Consumer sentiment toward marketing has been extensively addressed in the marketing literature. However, while most existing studies provide contributions regarding the levels of consumer perceptions of the marketing function, most fall short of providing significant insights into the antecedents of these sentiment levels. That is to say, little is offered to help marketers understand why consumers perceive the marketing function the way they do. In this study, a conceptual framework is developed in an attempt to explore consumer sentiment toward marketing in light of the increasing technological tendencies of today's marketplace. Alienation from the marketplace is assumed to be an exogenous variable that affects the degree to which individuals are ready to embrace new technologies in everyday life. The model is empirically tested using structural equation modeling. Alienation from the marketplace is found to be negatively associated with sentiment toward marketing and the drivers of technology readiness, but positively associated with the inhibitors of technology readiness. More significantly, readiness to embrace technology is found to exhibit a strong and consistent relationship with sentiment toward marketing.

This paper presents the first study to address sentiment towards advertising, materialism and vanity in the globalized city of Dubai. A conceptual model is developed and subsequent hypotheses is tested via structural educational modeling (SEM). The main research findings suggest that consumers in Dubai exhibit positive perceptions of advertising as well as higher levels of materialism and vanity. Sentiment toward advertising is found to positively influence materialism levels while materialism strongly influences views, concern for physical appearance, and personal achievement. Sentiment towards advertising, however, has no direct effect on any vanity trait, suggesting that vanity is more an internal personal trait.

A review of the literature indicates that there is little research on how voters respond to candidates' inconsistency on issues. Our study addresses this gap. We investigate whether voter response in terms of trust, attitude towards the candidate and intention to vote for the candidate is negatively influenced by a candidate's inconsistency on an issue and by the voter's attribution of the candidate's motive to a genuine desire to benefit the voter or to a ruse to garner their vote. Further, it is investigated whether this negative impact is stronger when the issue is relevant to the voter; and whether the effect of inconsistency depends on the attribution and issue relevance. The hypotheses are tested by conducting an experiment with 242 subjects. Results indicate that there is a three-way interaction and the effects of inconsistency depend upon the attribution and relevance. The effects of inconsistency are found only in certain conditions based on relevance and attribution. Attribution, however, is found to have an impact on all three aspects of voter response regardless of relevance of the issue and voter attribution. Thus, many candidates who might be tempted to argue that they have been 'not inconsistent' might be better off explaining the reasons for their change in position. Limitations and suggestions for future research are provided.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to extend the research paradigm focusing on behaviorally-based first-mover advantages (FMA) by applying the widely-accepted Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and offers insights into differences between a mature market (USA) and an emerging market (EM) (India) regarding how intentions to purchase the pioneer are formed. Design/methodology/approach Utilizing samples of 208 USA and 194 Indian consumers, hypotheses examining the underlying beliefs, attitudes, social norms and purchasing intentions regarding pioneer brands are developed and tested using structural equation modeling. Findings Insights from the study suggest the TRA provides a means for assessing behaviorally-based FMAs across cultures, even as manifestations of purchase intentions differ significantly. According to the TRA and findings of this study, intentions are a function of overall attitudes and social norms. In the USA, individual attitudes were found to play a more significant role than social norms in formulating purchase intention. In India, social norms played a more dominant role in intention formation. Originality/value The study represents one of the first empirical attempts to shed light on the extent of behaviorally-based FMAs in an EM and how manifestations of intention to purchase the pioneer differ from mature markets. The study expands the behavioral paradigm of analysis to include one of the most sought-after EMs today (India) and provides one of the first empirical studies to utilize the TRA in addressing behaviorally-based FMAs.

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