ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Marketing
- Creators: Bolton, Ruth N
- Creators: Shen, Wei
Description
In this study I investigate the factors that may influence consumer preference and choice in China’s home interior decoration industry. With the fast development of information technology such as the internet in China, it becomes increasingly important to have a more precise understanding of consumer preference and choice in home interior decoration decisions so that companies in this industry can provide better services to meet customer needs. Using survey data from a sample of potential customers and a sample of existing customers of a large home interior decoration company, I find that (1) internet has become the mostly used channel by consumers to gather information about home interior decoration, (2) design style is the most influential factor in consumers’ choice of home interior decoration company, and (3) consumers are more likely to choose home interior decoration companies to provide full services when they are between 35 to 45 years old or above 55 years old, when it is the first time for them to purchase a real estate property, and when they are located in the Eastern region of China. Findings of this study can help home interior decoration companies better understand customer needs and preferences, facilitate changes in their marketing and sales strategies, and consequently strengthen their competitive advantage．
ContributorsYang, Jin (Author) / Shen, Wei (Thesis advisor) / Zhang, Anmin (Committee member) / Gu, Bin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
It is well understood that innovation drives productivity growth in agriculture. Innovation, however, is a process that involves activities distributed throughout the supply chain. In this dissertation I investigate three topics that are at the core of the distribution and diffusion of innovation: optimal licensing of university-based inventions, new variety adoption among farmers, and consumers’ choice of new products within a social network environment.
University researchers assume an important role in innovation, particularly as a result of the Bayh-Dole Act, which allowed universities to license inventions funded by federal research dollars, to private industry. Aligning the incentives to innovate at the university level with the incentives to adopt downstream, I show that non-exclusive licensing is preferred under both fixed fee and royalty licensing. Finding support for non-exclusive licensing is important as it provides evidence that the concept underlying the Bayh-Dole Act has economic merit, namely that the goals of university-based researchers are consistent with those of society, and taxpayers, in general.
After licensing, new products enter the diffusion process. Using a case study of small holders in Mozambique, I observe substantial geographic clustering of new-variety adoption decisions. Controlling for the other potential factors, I find that information diffusion through space is largely responsible for variation in adoption. As predicted by a social learning model, spatial effects are not based on geographic distance, but rather on neighbor-relationships that follow from information exchange. My findings are consistent with others who find information to be the primary barrier to adoption, and means that adoption can be accelerated by improving information exchange among farmers.
Ultimately, innovation is only useful when adopted by end consumers. Consumers’ choices of new products are determined by many factors such as personal preferences, the attributes of the products, and more importantly, peer recommendations. My experimental data shows that peers are indeed important, but “weak ties” or information from friends-of-friends is more important than close friends. Further, others regarded as experts in the subject matter exert the strongest influence on peer choices.
University researchers assume an important role in innovation, particularly as a result of the Bayh-Dole Act, which allowed universities to license inventions funded by federal research dollars, to private industry. Aligning the incentives to innovate at the university level with the incentives to adopt downstream, I show that non-exclusive licensing is preferred under both fixed fee and royalty licensing. Finding support for non-exclusive licensing is important as it provides evidence that the concept underlying the Bayh-Dole Act has economic merit, namely that the goals of university-based researchers are consistent with those of society, and taxpayers, in general.
After licensing, new products enter the diffusion process. Using a case study of small holders in Mozambique, I observe substantial geographic clustering of new-variety adoption decisions. Controlling for the other potential factors, I find that information diffusion through space is largely responsible for variation in adoption. As predicted by a social learning model, spatial effects are not based on geographic distance, but rather on neighbor-relationships that follow from information exchange. My findings are consistent with others who find information to be the primary barrier to adoption, and means that adoption can be accelerated by improving information exchange among farmers.
Ultimately, innovation is only useful when adopted by end consumers. Consumers’ choices of new products are determined by many factors such as personal preferences, the attributes of the products, and more importantly, peer recommendations. My experimental data shows that peers are indeed important, but “weak ties” or information from friends-of-friends is more important than close friends. Further, others regarded as experts in the subject matter exert the strongest influence on peer choices.
