Pricing strategies (e.g. yield management) in the tourism industry, known as non-transparent pricing, have raised fairness issues, and more recently, new pricing schemes in the airline industry have been controversial issues in terms of price fairness. Nonetheless, few tourism researchers have studied price fairness from a consumer perspective. Thus, an understanding of the cognitive processes associated with perceived price fairness could have far-reaching implications for tourist behavior research. The purpose of this study was to examine the antecedents and consequences of tourists‟ perceived price fairness of the ancillary revenue (i.e. extra fees of airlines). In particular, a conceptual model was based on Weiner's (1980) attribution theory, which was expected to complement shortcomings of the traditional dual entitlement principle (Kahneman, Knetsch, and Thaler, 1986). Following the study purpose, four objectives of the study were established: (1) to examine the dimensionality of price fairness in a price change context; (2) to examine the antecedents of price fairness; (3) to examine the consequences of price fairness; and (4) to compare differences in the price fairness model between high and low price sensitivity groups. To achieve the study objectives, this study developed a conceptual model of price fairness with three antecedents (price comparison, cognitive attribution, and emotional response) and four consequences (behavioral loyalty, willingness to pay, complaining, and revenge), and determined the model that best predicted the hypothesized model using Structural Equation Modeling. Data were collected from an online survey and the respondents (n=524) were leisure travel passengers in the United States who had taken domestic flights in the past 12 months. The initial model fit the data well from a global perspective, yet, some hypotheses were not supported. Results suggested that price comparison evaluation and cognitive attribution are antecedents to price fairness, but emotional response was found to be influenced by price fairness as opposed to what was hypothesized. It was also revealed that while price fairness directly influenced favorable behavioral intentions (e.g. behavioral loyalty and willingness to pay more), it also influenced unfavorable behavioral intentions (e.g. revenge and complaining behavior), mediated by negative emotional response. The revised model was alternatively proposed. In addition, significant differences in price fairness, emotional response, willingness to pay more, and revenge intention between high and low price sensitivity groups were found. Results of this study provide potentially important direction for the development of a theoretical framework for the conceptualization of antecedents and consequences of price fairness in a tourism context. It is further expected that findings of this study from an attributional perspective provide managerial guidance for the utilization of marketing strategy when a company encounters inevitable price increases or extra fees.

Consumers often pay different prices for the same product, and prices commonly vary across stores and time. Theories of fairness suggest that such price discrepancies will be deemed unfair, yet consumers’ perceptions of unfairness in such situations vary greatly (Haws and Bearden 2006). This dissertation aims to enrich our understanding of this issue by examining the role of threat in shaping consumers’ perceptions of unfairness. Specifically, integrating the extant literature on unfairness, affect and identity, it argues that an important basis for consumers’ perceptions of unfairness is the degree to which price differentials convey threatening information about important aspects of the consumers’ self-concept. In fact, it suggests that price differentials can convey threatening information about two distinct aspects of consumers’ identity – their perceived relational value and their personal identity - and identifies conditions under which such information is likely conveyed. Here, relational value refers to assessments of social worth and personal identity refers to the aspect of the self concerned with the achievement of individualized goals such as competence, mastery and conscience (Skitka 2003). The logic underlying this central argument is that self-threatening price differentials trigger more intense negative affect, which is subsequently used by consumers to inform their fairness judgments. The current work also examines whether price differentials that convey self-affirming information are likely to be deemed less unfair because of the positive feelings they inspire. Taken as a whole, this dissertation highlights the central role of threat in shaping consumers’ price fairness judgments. In doing so, it contributes to the fairness literature, both in marketing and more broadly, by offering an organizing framework for understanding the basis of consumers’ price fairness judgments. / Thesis (Ph.D, Management) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-07 08:20:05.227

