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Financial services, and credit in particular, are consumed like any other product or service: they carry cultural meaning and are used symbolically to transfer meaning to the life of the consumer. This study aimed to investigate the symbolic meanings attached to financial services and credit by poor consumers and how these meanings are translated into their social lives. The research adopted an interpretive approach, based on in-depth interviews of poor consumers. The results showed that financial services are part of a complex web of meanings in which issues such as status, hierarchy, distinction, cooperation, and reciprocity play a part.RESUMEN. Los servicios financieros y especialmente el crédito se consumen como cualquier otro producto o servicio: 227 contienen un significado cultural y se usan simb o olicamente para transferir significado a la vida del consumidor. El prop o osito de este estudio es investigar el significado simb o olico que los consumidores pobres dan a los servicios financieros y líneas crediticias, y la forma en que los mismos se traducen a sus vidas sociales. La investigaci o on adopt o o un enfoque interpretativo, basado en amplias entrevistas con consumidores pobres. Los resultados obtenidos demostraron que los servicios financieros son parte integrante de una compleja red de significados donde temas tales como el estado, la jerarquía, la distinci o on, cooperaci o on y reciprocidad tienen un papel a jugar.RESUMO. Os serviços financeiros, e o crédito, em particular, são consumidos como qualquer outro produto ou serviço: eles carregam um significado cultural, sendo usados, simbolicamente, para proporcionar um sentido à vida do consumidor. O prop o osito deste estudo é investigar os significados simb o olicos atrelados aos serviços financeiros e ao crédito pelos consumidores de baixa renda e como tais significados refletem-se na sua vida social. A pesquisa adotou uma abordagem interpretativa, baseada em entrevistas abrangentes com consumidores pobres. Os resultados mostraram que os serviços financeiros fazem parte de uma complexa trama de significados, onde temas como status, hierarquia, excelência, cooperação e reciprocidade exercem um papel específico.

Holt (1998) averiguou a aplicao do consumo como forma de adquirir status realizando pesquisas nos Estados Unidos e na Turquia (HOLT; STNER, 2010). A presente pesquisa baseou-se neste ltimo estudo e teve como objetivos : a) estudar se o consumo de produtos culturais seria uma forma de construir status; b) investigar qual a relao destes produtos com o capital cultural das mulheres da nova classe mdia. O consumo de produtos culturais mostrou-se fundamental para construo das estratgias de status e o capital cultural mostrou-se determinante na escolha destes produtos. Concluiu-se que os produtos culturais utilizados variaram conforme o maior ou menor capital cultural das entrevistadas. O uso do conceito de capital cultural possibilitou um maior entendimento da construo dos gostos e prticas de consumo .

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to better understand the influence of service quality and corporate image of Brazil’s National Cancer Institute (INCA) on the satisfaction of its outpatients. Design/methodology/approach The study is quantitative, with data collected from a self-administered structured questionnaire answered by a sample of 434 outpatients of Hospital do Câncer I, the largest and oldest hospital operated by the INCA. The data were treated with covariance-based structural equation modeling. Findings The results indicated that the corporate image of the INCA was the main factor having a positive influence on the patients’ satisfaction, followed by the quality of the services rendered by physicians and the quality of the hospital’s facilities. Originality/value The study shows that unlike indicated by the theory, quality does not have a direct impact on satisfaction with the nursing services, but rather an indirect impact via corporate image. Even though part of the explanation can be the fact that only outpatients were surveyed, who have less interaction with the nursing team than do inpatients, this result shows the strength of the hospital’s corporate image regarding patients’ satisfaction. Besides this, the study identified that hospitals with a strong corporate image transmit to patients the perception that they are being treated by technically qualified professionals, thus increasing the chances of cure and reduced suffering. This is fundamental for patients’ satisfaction, as most are unable to understand the technical attributes of the service. The study adds to the scarce Brazilian literature on the causal relation between the image of hospitals and their patients’ satisfaction.

Purpose This study aims at verifying the impact of literacy on over-the-counter (OTC) drug consumer vulnerability as evaluated by health literacy and label comprehension. Design/methodology/approach The item response theory (IRT) was used to estimate the health literacy of two groups and the two-way analysis of variance tests was used to test the hypotheses for the existence of mean differences between the two populations. The convenience sample involved 188 OTC consumers: 94 (50%) poorly literate and 94 (50%) university students/graduates. Findings University consumers/graduates have a level of health literacy and label comprehension that is superior to those presented by poor literate consumers. Also, age does not influence the level of health literacy by OTC drug users but has a significant impact on the understanding of OTC drug labels. Finally, the level of schooling and the “age group,” simultaneously, does not impact the understanding of OTC drug labels or health literacy. Research limitations/implications This study has added in the field of knowledge by investigating the behavior of poor literate consumers in Brazil, a developing country. The results may be relevant to Marketing professionals, especially those in the pharmaceutical industry, and to police makers, as they help identify the main problems faced by poorly literate consumers. Practical implications It is necessary to raise awareness of the dangers of self-medication and wrong use of medications, mainly focused on people with low literacy. As a suggestion, a simple glossary presented along with the label could provide explanations of scientific terms, thus increasing health literacy and reducing the vulnerability of the consumers. Social implications This study showed that when using common words such as gastritis to define a health problem, there is a higher degree of correctness. These results suggest the adoption of a more straightforward language and more precise explanations. By doing that, the pharmaceutical industry and policymakers will improve their social impact by increasing consumer power and taking care of the health of the most vulnerable population: the illiterate people. Originality/value This study contributes to the international literature, as it enhances and clarifies the knowledge about the customers’ power and vulnerability in developing countries. It fills a gap by evaluating label comprehension and heath literacy at the same time, giving an academic contribution for pharmaceutical consumers’ studies.

