<p>Consumers are negatively impacted by the increasingly high rate of product returns. In 2020, an estimated $428 billion in merchandise were returned to retailers post-purchase with $25.3 billion being fraudulent returns (NRF.com). Previous research has stated that consumers undergo various negative emotional and cognitive mechanisms when returning and identified reasons as to why consumers return purchases such as product failure, dissatisfaction, and regret (Lee, 2015). Specifically, regret occurs when an individual second-guesses a chosen product due to the realization that the benefits of the unchosen product outweigh the original choice, which elicits uncomfortable feelings (Zeelenberg et al., 1998). However, how does the process of product acquisition and the outcome of the purchasing decision affect post-purchase consumer regret? The purpose of this study is to investigate how the process of expending consumer resources (e.g., time vs. money) to acquire a product and the outcome of inconsistent product attitudes and behaviors (e.g., cognitive dissonance) can affect post-purchase consumer regret (PPCR). In this mixed factorial design, participants viewed scenarios that presented the ‘time’ and ‘money’ spent in acquiring their chosen product and were asked to read a product review that either elicited low or high dissonant feelings. It was hypothesized that consumers would experience greater PPCR when dissonance is high, and the time spent to acquire the product is primed. The interaction effect was not supported; however, an ad hoc analysis revealed that a consumer experienced less PPCR when dissonance is high, and the time spent to acquire the product is highly convenient. The current findings highlight the importance of understanding the process and outcome of purchase on post-purchase evaluations.</p>

The study of impulsive purchase is a facet of consumer behavior that has intrigued the interest of academics for decades. The research primarily focuses on the variables that influence this behavior, indicating the impact of various antecedents. Recent research has shown that age has an impact on customer behavior when it comes to impulse purchases. Furthermore, the results are still few and provide contradictory conclusions. The goal of this study is to close this gap by examining the antecedent elements that affect each person's unique traits, such as extrinsic and extrinsic determinants of impulsiveness, and then comparing post-purchase happiness across generations X and Y. To study the elements that underlie their impulsive buying behavior and the consequences on satisfaction after the purchase, the researchers used largely a qualitative technique, including a questionnaire, interviews, and observation of the phenomena. The findings show that generation X is less prone to impulse purchases than generation Y. In both generations, females were shown to be more prone than males to buy on impulse. The purpose of this study is to contribute to future research because it is critical to further identify the fundamental elements of impulsive purchase and their impact on generations X and Y in order to develop more successful strategies.

Amongst production industries, the fashion industry is one of those with the most negative impact on the environment. Globalization has driven consumption of contemporary fashion products, such as clothes, to the highest quantities ever recorded in history. Where, to globally maintain a lifestyle based on the Swedish population alone, at least four earths would have been needed. Post-purchase behaviour is an influencer on future consumer decision-making and therefore a potential driver of collaborative consumption, yet little research has focused on this field in the second-hand clothing setting. The purpose of this study is therefore to examine the post-purchase behaviour of the Swedish second-hand clothing consumer. The research extends expectation confirmation theory into the new scope of double hybrid business models, where consumers make second-hand clothing purchases within a mesh of both online and offline services, from a mixture of C2C and B2C transactions. The study utilizes a qualitative method, and the result is collected from eight in-depth one-on-one interviews with Swedish consumers. The findings show that expectations, when purchasing second-hand clothes, may differ between online and offline platforms. Subsequently the concepts of post-purchase behaviour are also experienced differently depending on the purchase having been made in a physical store or from an online seller. Practical implications are connected to the risk minimizing strategies that consumers adopt when trying to avoid disappointing and regretful purchases. The study provides new information about the differences in expectations and post-purchase behaviour between online and in store purchases of second-hand clothing and examines the Swedish consumer from a collaborative fashion consumption perspective.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, countless studies have been conducted about the pandemic regarding people's physical and mental health, but there is a significant gap on the persistent effects on consumer behaviour. Hence, this thesis aimed to investigate if there is a relationship between the social constraints as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential increased engagement of post-purchase behaviour. The research focused exclusively on Swedish female millennials who are active social media users.    