RESEARCH ITEMS

SELECTED PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES
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Abstract

This study investigated the effects of competitive attitudes on in-game impulse purchase behaviors, focusing on the mediating role of the need for popularity and the moderating effect of social competence. Data collected from 234 participants via broadcasters on Discord and Twitch platforms was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and SmartPLS 4 software. The findings confirm that the need for popularity fully mediates the relationship between competitive attitudes and in-game impulse purchases. Moreover, social competence was found to moderate this relationship negatively, indicating that individuals with lower social competence are more influenced by their need for popularity when making in-game impulse purchases. These insights highlight the significant impact of social dynamics and individual psychological traits on consumer behavior in gaming environments. Furthermore, these results emphasize the ethical imperative for game developers to implement protective measures to safeguard consumers from the potential negative effects of in-game impulse purchases, providing implications for the development of targeted, responsible marketing strategies and game designs that address diverse gamer profiles. Click here to download the article

 
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the relationships between perceived scarcity, fear of missing out (FOMO) and impulse-buying tendencies (IBT) in the fast fashion context in both scarcity and non-scarcity conditions. Additionally, this study examines whether these relationships vary depending on the type of scarcity messages: limited-quantity scarcity (LQS) and limited-time scarcity (LTS).
Design/methodology/approach
We used written scenarios, and each participant was assigned to one of the experimental or control groups for LQS and LTS conditions. Using a structural modeling approach, we tested the conceptual model and analyzed the data through SmartPLS version 4. We conducted mediating and multigroup (MGA) analysis.
Findings
We found that perceived scarcity directly increases IBT and that FOMO partially mediates this relationship across all samples. The MGA findings also revealed that hypothesized relationships were not significantly different across LQS and LTS groups, suggesting that the effect of scarcity messages may be context specific.
Originality/value
Previous studies have yielded mixed results on the effects of different scarcity messages on consumer behavior. This study contributes to the literature by providing evidence of the direct relationship between perceived scarcity, FOMO and impulse buying in the fast fashion context. The study supports the idea that the effect of different types of scarcity messages is context specific, suggesting that the relationship between scarcity perceptions and consumer behavior may vary depending on the product category and cultural context. Click here to download the article
Abstract
Individuals employ various coping mechanisms to deal with the fear of death. While materialism and status consumption are commonly recognized in the literature as such strategies, no study has yet empirically tested this premise. Accordingly, this study examined the mediating role of death avoidance in the link between the fear of death and death-related status consumption (DRSC). Data obtained from 346 participants were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that fear of death significantly and positively influences DRSC and that death avoidance partially and positively mediates this relationship. Results also revealed that materialism strengthens the relationship between fear of death and DRSC, while it does not significantly moderate the relationship between death avoidance and DRSC. These results support the conclusion that death-related status consumption may play a critical role as an avoidance mechanism in coping with the fear of death. This study, being among the few that investigate death-related consumer behaviors, enriches both terror management theory and the literature on consumer behavior in crises. Click here to download the article.
Abstract

The consumer research literature has extensively explored the relationship between consumer vanity and various variables. However, little is known about the impact of consumer vanity on different consumer decision-making styles. This study aims to investigate the relative effect of appearance vanity and achievement vanity, two higher-order dimensions of consumer vanity, on consumers’ decision-making styles: social, undesirable, and utilitarian orientations. The data were collected from 319 young adults through an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships. The results showed that the two forms of consumer vanity have different effects on different decision-making styles. Specifically, appearance vanity had a stronger effect on social orientation and undesirable orientation, while achievement vanity had a stronger effect on utilitarian orientation. This is also the first study that confirms the second-order structure for the consumer decision-making style inventory. The findings have been discussed in the context of the relevant literature, and recommendations have been provided for researchers and practitioners.

Abstract

Although the need for uniqueness has been extensively investigated by consumer researchers, food and tourism researchers have been silent on this promising research topic. This study examined food neophilia and ethnic food involvement as potential mediators of the association between tourists’ need for uniqueness (TNFU) and ethnic food purchase intention. Additionally, it was tested whether independent self-construal moderates this serial mediation effect. Results showed that the relationship between tourists’ need for uniqueness and ethnic food purchase intention was serially and positively mediated by food neophilia and ethnic food involvement. Furthermore, the moderated serial mediation effect was stronger at higher values of independent self-construal. Click here to download the article.

