Edward Shiu

Bangor University · Bangor Business School

This paper describes the assessment of the quality and value for money of a local authority housing repairs service in Falkirk Council in Scotland. The performance of the housing repairs service is evaluated by geographic area and by delivery contractor using the SERVQUAL approach (Zeithaml et al., 1990). The paper examines the applicability of the...

Service firms can manage failure apology emails depending on how much digital presence or lack thereof they wish to maintain toward aggrieved customers. While nascent research indicates positive effects of higher levels of digital presence, the efficacy of this strategy in service recovery settings remains unclear. Drawing on the concept of digital...

Purpose Past research argues that identity-linking messages must use established descriptors of the social group (i.e. prototypical identity appeals) to be effective. The authors show that less established descriptors (i.e. identity-linking messages low in prototypicality) can be optimal for an important customer segment, namely, for those that aff...

One way of tackling hazardous alcohol consumption is introducing warning labels on alcohol products. This research explores three under‐researched message content areas in relation to alcohol warning labels: negative/positive framing of the message; use of signal words and qualifiers; and type of information used in the message (qualitative or quan...

A large number of service firms support email-based customer-firm interactions, yet their email-based service recovery efforts remain under-researched. In addressing this issue, we investigate the effectiveness of post-service failure apology emails by treating offending firm (i.e., sender) and aggrieved customer (i.e., recipient) personalization a...

Purpose Prior research consistently found maximizers to experience greater regret over their choice than satisficers. Moreover, research also found maximizers to be trapped in a “maximization-regret-maximization” cycle. This paper aims to assess the role of construal level theory in alleviating regret felt by maximizers. Design/methodology/approac...

The growing internationalization of electronic commerce demands the establishment of the cross-national validity of theoretical concepts. An important concept in e-commerce is consumers’ fear of online identity theft (FOIT), which impedes consumers’ willingness to engage in online transactions and can negatively affect e-commerce revenues. The pres...

Purpose Consumers usually respond favourably to ingroups but negatively to dissociative groups and products linked to dissociative groups, termed the dissociative group effect. Despite important implications for branding, advertising and celebrity endorsement, little is known about how to attenuate the effect. This paper aims to introduce a mechani...

Purpose The placement of warning labels on alcoholic beverages is a policy area with renewed interest, yet a strong evidence base regarding the efficacy of text-based or pictorial warning labels has still to emerge. Increased interest by policymakers has spurred research into potential alcohol warning label designs and messages. The purpose of thi...

Warning labels on alcoholic beverages are a policy area with renewed interest, yet a strong evidence base regarding the efficacy of text-based or pictorial warning labels has still to emerge. The current review is important as previous alcohol warning reviews (e.g., Greenfield et al. 1999; Kaskutas and Greenfield 1992; Kaskutas and Greenfield 1997;...

The present paper makes two contributions to the literature, firstly by investigating whether or not three potential changes to the appearance of cigarettes would lead to positive benefits in increasing intentions to quit smoking. Secondly, by assessing which message would potentially work best on the cigarette. A scenario based field experiment wi...

The theory of planned behaviour (TPB;Ajzen 1991) has received substantial research interest with a large number of reviews and meta-analyses concluding favourably on the ability of the TPB to explain intention and behaviour across a wide spectrum of contexts (e.g. Albarracin et al. 2001; Armitage and Conner 2001; Conner and Armitage 1998; Godin and...

Despite much research on consumers' brand identification, researchers remain divided regarding the conceptualization of the dimensions underlying social identity and how these dimensions impact marketing outcome variables. Further, previous studies have failed to examine the underlying psychological process driving this effect. The current research...

This study examines the direct effects of collective and perceived norms on smoking initiation among non-smokers across 25 European Union Member States, based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA; Ajzen and Fishbein, 1975) framework. To date no empirical examination has been undertaken on the influence of collective norms across nations. Within na...

The theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour (TRA/TPB) have received substantial research interest from consumer behaviourists. One important area of interest that has not been adequately researched concerns the impact of national culture on the TRA/TPB components and interrelationships. To date, no systematic assessment of the impact of c...

Research to date has not systematically examined the role and relative impact of individual-level cultural orientations. The literature offers no dominant approach as to the nature (direct, moderating or both) of individual-level cultural orientations. Thus, examination and comparison of the nature of the effects of individual-level cultural orient...

This research explores how national age stereotypes impact older workers' job-related perceptions by examining probability based samples across 26 countries taken from the European Social Survey. Multilevel data analysis was undertaken. Results show that, at the individual level, both extrinsic rewards and intrinsic rewards directly impact older wo...

Psychological ownership is an under researched concept in marketing and compulsive consumption. Research in marketing treats psychological ownership as a uni-dimensional construct yet the concept of psychological ownership is more complex. This research draws on the psychological ownership dimensions of self-efficacy and self-accountability to exam...

The theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour (TRA/TPB) have fundamentally changed the view that attitudes directly translate into behaviour by introducing intentions as a crucial intervening stage. Much research across numerous ethical contexts has drawn on these theories to offer a better understanding of how consumers form intentions to...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the entrepreneurial competencies that women SME owners perceive to be important to the success of their business, and the competencies that women with high turnover growth rate deem important, and makes a comparison between the two sets of competencies. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnair...

