Influence of Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) and Relationship Marketing on Brand Resonance: A Mediation Analysis

This study investigates how electronic work of mouth (eWOM) mediates the relationship between marketing relations and brand resonance. Based on the information obtained from 473 customers using an online questionnaire, this study analyses the relationship between eWOM, relationship marketing practices and the brand resonance of lifestyle products in an Indian context. The results from the multiple regression analysis indicate that the proposed hypotheses are valid, that relationship marketing significantly affects brand resonance, and that eWOM significantly mediates the relationship between the relationship marketing and brand resonance of branded apparel. The findings suggest that personalized attention and tangible rewards are effective relationship marketing strategies, and that these relationship-marketing practices—in association with eWOM—build up the strong brand resonance of branded apparel. The present study recommends that marketers should place emphasis on effective online and offline relationship marketing strategies, and should design appropriate eWOM strategies to enhance brand loyalty, brand attachment, brand community and brand engagement. Some of the managerial implications and the future scope of study based on the empirical findings are also highlighted in the present research work.

THE EFFECT OF CUSTOMER GRATITUDE AS MEDIATION IN THE RELATIONSHIP OF MARKETING INVESTMENTS ON BEHAVIORAL LOYALTY

This research aims to examine the effect of marketing investments conducted by binder manufacturers such as direct mail, tangible rewards, interpersonal communication, and preferential treatment towards behavioral and customer gratitude as mediator variables. This research is a quantitative study with 95 respondents from binder manufacturers. The sampling technique used is the convenience sampling technique. The data that has been obtained is processed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 20 for Windows program. Based on this research, marketing investments such as direct mail, tangible reward, and preferential treatment have a significant relationship with the variable customer gratitude. Besides, interpersonal communication activities do not have a substantial effect on customer gratitude. Preferential treatment by binder producers has the most significant positive impact on customer gratitude than other marketing investment variables. Finally, it is also known those customer gratitude customers due to the effect of marketing investment activities by binder manufacturer influence customer behavioral loyalty.

PERSEPSI WAJIB PAJAK USAHA MIKRO KECIL MENENGAH TERHADAP PERATURAN PEMERINTAH NOMOR 23 TAHUN 2018 KABUPATEN KEPULAUAN SANGIHE

Pajak merupakan kontribusi wajib kepada Negara yang termasuk utang oleh orang pribadi atau organisasi yang bersifat memaksa berdasarkan Undang-Undang, dengan tidak menghasilkan imbalan yang nyata dan dipakai sebagai keperluan Negara sebesar-besarnya untuk menyejahterakan kemakmuran rakyat dengan Undang-Undang Ketentuan Umum dan Tata Cara Perpajakan Nomor 28 Tahun 2007 (UU KUP No. 28 TAHUN 2007). Usaha mikro adalah usaha yang berjalan dan dimiliki oleh badan usaha maupun perorangan pribadi dengan memenuhi syarat dalam Undang-Undang Republik Indonesia Nomor 20 Tahun 2008. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui persepsi wajib pajak Usaha Mikro Kecil Menengah (UMKM) terhadap Peraturan Pemerintah (PP) Nomor 23 Tahun 2018 Kabupaten Kepulauan Sangihe. Metode penelitian ini adalah jenis penelitian deskriptif kualitatif yaitu penelitian yang dilakukan untuk mendapatkan informasi terhadap objek yang diteliti berdasarkan pada situasi. Sumber Informasi dalam penelitian ini adalah beberapa Wajib Pajak yang memiliki Usaha Mikro Kecil Menengah (UMKM) Khususnya warung-warung yang ada di Pasar Kampung Kulur II sebanyak 5 narasumber atau informan. Berdasarkan hasil ini diperoleh kesimpulan bahwa pelaku usaha yang menjadi informan penelitian kurang memiliki sedikit pengetahuan tentang pajak. Kata Kunci : Persepsi, UMKM, Peraturan Pemerintah ABSTRACT Taxes are mandatory contributions to the State which are included in debts by private persons or organizations that are compelling based on the law, without producing tangible rewards and are used as a large amount of the State's need for the welfare of the people with the Law on General Provisions and Tax Procedures Number 28 of the year. 2007 (UU KUP No. 28 of 2007). A micro business is a business that runs and is owned by business entities and private individuals by fulfilling the requirements in the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 20 of 2008. This study aims to determine the perception of taxpayers of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) against Government Regulation (PP) Number 23. In 2018 Sangihe Islands Regency. This research method is a type of qualitative descriptive research, namely research conducted to obtain information on the object under study based on the situation. Sources of information in this study are several taxpayers who have Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), especially 5 food stalls in Kampung Kulur II Market. Based on these results, it can be concluded that business actors who are research informants do not have a little knowledge about taxes. Key Words : Persepetion, UMKM, Development Rules

