Papers by Patricia Huddleston
• Online survey of N = 1,002 U.S. Instagram users • Exposure to Instagram content affects consequ... more • Online survey of N = 1,002 U.S. Instagram users • Exposure to Instagram content affects consequent attitudes • Effects are dependent on degree of active Instagram participation and FOMO
Journal of Marketing Education, Jan 19, 2018
We provide an overview of ways to involve undergraduate business and retailing students in facult... more We provide an overview of ways to involve undergraduate business and retailing students in faculty research projects and discuss advantages of these student-faculty collaborations. We use Kolb's experiential learning cycle to provide a framework for creating an effective and engaging undergraduate research experience and use it to classify types of projects in which our undergraduate students have participated. These types of projects include (a) theory building and testing, (b) empirical research using primary or secondary data collection, (c) practitioner-oriented projects, and (d) creative projects. We provide specific examples of each type of project and then apply Kolb's experiential learning cycle roles to a variety of undergraduate research projects. We conclude with a discussion of the benefits of involving undergraduate students in research projects.
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Jul 1, 2023
The International review of retail, distribution and consumer research, May 24, 2021
ABSTRACT Many global retailers in mature markets employ mergers and acquisitions (M&As) as an... more ABSTRACT Many global retailers in mature markets employ mergers and acquisitions (M&As) as an essential strategic tool to expand into foreign markets. Given the substantial presence of financial constraints and the importance of financing strategy in cross-border M&As, the present study attempts to answer the research question: how do different dimensions (e.g. internal, debt-focused, and equity-focused) and degrees of financial constraints affect U.S. retail multinational enterprises’ (MNEs) cross-border M&A financing decisions? Based on 91 cross-border M&As carried out by U.S. retailers during 2002–2014, our findings suggest that abundant cash reserves and large unused debt capability are associated with Cash Only financing. We also find that acquirers are more likely to adopt Debt financing than Equity financing when they face medium to high level of internal constraints but have large unused debt capabilities. Our study sheds light on retail MNEs’ best financing practices based on their financial conditions.
Agribusiness, Feb 1, 2022
With the rapid evolution of digital advertising, social media, and online research tools, our wor... more With the rapid evolution of digital advertising, social media, and online research tools, our world continues to shrink. As academics and researchers, we explore phenomena that cross national borders. But the intellectual questions we seek to answer bring their own set of practical challenges, some new and some variations on an old theme. In this new environment, we can no longer rely on student samples, or even single country non-student convenience samples. In this special session, researchers from several countries shared their experiences and provided suggestions for planning and implementing effective research that spans the globe. The extensive international experience of the panelists allowed provision of practical tips to increase chances for success in multi-national research. Some of the specific areas that were discussed included: - Dealing with one or more ethical review boards, or having no institutional review board process at all - Recruiting student & non-student sam...
Deep Blue (University of Michigan), 2006
Despite unanimous agreement in the existing literature that morale influences employee performanc... more Despite unanimous agreement in the existing literature that morale influences employee performance, no well-defined measure of morale exists. Our study develops a robust measure of morale and focuses on the factors that influence morale among Russian workers. Survey data were collected from Russian employees at two different points in time, 1995 and 2002, in five Russian cities. Among the workers participating in our study, expectation of receiving a desired reward contributes to high morale, with expected monetary rewards having a larger influence than expected non-monetary rewards, but praise for a job well done and a feeling of accomplishment also contribute positively to employee morale. There is a significant correlation between positive attitudes toward work and morale, and a positive correlation between performance assessment and morale. Demographic characteristics (age and gender) have no discernable influence on morale when controls are included for work experience.
