Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Consumers' preferences

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Objective meat quality, composition and sensory profiling of New Zealand lamb from different production systems : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Animal Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2022) Ye, Yangfan
    Lamb production systems in New Zealand can vary widely in animal characteristics such as breed, sex, diet and age at slaughter. In order to move towards production systems that are more consumer-focused, there is a need to understand meat quality characteristics and cross-cultural consumer preference of loins from lambs reared under a wide range of commercial production systems. This thesis conducted a comprehensive assessment of the loins (M. longissimus thoracis) of 150 lambs from 10 forage production systems (n=15) and assessed meat quality, fatty acid composition, volatile and proteomics profiles, and consumer sensory evaluations. Instrumental measurement of meat quality (shear force, pH, colour, and water holding capacity) showed that animal age at slaughter and diet had a greater effect on meat quality than the sex of the lamb. A chicory diet increased carcass weight (CW) of lambs resulting in a greater loin intramuscular fat (IMF) percentage compared to a perennial ryegrass diet (18.1±0.1kg vs. 16.9±0.1kg CW and 2.0-2.6% vs. 1.3-1.6% IMF, respectively). Finishing lambs in New Zealand forage systems for 12 months resulted in lower proportions of n-3 fatty acids in meat as well as a lower PUFA:SFA ratio compared to lambs slaughtered at 4- or 8-month-old (2.93-3.41% vs. 4.79-5.86% n-3 fatty acids and 0.17-0.19 vs. 0.27-0.35 PUFA:SFA, respectively). Of the 286 proteins identified among the raw lamb loins, only 17 showed significant differences in abundance between production systems which indicated that the expression of proteins was rarely affected by the production factors. For both New Zealand and Chinese consumers, the average liking scores differed among the different types of commercial lambs. Consumer clusters showed that the fatty acid profile and the volatile compounds derived from lipid oxidation seem to be a stronger driver of consumer liking of lamb for some consumers than others.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Linear programming and consumers' ideal sensory attributes in product optimization : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Product Development at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1990) Uaphithak, Hathairat
    Sensory attribute/ingredient relationships and consumers' ideal product profile were used to develop constraints for linear' programming in hand cream optimization using rice bran oil to replace mineral oil. At the beginning of the process, consumer testing was conducted in order to elicit the important attributes of the product as perceived by the consumers. Simultaneously, the strengths and weaknesses of hand creams on the market were identified, and an ideal product profile developed for hand creams. A fractional factorial design, 26 2, was used to identify the main effects of the ingredients on the product attributes. A quantitative sensory profile technique and a trained sensory panel were employed in the product sensory evaluation of the samples. The mean scores of each sensory attribute were regressed against the levels of the ingredients in the formulations. Only the main effects of the ingredients were identified according to the design of the experiment. Most sensory attributes, consistency, spreadability, oiliness, shine and stickiness, had significant linear relationships with the ingredients. Moistness, softness and absorbability did not. The linear relationships were then used to develop sensory constraints for the linear programming model. Upper and lower limits of these constraints were set from the consumers' ideal product profile, by adding and subtracting 1 from the ideal attribute levels. Other constraints were on ingredient levels based on formulation needs. LP88 computer program was used to solve this hand cream problem, the objective being minimum cost. A hand cream was made using the optimum formulation from the linear programming and tested with the trained sensory panel. Ideal ratio scores (i.e. ratio of the sample mean score to the ideal score) of this hand cream's attributes were not more than 0.3 away from the ideal. The product was then tested with a consumer panel of 20 hand cream users. In consumer testing, the optimum product was tested along with the leading commercial products in order to compare consumer acceptability on these products and to test if the optimum product could compete with the products already in the market. The results showed the consumers preferred the optimum product to the commercial products and the optimum product was closer to the ideal. From the linear programming model used in this study, the attribute levels of the hand cream can be modified by adjusting the constraints and studies can be made of the effect of changes in ingredients on product attributes.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An exploratory study of consumer psychology using the process descriptive approach: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1985) Smyth, Patrick Alfred
