Emerald | International Journal of Wine Business Research | Table of Contents

What Drives Environmental Sustainability in the New Zealand Wine Industry?: An Examination of Driving Factors and Practices.

Fri, 16 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose - The study therefore seeks to examine (1) the current sustainability initiatives undertaken by wineries (2) what drives the wine industry to engage in sustainable practices, (3) barriers to implementing sustainable practices, Design/methodology/approach - Using a mixed method research approach, this study uses a triangulated approach to examine interviews and questionnaires to determine motivations and elements of influence.Findings - This study found that the strong drivers for the sustainability initiatives are their concern about the state of the environment and social responsibility, followed by requirements for exporting and protection of agricultural land. Research limitations/implications - A limitation of this study was a low response rate from the online questionnaire and may influence or bias study results, however, detailed face to face interviews aid to gain clarification on concepts and study results.Practical implications - While global wine consumption is growing, environmental sustainability in the wine industry is also receiving increasing attention from retailers, governments, environmental groups, and consumers. New Zealand has experienced a winery boom over the past two decades with a 173 percent increase in the number of wineries. Along with this growth, wineries are also facing issues such as water consumption, its impact on community, and waste management. Originality/value - Although there are many studies about the wine industry, relatively few studies have examined sustainability elements from a mixed-method approach to determine practical elements which may influence practices undertaken. It also examines practices undertaken by wineries, barriers to implementation and incentives to further implementation.

Exploring nonlinear effects of family power on the performance of Italian wine businesses

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Carmen Gallucci, Antonio D'Amato) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose - This work investigates the performance of wine businesses operating in the Campania region in the South of Italy and aims to verify the family power effect on company performance.Design/methodology/approach - The study was conducted on a sample of 114 firms that operate in the quality wines industry. Using a panel data regression model with time fixed effects, we analyzed the firm performance during the interval 2007-2010 to detect the effect of family power on the firm performance. Family power was measured through the degree of family involvement in ownership and on the Board. Performance was measured in terms of revenue and profitability.Findings - The research highlights a U-shaped relationship between family power and revenue and an inverted U-shaped relationship between family power and profitability.Originality/value - The findings show an empirical framework which could stimulate the academic debate on family effect in order to draw implications for marketing management and policy makers in the wine business and to provide suggestions for further research.

Experimental approach to assessing actual wine purchase behavior

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Nelson A. Barber, Christopher Taylor) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose - The use of intentions to forecast behavior follows from the assumption that intentions are a strong indicator of an individual’s actual purchase behavior. Yet most studies find the relationship between intent and actual behavior varies considerably. The purpose of this study was to explore how marketers should combine expressed measures of intention with other available data to forecast the probability of purchase and thus to set pricing decisions.Design/methodology/approach - Through a two-stage approach, this study measured consumer psychographics and expressed purchase intention to predict actual purchase behavior using an on-line survey, the Vickrey Auction Method, and logistic regression.Findings - The results find that individuals’ attitudes and intentions are strong predictors of actual behavior. However, of particular interest are lower-purchase-intention individuals, who acted in line with their expressed willingness to pay more than individuals with higher purchase intentions.Research limitations/implications - The study was restricted to the investigation of one product. The model should be tested with different styles of wine products that are purchased on a regular basis.Practical implications - Most product positioning research focuses on individuals who express high levels of purchase intention, positive attitudes, and positive values. However, basing a wine product’s pricing on a high-purchase-intention group may lead to an overpriced product and a lack of follow-through on the part of the consumers.Originality/value - Results suggest a new method to approach purchase intention using a combination of actual purchase data and survey data.

THE IMPACT OF EXPERT OPINION IN CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF WINES

literatinetwork@emeraldinsight.com (Raquel Chocarro, Monica Cortiñas) — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract

Purpose - This paper examines the way in which consumers integrate experts’ opinions into their own evaluations of a selection of red wines.Design/methodology/approach - We conduct an experiment to measure the influence of experts’ opinions in relation to the complexity of the information, the level of consensus between different experts, and the consumer’s level of category knowledge.Findings - Confirmation is found for the effect of received information on consumers’ product evaluations. Variation is found in relation to the consumer’s level of category knowledge. Expert ratings have a stronger influence on individuals with low knowledge of the wine category than on those with high knowledge. The level of consensus between experts and the complexity of the information in this case have no effect on the impact of their opinions. Originality/value - This paper takes a deeper look into the effect of "weak-tie" personal information sources, particularly the opinions of experts regarding wine. Scientific research into the effect of expert judgments on consumer perceptions is still scant and businesses also need to assess the factors underlying its impact, given that the influence of expert judgment can be as crucial as quality to a product’s success. The main feature that distinguishes this paper from the previous literature is that it integrates all three moderating effects in a single experiment: level of expert consensus, the complexity of the information provided and the prior knowledge of the consumer.