Impacting the Sensory Experience of Products: Experimental Studies on Perceived Quality

233 Pages·2018·4.735 MB·English

by  Christine Cowen-Elstner (auth.)

Forschungs-/ Entwicklungs- /
Innovations-Management
Hans Dietmar Bürgel (em.) · Diana Grosse
Cornelius Herstatt · Hans Koller · Christian Lüthje
Martin G. Möhrle Hrsg.
Christine Cowen-Elstner
Impacting the Sensory
Experience of Products
Experimental Studies
on Perceived Quality
Forschungs-/ Entwicklungs-/
Innovations-Management
Edited by
H. D. Bürgel (em.), Stuttgart, Germany
D. Grosse, Freiberg, Germany
C. Herstatt, Hamburg, Germany
H. Koller, Hamburg, Germany
C. Lüthje, Hamburg, Germany
M. G. Möhrle, Bremen, Germany
Die Reihe stellt aus integrierter Sicht von Betriebswirtschaft und Technik Arbeits­
ergebnisse auf den Gebieten Forschung, Entwicklung und Innovation vor. Die
einzelnen Beiträge sollen dem wissenschaftlichen Fortschritt dienen und die For­
derungen der Praxis auf Umsetzbarkeit erfüllen.
Edited by
Professor Dr. Hans Dietmar Bürgel Professor Dr. Hans Koller
(em.), Universität der Bundeswehr Hamburg
Universität Stuttgart
Professor Dr. Christian Lüthje
Professorin Dr. Diana Grosse vorm. de Technische Universität Hamburg­
Pay, Harburg
Technische Universität Bergakademie
Professor Dr. Martin G. Möhrle
Freiberg
Universität Bremen
Professor Dr. Cornelius Herstatt
Technische Universität
Hamburg­Harburg
Weitere Bände in der Reihe http://www.springer.com/series/12195
Christine Cowen-Elstner
Impacting the Sensory
Experience of Products
Experimental Studies
on Perceived Quality
With a foreword by Prof. Dr. Christian Lüthje
Christine Cowen­Elstner
Hamburg, Germany
Dissertation Technischen Universität Hamburg­Harburg, 2017
Forschungs­/Entwicklungs­/Innovations­Management
ISBN 978­3­658­21205­6 ISBN 978­3­658­21206­3 (eBook)
https://doi.org/10.1007/978­3­658­21206­3
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Foreword

The quality of new products and services is considered a pivotal determinant of
long-term market success. However, it is widely accepted that it is not the
objective quality per se but the customers’ perception of quality that drives
preferences, purchasing decisions and satisfaction. While objective and
subjective quality are certainly related to each other, quality perceptions may
significantly deviate from the tangible performance of products and services.
This is so because perceived quality is the outcome of a complex process that is
driven by subjective quality expectations and the sensual perceptions of
intangible attributes. Notably, quality perceptions can be influenced by external
cues that are not necessarily representing core functional attributes of a good,
such as brand reputation, price or country of origin. One important source of
external cues is the environment of products and services. For instance, the
interior design of a restaurant impacts the perceived quality of the restaurant
service and may even manifest itself in the taste experience of guests when
eating the food.
While the fundamental process by which individuals form quality
perceptions has been conceptualized in several models, research on the
influence on external cues on perceived quality are surprisingly scarce. There
are hardly any studies disentangling how the perception of a product and
service environment influences the subsequent evaluation of the intrinsic
attributes of products and services and, by this, drive the customers’ perception
of quality. Shedding more light on these widely unconscious processes is the
aim of Christine Cowen-Elstner’s research.
The present work is based on experimental studies in several service and
product environments. In her first carefully designed study, Christine Cowen-
Elstner uses VR technology to vary the visual appearance of an aircraft cabin.
The results reveal that visual cues of the environment are clearly associated
with the sensual perception of the tangible components placed within the cabin
(e.g. convenience of the passenger seat). This highlights the importance of the
first visual impression of a service environment. It will not only directly impact
perceived quality but also have indirect effects via the sensual perception of the
VI Foreword

