There is an unresolved paradox concerning the role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in consumer behavior. On the one hand, consumers demand more and more CSR information from corporations. On the other hand, research indicates a considerable gap between consumers' apparent interest in CSR and the limited role of CSR in purchase behavior. This paper attempts to shed light on this paradox by drawing on qualitative data from in-depth interviews. The findings show that the evaluation of CSR initiatives is a complex and hierarchically-structured process, where consumers distinguish between core, central, and peripheral factors. This paper describes these factors in detail and explains the complexity of consumers' assessment of CSR. These insights then serve as a basis for discussing the theoretical and managerial implications of the research findings. To this end, the paper contributes to a better understanding of the role of CSR in consumption decisions.

Background: This research focused on sport sponsorship related to six sponsors from different industries that are affiliated with a South African football club, namely Kaizer Chiefs; and has drawn from the perceptions and experience of Kaizer Chiefs supporters at in their ability to identify and assess the six sponsors. Results: This research has provided a framework to investigate the interrelationships between sport sponsorship, sponsor awareness, corporate image and intention to purchase sponsors' products. The main findings of the research were that category sport sponsorship awareness has a positive effect on sponsor awareness; and that corporate image has a positive effect on intention to purchase sponsors' products. No significant positive relationship was found between sponsor awareness and corporate image. Furthermore, no conclusive evidence was found to support the hypothesis that sponsor awareness has a positive effect on intention to purchase sponsors' products. Conclusion: The framework proposed within this research has highlighted the supporting role that sponsor awareness plays in achieving media coverage objectives, as well as the role that corporate image plays in achieving sales objectives. The results have further emphasised that corporate image is the more dominant indicator of sponsorship effectiveness as it ultimately leads to increased sales. / Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) / unrestricted

Second Life, a 3-D virtual world, has evolved as a shopping channel for both consumers and retailers. This channel of retailing offers interactive environment, allows designing atmospherics, and provides enjoyable shopping experience as compared to website stores. The purpose of the study was: (1) to identify the key features of Second Life stores and (2) to determine the relationship of the Second Life store features with consumer purchase intentions. The online survey was administered in Second Life by an external research agency, and 249 usable surveys were collected. The data were analyzed utilizing factor analysis and regression. Three key features of Second Life stores were explored in this study. These three features were: (1) interactivity via the two components of two-way communication and active control, (2) store atmospherics, and (3) shopping enjoyment. Regression analysis showed that shopping enjoyment and two-way communication (i.e., the presence of an avatar sales representative) were significant predictors of purchase intention in Second Life stores, while active control and store atmospherics did not influence purchase intentions.

Many researchers have studied the interaction between choice overload and purchase intention resulting in mixed and sometimes contradictory results. This study extended the current knowledge and examined how rurality (rural vs. urban/suburban) among millennial consumers influences choice overload and purchase intention when presented with extensive or limited options. Using both quantitative survey data and qualitative interviews, the author studied consumer experiences to understand choice overload and purchase intention better. Overall, some of the results suggest a statistical difference between rural and urban/suburban participants in their feelings of choice overload. However, many of the results were small and unlikely to be of practical significance. Additionally, the interviews were analyzed and multiple themes emerged, including possible factors that may support prior meta-analytic conclusions about the nuance of choice overload.

Background: The emergence and growth of the green economy has prompted companies to take more steps towards becoming environmentally conscious, but this is not always done in an honest way, from which cases of greenwashing has emerged. Cases of greenwashing can be recognized in all areas of business, and most of the research at the moment only recognizes the effect of a greenwashing case on consumer behavior, missing the link of consumer perceptions. The existing case study research also focuses on the attitudes after the fact, not investigating how a consumer reacts to the information during the revelation of a company’s misconduct.   Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the connection between the concept of greenwashing and consumer perceptions, and thus the decisions consumers take based on the level of information they possess.   Method: The research is conducted as an interpretivist qualitative case study based on a single imaginary case, where the data is gathered through triangulation of previous existing literature and observations from semi-structured interviews, analyzed through abductive reasoning.   Conclusion: The research found that when a consumer is presented with information about a company and their initiatives, the perceptions that the consumer has change accordingly. The perceptions are dependent on the level of interest the consumer has in sustainability issues. Some findings that were not expected considered the partial effect of the sustainability initiatives, showing that consumers are only interested in green initiatives up to their personal constraints or preferences. The consumers largely see the motivations of a company to be attributed to profits, however, some more optimistic consumers seem to be less affected by greenwashing.