The research used a deductive approach by formulating hypotheses based on already existing theories. The explanatory design was used when aiming to investigate a causal relationship between two variables, i.e., prior to the pandemic compared to today. Further, a quantitative strategy was used by collecting primary data through a questionnaire, which thereafter was analysed through SPSS, using the paired sample t-test. To target the desired sample a convenience sampling method was used which collected a total of 226 respondents, with 197 valid participants. The sample was collected through several Facebook groups, combined with the utilizing of the authors own social media channels. Since this study aimed to measure engagement, the key concepts were converted in the survey questions to more specific terms, by a modified existing scale. Indicators were established to be able to measure the engagement under controlled conditions.   Furthermore, the results from the statistical tests resulted in a p-value to confirm or reject the null hypothesis, followed by a correlation coefficient value to determine the strength of the relationship. The empirical findings combined indicated significant evidence that because of the social constraints since the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been an increased engagement in the post-purchase behaviour on social media for Swedish female millennials. This was confirmed through a p-value of 0.000 in the t-tests for all seven hypotheses. Furthermore, all tests show correlation values between 0.449 and 0.617, which means that all the existing relationships are positive.    This means that during the period when COVID-19 has been an active societal problem with all its effects, the new living conditions have entailed an increased involvement in post-purchase behaviour on social media for Swedish female millennials. If corporations take these changed behaviours in consideration and adapt the marketing strategy accordingly, it  can contribute to increased sales as the credibility of the brand gets strengthened through the transparency that the customer base values.

Submitted by Geandra Rodrigues (geandrar@gmail.com) on 2018-05-15T13:08:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 priscillarezendepinheiro.pdf: 2108544 bytes, checksum: 4dbc4819719fd3cde2137594cad5fe64 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2018-05-22T15:16:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 priscillarezendepinheiro.pdf: 2108544 bytes, checksum: 4dbc4819719fd3cde2137594cad5fe64 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-22T15:16:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 priscillarezendepinheiro.pdf: 2108544 bytes, checksum: 4dbc4819719fd3cde2137594cad5fe64 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-12-26 / A presente dissertação é desenvolvida no âmbito do Mestrado Profissional em Gestão e Avaliação da Educação (PPGP) do Centro de Políticas Públicas e Avaliação da Educação da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (CAEd/ UFJF). O caso de gestão analisou e discutiu as rotinas desenvolvidas pela gerência de Pós-compra da UFJF, desde às notificações por atraso na entrega enviadas às empresas, até a aplicação das sanções administrativas previstas em lei. Os objetivos definidos para esta pesquisa foram descrever as atividades realizadas atualmente por esse setor da UFJF, analisá-las de forma a aferir como tornar as notificações aos fornecedores com entregas de bens em atraso mais eficientes, minorando o tempo de espera dos requisitantes internos pelos materiais e comparar a dinâmica de trabalho adotado na instituição com o de outras quatro Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior. Após essas reflexões, foi proposto um Plano de Ação Educacional (PAE) para aprimorar os processos de pós-compra dos materiais de consumo e materiais permanentes adquiridos pela UFJF, dinamizando as rotinas da Gerência de Pós-Compra. O Plano de Ação Educacional sugeriu a implementação de um módulo do Pós-compra no SIGA para atender as demandas específicas do setor. A metodologia desta pesquisa se caracteriza como qualitativa, uma vez que foi utilizada a análise comparativa com outras instituições federais de ensino, a partir do emprego da pesquisa documental e bibliográfica. / The present dissertation is developed under the Professional Master in Management and Evaluation of Education (PPGP) of the Center for Public Policies and Education Evaluation of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (CAEd/ UFJF). The management case analyzed and discussed the routines developed by the Post-Purchase Management of the UFJF since the notifications for late delivery sent to the companies, until the application of administrative sanctions provided by law. The objectives defined for this research were to describe the activities currently carried out by this sector of the UFJF, to analyze them in order to assess how to make the notifications to suppliers with more efficient delayed goods delivery, reducing the waiting time of the internal requesters for the materials and compare the dynamics of work adopted in the institution with that of four other Federal Institutions of Higher Education. After these reflections, an Educational Action Plan (PAE) was proposed to improve the post-purchase processes of consumer materials and permanent materials acquired by the UFJF, streamlining the routines of the Post-Purchase Management. The Educational Action Plan suggested the implementation of a Post-purchase module in SIGA to meet the specific demands of the sector. The methodology of this research is characterized as qualitative, since it was used the comparative analysis with other federal institutions of education, based on the use of documental and bibliographic research.