tangible elements integrated in the service process. The second experiment
explores the role of sensual cues transmitted through the packaging of
products. Again, Christine Cowen-Elstner reveals the specific mechanisms by
which the visual dimensions of the package translate into perceptions of the
core product and, finally, manifest in perceived quality.
By revealing the unconscious process following the perception of product
and service environments, Christine Cowen-Elstner makes important
contributions to marketing theory in the field of perceived quality. Most
importantly, the empirical investigations show that the effect of external cues
on perceived quality is mediated through complex, partly antipodal
mechanisms. Imprudent use of external cues can therefore lead to undesired
results. Thus, the present research is of high value for marketers aiming at
influencing quality perceptions of customers in a targeted and foreseeable way.

Univ. Prof. Dr. Christian Lüthje
Preface

Quality perception is a very important element of customer satisfaction and
loyalty. Still the impact of the various influence factors has not been completely
understood. This work investigates the process of how people evaluate both
products and services and how their judgement and sensory perception may be
influenced in the context of quality perception.
Many people contributed to the successful completion of this dissertation.
I want to especially thank Prof. Dr. Christian Lüthje who has been my
doctoral advisor. He supported and motivated me throughout the whole
process of creating this thesis. His experience, knowledge and innovative
attitude led to inspiring discussions and creative results. I also want to thank
Prof. Dr. Christoph Ihl for being my second doctoral advisor.
I am very grateful for the support of my colleagues from the Institute of
Innovation Marketing and also from the neighboring Institutes in our building.
They were always open for discussion and the exchange of ideas and feedback.
They also made my time at the University very special and joyful. I want to
particularly thank Dr. Iris Lorscheid and Dr. Christoph Stockstrom for their input
regarding my research and their encouraging words.
My appreciation also goes to the colleagues and project partners from
Airbus and Avienco; without whom the first experimental study would not have
been possible. I thank too the DLR Project Management Agency for funding this
research.
I additionally want to thank my students for their help during the
conduction of the experiments and I also want to thank all participants.I would
like to thank my friends for their understanding and sympathy. It was very
important to me.
My greatest thanks are going to my family who has not only supported me
during this project but through my life. I want to especially thank Sue Cowen
and Dr. Friedrich Elstner for the time and work they invested in reviewing my
manuscript.
VIII Preface

Lastly I want to thank Paul Cowen who has been with me throughout the
writing of this thesis. Not only for his extensive help in proof-reading my work
but for always managing to give me reassurance and confidence.

I will be forever grateful!
Christine Cowen-Elstner
Table of Contents

Table of Contents ........................................................................................... IX
List of Figures ............................................................................................... XIII
List of Tables ................................................................................................. XV
List of Abbreviations ................................................................................... XVII
List of Symbols ............................................................................................. XIX
1 Introduction............................................................................................ 1
1.1 Research Question and Scope .............................................................1
1.2 Methodology and Structure ................................................................4
2 Conceptual Background .......................................................................... 7
2.1 Quality .................................................................................................8
2.1.1 The Concepts of Quality and Perceived Quality ..............................8
2.1.2 Influences on Perceived Quality ...................................................11
2.1.3 Consequences of Perceived Quality ..............................................15
2.2 Sensory Marketing ............................................................................18
2.2.1 What is Sensory Marketing? .........................................................19
2.2.2 The Five Senses .............................................................................22
2.2.2.1 Vision ............................................................................................23
2.2.2.2 Haptics ..........................................................................................25
2.2.2.3 Taste ..............................................................................................27
2.2.2.4 Audition ........................................................................................28
2.2.2.5 Smell .............................................................................................30
2.2.3 Measuring Sensory Characteristics ...............................................31
2.3 Unconscious Consumer Influence .....................................................34
2.3.1 Priming ..........................................................................................36
2.3.2 Embodiment .................................................................................42
2.3.3 First Impression .............................................................................44
2.3.4 Assimilation and Contrast .............................................................45