    Information chunking under Brand Name and the ability to predict attribute preference were investigated, using a simple paired comparisons test with an expected value decision criteria, and a behavioural search process. Subjects in condition one were presented with eight different product attributes (including Brand and Manufacturer's Name), while subjects in condition two were given only six different attributes (Brand and Manufacturer's Name were unavailable). Both groups completed a simple paired comparison test and two weeks later each subject was allowed to select product information, item by item, from an information displayboard corresponding to the experimental group to which they belonged. Evidence for the chunking of information under the guise of the Brand Name attribute was found - more information was sought when Brand Name was available than when it was not. It was also found that Brand Name information was accessed more than any other type of product information, and when this information was not available, attribute preferences changed and Cents/gram information was accessed most. This caused a change in product selection. Subjects were found to adopt a satisficing approach to the information search task, accessing only a small subset of the total available information, and only a subset of the attributes presented to them. The simple paired comparison test with its expected-value decision criteria accurately predicted the order of attribute selection in the behavioural search. The results suggest the existence of choice heuristics for consumer decision making as outlined by the information processing approach to consumer psychology.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The effect of paired comparisons on triple choice sets : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Marketing at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2006) Watkins, Selwyn Kenneth
    As consumers become aware of different brands they might purchase, it is likely they will consider those brands by making a series of paired comparisons, before finally settling on one option they prefer most. Choice theory suggests that preferences are formed early, so by influencing a consumer to prefer one option in favour of other options at the start of a choice episode, this can have a systematic effect on subsequent, and in particular final choice. Simonson, Nowlis, and Lemon (1993) assert that consumers who make paired comparisons of alternatives that vary in price and quality before selecting from a triple set of the same options are more likely to choose the cheapest option, than those who evaluate just the triple set comprised of the same options. Four experiments tested this claim but the predicted effect failed to occur. Moreover, results from one experiment had the reverse effect, the preference share of the cheapest option decreased, while the share of the more expensive options increased. This was a statistically significant result. This contra finding is in agreement with the large body of published evidence that suggests consumers, when it is possible for them to do so, prefer higher quality to lower quality options. The effect of background factors on choice was of concern, so the effect of gender, household income, and age on choice was tested. Results from these tests were inconsistent, and showed that only young males from high-income households were significantly effected by the stepwise treatment. There was concern that heterogeneity in the sampled group of respondents might have confounded the measurement of treatment effects. To help reduce the influence of background factors, all results were weighted. However, Simonson et al. did not account for heterogeneity, so it is possible their treatments have interacted with some background factor associated with the context of choice, individual difference between respondents, or the product attributes. For this reason, the claim by Simonson et al. is open to criticism. Alternative explanations for Simonson et al. (1993) findings are advanced. New research is required into the effects of paired comparisons on choice.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An examination of the effect of asymmetrically dominated decoys on consumer choice behaviour by using judgments and choice : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Marketing at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2008) Xu, Xiaozhen
    The Purpose of this research was to test assumptions underlying the three asymmetrically dominated decoy effect (ADE) models described by Wedell and Pettibone (1996): the Weight Change Model, the Value Shift Model, and the Emergent Value Model. Of particular interest was whether there is support for an alternative interpretation of the Weight Change Model, as proposed by Bonaccio and Reeve (2006). Wedell (1991). Wedell and Pettibone (1996) conducted a series of studies on the three models. Their results found no support for the Weight Change Model but support both the Value Shift Model and the Emergent Value Models. These results have been widely accepted (see Highhouse, 1996; Pettibone & Wedell, 2000; Tenbrunsel & Diekmann, 2002). However, Bonaccio and Reeve (2006) proposed a different interpretation of the Weight Change Model. They argued that the lack of the supporting evidence for the model is a result of misinterpretation of the original Weight Change Formulation derived from Huber. Payne and Puto (1982). They suggested that the Weight Change Model might be a viable explanation for the ADE. This study examined this issue by replicating the analysis of both Wedell and Pettibone (1996) and Bonaccio and Reeve (2006). using both a choice task and judgment tasks from their study, but with a different set of products and attribute values. The research used a mail survey of 960 New Zealand residents selected from the Electoral Roll of a median size New Zealand city. The research demonstrated strong ADD effect in both choice and judgment tasks and found a strong relationship between choice and judgment. The study also found little support for either of the Weight Change Models (i.e.. that of Wedell and Pettibone's, 1996. or that of Bonaccio and Reeve, 2006). but strong support for the Value Shift Model and some support for the Emergent Value Model. The use of No-decoy comparison with the decoy condition in current study also provides evidence that Wedell and Pettibone's (1996) analysis is a weak test of the ADE and should not be used to support the decision of whether to use ADD in a choice set.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Effect of panel type and ethnicity on apples in Singapore using temporal dominance method : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Food Technology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Kee, Wen Jia