Hortscience, 2018
In the coming decades, no natural resource may prove to be more critical to human health and well... more In the coming decades, no natural resource may prove to be more critical to human health and well-being than water. There is abundant evidence that the condition of water resources in many parts of the United States is deteriorating. In some regions of the country, the availability of sufficient water to meet growing domestic uses, and the future sufficiency of water to support the use of landscape plants where we live, work, and play is in doubt. Conservation through water efficiency measures and water management practices may be the best way to help resolve water problems. Yet, consumer perceptions and attitudes and behavior toward water conservation may differ widely, particularly in the presence of drought. This study sought to add to the current horticulture and water conservation literature by exploring consumer attitudes and behavior during real and perceived drought situations, especially in terms of their landscape purchases and gardening/landscaping activities. Study findings could better inform educational programs and marketing strategies, helping to ensure the future demand of Green Industry products and services. With a national sample of 1543 subjects, an online survey tool was used to classify respondents into categories based on whether they accurately perceived if the region in which they lived was experiencing drought. We hypothesized that consumers were heterogeneous in their attitudes and behavior regarding plants and water conservation, depending on their real and perceived drought situations, and that their attitudes affected their behavior regarding plant purchases. Results confirmed this hypothesis. Attitudes and behaviors for those who correctly perceived they were in drought were different from those who correctly perceived they were not in drought, as well as those who incorrectly did not perceive they were in an actual drought. Water is essential for all life, including plants, and 40% to 70% of U.S. water is used in urban areas (Spinti et al., 2004; St. Hilaire et al., 2008). Springer (2011) reported that the average U.S. household used 69 gallons of water per capita daily in 2006. Globally, nearly 40% of food resources come from irrigated land (Somerville and Briscoe, 2001). Water resources will become scarcer as the world population increases (Springer, 2011), which will have an impact on how and where we use water. If consumer attitudes and behaviors severely reduce or eliminate landscape water use, it will have a widespread and detrimental effect on the Green Industry. The current climate is ideal to discover the role of consumer attitudes and perceptions of water use and source with regard to landscape plants. These discoveries can be used to better inform educational and marketing efforts to help sustain the green industry during drought periods. Household water usage in the United States is greatly affected by water shortages. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates domestic water usage every 5 years. In 2010 (last survey administered), the total freshwater withdrawals were estimated to be 355 billion gallons per day, which represented 86% of total withdrawals (Maupin et al., 2014). More than 42,000 million gallons of water per day is drawn for public water usage for 286 million people. Public water is any water drawn for domestic, commercial, and industrial needs. Of public water, domestic water usage represents 57% and is classified as all water used for nonagricultural or industrial purposes excluding all water not used in households. Sixty-three percentage of the water drawn for public supply was from surface sources, such as rivers and lakes, whereas 37% was from groundwater. The Columbia Water Project (Alfredo, 2016) brings to light much of the groundwater deficit the United States is experiencing. In the states of Arizona,
The International review of retail, distribution and consumer research, Dec 1, 2013
Retailers, merchandisers and suppliers go to great lengths to display merchandise so that it capt... more Retailers, merchandisers and suppliers go to great lengths to display merchandise so that it captures the eye of the customer. Attention requires eye movement. Our eyes move (saccade) and pause (fixate) to direct attention. Cognitive processing of visual items requires the eyes to attend to an object. Eye movement can measure attention, and attention increases mental processing of an object (e.g. word, image, object, and product). Both the characteristics of the person (top-down factors) and the stimulus (bottom-up factors) contribute to attention and influence the meaning derived from the stimulus. For the current study, we integrated involvement theory and the elaboration likelihood model with eyetracking technology to evaluate customer attention to merchandise displays and their likelihood to buy (purchase intention). We recruited 344 subjects in six North American locations to view images of 32 live plant displays. Visual data were collected using a Tobii X1 Light eye-tracking device. To date, few investigations using eye tracking have been conducted on merchandised displays. Our hypothesis was that the more highly involved customers would view the merchandise (live plants) longer than required for identification, information or price signs. Results show differential 3-D patterns of involvement, likelihood to buy, and total visit duration. Involvement moderated the relationship between the time spent looking at the merchandise and their likelihood to buy.
Interdisciplinary journal of signage and wayfinding, Aug 21, 2020
Retail signage provides information from the marketer to facilitate product purchase. An increase... more Retail signage provides information from the marketer to facilitate product purchase. An increase in sign information creates greater sign complexity, which raises the question: for consumer product choices, what quantity of information is helpful versus overwhelming? We hypothesize that consumers would allocate more visual attention to complex signs and that sign complexity would be a predictor of likeliness to buy (LTB). Five experts rated 105 real garden center signs for complexity and five low, moderate, and highcomplexity signs were selected for the study. Signs were incorporated into Tobii X1 Light Eye Tracker software, where 85 non-student subjects rated sign attractiveness and LTB from a display containing that sign. Subjects allocated greater visual attention (higher fixation count and longer total fixation duration) to more complex signs, which were also rated as most attractive. Initial regression results showed sign attractiveness and fixation count were positive predictors of LTB, while complexity and total fixation duration were inversely related to LTB. Mediation analysis showed that fixation duration fully mediates fixation count impact on purchase intention. Results suggest that informationrich messaging in high complexity signs, while seen as attractive, may give consumers too much information and higher cognitive load, which makes decision-making more difficult.
Journal of environmental horticulture, Feb 24, 2022
Plant purchases experienced a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine of 2020. Researchers ... more Plant purchases experienced a surge during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine of 2020. Researchers used an online survey instrument completed by 1,211 U.S. respondents to investigate the diverse motivations for making plant purchases. Researchers compared three age cohorts to understand which plant benefits they derived from their plant purchases. Millennials (born 1981 to 1995) derived the greatest social benefit from their plant purchases, followed by educational, physiological, and psychological benefits. Gen Z (born 1996 to 2012) derived more educational and physiological benefits compared to Baby Boomers (born 1946 to 1964). Individuals experiencing a high level of social benefits from plants may have contributed to the extensive use of social media during pandemic isolation, as plants appear to be a common interest or focal point for online social interaction. In other words, plants bought by Millennials (and to a lesser extent by Gen Z) served as an online social connection to others. The youngest age group, Gen Z, experienced the greatest boredom proneness and the most food insecurity. In comparing plant buyers with non-buyers, we found no difference in boredom proneness or shopping anxiety. Plant purchasers experienced greater food security compared to non-plant purchasers and individuals who purchased edible plants or food-producing plants or both a flowering plant and a food-producing plant had greater food security compared to non-plant buyers and individuals who purchased flowering plants. Results provide relevant topics (e.g., food security, boredom relief, and social connections) to inform on-and off-line communications with consumers.