This research reports an assessment of Sweeney and Soutar's (2001) consumer perceived value (PERVAL) scale. The PERVAL scale contains four dimensions: quality, emotional, price, and social values. The present study develops and evaluates two short forms of the original 19-item PERVAL scale based on Sweeney and Soutar's (2001) original data and thre...

Previous research has provided limited insight into (1) the cross-national effectiveness of marketing communication aimed at engaging consumers and (2) the moderating role of national characteristics. This study assesses the effectiveness of a cross-national advertising campaign in terms of changing behavioral intentions. The authors examine the mo...

To examine whether health warnings printed onto the cigarette stick would increase intentions to quit. Two experiments with smokers were conducted. The first study was conducted in Scotland on 88 adult (aged 18 or over) smokers recruited around two university campuses. The second study was conducted on 120 adult (aged 16 or over) smokers recruited...

The market place has seen significant growth in the demand for ‘ethical’ products and services. Yet, consumers often experience knowledge, evaluation and choice uncertainties in decision-making processes, particularly in relation to products such as ethical clothing. The authors explore this pertinent form of consumer uncertainty through three qual...

The attention given to ethical consumption in today's academic environment is something we only dreamed of when writing this paper over 10 years ago. This wealth of scholarship is a measure of the extent to which ethical consumption has infiltrated marketing and business thinking over the past decade or so. The Theory of Planned Behaviour framework...

Purpose Branding literature indicates that consumers buy branded products because they expect higher quality compared with non‐branded products. However, as private‐label brands improve in quality and deliver more value to customers, a reassessment of intention to buy manufacturer brands is pertinent. On the basis of the theory of reasoned action,...

This study integrates extant research relating to store-related cognitions, customer emotions (arousal and pleasure), satisfaction, and loyalty into one framework. The researchers administer a survey to 274 customers in four coffee shops of a major chain. Using these data, the researchers test the hypotheses and model with structural equation model...

Uncertainty is an important concept within consumer behavior which to date is under-theorized, especially in relation to important downstream variables such as information search intention and purchase intention, and can therefore lead to a loss of utility. The authors propose a new multidimensional conceptualization of consumer uncertainty and dev...

Bove, Pervan, Beatty and Shiu (2009) develop and test a latent variable model of the role of service workers in encouraging helpful behaviors by customers towards the service business (OCBs). Farrell (2010) questions these findings due to an incorrect application of the Fornell and Larcker (1981) discriminant validity test. The authors respond to F...

Purpose Long‐term orientation (LTO) is an important cultural value, which has been shown to meaningfully affect the behavior of individuals. Bearden et al. developed and tested a two‐dimensional scale measuring LTO at the individual level. This study aims to replicate and extend the work of Bearden et al. examining the psychometric properties and g...

This study investigated the impact of nutrition information on consumers' choice of a cake and examined the roles of key psychological decision factors. Based on a generalized linear model, results of an experiment on 299 female consumers in the United Kingdom showed that the presence of nutrition information in the form of Guideline Daily Amount (...

Purpose In 2005, the European Union launched a four‐year antismoking television advertising campaign across its 25 Member States. This study aims to evaluate the second and third years (2006 and 2007) of the campaign based on telephone interviews with over 24,000 consumers (smokers, non‐smokers, and ex‐smokers). Design/methodology/approach The stu...

Corporate reputation attracts significant attention among marketing scholars. However, researchers often overlook customers' opinions specifically. Walsh and Beatty [Walsh, G., Beatty, S.E., Measuring Customer-based Corporate Reputation: Scale Development, Validation, and Application. J Acad Mark Sci 2007; 35(1): 127-143.] identify dimensions of cu...

Assessment of the role of the individual service worker in encouraging customer organizational citizenship behaviors (customer OCBs) is the primary focus of this paper. The researchers investigate this topic empirically across three service contexts. Customer OCBs are voluntary, outside of the customer's required role for service delivery, which pr...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present an overview and evaluation of the European Commission “HELP – for a life without tobacco” campaign. Design/methodology/approach Data collected via a web and a telephone survey is used to evaluate the campaign. Findings The findings reveal how a campaign targeted at individuals can lead to social cha...

Governments in many developed countries are increasing their efforts to reduce smoking. In line with their commitment for action, governments use anti-smoking advertising to highlight the health risks of smoking and regulatory measures to dissuade consumers from consuming tobacco. In the past, governments tended to take these steps in isolation, no...

Abstract Ethical consumerism and family consumer decision-making, including the influence of children in this area, are spheres of consumer behaviour in which a substantial amount of academic research has already been undertaken. However, the crossover of these two areas is as yet under-researched, as well as the level of pester power parents are s...

This paper explores the effectiveness of cigarette warning labels across two countries, one (the UK) with new and stricter legislation where text based labels have been made more prominent and one (the USA) with less stringent regulation, where labels are less visible. Using longitudinal data from the two countries, the research seeks to investigat...