    Recently, there has been an increased in oral processing studies focusing on the detection of changes in sensational attributes of food product in real time. However, the integration of sensational and emotional attributes with liking is a relatively new line of enquiry, yet if pursued may enable a deeper understanding of the sensory and emotional experience of consumers. This study successfully trials a new system combining temporal dominance of sensation (TDS), emotion (TDE) and liking (TDL) to examine the impact of training and ethnicity on the real time sensory evaluation of popular apple varieties currently being sold in Singapore. A short training (60 minutes) with food references was proven to be highly beneficial and had generated a higher dominance rate, faster first dominant attribute detected, lower variation in the dominant attribute selected and frequent complex textural attributes chosen, showing a better understanding of the terms used. The number of attributes used and dominant end time were however not affected by training. Contrary to TDE, a positive emotional or sensational attribute dominant did not relate to a direct relationship with liking. Non-dominant sensational or emotional attributes might have interfered in the liking observed. Training aside from improving the understanding of attributes used was also found to close the gap between hedonic scores and frequency liking counts. Ethnicity effects were subsequently examined using a Semi Trained Panel consisting of 8 Chinese, 7 Indian and 6 Malay with differing results observed. Chinese were more expressive and positive in the attributes chosen in TDS and TDE while Malay was the opposite. Fibrous (Chinese and Indian) and floral (Chinese) were picked up more readily by different ethnicities. Differences in product where Granny Smith evoked disliking in Malay and Indian, was positively rated by Chinese. These variations could mainly be due to differences in cultural practises and diet. The incorporation of TDS and TDL provided better product understanding than the narrow hedonic range obtained. Furthermore, the mapping of TDS, TDE and TDL curves suggested the ability to condense information allowing dynamic relation to be drawn in a single graph. However, due to the qualitative nature of the graphs, the interpretation of result might be subjective.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Emerging passenger preferences in an era of global deregulation : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Aviation at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Goodall, Brad
    This thesis draws on insights and practices of the complex nature and workings of the aviation and airline industry respectively. This is followed by an assessment on the effects global deregulation has had on the industry, airlines and their passengers. The impact weak demand for air travel resulting directly from a sluggish economy, the outbreak of war, terrorism and world health scares is also investigated. The thesis then moves into an examination of airline passengers and how airlines attempt to categorise them. In particular it gives a perspective into the new nature of leisure and business passengers. Different airline business models are also discussed through an in-depth analysis of the organisational frameworks by which they operate. Increased levels of competition throughout the industry have reinforced the need for airlines to develop their business model to the characteristics of their target market to achieve differentiation and competitive advantages. The core issue surrounding this thesis is then discussed and focuses on exactly what passenger preferences are for different products and service amenities. The importance of discovering these preferences has become vital with airlines budgets at an all time low finding the satisfaction that matters while keeping the customer profitability satisfied has become that much greater. This involves looking at the value placed in the various products and services and subsequently the cost involved to the airline. The combination of these products and services are then examined and the trade off's passengers make when choosing between alternative airlines. This helps airlines add or remove any product discrepancies to ensure passengers remain attracted, satisfied and loyal all while remaining competitive and profitable. The thesis then details passenger complaints and service recovery along with other strategies implemented by airlines to keep their passenger loyal. This is proving to become an increasingly difficult task to achieve as both leisure and business passengers appear to switch between brands to the one offering the best deal at that point of time. The final topic of discussion relates to the future impact of budget carriers dedicated solely to the long haul market and the popularity of the new generation Airbus A380 among airlines and their passengers.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Ethnic customer attitudes and beliefs toward consuming New Zealand dairy products : an exploratory study of New Zealand Chinese community in the Manawatu : a thesis present in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Agribusiness, Massey University
    (Massey University, 2001) Wang, Dabing
