Camille Saintives

Abstract

Based on the resource dependency theory, this article investigates the relationships among board gender diversity, innovation, and firm performance. Specifically, this article examines the mediating role of innovation, which may explain how board gender diversity is related to firm performance. Using a sample of 120 SBF companies from 2009 to 2012, the results indicate a negative effect of board gender diversity on innovation. In addition, we do not find evidence of a mediating role of innovation within the board gender diversity-firm performance relationship.

Cette recherche remet en cause l’idée selon laquelle l’autonomie est bénéfique pour les consommateurs quelle que soit la situation. Plus précisément, cette recherche démontre, à travers deux expérimentations et une étude terrain, que l’autonomie ne donne lieu à du plaisir que lorsque le risque est faible. Ces études identifient également le contrôle personnel comme un mécanisme expliquant pourquoi l’autonomie rend la consommation plus ou moins agréable, et ce, en fonction de la perception du risque. Dans l’étude 1, nous démontrons que le risque perçu modère l’effet que l’autonomie peut avoir sur le fait de rendre une expérience agréable, l’absence de risque permettant à l’autonomie d’accroître le contrôle personnel. L’étude 2 réplique cet effet modérateur du risque au cours d’une étude terrain. Pour tester si de mêmes effets peuvent être retrouvés avec un autre type de risque perçu, l’étude 3 manipule le risque social et réplique l’effet modérateur du risque dans la relation entre autonomie, contrôle personnel et plaisir observé dans les études 1 et 2. D’une manière générale, cette recherche met en avant la nécessité de prendre en considération le risque lorsqu’on rend les consommateurs autonomes, et offre de nouvelles contributions aux recherches sur l’autonomie des consommateurs.

Although various consumption episodes, types of products, and dimensions of guilt have been examined in previous studies, the existing literature has not addressed whether guilt could arise differently depending on the purchase channel (online versus in-store). This research thus investigates the effect of the purchase channel on consumer’s guilt and the consequences of that guilt on consumer’s anticipated satisfaction. Two experiments conducted in different contexts show that perceived value moderates the relationship between the purchase channel and guilt. Further, we demonstrate that perceived value is also a moderator of the mediating effect of guilt in the influence of the purchase channel on anticipated satisfaction.

Based on the resource dependency theory, this article investigates the relationships among board gender diversity, innovation, and firm performance. Specifically, this article examines the mediating role of innovation, which may explain how board gender diversity is related to firm performance. Using a sample of 120 SBF companies from 2009 to 2012, the results indicate a negative effect of board gender diversity on innovation. In addition, we do not find evidence of a mediating role of innovation within the board gender diversity-firm performance relationship.

For sellers, the efficacy of humor to create trusty relationships and achieve performance with buyers remains unknown. Specifically, the question of if – and when – sellers should use humor still deserves examination. To answer this question, this research builds on the four phases that characterize long-term relationships (exploration, buildup, maturity, and decline) to argue that humor might be inefficient when used in the exploration phase. Two studies conducted among buyers (n = 322) then reveal that although constructive humor has overall positive effects on the performance of the sellers through a mediating effect of trust, this effect is not observed during the exploration phase. The other type of humor – offensive humor – has a negative effect regardless of the phase in which it is used. Taken together, these results first indicate that sellers may gain from using humor only if the relationship with their buyers is not at the exploration phase since this particular phase is the only one when a negative effect of humor on trust and subsequent performance is observed. Furthermore, these results indicate that offensive should be avoided in all the relationship phases.

While humor is known to help relational outcomes, its usefulness for sellers to build strong relationships with their business partners and achieve performance remain unknown. Specifically, humor styles (constructive versus offensive) and business sectors (service-based versus other) may play an important role. To fill this gap in extant marketing literature, this study aims to test the effects of humor styles among salespersons of different business sectors on relationship quality and business performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This research paper derives hypotheses from prior studies referring to humor effects in psychology and management, business-to-business and relationship marketing literature. The hypotheses are tested using a sample of 175 salespersons operating across different business sectors.
Findings
While constructive humor is shown to have positive effects on relationship quality and business performance regardless of business sectors, a different pattern is found for offensive humor. Specifically, the results show that business sector moderates the effects of this type of humor, which has negative effects on relationship quality and business performance, but only when used by salespersons in non-service-based business sectors.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of the research concern the cultural context. The lack of responses from salespersons from different countries may be considered as a direction for future studies exploring connections between humor usage and culture in business-to-business marketing.
Practical implications
This study brings strategic insights into how to use humor in a business-to-business context.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, no previous study has thus far examined the proposed set of inter-related research constructs.