Avec le développement rapide du commerce électronique, la vente multi-canaux, du type « brick-and-mortar » et vente en ligne est le standard pour les vendeurs en 2016. Cependant, cette stratégie ne garantit pas toujours le succès des détaillants dans les campagnes commerciales. La plupart du temps les difficultés proviennent d’un manque de coordination efficace entre la boutique en ligne et son homologue hors ligne selon leurs attributs respectifs. Sur la base du concept de congruence perçu, cette thèse étudie l'évaluation par les sujets des attributs des magasins entre les différents canaux du marché multicanaux chinois. Les résultats d’études du type « Depth Interview » (étude 1), montrent que les consommateurs chinois préfèrent le comportement commercial multicanaux. Ils aiment la congruence entre les canaux, mais espèrent aussi profiter des situations non-congruentes, ce qui indique leur propension à comparer les prix et l'assortiment entre canaux. Les deux études quantitatives ont identifié la congruence perçue comme un facteur déterminant pour l'évaluation des détaillants par les sujets. Plus précisément, plus les sujets perçoivent de la congruence dans la politique de prix entre les canaux, plus les sujets jugent les prix justes. des prix équitables, se traduisent par une attitude plus favorable envers le vendeur (étude 2). En revanche, lorsque les sujets perçoivent plus d’incongruité dans l'assortiment cross-canaux, ils considèrent que le choix est plus important (étude 3). Mais cette conséquence ne se produit que lorsque le processus cognitif n’est pas contraint. En outre, quand un prix équitable est perçu et qu’une variété est perçue les deux sont identifiés comme médiateurs de l'effet de la perception de congruence sur l'attitude des sujets envers les détaillants. En outre, l’implication des sujets dans l’expérimentation ne supporte pas statistiquement l'effet de modération en interaction avec la congruence perception sur des sujets de l'évaluation en ce qui concerne les attributs du canal de distribution, mais l'effet marginal dans la visualisation indique que les chercheurs doivent, dans les études futures, continuer l'étude des influences pertinentes entre l’implioation et la congruence perçue. / Along with the globally rapid development of e-commerce, multichannel retail including both brick-and-mortar and online stores is in 2016 the standard for the sellers. However, such justified strategy not always guarantee retailers’ success in commercial campaigns. Most of the time the difficulties arised from the lack of efficient coordination between the online store and its offline counterpart based upon their respective attributes. On the basis of the percieved congruence concept, this dissertation investigates subjects’ evaluation on store attributes between the different channels of the Chinese multichannel retail market. Through the Depth Interview (Study 1), it was found that Chinese multichannel consumers prefer the multichannel shopping behavior. They like the between-channel congruence but also expect to enjoy the incongruent situation which indicates their propensity to compare the between-channel prices and assortment. The two quantitative studies identified the perceived congruence as a determinant to the subjects’ evaluation towards the retailer. More precisely, the more congruence subjects perceive from the cross-channel price policy, the more price fairness subjects judge, turns in more favorable attitude toward the retailer (Study 2). In contrast, when the subjects perceive more schema incongruity, from the cross-channel assortment, they evaluate more variety (Study 3). But this consequence only occurs when the cognitive process is not constrained. In addition, both price fairness perception and variety perception are identified to mediate the effect of congruence perception on subjects’ attitude toward retailers. Besides, subjects’ experimental involvement, does not statistically support the moderation effect interacting with congruence perception on subjects’ evaluation regarding channel store attributes, but the marginal effect in visualization indicates that researchers must, in future study, keep investigating the relevant influences between involvement and congruence perception.

The purpose of this study is to better understand the effects participatory pricing strategies have on consumer perceptions and behaviors in a sport event pricing scenario. Participatory pricing strategies are those that include the consumer in setting the final price of a good or service. These mechanisms include name-your-own-price (NYOP) and pay-what-you-want (PWYW). These pricing strategies are now being introduced into the sport industry. With the increased use of these strategies, and the lack of research in sport management pertaining to consumers’ perceptions of price, specifically consumer voice in price setting, there is a gap in the literature that needs to be filled. This study investigates the consumer’s perceptions of price fairness, perceived value, as well as consumer behavior (i.e. purchase intentions and willingness-to-pay), when encountering participatory pricing strategies. The following dissertation presents a quantitative experimental design, asking subjects to participate in a simulated ticket purchase experience. Difference between experimental groups was assessed based on price fairness, perceived value, willingness-to-pay, and purchase intentions. Results indicate there is a significant difference between participatory pricing groups and traditional fixed price groups when examining price fairness, perceived value, willingness-to-pay, and final average prices paid. Specifically, price fairness evaluations were significantly higher for the PWYW and fixed price groups, and lower for the NYOP group. In addition to the price fairness differences, the groups differed on their evaluations of perceived value (PWYW and fixed are the same, both higher than NYOP). Furthermore, the results reveal that consumers involved in the NYOP mechanism evoked higher levels of willingness-to-pay than PWYW and fixed. Furthermore, the study also found that the final average price paid following the experiment differed based on the mechanism. The PWYW and fixed price mechanisms paid similar amounts, while both of them were significantly higher than the NYOP mechanism. This suggests that while one of the biggest concerns for the PWYW treatment is a low final average price (even $0); this may not be an issue in a sport ticket pricing scenario. Study limitations and future research are included in the following dissertation.