Keywords: Ethnic food involvement; Food neophilia; Food tourism; Independent self-construal; Moderated serial mediation; Tourists’ need for uniqueness.

Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the relationships between perceived scarcity, fear of missing out (FOMO) and impulse-buying tendencies (IBT) in the fast fashion context in both scarcity and non-scarcity conditions. Additionally, this study examines whether these relationships vary depending on the type of scarcity messages: limited-quantity scarcity (LQS) and limited-time scarcity (LTS).
Design/methodology/approach
We used written scenarios, and each participant was assigned to one of the experimental or control groups for LQS and LTS conditions. Using a structural modeling approach, we tested the conceptual model and analyzed the data through SmartPLS version 4. We conducted mediating and multigroup (MGA) analysis.
Findings
We found that perceived scarcity directly increases IBT and that FOMO partially mediates this relationship across all samples. The MGA findings also revealed that hypothesized relationships were not significantly different across LQS and LTS groups, suggesting that the effect of scarcity messages may be context specific.
Originality/value
Previous studies have yielded mixed results on the effects of different scarcity messages on consumer behavior. This study contributes to the literature by providing evidence of the direct relationship between perceived scarcity, FOMO and impulse buying in the fast fashion context. The study supports the idea that the effect of different types of scarcity messages is context specific, suggesting that the relationship between scarcity perceptions and consumer behavior may vary depending on the product category and cultural context. Click here to download the article
Abstract

Although it has been widely discussed in the literature, no scale has yet been developed to measure the consumption aspect of death. This study aims to develop a domain-specific death-related status consumption (DRSC) scale to bridge this gap in the field. Results reveal the following three dimensions of the scale: conspicuousness, planning, and showing respect. In four studies, which collate the views of 1,302 participants, both students and adults, the DRSC demonstrates internal consistency and validity across cultures (Turkey, the U.S., and culturally diverse sample). The importance of such a scale for the field is discussed. Click here to download the article

Abstract
This study aims to compare the demographics and behavioural characteristics of consumers who adopt voluntary simplicity as a daily lifestyle process, focusing on one developed country and one developing country. Data were accordingly collected from 589 US and Turkish consumers who define themselves as voluntary simplifiers. Although other studies found that voluntary simplifiers have same demographic characteristics, our results indicate that Turkish and US simplifiers do not vary statistically in terms of demographic variables such as income class, marital status, number of children and gender but do vary statistically in terms of education, age and working hours. They also vary in terms of the deliberate shortening of working hours. The results reveal that several behavioural and demographic characteristics of consumers who adopt the same lifestyle philosophy may vary based on their culture and the conditions of their country. Findings in the discussion section are aligned with previous studies in the literature and with socioeconomic and demographic indicators of the two countries. Click here to download the article
Abstract

Consumer researchers specifically interested in popularity have generally focused on either product popularity or brand popularity but have been largely silent on the subject of the need for popularity. Although a large number of studies have examined reference group influence on consumer behaviors, no research has yet evaluated the need for popularity in the consumption context. With this aim, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the need for popularity on purchase decisions and impulse-buying behavior concerning fashion clothing. Accordingly, this study explores the relationships between fashion clothing purchase decision involvement, need for popularity and fashion-oriented impulse buying. Using a sample of Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) participants (n = 333), this study finds that (1) the need for popularity positively influences purchase decision involvement and impulse-buying behavior concerning fashion clothing and (2) the involvement in purchase decisions concerning fashion clothing positively influences fashion-oriented impulse buying. This research advances the understanding of the need for popularity in the context of fashion consumption. Implications and limitations for future research are discussed and consumer researchers are called to pay attention to this promising research area. Click here to download the article

ABSTRACT

Despite the availability of several domain-specific instruments and its obvious drawbacks, it is interesting that the SERVQUAL scale is still used in health care settings. For this reason, the main aim of this study was to compare two different service quality scales in a health care setting. We compared the fit of the SERVQUAL model with a domain-specific model through confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS. The results showed that the domain-specific scale was superior to SERVQUAL within the context of a health care environment. We believe that using/modifying a generalized scale is not a good approach when we have domain-specific alternatives available.

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