This article investigates how consumers regulate their postconsumption guilt and rumination through positive reappraisal and the effects of this regulating process on satisfaction. Two studies conducted in different contexts and using different methods show that positive reappraisal increases with rumination and guilt but more strongly when guilt is low (vs. high). Results also reveal the mediating effect of positive reappraisal on the guilt–satisfaction relationship such that people feeling guilty and engaging in positive reappraisal exhibit lower satisfaction with their consumption. Further, this mediating effect is moderated by rumination, such that positive reappraisal mediates the indirect effect of guilt only when rumination is low.

This research paper aims to contribute to the literature on emotions in the service experience. The extant literature has extensively discussed how the service experience can drive singular emotions. However, the investigation of the combined effects of mixed emotions – that is, emotions of antagonistic valence (positive and negative) – remains scarce. To fill this gap, this research focuses on the combined effects of the negative emotion of guilt and the positive emotion of pride, two affective reactions that can be felt during a service experience but that differ from each other in terms of valence. Specifically, this research examines how consumers who simultaneously feel these two emotions cope with them and more precisely if they engage in a positive reappraisal of their own behavior during the service experience or if they rather prefer adopting the avoidance strategy of mental disengagement. Finally, this research paper examines how these coping strategies to the mixed emotions of pride and guilt affect satisfaction with the service. Design/methodology/approach – A series of hypotheses relating guilt, pride and the coping strategies of mental disengagement and positive reappraisal, as well as their effect on satisfaction toward the service, are tested using two scenario-based experiments. Findings – The findings show that the effects of guilt on the coping strategies of mental disengagement and positive reappraisal are moderated by pride. Importantly, the results show that these two interacting effects are distinct. Precisely, while pride moderates the effect of guilt on mental disengagement such that a negative effect of guilt is observed mainly among people who feel strong guilt feelings, the moderating effect of pride in the guilt-positive reappraisal relationship is positive and mainly among those who feel low guilt feelings. Further, mental disengagement mediates the effects of guilt on satisfaction and differently according to the level of pride. Originality/value – This research makes a contribution through the investigation of mixed emotions. This approach appears of value because services can drive different emotions simultaneously, and in a context where most extant research focuses on singular emotions.

Abstract

Cet article étudie les stratégies de coping mises en place par les consommateurs suite à leur culpabilité post-consommation. Une typologie est réalisée pour décrire les classes de consommateurs qui se distinguent selon l’utilisation qu’ils font de ces stratégies. Elle fait apparaître 4 classes qui sont ensuite définies par des caractéristiques sociodémographiques, individuelles et situationnelles.

Abstract

This paper aims to determine how consumers may regulate their guilt through rumination and emotional support and how such regulation affects their consumption. Compelling research indicates that consumption may sometimes induce guilt. Social–psychological literature suggests that a potential way for consumers to regulate their consumption-related guilt is to seek emotional support. Design/methodology/approach – Two studies, which measure (Study 1) and manipulate (Study 2) guilt, investigate how guilt and rumination affect emotional support and subsequent consumption. Findings – The results show that guilt and rumination interact and prompt individuals to seek emotional support. The valence (positive or negative) of feedback they receive affects and interacts with their guilt to affect their intention to consume the guilt-inducing product again. Shame is shown to mediate the effect of post-feedback guilt on consumption intentions. Research limitations/implications – The results extend previous research on guilt by emphasizing emotional support seeking as a specific way of coping in response to guilt feelings and shame as an outcome of guilt. Moreover, the present research shows that guilt can affect behavioural intentions, an effect that surprisingly has not been previously identified in literature. Practical implications – For brands and retailers providing guilt-inducing products, the results suggest that providing emotional support – for instance through reinsurance messages – may have positive effects on consumer emotions and intentions. Originality/value – Using two different methods, the research findings offer deeper understanding of how guilt is related to cognitions such as rumination, to emotions such as shame and to behavioural intentions.

Abstract

This research builds on the institutional theory literature to investigate the impact of retailer’s in-store quality (in)congruency on consumer shopping behavior. Specifically, considering the consensual view of legitimacy as a variable of main interest to explain organizational survival, this research focuses on legitimacy as the mediating variable explaining the effects of in-store quality (in)congruency on shopping behavior. Results from a scenario-based experiment show that in-store quality (in)congruency affects legitimacy such that when merchandise quality is low, a high store environment quality leads to lower legitimacy. Also, the results show that legitimacy acts as a mediator that induces a decrease in shopping behavior. By highlighting perceived legitimacy as the underlying mechanism explaining the effect of in-store quality incongruency on consumer behavior, this research offer new insights for retailers.