. Heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the relative fuel consumption change has a larger negative life satisfaction effect for younger, less educated or rural people. In developed regions (including Beijing and Shanghai), a strong inverse relationship between carbon emissions and the residents’ life satisfaction exists in China, but the effects of residents’ own and relative energy consumption are insignificant or slight.

The compromise effect is an important context effect, but its research is still insufficient under the influence of social factors and purchase tasks. This study explores the change of compromise effect in different group norm scenarios by constructing three different group norm reference points. Three conclusions were drawn. First, the compromise effect always exists under the influence of different groups’ normative reference points if there is a compromise effect in a product set. Second, the effect value of the compromise effect will be significantly different with the change of group norm reference point. Third, group norms can indeed induce the compromise effect. Therefore, these findings would help to further enrich the literature results of the compromise effect and strengthen its application in marketing practice.

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of political marketing promotion activities, social media and reference group on rational voting behavior for Z generation voters. In addition, the moderator effect of the reference group variable were investigated on the effect of social media and promotion activities on rational voting behavior. The population of the study consists of participants living in various provinces of Turkey and born in 2000 and above. Convenience sampling method was used for data collection and 210 participants were reached. An online questionnaire was used as data collection tool and SPSS 25.0 statistical package program was used for analysis. As a result of the study, it was determined that social media and reference group had a significant effect on rational voting behavior for Z generation voters, while promotional activities had no effect. When the moderator roles were examined, it was concluded that the reference group variable did not have a mediator role in the relationship between promotional activities and rational voting, but had a moderator role in the relationship between social media and rational voting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the internet plays huge development of e-commerce, Currently, almost all product needs are available through e-commerce. Many factors influence online shopping, one of the factors that can influence the emergence of purchase intentions is the online review of reference group and product return policy, this study aims to determine the influence between the online review reference group and the return policy product on online shopping decisions, research data collection was carried out using incidental sampling type sampling technique with a sample of 105 people. the measurement method uses a Likert scale, statistical data analysis with multiple linear regression analysis, validity and reliability tests, classical assumption tests and hypothesis testing. the results of this study are online review reference groups and product return policies have a positive and significant effect on online shopping decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to analyze consumers' perceptions of wedding vendors to the current marketing mix of services, reference groups, and purchase decisions. Analyze the effect of the services marketing mix and reference group on the purchase decision. Formulate an effective marketing strategy for wedding vendors in influencing consumer purchasing decisions. 208 people of samples, with purposive sampling. Analytical tools use descriptive analysis, SEM-PLS, and IPA. Consumer perception of service marketing mix and purchase decision is a good category, while the reference group is in fair category. Services marketing mix has a significant positive effect on the purchasing decisions of the wedding vendor, while the reference. group has. no significant effect on the purchasing decisions of the wedding vendor.Marketing strategies that can be improved to improve purchasing decisions so that is following the priority indicators that have a high level of importance, but have a level of performance that is still below average.

Indonesia has one of largest Muslim population in the world. Therefore, currently it is not surprising that Sharia Branding is currently widely used by business entities ranging from banking to the hospitality business. This phenomenon is observed in the city of Surabaya in which Sharia hotels are mostly found such as the Namira Syariah Hotel. Nevertheless, the growth in the number of consumers who stay in Syariah hotels is not as much as conventional hotels. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to (1) to analyze the effect brand identity on the decision of consumers to stay at the Hotel Namira Syariah Surabaya, (2) to analyze the effect the consumer religiosity on consumers decision to stay at the Hotel Namira Syariah Surabaya, (3) to analyze the effect of the reference group to the decision to stay at the Hotel Namira Syariah Surabaya. This type of research uses a causal research approach. The population in this research is infinite but have ever stayed at the Hotel Namira Syariah Surabaya only but to all Muslim who at least 17 years old. The sample collection technique used is non-probability sampling with the number of samples is 210 respondents. The research instrument used a questionnaire, while data analysis used multiple linear regression analysis. From the results of the discussion and analysis of the data, it can be concluded that there is a positive influence of brand identity, religiosity and reference groups on the decision to stay at the sharia hotel.

Correlation between soil organic carbon (SOC) and land use and soil type were investigated in the soils of the Republic of Serbia. The database included a total of 1,140 soil profiles. To establish the correlation between organic carbon content and soil type, a soil map of Serbia was adapted to the WRB classification and divided into 15,437 polygons (map units). The SOC stock values were calculated for each reference soil group based on mean values of SOC at 0-30 and 0-100 cm and their areas. The largest SOC stocks for the soil layers 0-30 cm were found in Cambisol 194.76 x 1012 g and Leptosol 186.43 x 1012 g and for the soil layers 0-100 cm in Cambisol 274.87 x 1012 g and Chernozem 230.43 x 1012 g. Using the Corine Land Cover (CLC) database, the major categories of land use were defined. Based on the obtained mean values of organic carbon content for the soil layers 0-30 and 0-100 cm and the areas indicated by Corine Land Cover categories of land use, the organic carbon stocks in agricultural soil, forest soil, semi-natural areas, and artificial areas were calculated. The correlation of organic carbon stocks and the different land use categories, soil reference group, and soil depth was studied for reference groups that occupy the major part of central Serbia, such as Cambisol (taking up 37.76% of the territory) and Leptosol (22.22% of the territory), and have a sufficient number of sites that were required for this type of analysis.

Rahian-e Noor (the pilgrims of light) camps are organized to make Iranian students familiar with the sacrifices and dedication of soldiers who lost their lives in the Iraq-imposed 1980-88 war known as “Sacred Defense”. These camps are held annually for all 10th grade students and they have numerous social and cultural effects. This article set out to investigate the impacts of Rahian-e Noor Camps on Karaji students. The data were extracted from a research project that had been carried out to study the the impacts of these camps on changing attitudes and behavior of students in school year 2011-12. The research was conducted through a survey and the data were collected using a questionnaire. The sample consisted of 460 10th grade students, 235 of whom had participated in camps and 225 had not. Findings indicated that attending Rahian-e Noor Camps had a positive effect on religiosity (t = 3.95, p =0.000), social capital (t = 5.3, p =0.000), Iranian-Islamic identity (t = 4.1, p =0.000), simple living (t = 4.9, p =0.000), and to model after veterans and martyrs (t = 10.5, p =0.000).