ContributorsFang, Di (Author) / Richards, Timothy J. (Thesis advisor) / Bolton, Ruth N (Committee member) / Grebitus, Carola (Committee member) / Manfredo, Mark (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
Customers today, are active participants in service experiences. They are more informed about product choices, their preferences and tend to actively influence customer and firm related outcomes. However, differences across customers become a significant challenge for firms trying to ensure that all customers have a `delightful' consumption experience. This dissertation studies customers as active participants in service experiences and considers three dimensions of customer participation -- in-role performance; extra-role performance-citizenship and elective behavior; and information sharing -- as its focal dependent variables. This study is grounded in services marketing, customer co-production and motivation literatures. The theoretical model proposes that customer behaviors are goal-directed and different consumers will have different reactions to the service quality because they have different assessments of progress towards their goals and (consequently) different levels of participation during the service experience. Customer role clarity and participation behavior will also influence the service experience and firm outcomes. A multi-step process was adopted to test the conceptual model, beginning with qualitative and quantitative pretests; followed by 2 studies (one cross-sectional and other longitudinal in nature). Results prove that customer participation behaviors are influenced by service quality directly and through the mediated path of progress towards goals. Assessment of progress towards goals directly influences customer participation behaviors cross-sectionally. Service quality from one service interaction influences customer in-role performance and information sharing in subsequent service interactions. Information sharing influences service quality in subsequent service interactions. Role-clarity influences in-role and extra-role performance cross-sectionally and influences these behaviors longitudinally only in the early stages of the customer-firm relationship. Due to multi-collinearity, the moderating effect of customer goals on assessment of progress towards goals could not be tested. The study findings contribute to the understanding of customer participation behaviors in service interactions for both academics and managers. It contributes to the literature by examining consumption during the service interaction; considering customers as active participants; explaining differences in customer participation; integrating a forward-looking component (assessment of progress towards goals) and a retrospective component (perceptions of service quality) to explain customer participation behaviors over time; defining and building measures for customer participation behavior.
ContributorsSaxena, Shruti (Author) / Mokwa, Michael (Thesis advisor) / Bitner, Mary Jo (Committee member) / Bolton, Ruth N (Committee member) / Olsen, Grant D (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2010
Description汽车行业属于国家支柱型产业，创造了高额的产值，增加了就业岗位。随着汽车生产行业竞争日趋激烈的趋势影响，汽车经销商在未来会出现明显的分化，并且逐步向头部集中。基于这样的行业背景，本项研究开展汽车经销商整体经营和盈利能力等方面的详细深入分析，即系统整合汽车经销商业务运营层面和财务层面数据，结合统计研究方法，对经销商盈利能力进行系统且详实归因分析，从而试别驱动盈利能力的关键业务要素。其研究成果能够完善对行业发展规律和经营模式系统性理解，从而进一步指导该领域的相关业务实践，提高经销商整体经营业绩。本课题通过四个阶段来开展经销商整体经营与盈利归因的相关研究。首先，本课题梳理了中国汽车消费行业发展的历史，同时阐述样本期内（2018-2020年）国内宏观经济和汽车消费市场的特征进行，并介绍X品牌汽车经销商的地理分布、资质和业绩评级体系、自身经营特征以及汽车生产商对经销商扶持政策等方面。在第二阶段，本课题聚焦研究假设、模型与方法，通过对X品牌汽车经销商的业务结构和运营管理开展分析，并逐步识别影响经销商盈利的关键指标变量，并提出研究假设和相关模型（即时间序列模型和面板回归模型）。在第三阶段，本课题首先开展经销商相关信息整体性统计分析，获得关键业务指标在样本期内动态特征，并结合时间序列回归模型探讨各项业务指标对经销商整体盈利能力的影响程度。在第四阶段，本课题采用（个体）固定效应的面板回归模型来研究不同组别（控制）条件下经销商盈利能力的影响因素以及其盈利能力对这些因素的敏感程度，从而更深入和全面地揭示影响经销商盈利能力的潜在因素。
基于上述四阶段的研究结果，本研究进一步就提升经销商盈利能力展开讨论，并提出相应对策。本课题相关结论仅从X品牌汽车经销商经营和财务数据进行定性和定量分析获得，但衷心希望本研究的成果能够对汽车经销商改善经营业务方面能起到实践上的借鉴和指导意义。
ContributorsPan, Guangxiong (Author) / Shen, Wei (Thesis advisor) / Wu, Fei (Thesis advisor) / Zhu, Qigui (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
When consumers find that something critically out of the ordinary has occurred, they direct attention to evaluate such a critical incident more closely. The results of this evaluation may put consumers on a switching path or it might lead them to engage in unfavorable behaviors from the perspective of the organization, such as engaging in negative word-or-mouth online. The negative consequences of some product (goods or services) failures go beyond simple product attribute defects, leading customers to terminate the relationship with the organization. This dissertation, which is composed of three essays, investigates how consumers engage in negative word-of-mouth on social media channels in response to their various product failures and explores an important relationship event of betrayal, which can be triggered by certain product failures. It investigates how betrayal is perceived by customers and influences a range of their behaviors across business-to-consumer and business-to-business contexts.
ContributorsChung, Myunghun Myunghun (Author) / Bolton, Ruth N (Thesis advisor) / Mandel, Naomi (Committee member) / Kim, Sunghoon (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019