En esta investigación se plantea los elementos del visual merchandising interno en relación a la intención de compra en tiendas por departamento en la categoría de ropa para niños, puesto que en los últimos años esta técnica ha ido cambiando a través del tiempo generando nuevas experiencias a los consumidores. Esta investigación busca evaluar las variables del visual merchandising interno de este punto de venta en esa categoría con la finalidad de determinar si presentaban una relación con la intención de compra o no. La metodología de investigación expuesta es correlacional. El estudio estuvo divido en dos etapas, la primera con enfoque cualitativo donde se presenta los resultados de las entrevistas a profundidad al público objetivo primario padres de familia y al público objetivo secundario a los expertos en el tema. En segundo enfoque es cuantitativo donde se desarrolla una encuesta y se corrobora con lo investigado anteriormente. El resultado de la investigación muestra que todas las variables del visual merchandising interno presenta una correlación con la intención de compra. Sin embargo, cuatro de estas variables iluminación, color, presentación de productos y decoración presentan una correlación media. Mientras que, el diseño de tienda presenta una correlación débil por lo cual no se podría concluir con certeza cuál es la correlación real entre esta variable. / In this research, the elements of visual internal merchandising are proposed in relation to the intention to buy in department stores in the category of children's clothing, since in recent years this technique has been changing over time generating new experiences for consumers. This research seeks to evaluate the internal visual merchandising variables of this point of sale in that category in order to determine if they had a relationship with the intention of purchase or not. The research methodology presented is correlational. The study was divided into two stages, the first with a qualitative approach where the results of the in-depth interviews are presented to the primary target audience, parents and the secondary target audience to experts in the field. In the second approach, it is quantitative where a survey is developed and corroborated with what was previously investigated. The result of the investigation shows that all the variables of the visual internal merchandising have a correlation with the intention of purchase. However, four of these variables lighting, color, product presentation and decoration have a medium correlation. Meanwhile, the store design has a weak correlation, so it cannot be concluded with certainty what the real correlation between this variable is. / Trabajo de investigación

El presente trabajo de investigación tiene como fin poder identificar la relación entre el EWOM y valor percibido frente a la intención de compra online en las cadenas de cine, en hombres y mujeres de Lima Metropolitana. En esta oportunidad, el trabajo consistirá en dos partes: introducción y cuatro capítulos (Marco teórico, Metodología, Resultados y Discusión). El Mobile commerce ha evolucionado en el mundo, y Perú, no es la excepción. Por ende, en el siguiente trabajo de investigación se identificaron variables como el Electronic Word Of Mouth (EWOM) y el valor percibido. De estas variables mencionados, se busca identificar el nivel de significancia que pueden tener frente a la intención de compra en las cadenas de cine. El estudio inicia con investigaciones de diferentes autores con el fin de abordar los conceptos principales como el comercio electrónico, comercio móvil, EWOM, valor percibido e intención de compra. Luego, la investigación presenta una metodología mixta. Por un lado, se realizó un estudio cualitativo para tener una primera llegada al público primario. Así mismo, se realizó entrevistas a especialistas con el objetivo de profundizar el tema y tener un panorama más claro. Por otro lado, se efectuó un estudio cuantitativo mediante una encuesta a 250 personas, con el objetivo de inferir y tener conclusiones exactas de la categoría estudiada. / The purpose of this research work is to identify the relationship between EWOM and perceived value compared to the intention to buy online in cinema chains, in men and women in Metropolitan Lima. In this opportunity, the work will consist of two parts: introduction and four chapters (Theoretical framework, Methodology, Results and Discussion). Mobile commerce has evolved in the world, and Peru is no exception. Therefore, the following research work identified variables such as the Electronic Word Of Mouth (EWOM) and the perceived value. Of these mentioned variables, the aim is to identify the level of significance that they may have in the face of purchase intention in cinema chains. The study begins with investigations by different authors in order to address the main concepts such as electronic commerce, mobile commerce, EWOM, perceived value and purchase intention. Then the research presents a mixed methodology. On the one hand, a qualitative study was carried out to have a first arrival at the primary public. Likewise, interviews with specialists were conducted with the aim of deepening the subject and having a clearer picture. On the other hand, a quantitative study was carried out through a survey of 250 people, with the aim of inferring and having exact conclusions from the category studied. / Trabajo de investigación

