Background Social media platforms equip brands with an opportunity to increase awareness and extend the relationship with their current and possible future consumers by providing the possibility for social interaction, monetary rewards, entertaining content, practical information and cultivating trust. Brands transition to the social medias has thus made consumers co-creators of brands offerings, as they are allowed to interact and engage with brands and its content at any time. This has put high demand on brands to create content that actually encourage participation and engagement from their consumers   Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to explain the factors that positively influence consumer engagement towards brands on social media.   Methodology This research took a quantitative approach with an explanatory purpose and a cross-sectional research design. The data was collected with the help of a self-completion questionnaire. The result was primarily derived from a multiple-regression analysis, correlation analysis and Cronbach’s Alpha reliability test.   Findings This research provide empirical evidence that monetary factors positively influence consumer engagement with brands on social media, whereas the social, hedonic, practical and trust factors failed to generate significance. However, the study revealed that the rejected factors have some effect on consumer engagement that cannot be denied by brand managers.   Originality Consumer engagement in an online environment has been an attractive topic for researchers in recent years and with the ever-increasing popularity of social media, research gaps in this setting has been identified. This research provides the first explanatory findings regarding antecedents of consumer engagement with brands on social media.

Thoroughbred racing is referred to as “the sport of Kings”, because historically it was a leisure activity of the upper-class. Thoroughbred breeding on the other hand has transformed from a hobby of the upper-class to a worldwide agricultural industry. With the deep involvement of the royal and rich in the Thoroughbred industry, the auction prices of horses are raised significantly at the top end of the market. Research in the biological sciences suggests there exits correlations between dam age, foal birthrank, and the racing performance of Thoroughbred horses. This study first investigates how the market values these biological factors and whether they are correlated with racehorses’ career earnings. We further test the impact of sire age as there is limited literature related to the subject. By using a Hedonic pricing model, results show that Thoroughbred buyers at Keeneland September Sale are willing to pay more for the yearlings at 1st, 2nd, and 3rd birthranks, yearlings out of younger mares age from 4 to 10, and yearlings by experienced sires age from 12 to 18. Results from multivariate regressions suggest negative correlations between foal birthrank, parent age and career earnings.

Consumer loyalty is generally considered the ultimate goal of relationship marketing. Although accepted definitions of loyalty include both behavioral and attitudinal aspects, the fact is that little is known about the components of behavioral and attitudinal loyalty and their relationship. In addition, hedonic and utilitarian attitudes are important antecedents of consumer behavior that can be manifested in behavioral loyalty. However, little is known about the relationship between hedonic and utilitarian attitudes and different loyalty components. To investigate the above mentioned theoretical gaps, this study identifies and tests several components of attitudinal and behavioral loyalty in a comprehensive model. This model investigates the effect of various hedonic and utilitarian attitudes, and trust, on each attitudinal and behavioral loyalty component. Moreover, it looks at the relationship of each attitudinal loyalty component to each behavioral loyalty component. In the proposed model, attitudinal loyalty components are (1) relationship satisfaction, (2) continuance commitment, (3) affective commitment, and (4) identification, and the behavioral loyalty components are (1) repurchase intention, (2) word-of-mouth (WOM), and (3) cooperation. The survey approach was implemented to collect data in a pretest (80 participants), a pilot study (177 participants), and a main study (1028 participants). Results of the analyses, using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), confirmed that consumer’s hedonic and utilitarian attitudes affect behavioral loyalty directly, and indirectly through the mediation by trust and attitudinal loyalty components. / February 2016

