The aim of this study is to confirm the gap between customer-perceived value and supplier-perceived value in the manufacturing industry. The author empirically tested a structural equation model in a sample of 42 customers and 42 manufacturers. Findings confirmed the gap in the perception of value between customers and suppliers.

Markets are complex ecosystems consisting of various interconnected actors, in which resources are integrated to co-create value. Said value co-creation within markets can be enhanced by creating higher resource density, hence shaping the market. However, market shaping research predominantly focuses on the activities of market shapers, rather than the equally important roles of other market actors within the ecosystem. While market shapers are instrumental in the process of shaping, this narrow focus fails to consider how all market actors inevitably are influenced or influence the market ecosystem. All market actors exert effort in the value co-creation process, including the process of market shaping. This study therefore explores effort in a market shaping context and examines the effects of effort reduction as a mechanism to facilitate market shaping as it leads to enhanced value creation. This is a conceptual study that uses theory adaptation approach to link the concept of value co-creation, market shaping, and effort. This study offers a conceptual framework and five propositions outlining the role of effort reduction in the value co-creation process with flow on effects to market shaping. The developed conceptual framework indicates how market shapers can enhance resource density and increase value creation by reducing the effort required of other market actors in the value co-creation process. This research offers effort reduction in the value co-creation process as a viable market shaping tactic and extends the focus beyond the focal market shaper to consider the broader context with numerous market actors within it.

The purpose of this study is to explore the value structure of sharing economy for consumers, and to construct a model of consumers' continuoususe intentionin the sharing economy. Firstly, based on the characteristics of sharing economy platform technology, this paper explores the composition of platform value (time adaptability, location adaptability, content accessibility) through qualitative analysis. Then through quantitative analysis, this paper explores the influence of platform value on consumers' perception of emotional value and economic value. Finally, on this basis, this paper studies the impact of consumer value of sharing economy on consumer behavior, and compares and analyzes the impact of consumer value of sharing economy on consumers under different product types. In short, this paper aims to study the value creation of sharing economy from the perspective of consumption value, and shape its future development direction.

This study examines new value proposition presented in promoting environment-friendly residential facility. Relationship among changes in social background, consumers’ intention/ value and solar PV systems introduction is evaluated over the last decade since before the Great East Japan Earthquake.

This paper discusses the influence of QR codes on consumers’ purchase decision in green advertising. We found that QR codes can improve advertisement value, perceived green value, and green trust. This relation eventually leads to a positive influence on consumers’ purchase intention.

A new era for luxury brands is emerging, in which the prevailing motivations need to be reexamined. Considering that advertisements are frequently based on the motivations that the luxury brand aims to satisfy, this research sets out to fill this gap in the literature. Through a quasi-experiment, this study examines how a series of personal characteristics affect the relationship between advertised values and Aad, Ab and PI. Preliminary findings are reported and suggestions for further research are presented as well. Indicative implications and limitations are also noted.

The small tea growers (STGs) constitute a significant part of the tea industries in several tea producing countries in the world. STGs constitute 70 percent of the tea cultivation by area and 60 percent of the total tea production by volume. However, low profitability, limited marketing options, inefficient supply chain, and dependency on the large tea estates for processing has emerged as a serious threat to the sustainability of the STGs. Mostly, the STG’s role in the tea supply chain is confined merely to the cultivation of the tea leaves. In India too, the STGs are confronted with similar challenges. India is the second-largest tea producer in the world with about 50 percent of the total tea production coming from the STGs. Notably, considering the economic and environmental benefits, some of the STGs have taken to organic cultivation of tea. Further, some of them who adopted organic cultivation also took to processing and marketing of made tea like hand-made green tea, black tea, and other specialty products by themselves. This study seeks to understand and analyze the role of organic cultivation in providing market linkages and the development of value chain(s) for the STGs. The study was conducted in the state of Assam, which is recognized worldwide for the presence of one of the oldest and the largest tea industries. It used a qualitative value chain approach to analyze the current situation of the STGs involved in the production of organic tea. The study mostly relied on primary data collected from the various actors of the emerging tea value chain through a semi-structured interview schedule, in-depth interviews, and focused group discussions. The processing and marketing of tea by the organic STGs in Assam has indeed led to the development of tea value chain(s) for the STGs. Adoption of sustainable agriculture systems like organic cultivation has opened up new opportunities for the STGs to earn from tea processing and marketing by themselves. Although such developments are in a very initial stage, understandings from the present scenario add to the literature on the development of value chain and market linkages for the smallholders in the tea sector with implications for other agricultural sectors as well. Encouraging the STGs to produce orthodox tea products, especially green and black tea varieties, in larger quantity by mobilizing them for collective actions is likely to locate them in the global tea value chain. The study suggests such suitable policy measures to bring about transformations in the tea sub-sector. Appropriate institutional changes to develop sustainable tea value chain(s) controlled by the STGs would be the key to impart overall sustainability to the industry. Such developments are likely to help the tea industry in Assam and other tea producing regions to meet the changing consumer aspirations and sustain global competition.