With the rapid growth of mobile commerce (m-commerce), understanding consumer behaviour in online shopping contexts has become increasingly vital for marketers and retailers. This study examines the influence of product recommendations on consumers' impulse buying behaviour and post-purchase emotions within m-commerce. Employing a quantitative survey method, the study investigates the experiences and perceptions of Swedish online shoppers.  The findings reveal significant insights into how product recommendations impact impulse buying behaviour. Specifically, product recommendations are primarily driven by hedonic motives. However, the relationship between impulse buying and post-purchase emotions is complex, with varied emotional responses observed. While some consumers experience heightened satisfaction, others grapple with feelings of dissatisfaction or regret. The interplay between hedonic and utilitarian motivations, alongside cognitive processes like cognitive dissonance, further complicates the picture. Contrary to expectations, neither hedonic nor utilitarian motives significantly correlate with post-purchase emotions, highlighting the influence of economic considerations and cognitive processes. The study underscores the multifaceted nature of consumer emotions and behaviours in online shopping contexts, emphasising the importance of considering internal and external factors. This study contributes theoretical and practical insights into consumer behaviour in online shopping while paving the way for future research endeavours in understanding the complexities of impulse buying and post-purchase emotions in m-commerce.

In this dissertation, I propose that, post-action, people tend to be more optimistic about outcomes when their actions were based on malleable (vague) information compared to when their actions were based on unmalleable (precise) information. However, pre-action, no such difference occurs. I term this inconsistency in optimism in the pre and post-action stage, the Information Malleability Effect (IME). These actions could include the choice of a product, drawing a ball from an urn, or consumption of a food item. Prior research on ambiguity aversion has reliably documented that people are generally averse to making decisions based on malleable information. On the other hand, research on situated optimism has demonstrated that people exhibit a high level of optimism for events they consider more desirable and they distort the available information to make the desirable events seem more likely to occur. I review these two streams of literature and show that although both literatures make predictions in either the pre or the post-action stage, neither of them alone can explain the IME. I propose a theoretical framework to explain the underlying cause of the IME that combines these two streams of literature and utilizes the motivated reasoning account. Based on this framework, I posit hypotheses that are tested across a series of experiments. Experiment 1a and 1b demonstrate the IME in a between and within participant design. Experiment 2 demonstrates that interpretational flexibility of malleable information results in positive outcomes appearing more plausible and negative outcomes less plausible compared to when information is unmalleable. Experiment 3 provides support for the proposed underlying process by priming accuracy and desired goals.

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore how consumers of slow fashion experience value of apparel in relation to price, quality, appearance and style, awareness, and trust.Research questions: How do the extrinsic cues in relation to slow fashion influence the value journey of slow fashion consumers? What is the experienced value journey of slow fashion consumers from pre-purchase to post-purchase of apparel?Methodology: data was collected through semi-structured interviewing with eight participantsFindings: The research identified that slow fashion consumers undergo a value journey based on five components: their knowledge, altruistic concerns, personal investment, expectations, and their emotional connection. Their knowledge is formed by how much the slow fashion consumers know about the production process of the apparel, the material quality of the apparel, and themselves in terms of their personal preferences. Their altruistic concerns involve influences how they consume and use clothes based on their ethics. Their personal investment is determined by how much time, effort, and resources they are willing to spend on pieces of apparel. The slow fashion consumer then set an expectation on how well the piece of apparel satisfies these three components through its usage in a post-purchase context. If the piece of apparel exceeds their expectations, they form an emotional connection. This emotional connection again determines their next line of consumption of apparel in a pre-purchase context. These five components determine therefore the process of slow fashion consumers’ perceived value pre-purchase to the perceived value-in-use post-purchase.

