Purpose -The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of fit, familiarity, perceived quality and attitude towards the brand on product brand image after an extension and also to examine whether the product image of a brand is diluted as a result of brand extension. Design/methodology/approach -The model adopted for the study is based on that developed by Martinez and de Chernatony. A questionnaire consisting of seven constructs (general brand image, product brand image, quality, familiarity, fit, attitude, and demographic characteristics) was administered to 474 respondents. Convenience sampling and face-to-face survey methods were used. The brands and extensions used in the study were the same as in the Martinez and de Chernatony study. The difference between these two studies is that, while Martinez and de Chernatony have investigated the effects of brand extension on both general brand image and product brand image, in this study general brand image is examined only before the extensions in order to compare the two brands. The results of the pre-tests showed that Turkish consumers could not assess the effects of hypothetical extensions on the general brand image. Therefore, as for the effects of brand extensions, only the product brand image after the extension is investigated. Findings -The results show that brand extensions affect the product brand image negatively, whereas the fit between the parent and extension brands decreases the negative effect. The drop of image as a result of extension is greater when the perceived image and quality of the parent brand are higher. Perceived quality of the brand, consumers' brand familiarity, fit perceived by the consumer, consumers' attitudes towards the extension have a positive effect on the product brand image after the extension. Research limitations/implications -Owing to the sample size and sampling method, the study has its own limitations in terms of external validity. In addition, only two brands and two extensions were tested and the extensions used were hypothetical, which may lead to a lack of generalizability. Practical implications -The higher the image of a brand, the more the dilution that occurs, which means that companies should take caution when extending into different product categories. Originality/value -The study is one of the very few research efforts conducted in the Turkish market concerning brand extensions and the sample used in the research consists of consumers rather than students.

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A remarkable deal of social research is based on data collected through the use of Likerttype scales. The optimal number of response categories in Likert-type scales has been subject to an academic debate for years. This article studies the differences between 5-and 7-point Likert-type scales using the SERVPERF Scale, which was developed by Cronin and Taylor in 1992, as the measuring instrument. A pretest-posttest control group experimental design was used to test whether the differently pointed response categories lead to any statistical differences in data characteristics, dimensional structure of the scale and data fit. Results do not show any statistically significant differences in terms of normality and reliability whereas different dimensional structures are achieved for the 5-and 7-point scale formats of SERVPERF using Exploratory Factor Analysis. ANCOVA results reveal that the number of response categories is not affective on the participants' evaluations of SERVPERF. The results of confirmatory factor analysis show that the best fit is achieved for the 7-point SERVPERF. Keywords

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The purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure e-consumers' attitudes towards ethically questionable online behaviors (e-CEQOB). A scale measuring e-consumers' attitudes towards such behaviors was developed using the conventional steps of scale development of Churchill (1979). The generated items were reduced to 24 items following EFA. The psychometric properties of e-CEQOB were assessed on two independent non-student samples in Istanbul, Turkey (Sample 1, N=635, and Sample 2, N=880-randomly split into two (G1, n=438, G2, n=442)). The e-CEQOB scale was statistically confirmed and validated using CFA and Maximum Likelihood Estimation (Lisrel 8.72). As a result of EFA and CFA, a 24-item, five-factor multi-dimensional construct on e-CEQOB was developed and its reliability and validity were tested and confirmed. Taking into consideration the gap in the literature, this study has developed and validated an instrument that measures e-consumers' attitudes towards ethically questionable online behaviors. Although there are a limited number of studies on such, none has attempted to develop a scale using the conventional steps of scale development and none has been tested for validity and reliability, nor has any been widely accepted. This study fills this gap and presents a reliable and valid scale to measure the attitudes of e-consumers towards ethically questionable online behaviors (e-CEQOB). The creation of e-CEQOB serves as an opportunity for researchers studying in this rapidly developing medium to extend their research to critical ethical issues. The application 100 BOGAZICI JOURNAL of e-CEQOB to different cultures is important for testing its reliability and validity in different cultures in order to improve its validity.