Acta horticulturae, May 1, 2023
Acta horticulturae, May 1, 2023
Journal of environmental horticulture, Feb 24, 2022
Attractive displays can stimulate sales in the retail setting. With most plants still sold in phy... more Attractive displays can stimulate sales in the retail setting. With most plants still sold in physical retail outlets, the influence of display layout on visual behavior and purchasing is of interest to academicians and practitioners. Using a within-subjects in-lab experiment and eye tracking technology, we explored how the cognitive load imposed by horticultural retail displays affects visual attention and choice. Display layouts were varied for six choice tasks in which participants indicated their most preferred alternative and their likelihood-to-purchase that alternative. Our study suggests that as the number of plant genera increases, perceived display complexity increases, and participants ignore a larger percentage of the products in the display while spending a lower percentage of their gaze sequence fixated on their choice product. Implications for retailers include increasing horizontal merchandising, reducing vertical merchandising, and diversifying the product mix in the display.
Journal of environmental horticulture, Dec 1, 2020
The goal of this study was to better understand consumers' likelihood to buy a plant when the wor... more The goal of this study was to better understand consumers' likelihood to buy a plant when the word ''sale'' was presented in red font on a white sign, with a range of font sizes, showing an equivalent discounted price in three ways (dollar amount, 25% percent off, and buy-3-get-1-free), with the sale sign location either on the left or right side of the display. Researchers constructed a partial factorial design with three plant types producing 16 images for the study. They recruited 154 subjects from two states. Results of the ratingbased conjoint study revealed that plant type comprised 45% of the purchase decision, which was consistent with prior research. Price (23.8%) was the next most important factor in likely to buy followed by sale font size. Sale sign location and sale font color were similar and third and fourth, respectively, in relative importance. The synergistic effect of sale font size and color indicate that when red fonts were used for the word ''sale'' they should be larger than other font sizes and placed to the right in the display. Consumer gaze appeared to move from left to right as though study participants ''read'' the display. Results showed the red font had greater attention-grabbing power on the right side of the display and when it appeared in a larger or smaller font size.
Horttechnology, Feb 1, 2018
Applied Economics Letters, Feb 26, 2016
ABSTRACT Eye-tracking was used to identify potential location ‘premiums’ in discrete choice exper... more ABSTRACT Eye-tracking was used to identify potential location ‘premiums’ in discrete choice experiments for certain positions in the computer screen in terms of increasing the visibility, general interest and attention of respondents. The search dynamics to choose the optimal alternative closely resembled the natural process of reading in a ‘Z’ motion going from left to right and top to bottom. An empirical application of water conservation showed that conservation practices in the production process were not statistically different than zero. On the other hand, respondents are interested in water conservation practices in their landscapes where they benefit directly from the sustainable practice.
Water, Dec 11, 2020
As more of the U.S. population urbanizes, freshwater resources will become more partitioned and s... more As more of the U.S. population urbanizes, freshwater resources will become more partitioned and scarcer. Live plants need water to become established and survive, but water demands vary by taxa. Additionally, outdoor household water use is becoming a greater target for watering restrictions, particularly landscape irrigation. Yet, how important is water conservation messaging in the context of a plant purchasing decision for outdoor plants? A ratings-based conjoint analysis of the water message, plant type, price, and plant guarantee was conducted using data from 288 subjects from three locales who rated their purchase intention to buy a plant from a retail merchandising display while using an eye-tracking device. Subjects were clustered by state of residency and, separately, their conjoint utility scores. Results indicate that water-related messaging does play a positive role in purchase intention. Residents of states who frequently experienced drought rated a water-saving message higher compared to residents of states who experienced relatively little drought. For some consumer groups, such as plant buyers, water savings are important and sought after. Green industry stakeholders should be aware of their region's drought history and help develop point of purchase information to include water conservation messaging in retail displays.
The International review of retail, distribution and consumer research, 2000
... for Western brands (March on Moscow 1995), they exhibit poor brand loyalty relative to Europe... more ... for Western brands (March on Moscow 1995), they exhibit poor brand loyalty relative to European or American consumers (Helmer 1997). ... there is a tendency for consumers to evaluate 'own-country' products more favourably (Nagashima 1970; Reierson 1966; Dickerson 1982). ...
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Papers by Patricia Huddleston