With the South African retail industry being a major and attractive industry, marketers and retailers are pressured to obtain and maintain a competitive advantage by developing marketing strategies that appeal to various consumers. Retailers need to focus on satisfying consumers’ needs, as well as offering a full shopping experience. Shopping entails more than the mere selection of products. Consumers’ motivation or driving force behind the act of shopping is embedded in satisfying internal needs. These motivations are grouped into two collections, namely hedonic and utilitarian shopping motivations. Consumers driven by hedonic shopping motivations are interested in the shopping experience, as well as the experiential and emotional aspects thereof. However, consumers driven by utilitarian shopping motivations are goal-oriented and concerned with the task-related value and the functional aspects of shopping. Marketers and retailers may use consumer-shopping motives to divide the market into segments and develop strategies to target specific segments. Published literature on the consumer behaviour of the South African black Generation Y cohort is limited and an absence occurs with reference to the shopping motivations of this cohort. In the South African context, individuals born between 1986 and 2005, labelled Generation Y, account for 38 percent of the total South African population, and the black Generation Y individuals represent 83 percent of the total Generation Y cohort. Individuals within the black Generation Y cohort attaining tertiary qualifications are likely to represent the future ‘Black Diamonds’, enjoying higher earnings and a higher social status, which together is likely to make them opinion leaders amongst their peers. For that reason, the black Generation Y student cohort is an exceptionally attractive market segment, and it is critical for retailers and marketers to understand their shopping behaviour and motivations in order to develop effective marketing strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine South African black Generation Y students’ utilitarian and hedonic shopping motivations. The target population of this study comprised full-time undergraduate black Generation Y students; aged between 18 and 24 years and enrolled at South African registered public higher education institutions (HEIs). The sampling frame comprised the 23 registered South African public HEIs. A non-probability judgement sample method was utilised to select one traditional university and one university of technology in the Gauteng province, from the sampling frame. For this study, a convenience sample of 600 black Generation Y students enrolled at these two South African HEIs during 2013 was drawn. The relevant primary data was obtained by means of a self-administered questionnaire, which was hand delivered to the contacted lecturers at each of these two HEIs. These lecturers distributed the self-administered questionnaire during one lecture period. This questionnaire requested the participants to indicate on a six-point Likert scale the level of their agreement or disagreement on 26 items designed to measure their utilitarian and hedonic shopping motivations, as well as to provide certain demographic data. The findings of this study indicate that within the hedonic subscale, black Generation Y students found value and adventure shopping to be the strongest motivators for shopping. Within the utilitarian subscale, black Generation Y students found achievement to be the strongest motivator for shopping. Previous research found gender to have an influence on the hedonic and utilitarian shopping motivations of consumers. This study confirms previous findings where statistically significant differences were found between the shopping motivations of male and female black Generation Y students. The study found significant differences concerning the first-, second- and third-year black Generation Y students’ hedonic and utilitarian shopping motivations. Insights gained from this study will help both marketers and retailers understand the current black Generation Y consumers’ motivations for shopping with reference to hedonic and utilitarian shopping motivations. / MCom (Marketing Management), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

Hay auctions have generally been understudied due to their unique market structure. Therefore, the factors that influence the price of hay at auction markets are not well-known. The price of hay at auction markets reflects the various characteristics that differentiate each lot of hay sold. This study is aimed at analyzing the determinants of Central Kentucky hay prices. A hedonic price model is estimated using data collected from a Central Kentucky hay auction. Known hay attributes include forage species, form, bale weight, and nutritive value. An important aspect of this analysis is to determine whether the quality measures of the hay are significant factors in determining hay prices in this auction setting. While price discovery of hay is important, it is also important to know about the insurance that is available to producers. Insurance for hay production is very limited with only two insurance programs available to Kentucky producers. An evaluation of the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program is conducted by simulating yields from an alfalfa producer and alfalfa trials from University of Kentucky Agriculture Research Centers in Princeton and Lexington, Kentucky. This analysis reveals the effectiveness of the coverage levels offered through the program for alfalfa producers in Kentucky.

De flesta forskare inom området är överens om att det finns kopplingar mellan luktsinnet och känslor. Däremot finns det mindre forskning och bevis kring hur människors inre tillstånd påverkar olfaktorisk perception, dvs. uppfattningen av dofter. Föreliggande studie hade avsikt att studera sambandet mellan sinnesstämning och uppskattning av behagliga dofter. Den aktuella sinnesstämningen mättes med hjälp av Mood Adjective Checklist (Sjöberg et.al., 1979), ett tillförlitligt och känsligt instrument. För att mäta doftuppskattning användes fem olika dofter på doftstickor. Dofterna valdes ut systematiskt, testades i förväg och bekräftades som behagliga. Resultaten kunde inte visa något signifikant samband mellan sinnesstämning och doftuppskattning (p = .612). Ingen predicerande effekt i sinnesstämning och i de olika dimensionerna av sinnesstämningen på doftuppskattning kunde påvisas (p varierar mellan .293 och .862). Resultaten kan ha påverkats av metodologiska brister och utformningen av dofttestningsinstrumentet som diskuterats.

Traditional two-process theory predicts that a conditioned stimulus (CS) paired with shock offset on Pavlovian trials will inhibit operant avoidance responding. Two explanations of the inhibitory mechanism involved were compared: contemporaneous pairing of CS with a hedonic relief reaction versus the predictive, discriminative relationship of CS to the non-shock interval. The pattern of avoidance inhibition associated with cessation CSs paired with electric shocks of constant duration was expected to be different from the pattern accompanying cessation CSs paired with shocks of variable duration. Mean rates of responding by the two groups were compared by analysis of covariance using baseline as the covariate. Neither CS displayed any reliably observable effects on avoidance rates. Possible procedural flaws and compatible improvements are discussed.

Abstract The goal of this diploma thesis is to explore the potential of Czech paintings as an alternative investment asset. Using hedonic model, I estimate the main sale price determinants such as painting technique, size, author, auction hall and the rate of return. Observed rate of return is than compared to global rate of return of art on one hand and to common investment tools such as gold and the Stock Exchange on the other. At the same time I examine the impact of GDP growth and inflation. I find a positive effect of GDP growth on the art market. After taking these questions into consideration I found, that even though art is associated with relatively low rate of return, it is eligible investment tool. Since it is unrelated to joint stock, it can serve as a convenient instrument of portfolio diversification. At the same time, Czech paintings may also serve as a very good store of value.