Needs Versus Wants: The Mental Accounting and Effort Effects of Tangible Rewards

The use of tangible rewards to motivate employees is common in North American organizations. However, there is considerable variation regarding the nature of tangible rewards used with some firms offering hedonic items (e.g., wants) and others offering utilitarian items (e.g., needs). We use two studies to examine the effects of tangible reward nature on employee mental accounting and effort. In Study 1, consistent with predictions, we find that hedonic tangible rewards are mentally accounted for separately from utilitarian tangible rewards, and that hedonic tangible rewards are more likely categorized separately from regular earnings than are utilitarian tangible rewards. In Study 2, as predicted, we find hedonic tangible rewards lead to greater effort than utilitarian tangible rewards. Collectively, results from our two studies demonstrate the motivational benefits of offering performance-based hedonic tangible rewards rather than utilitarian tangible rewards and offer new insights regarding the mental accounting mechanisms underlying these effects.

Perceptions of mHealth applications and features to support psychosocial wellbeing among frontline healthcare workers involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Frontline healthcare workers are experiencing a myriad of physical and psychosocial challenges amid the COVID-19 pandemic. There is growing recognition that digital technologies have the potential for improving wellbeing of frontline workers. However, there is limited development of wellness interventions using mHealth technology. More importantly, little research has been conducted on how frontline workers perceive mHealth-based support to promote their wellbeing. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore frontline workers’ experience of conventional psychological wellness programs and their perceptions of the usefulness of mHealth apps and features for promoting wellbeing. It also sought to identify factors that influence uptake and retention of a mHealth-based wellness program. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews using purposive sampling with frontline workers involved in the COVID-19 response. Various visual materials, collated from existing mHealth app features, were presented to facilitate discussion. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis based on grounded theory was undertaken. Themes were subsequently mapped to key nudge strategies, commonly used for mHealth development, to assess participants’ preferences for particular features and their reasoning. RESULTS A total of 42 frontline workers participated in twelve one-to-one interviews or focus group discussions. Frontline workers generally had limited mental health literacy to identify their own psychological problems and liked the reminders functionality to track their mood over time. A personalised goal-setting feature (tailoring) and in-app resources were generally valued while frequent coaching and messages (framing) were seen as a distraction. The majority desired a built-in chat with a counsellor (guidance) for reasons of accessibility and protection of privacy. Very few participants appreciated a gamification function. Frontline workers commonly reported the need for ongoing social support and desired access to in-app peer support community (social influence). There were concerns regarding potential risks from virtual peer interactions. Intrinsic motivational factors, mHealth app technicality and tangible rewards were identified as critical for uptake and retention. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the potential of mHealth with relevant features to safeguard the wellbeing of frontline workers. Future work should focus on developing a non-intrusive and personalised mHealth app with in-app counselling, peer support to improve wellbeing, and tangible and extrinsic rewards to foster continued use.

Participation of Female Emerging Adults in a Theory- and Evidence-Based Behavioral Weight Loss Program

Emerging adults are less likely to participate in and more likely to drop out of behavioral weight loss programs. Thirty-five female emerging adults who dropped out of a behavioral weight loss program, Weight Loss For Life, completed an online survey. Main reasons for dropout relate to insufficient behavioral skills and unique characteristics of emerging adults, especially when in college (e.g., citing working and getting good grades to be more important than losing weight). Most desired >50% of program online, having virtual groups, and using small groups to model desirable behaviors. Around $140 and $180 seemed sufficient to them to encourage participation in all scheduled treatment sessions and reaching overall weight loss goal, respectively. Future behavioral weight loss programs for emerging adults may consider helping develop time management and task management, decision-making that focuses on longer term outcomes, and immediate tangible rewards similar to what college students typically receive after they complete each class assignment.

THE EFFECT OF REWARD STRATEGIES ON THE SUCCESS OF CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS

ABSTRACT Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of reward strategies on the success of crowdfunding campaigns. Originality/value: The study contributed to the knowledge of crowdfunding reward strategies. Through a comparative analysis approach, the study demonstrated differences in the effect of tangible, symbolic and collective rewards on the success of crowdfunding campaigns. Design/methodology/approach: The study employs the approach of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to analyze the CF campaigns of catarse.me, a Brazilian crowdfunding platform. Findings: Tangible rewards, such as something special and purchase me, have a positive effect on the success of crowdfunding campaigns. Symbolic and collective rewards, such as collectible tokens, pursuit of pleasure, and top it up, cannot replace the material incentives of tangible rewards. The main findings show the opportunities for combinations of reward strategies on collective fundraising. Based on the study, entrepreneurs are able to plan a reward strategy for crowdfunding campaigns. Results are applicable to reward-based crowdfunding and cannot be generalized to other platforms around the world.