ResumoApesar do amplo uso dos conceitos e esquemas classificatórios de classes sociais nos estudos de marketing, a incorporação deste tema pode ser aperfeiçoada por meio de um melhor entendimento de seus elementos e definições dentro da própria sociologia e antropologia. Este estudo faz um levantamento dos principais autores clássicos e contemporâneos da literatura sociológica e antropológica e também da utilização destes conceitos pelo marketing. O presente trabalho está estruturado da seguinte forma: (1) introduz-se a relevância do tema e o objetivo deste trabalho. Em seguida, (2) aborda-se o conceito de classes sociais em sociologia e antropologia. Nesta linha, discute-se como este conceito foi apropriado pela área de Marketing, mostrando (2.1) a cronologia dos estudos de classes sociais na área de comportamento do consumidor. Por fim, na (3) conclusão discuti-se as utilizações recentes e apresenta-se sugestões de futuras pesquisas.Palavras-chave: classes sociais, esquemas classificatórios, segmentação e estilo de vida. AbstractThere are a wide use of concepts and schems to classify social classes in marketing studies. The adoption of the present theme may be enhanced using a better understanding of its elements and definitions, within the sociology and anthropology themselves. The present study recollects the most respected authors, both classical and contemporary, of sociology and anthropology, specially the use of such concepts by marketing. This work is structured as follows: An introduction of the importance of the theme and the purpose of this work. A study of how these concepts were adopted in sociology and anthropology. Within this line, we discuss how such concepts were adopted by the marketing sector, highlighting (2.1) the chronology of social classes studies in the consumer behavior area. Finally, we show more recent uses and make suggestions for future researches.

Embora consolidada no âmbito da microeconomia tradicional, a hipótese de que o ponto ótimo do consumidor acontece quando a reta orçamentária tangencia a curva de indiferença mais distante da origem, não consegue explicar os níveis de consumo observados na economia brasileira no intervalo de tempo compreendido entre 2003 e 2014, uma vez que o crescimento exponencial do consumo foi principalmente calcado em consumo de crédito para aquisição de bens duráveis, em lugar da renda disponível, como postula a microeconomia tradicional. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho propõe estudar a adequação do modelo ABC das atitudes como escala para medir a atitude do consumo de crédito no mercado brasileiro, utilizando regressão logística enquanto ferramenta estatística para tratamento dos dados. Para tanto, foi utilizada a base de dados de Barros (2015), cujo estudo, fundamentado no modelo de Pattarin e Cosma (2012), realizou pesquisa de survey, com amostra de conveniência constituída por 410 respondentes na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Como instrumento de coleta de dados foi utilizado o questionário estruturado, com respostas em escala Likert, acrescido de uma questão dicotômica, a qual corresponde, no presente estudo, à variável dependente referente à contração de crédito. Os resultados corroboraram os gerados por Barros (2015), indicando que o aludido modelo exibe potencial para predizer a decisão de contratação de crédito para consumo.

Purpose The purpose of the present research is first to assess the financial education’s effectiveness, examining how a specific communication regarding the use of money could help new consumers from low-income families avoid insolvency. The second is to analyse the impact of this corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity on a Brazilian bank’s image. Design/methodology/approach The research used a qualitative methodology based on in-depth interviews using three advertising films, which served as an enhanced element to prompt students to evaluate the discourse of sensible use of money and credit and the bank’s image. Findings The results showed that the students are very receptive to the ideas shown by the bank advertising films. Nevertheless, the interviewees showed a certain degree of suspicion toward the initiative and intentions of the bank. The perceived corporate image was clearly ambiguous, with the financial institution showing its advertising film about the careful use of money in complete contrast to actual bank branch practices in which employees offer and encourage young students from low-income families to get loans and credit cards. The bank became more socially responsible merely to cut costs and as a consequence did not improve its image. Practical implications For CSR in banks to be real and have a positive impact on society, the authors suggest that the bank enter into a cooperation or sponsorship agreement with the federal government or any public sector institution or non-governmental organizations. The form, the arguments and the language of the bank’s financial education campaign examined in this article seemed to be capable of serving social purposes or benefiting society. Social implications Educating consumers in the conscious use of money reduces delinquency rates and increases banks’ profits while, at the same time, benefiting society economically. The bank’s positive experience in terms of financial education could help the Brazilian government and other institutions with the same purpose. The advertising campaign provides some insights for the Brazilian government financial education program to which it has given high priority (BCB, 2015). Originality/value The article expands studies on CSR in developing countries and of attitudes toward it in the emerging middle class, two issues that have received scant attention. The study reinforces Carroll and Shabana’s view (2010) that companies are becoming more socially responsible merely to cut costs and Porter and Kramer’s call that to be really strategic the action must not appear to be mitigating the very harm it has caused.