E-commerce retail sales continue to experience significant growth in the United States (U.S.) annually. However, the contribution of e-commerce retail sales towards total retail sales in the U.S. remains low. Furthermore, the growth of e-commerce retail sales from year to year as a percentage of total retail sales in the U.S. is also fractional. The lack of online trust by consumers has been cited as a significant barrier to transacting online and a possible cause of this slow-moving trend. E-commerce retail sales are paramount to the success and profitability of online merchants. It remains critical to understand the underlying determinants of online trust as a precursor to online purchase intention. This study sought to explore the effect of one such determinant namely, website design, on online trust. Using constructs and scales synthesized from the salient literature, the effects of visual design, social-cue design, and content design on online trust were measured and reported. Additionally, the mediating influence of online trust on online purchase intention was investigated. Demographic factors of age and gender were also examined for possible moderating effects of website design on online trust. A conceptual model of the influence of website design on online trust and the influence of online trust on purchase intention in e-commerce retailing environments was also tested. The study involved scenario-based survey research methodology. Participants were presented with two websites along with a fictitious purchase scenario and post-scenario survey. The survey captured their responses with respect to the design elements of each website, their inclination to trust each website, and their intention to make a purchase from each website. Participants’ age range and gender were also captured in the survey. A total of 502 participants took part in the study. The results found that each of the components of website design namely, visual design, social-cue design, and content design had a statistically significant effect on online trust. Online trust was also found to mediate the effect of these design factors on purchase intention. Finally, no significant effects of age or gender on website design’s relationship with online trust were found. Subsequently, implications and suggestions for future research are presented.

This research study aims to investigate the perceptions of millennials towards Chatbot and their purchase intentions in the fashion industry. The study explored how chatbots are perceived by millennials, and how these perceptions influence their purchase intentions. To achieve this, the study used a quantitative approach. The data was collected through an online survey, which was distributed to a sample size of 183 millennials. According to the findings, perceived trust is a strong predictor of purchase intention, on the contrary, perceived enjoyment and perceived ease of use are not. The analysis revealed that customers' perceived trust in Chatbots plays a critical role in favorably affecting their purchase intention. Finally, we suggested that further research explores the potential of chatbots as a marketing tool for fashion brands. This could involve investigating the impact of chatbots on customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty, as well as exploring the various design and functionality features that could be implemented to enhance the chatbot experience for consumers.

In today's era of intense competition for acquiring and retaining customers, customer retention has become a major issue and a key objective in modern retailing. With the emergence of new information technologies, the Internet offers new possibilities for customer retention through the management of relationships between marketers and consumers. Little empirical research has addressed the role of Internet websites in retaining customers for particular brands or at particular stores. The purpose of this research was to determine the effects of the attitudes of a sample of young consumers aged 18 to 22 toward their favorite websites on intentions to purchase through the Internet and channels other than Internet clothing websites. The data were collected using an online survey with a structured questionnaire. The subjects of the study were 414 male and female undergraduate and graduate students at Virginia Tech and The Ohio State University, who were aged 18 to 22 and non-married. Several hypotheses were put forward and results except for one hypothesis were supported. Factor analysis, cluster analysis, factorial MANOVA, canonical correlation analysis, multiple regression, path analysis, and t-tests were employed to test the research hypotheses on the relationships among the variables. The factorial MANOVA results showed that shopping orientation and previous online shopping experience affected the evaluation of general clothing website characteristics, as well as the evaluation of favorite clothing websites. The canonical correlation results revealed that the product information, customer service, and navigation factors represented the favorite clothing website characteristics and were well predicted by the same constructs of the general clothing website characteristics. The path analysis revealed that attitudes toward favorite clothing websites were positively related to intentions to search for information at favorite clothing websites, and that intentions to search for information at those websites were positively related to intentions to purchase from those websites as well as from channels other than Internet clothing websites. Attitudes toward favorite clothing websites were directly and positively related to intentions to purchase clothing items from favorite clothing websites, and were not directly related to intentions to purchase clothing items from channels other than Internet clothing websites. The results also showed that shopping orientation affected intentions to search for information on one hand, and intentions to purchase clothing items from favorite clothing websites on the other. The online information search and purchase groups were significantly different in their intentions to purchase clothing items from their favorite clothing websites. From the results of the present research, it is concluded that Internet websites play a pivotal role in forming consumers� attitude toward the websites, which eventually lead to their information search and purchase intention from the websites. In addition, consumers' online information search intentions influence their purchase intention at channels other than Internet. Thus, by establishing effective websites, marketers can retain their customers through multiple channels including the Internet, brick-and-mortar stores, and catalogs. / Ph. D.