The objectives of this research are to qualitatively explore the attitudes towards online food delivery providers (ODP) during the COVID-19 lockdown in Ecuador, and to quantitatively analyse whether there are changes in e-satisfaction with ODPs and three determinants (e-service quality, delivery workers personal aspects, and food quality). Qualitative analysis results of 104 customer opinions showed positive attitudes towards ODPs and a new motivation for using this service: risk exposure reduction. However, concerns about the application of biosafety guidelines by restaurants and delivery workers were also evident. A structural equations model (n=483) revealed that personal aspects lost significance as a determinant for e-satisfaction during the lockdown, most likely due to personal contact reduction during delivery.
Emerging markets bring out the question of motivation to include of new investors in the market for financial securities often arises. The purpose of this study is to analyze how brands influence the investment intention of young potential investors. Specifically, the relationship between consumer based brand equity - according to Aaker’s multidimensional conceptualization - and investment intention, mediated by perceived risk, is analyzed. The study contributes to the literature in two ways: (1) based on the revision made, no study has analyzed Aaker’s brand equity construct in investment decisions; (2) studies linking brand aspects to investment decisions have not examined the mediating role of perceived risk. Through an experiment, where perceived risk and investment intention in a famous brand were measured as differences from fictitious brands, the following results were found: (1) the investment intention in a famous brand is higher than in a non-famous one, once controlled for risk and return; (2) the higher the brand equity, the lesser the perceived risk of investing in the famous brand, and the higher the investment intention; (3) the perceived quality of a brand’s products was the dimension by which the effect of brand equity is transmitted. Involvement with the investment task and cognitive ability, at an individual level, the relative size of comparable firms, and the risk and return of investment alternatives were introduced as control variables.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a questionnaire to assess the expectations of university teachers about the importance of generic competences in Higher Education Institutions of Ecuador (E-DUC, acronym in Spanish), based on the competences typology from the Tuning Latin America Project. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire with Likert scales was administered to 458 university teachers from seven universities in Ecuador. Exploratory and confirmatory analyzes have been carried out to validate the theoretical model. Findings After the validation process, four groups of generic competences were confirmed and the measurement model showed high levels of reliability, as well as content and construct validity. Research limitations/implications Since tuning project has an international scope, the research could be replicated in other Latin American countries for comparability purposes regarding teachers’ perceived importance of generic competences in teaching activity. In addition, further research can relate teachers’ expectations with teaching performance and other constructs, based on a broad theoretical framework. Practical implications These technical characteristics allow the use of E-DUC as an instrument to measure the expectations of teachers on the general competences that are worked on in higher education in Ecuador. Data about these perceptions are useful for the design of teachers’ training programs, curriculum reforms and other higher education policies. Originality/value It is the first research carried out in Ecuador and Latin America in order to validate a scale for measuring the expectations of teachers about the importance of the generic competences proposed in the Tuning Latin America Project.
The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of unauthorized use of famous brand names on their brand equity dimensions. In addition, we explored the moderation effect of similarity between the unauthorized brand (junior brand) and the famous brand. An experimental design with four real famous brands and sixteen fictitious junior brands was applied to 617 undergraduate students from a large university in Ecuador. Hypotheses about the effect on brand equity dimensions and overall brand equity construct were tested using structural equation models. Results showed that awareness of a famous brand was not diluted by consumers’ exposure to junior brands. However, associations, perceived quality, loyalty and an overall construct of brand equity were diluted. There was evidence that similarity between famous and junior brands attenuated dilution. Therefore, considering that brand equity dimensions have desirable consequences on consumer behavior and firm value, this paper’s results highlight the importance of protecting brands against unauthorized use.
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