Gegenstand der Dissertation ist die Untersuchung des negativen Einflusses der positiv emotionalen Online-Rezensionen auf das Konsumentenverhalten in der Nachkaufphase. Auf Basis von umfassenden Literaturauswertungen erfolgten die Erarbeitung einer definitorischen Grundlage von Online-Rezensionen und die Systematisierung bisheriger Erkenntnisse zum Einfluss der positiv emotionalen Online-Rezensionen. Unter Nutzung von Informationsverarbeitungs-, Emotions- und Verhaltenstheorien wurde ein theoretisch-konzeptioneller Bezugsrahmen geschaffen. Zur Überprüfung des Untersuchungsmodells und der darin postulierten Wirkungsbeziehungen wurde eine standardisierte Online-Befragung durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse konnten den negativen Einfluss der positiv emotionalen Online-Rezensionen in der Nachkaufphase bestätigen. Zudem konnte mithilfe einer Kausalanalyse gezeigt werden, dass solche Online-Rezensionen in der Nachkaufphase negative Emotionen (z. B. Enttäuschung und Bedauern) hervorrufen können, wenn die Erwartung der Kunden im Nachhinein nicht übertroffen wird. Des Weiteren zeigt die Arbeit, dass die ausgelösten Emotionen zu unterschiedlichen Verhaltensabsichten führen.:Inhaltsverzeichnis Abbildungsverzeichnis IV Tabellenverzeichnis VI Abkürzungsverzeichnis IX 1 Einleitung 1 1.1 Relevanz der Arbeit 1 1.2 Problemstellung und Zielsetzung 3 1.3 Aufbau der Arbeit 11 1.4 Bestandsaufnahme 15 2 Online-Rezensionen 16 2.1 Definition und Einordnung 16 2.2 Entwicklung und aktueller Stand der Forschung 17 2.3 Zwischenfazit 22 3 Informationsverarbeitungstheorien 23 3.1 Theoretischer Bezugsrahmen 23 3.1.1 Stochastische Erklärungsansätze 24 3.1.2 Neobehavioristische Erklärungsansätze 25 3.1.3 Kognitive Erklärungsansätze 26 3.2 Modi der Informationsverarbeitung 27 3.2.1 Elaboration-Likelihood-Modell (ELM) 29 3.2.2 Heuristisch-systematisches Modell (HSM) 31 3.2.3 Affekt-Infusion-Modell (AIM) 33 3.2.4 Wahrnehmung und Verarbeitung der positiven Online-Rezensionen 35 3.2.5 Wahrnehmung und Verarbeitung der emotionalen Online-Rezensionen 39 3.3 Einflussfaktoren der Informationswahrnehmung 40 3.3.1 Narrativität 41 3.3.2 Hedonistische und utilitaristische Konsummotive 42 3.3.3 Wahrgenommene Ähnlichkeit 44 3.4 Vertrauen als Informationsverarbeitungsergebnis 48 3.5 Zwischenfazit 52 4 Analyse des Konsumentenverhaltens in der Nachkaufphase 54 4.1 Theoretischer Bezugsrahmen 54 4.1.1 Confirmation/Disconfirmation-Paradigma 55 4.1.2 Sonstige Erklärungsansätze 58 4.2 Emotionen und Emotionstheorien 60 4.2.1 Definitorisches Verständnis der Emotion 60 4.2.2 Lernpsychologische Emotionstheorien 66 4.2.3 Evolutionspsychologische Emotionstheorien 66 4.2.4 Kognitiv-physiologische Emotionstheorien 70 4.2.5 Kognitive Emotionstheorien 72 4.2.6 Die Messung der Emotionen 73 4.3 Rolle der Emotionen in der Nachkaufphase 75 4.3.1 Forschungsstand 75 4.3.2 Negative Emotionen: Enttäuschung, Ärger, Bedauern 79 4.4 Zwischenfazit 82 5 Verhaltensabsicht als Konsequenz in der Nachkaufphase 83 5.1 Definitorische Grundlagen und aktueller Forschungsstand 83 5.2 Theoretischer Bezugsrahmen 88 5.3 Emotionen und Verhaltensabsicht 89 5.4 Zwischenfazit 92 6 Entwicklung des Untersuchungsrahmens 93 6.1 Vorstudie 93 6.3 Konzeptualisierung der Konstrukte des Untersuchungsmodells 101 6.3.1 Konzeptualisierung der Konstrukte (Informationsverarbeitung) 101 6.3.2 Konzeptualisierung der Konstrukte (Nachkaufverhalten) 103 6.4 Operationalisierung der Konstrukte 104 6.4.1 Vorgehensweise der Operationalisierung 104 6.4.2 Operationalisierung der Konstrukte (Informationsverarbeitung) 106 6.4.3 Operationalisierung