Denna uppsats avser undersöka sambandet mellan användarupplevelser och beroenden inom spel och vadhållning. Ett beroende i sig kan tillskrivas många egenskaper och orsaker, vilket gör det till en dynamisk term, och kan således undersökas och definieras i många avseenden. Viktigt att notera är att beroende kan vara närvarande trots att det inte utgör ett problem. En användarupplevelse kan vara alla intryck och känslor vilka infinner sig vid interaktion med en produkt eller tjänst, och utgör en slags referenspunkt i utvecklingsarbeten. Syftet med denna designattityd innebär att utforma och tillhandahålla en upplevelse snarare än en produkt, där resultatet blir en artefakt vilken förmedlar denna känsla. Uppsatsen undersöker även Hedonic-Motivation System Adoption Model, vidare benämnt HMSAM, vilken är ett slags verktyg avsett att kartlägga upplevelser och konkretisera vad som motiverar användning. Vidare tillämpas teorin om Flow, då tidigare studier om spelberoende ligger i nära anslutning till allt vad den innefattar. Med denna teori som utgångspunkt genomfördes fem semi-strukturerade där informanten ombads redogöra för tidigare och nuvarande upplevelser av speltjänster. Syftet med dessa intervjuer var primärt att undersöka och söka ytterligare förståelse för spelandets motivation, för att tydliggöra sambandet mellan beroende och användarupplevelse, men även att förstå vad en upplevelse och ett beroende innebär för användaren. Utfallet avslöjar om en utspridd uppfattning gällande beroendets befattning och utsträckning, samt att spänning utgör en betydande del av motivationen. Utöver det tydliggörs även att en eventuell förtjänst av pengar ligger centralt i spelandet, men att det för vissa endast uppfattas som en bonus. Vad detta innebär för uppsatsen är att medan beroendet i sig har flera definitioner kan spelandets motivation konkretiseras och i viss mån generaliseras. Spelberoendets vara eller icke-vara hos en individ är i sin tur beroende av alltför många faktorer för att abstrahera, vilket till stor beror på att beroende inte nödvändigtvis betingar en negativ händelseutveckling. Modellen HMSAM visar sig också vara hjälpsam när upplevelser ska kartläggas och kvantifieras, vilket är nödvändigt om spelberoende och dess orsaker ska undersökas i vidare utsträckning. / This research aims at investigating the relationship between user experiences and addiction in gambling and betting. An addiction can be attributed to many traits and causes, making it a dynamic term, and can thus be investigated and defined in many respects. One important note is that addiction might be present despite it not posing a problem. A user experience could be all the impressions and emotions that occur while interacting with a product or service, and forms a point of reference in product developments. The purpose of this design attitude involves designing and providing an experience rather than a product, where the result is an artifact capable of conveying this feeling. This paper also examines the Hedonic-Motivation System Adoption Model, further abbreviated HMSAM, which is a tool capable of mapping experiences and concretizing what motivates use of a service or product. Furthermore, the theory of flow is applied, with previous studies about gambling addiction being closely related to all that it includes. With this theory as a basis, five semi-structured interviews were conducted, where the informant was asked to account for past and present experiences from betting services. The purpose of these interviews were to investigate and understand what betting motivation consists of, in order to enable a clarification of the relationship between addiction and user experience, but also to learn what an experience and an addiction means to the user. The outcome reports of a widespread perception of the dependencies and extent to which an addiction exists, and that excitement composes a significant part of motivation. In addition, it is clarified that a feasible profit is central to betting, it is however perceived by some as solely a bonus. What this means for the research is that while the addiction itself might have several definitions, the player's motivation can be made concrete and to some extent generalized. The actuality of an addiction with an individual is, in turn, dependent on too many factors to discern, which in large depends on addiction not necessarily leading to a sequence of negative events. The model HMSAM also proves to be helpful when assessing and quantifying experiences, which is necessary for further investigation of gambling addiction and its origins.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to determine what is the effect of the train noise on prices of properties in Prague. This influence is investigated by using the method of hedonic price. The theoretical part is devoted not only to the problematic of the train noise and its physical properties but also to its impact on humans and the prices of apartments. Then the train noise is specified as well as its issuers and the ways in which it is possible to defend from the negative effects of the impact of the train noise. The thesis also explains the various stages of the method of hedonic price together with the theoretical part of Foreign Studies which have been engaged in using the method of hedonic price and the train noise. In the empirical part are used the knowledge from search, the selected variables are discussed and are submitted to descriptive analysis and the hypothesis are given. Then the model works through a regression analysis of function of the method of hedonic price and the various results are discussed. This thesis finishes by calculating the implicit prices and elasticities for the individual variables in the selected models. At the very end recommendations and the benefits resulting from the analysis are drawn.