    The objectives of this research are to identify the genuine attitudes and beliefs of New Zealand ethnic Chinese people toward consuming New Zealand dairy products. The purpose of this research is to provide some indicators to assist the achievement of further competitiveness in the whole process of developing marketing strategies in the Chinese market. The research examines the determinants of the overall attitudes toward the behaviour of consuming dairy products. The analysis shows the impact of cultural values and selected demographics on Chinese consumers' attitudes and beliefs. This research was conducted in Palmerston North, New Zealand. In this research, the Fishbein and Ajzen expectancy-value model was applied to examine the attitudes and beliefs of New Zealand-settled Chinese people toward consuming dairy products. Validity of this theory was tested before it was employed to the Chinese consumers. Results from this study suggest validity when it is employed to the Chinese consumers. This study reports on an exploratory survey of 75 Chinese respondents throughout Palmerston North during September 2001. In this research, the Fishbein and Ajzen expectancy-value model (F/A model) was used to examine attitudes of Chinese people toward consuming four different New Zealand dairy products: fluid milk, yoghurt, ice cream and cheese. The findings show that the respondents have positive attitudes toward consuming different New Zealand dairy products. Attributes relevant to these products such as quality, nutrition, product sensory (mouth-feel) and wide product availability, are the attributes that most contribute to their overall attitudes. Analysis of Variance shows a positive relationship between the F/A model attitudes and respondents' age for fluid milk. That is, old Chinese people have more positive attitudes toward consuming fluid milk. Furthermore, it also proved that the New Zealand-settled Chinese people have similar dairy preferences to Chinese who live in Mainland China, their preferences are not changed due to different lengths of residency. That is, fluid milk is the most consumed dairy product and cheese is the least favourite dairy food for most Chinese.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The interaction between sugars and acids and their effects on consumer acceptance of kiwifruit pulp : a thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Technology at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2000) Rossiter, K. L
    A model system using kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev) Liang et Ferguson var deliciosa cv Hayward) pulp has been developed so that consumer perceptions of sugar and acid can be explored in a realistic, homogenous product where natural variation between fruit and within fruit is eliminated. Use of a pulp model system enabled the sugar and acid level in kiwifruit to be manipulated using sugar and acid stock solutions. Fruit from an early harvest were selected to suppress the development of esters in the fruit at 'eating ripeness' so that sugar and acid relationships could be assessed without the influence of ester odour compounds. To compare and contrast sugar and acid relationships in kiwifruit with ester levels typical of fruit harvested at the recommended harvest maturity, odour compounds were incorporated into a portion of the pulp. Consumer's 'overall liking' ratings of the pulp increased with rising Brix. Increasing Brix level was also shown to increase 'sweetness liking', 'acidity liking', and perception of 'sweetness intensity'. Variations in Brix and acid level elicited the same consumer response to pulp with added odour compounds as to pulp without added odour compounds.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The impact of brand switching antecedents on consideration set construction : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Studies in Marketing at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Lees, Gavin
    Understanding brand switching is important to marketers because a brand switch has the potential to impact on an organisation's share of a customer's wallet. Therefore, the objective of this research was to determine what the impacts, of the antecedents to a brand switch, will be on the construction of a purchase repertoire and consideration set in a subscription market. This study, into the new area of post-switch consideration set construction, and the position of the previous main brand, shows that the construction of a consumer's consideration set is dependent on the reasons for the brand switch. Whilst consumers switch brands for a multitude of reasons, the literature shows these reasons can effectively be grouped together into three categories: stochastic reasons, expectation disconfirmation, and utility maximisation. This research confirms that where a switch occurred for stochastic reasons, the previous main brand would remain in the consumer's consideration set with the same purchase probabilities for a brand of its size. On the other hand, where the brand switch occurred for reasons of expectation disconfirmation, the previous main brand was either removed entirely from the consumer's consideration set, or if it remained in the set, had a lower ranking than prior to the switch. While a brand switch that occurred for reasons of utility maximisation resulted in a majority of the previous main brands being removed from the consumer's consideration set, those that remained were ranked one place lower than the current main brand. Overall these results supported the research's general direction that the antecedents to a brand switch will affect the previous main brand's position in a consumer's post-switch purchase repertoire and consideration set. The research concludes, while the previous main brand may be gone, it is certainly not forgotten! These findings, while being exploratory and inductive, have important implications for marketers in both their recovery marketing campaigns and the need to implement programmes to retain recent acquisitions. Coupled with the findings from Sharp et al. (2002) this study shows that subscription markets, in terms of switching, behave in a similar manner to repertoire markets, allowing for stochastic models to be used to benchmark marketing activities.