der Konstrukte (Nachkaufverhalten) 112 6.5 Entwicklung der Hypothesen des Untersuchungsmodells 119 6.5.1 Hypothesen zur Informationsverarbeitung 119 6.5.2 Hypothesen zur Analyse des Nachkaufverhaltens 123 6.6 Das Untersuchungsmodell im Überblick 127 7 Grundlagen der empirischen Untersuchung 130 7.1 Konzeption der empirischen Untersuchung 130 7.1.1 Erhebungsdesign 130 7.1.2 Datenerhebung 131 7.2 Datenprüfung, -bereinigung und -aufbereitung 132 7.2.1 Datenprüfung hinsichtlich der Durchklicker 132 7.2.2 Datenprüfung hinsichtlich der Ausreißer 132 7.2.3 Datenprüfung hinsichtlich der Repräsentativität 133 7.2.4 Datenprüfung hinsichtlich des Nonresponse-Bias 135 7.2.5 Datenprüfung hinsichtlich des Common-Method-Bias 136 8 Empirische Ergebnisse 138 8.1 Manipulationscheck 138 8.2 Durchführung einer exploratorischen Faktorenanalyse 140 8.3 Strukturgleichungsmodellierung 146 8.3.1 Grundlagen der Kausalanalyse 146 8.3.2 Prüfung auf Methodeneffekte 151 8.3.3 Gütekriterien der Messmodelle 153 8.3.4 Ergebnisse der Überprüfung der Messmodelle 159 8.3.5 Gütekriterien des Strukturmodells 166 8.3.6 Ergebnisse der Überprüfung des Strukturmodells 168 8.3.7 Prüfung der Moderatoreffekte 179 8.3.8 Prüfung der Mediatoreffekte 186 8.3.9 Prüfung der Kontrollvariablen 191 9 Schlussfolgerung 192 9.1 Zusammenfassende Betrachtung 192 9.2 Theoretischer Erkenntnisbeitrag 197 9.3 Methodischer Erkenntnisbeitrag 198 9.4 Limitierungen der Arbeit 199 9.5 Implikationen für die Forschung und Praxis 201 9.5.1 Implikationen für die zukünftige Forschung 201 9.5.2 Implikationen für die Praxis 202 Anhang 206 Literaturverzeichnis 217

Returer är ett problem i den växande e-handelskonsumtionen av mode och shopping online har gjort det mycket lättare för konsumenter att konsumera. Ändå glöms returprocessen ofta bort på grund av bekvämligheten som är online shopping. Modejättarna som tidigare erbjöd liberala returpolicyer för e-handelsköp börjar nu skärpa sina returpolicyer. Denna studie undersöker hur strikta returpolicyer påverkar konsumenternas köpvilja. Genom att analysera data från en enkätundersökning och testa sambandet mellan variabler visar resultaten att konsumenter på kort sikt är mindre benägna att köpa från företag med strikta returpolicyer. Dessutom påverkar strikta returpolicyer konsumentens köpvilja negativt då det ökar konsumentens risktagande, ansvarstagande och osäkerheter. Dessa resultat visar vikten av att ha en mild och flexibel returpolicy. E-handelsföretag föreslås ändra sin strikta returpolicy för att få lojala och nöjda kunder samt ökad försäljning / Returns are a problem in the growing e-commerce consumption of fashion and shopping online has made it a lot easier for consumers to consume. Yet, the return process is often forgotten in the convenience that is online shopping. The fashion giants that previously offered liberal return policies on e-commerce purchases are now starting to tighten their return policies. This study investigates how strict return policies affect consumers' willingness to buy. By analyzing data from a survey and testing the correlation between bivariate the results show that consumers are less likely to buy from companies with strict return policies. In addition, strict return policies negatively affect the consumer's willingness to buy as it increases the consumer's risk-taking, responsibility-taking and uncertainties. These results show the importance of having a lenient and flexible return policy. E-commerce companies are suggested to change their strict return policy to gain loyal and content customers as well as increased sales.