In 2005, the European Union (EU) commissioned a study as part of an EU-wide antismoking campaign. The study was conducted by a consortium of EU companies. Our research reanalyzes the EU data, based on interviews with 25,000 consumers in 25 countries. This paper focuses on Eastern EU countries and addresses the potential effects of source misattribu...

This paper presents a conceptual staged model for understanding Internet use for health-related information; exploring the social and technology acceptance factors that promote the integration of the Internet as an e-health resource. The method had two stages: a qualitative phase used to identify salient factors in the use of Internet-based health...

While much research in ethical consumption has focused on contexts such as food, this research explores ethical consumer decision-making in the context of intention to avoid sweatshop apparel. This research seeks to deepen the Theory of Planned Behavior with respect to the motivation and volitional stages underlying behavior. The findings of the re...

Fair trade is concerned with ensuring a fair price and fair working conditions for producers and suppliers, promoting equitable trading agreements. Throughout recent years fair trade has experienced considerable growth in the food sector. This growth has been significantly aided by labelling certification through the Fairtrade Foundation mark and a...

While the market for fair trade products has been growing in many countries, this paper examines the French market where fair trade remains marginal but is experiencing growth. Using a modified Theory of Planned Behaviour framework the research examines consumer intention to purchase fair trade grocery products in order to explain the pertinent dec...

This study examines the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in the context of adhering to the UK low-risk single-occasion drinking (LRSOD) guidelines. Additionally, gender differences were explored. A convenience sample of 110 female students and 107 male students provided information about their LRSOD behaviour, as well as views, attitudes and inten...

Abstract This study examines an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) in the context of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as an aid to smoking cessation. An attempt is made to address the intention–behaviour gap identified in the literature by specifically focusing on the role and interrelationships of volitional stages, namely...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of the SERVQUAL approach to assess the quality of service of Strathclyde Police in Scotland. Measuring service quality in public services is fraught with difficulty – especially in public services where customers are vulnerable citizens whose contact with the service may be limited. D...

While much research in ethical consumption has focused on contexts such as food, this research explores ethical consumer decision-making in the context of intention to avoid sweatshop clothing where consumer concern has increased but response from the market remains limited. This research seeks to deepen the theory of planned behaviour with respect...

Consumer concern for ethical issues has been well documented across much of the developed world. Research on values is also prominent in the literature. Neglected in consumer behaviour is an understanding of the pertinence of particular values in ethical decision making contexts. This paper outlines the results of qualitative research, which explor...

Research has consistently revealed an increasing demand for “ethical” choices in the global marketplace. However, very little has been published about the decision-making processes of these “ethical” consumers and the implications for marketing. Given the shortfall in research that addresses ethical consumer choice, this paper outlines results from...

Research has supported the addition of ethical obligation and self-identity to models of consumer decision-making in ‘ethical’ contexts. The particular placement of ethical obligation and self-identity within a model of ethical consumer decision-making remains unclear. Are these measures an antecedent to attitude or behavioural intention? This pape...

Many variables have been proposed as additions to the theory of planned behaviour structure, and evidence exists to support the value of a measure of ethical obligation and self-identity. Furthermore, some research has suggested that ethical obligation may serve as an antecedent to attitude as well as intention. This paper presents findings from a...

This paper provides an overview of the application of SERVQUAL reflecting the theoretical criticisms concerning disconfirmation model, process orientation, role of expectations and portability. The original SERVQUAL framework was found to be inappropriate for services that had no close analogue with the private sector. A qualitative research study...

Whilst the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) has generated much research interest, many market researchers are divided over the addition of further constructs to the model. The TRA and its many modifications have been applied in numerous behavioural contexts, however, research to-date has neglected an emerging group of "ethical" consumers. This paper...

Examines the quality of housing services provided by local authorities in Falkirk area of Scotland. Management of housing services in Falkirk area; Priorities in the delivery of housing services in Falkirk area; Approach to the measurement of service quality.

This paper reports on the outcomes of an action research programme investigating the measurement of service quality in the voluntary and local government service environments. The paper begins with a brief background of the contexts within which the local government and voluntary sectors deliver their services and a description of the SERVQUAL meth...

A composite learner model for adaptive tutoring systems has been developed, which combines a model of learner attributes with a simple overlay model of the learner's domain knowledge state. The model of learner characteristics enables several different forms of psychological and background data about the student to be taken into account, and provid...

User modelling within tutoring systems often concentrates on the representation of the learner's status with respect to the domain, paying little attention to the user's individual characteristics in terms of capabilities and preferences. A composite learner model, incorporating both domain related data and information about personal attributes is...

This paper builds on the findings of research into the applicability and portability of the SERVQUAL Scale to Local Government service provision. It outlines criteria for judging the applicability of the method, suggests boundaries to the validity of the SERVQUAL approach, and recommends the development of a service taxonomy based on the extent of...

This paper gives the first report of a survey of Scottish charities and voluntary organisations conducted in November 1995. The overall aim of the survey was to ascertain how these organisations currently articulate, assess and monitor the quality of service they provide. From analysis of 199 usable questionnaires it would appear that many are mark...