IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/soceps/v92y2024ics0038012123003002.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Goal-gradient point rewards can increase consumers' willingness to purchase poverty-alleviating products

Author

Listed:
  • Zou, Fei
  • Yang, Mei
  • Zhou, Yanju
  • Deng, Yaling
  • Xie, Baiwei

Abstract

One of the ways to solve the world's poverty problem is by effectively marketing poverty-alleviating products. Some studies show that point rewards can increase consumer willingness to purchase products. In this paper, three types of rewards are designed: tournament point rewards, piece-rate point rewards, and goal-gradient point rewards. Based on the goal-gradient effect, warm glow effect, the psychological reactance theory, and the literature, hypotheses are proposed based on the results of mathematical modeling. Experiments 1 and 2 show that the goal-gradient point rewards and piece-rate point rewards methods can motivate consumers to purchase poverty-alleviating products. Experiments 3 and 4 results indicate that the combination of goal-gradient point rewards for small cash and goal-gradient point rewards for honorary certificates is the best incentive. We therefore suggest that poverty-alleviating product companies use goal-gradient point rewards for small cash and gradient point rewards for honorary certificates to motivate consumer prosocial behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Zou, Fei & Yang, Mei & Zhou, Yanju & Deng, Yaling & Xie, Baiwei, 2024. "Goal-gradient point rewards can increase consumers' willingness to purchase poverty-alleviating products," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:soceps:v:92:y:2024:i:c:s0038012123003002
    DOI: 10.1016/j.seps.2023.101788
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038012123003002
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.seps.2023.101788?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicola Lacetera & Mario Macis & Robert Slonim, 2012. "Will There Be Blood? Incentives and Displacement Effects in Pro-social Behavior," American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, American Economic Association, vol. 4(1), pages 186-223, February.
    2. Boubaker, Sabri & Hasan, Mostafa Monzur & Habib, Ahsan, 2022. "Organization capital, tournament incentives and firm performance," Finance Research Letters, Elsevier, vol. 46(PB).
    3. So Yeon Chun & Dan A. Iancu & Nikolaos Trichakis, 2020. "Loyalty Program Liabilities and Point Values," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 22(2), pages 257-272, March.
    4. Lacetera, Nicola & Macis, Mario, 2010. "Social image concerns and prosocial behavior: Field evidence from a nonlinear incentive scheme," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 225-237, November.
    5. Duquette, Nicolas J., 2016. "Do tax incentives affect charitable contributions? Evidence from public charities' reported revenues," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 137(C), pages 51-69.
    6. Demoulin, Nathalie T.M. & Zidda, Pietro, 2008. "On the impact of loyalty cards on store loyalty: Does the customers’ satisfaction with the reward scheme matter?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 386-398.
    7. Malefors, Christopher & Secondi, Luca & Marchetti, Stefano & Eriksson, Mattias, 2022. "Food waste reduction and economic savings in times of crisis: The potential of machine learning methods to plan guest attendance in Swedish public catering during the Covid-19 pandemic," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    8. Hans K. Hvide, 2002. "Tournament Rewards and Risk Taking," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 20(4), pages 877-898, October.
    9. Emmanuel Dechenaux & Dan Kovenock & Roman Sheremeta, 2015. "A survey of experimental research on contests, all-pay auctions and tournaments," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 18(4), pages 609-669, December.
    10. Hausman, Angela V. & Siekpe, Jeffrey Sam, 2009. "The effect of web interface features on consumer online purchase intentions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 5-13, January.
    11. Guiteras, Raymond P. & Jack, B. Kelsey, 2018. "Productivity in piece-rate labor markets: Evidence from rural Malawi," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 42-61.
    12. Raj Chetty & Emmanuel Saez & Laszlo Sandor, 2014. "What Policies Increase Prosocial Behavior? An Experiment with Referees at the Journal of Public Economics," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 28(3), pages 169-188, Summer.
    13. Dorotic, Matilda & Verhoef, Peter C. & Fok, Dennis & Bijmolt, Tammo H.A., 2014. "Reward redemption effects in a loyalty program when customers choose how much and when to redeem," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 339-355.
    14. Rod Duclos & Alixandra Barasch, 2014. "Prosocial Behavior in Intergroup Relations: How Donor Self-Construal and Recipient Group-Membership Shape Generosity," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 41(1), pages 93-108.
    15. Yan, Ruiliang & Pei, Zhi & Ghose, Sanjoy, 2019. "Reward points, profit sharing, and valuable coordination mechanism in the O2O era," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 215(C), pages 34-47.
    16. Krafft, Manfred & Arden, Christine M. & Verhoef, Peter C., 2017. "Permission Marketing and Privacy Concerns — Why Do Customers (Not) Grant Permissions?," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 39-54.
    17. N. Demoulin & P. Zidda, 2008. "On the impact of loyalty cards on store loyalty:does the customers' satisfaction with the reward scheme matter?," Post-Print hal-00285809, HAL.
    18. Wilfred Amaldoss & Jinzhao Du & Woochoel Shin, 2021. "Media Platforms’ Content Provision Strategies and Sources of Profits," Decision Analysis, INFORMS, vol. 40(3), pages 527-547, May-June.
    19. Jeff Tollefson, 2015. "Can randomized trials eliminate global poverty?," Nature, Nature, vol. 524(7564), pages 150-153, August.
    20. Bull, Clive & Schotter, Andrew & Weigelt, Keith, 1987. "Tournaments and Piece Rates: An Experimental Study," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 95(1), pages 1-33, February.
    21. Gandullia, Luca, 2019. "The price elasticity of warm-glow giving," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 30-32.
    22. Berry, James & Kim, Hyuncheol Bryant & Son, Hyuk Harry, 2022. "When student incentives do not work: Evidence from a field experiment in Malawi," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    23. Kosmas Marinakis & Theofanis Tsoulouhas, 2012. "A comparison of cardinal tournaments and piece rate contracts with liquidity constrained agents," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 105(2), pages 161-190, March.
    24. Yansui Liu & Yuanzhi Guo & Yang Zhou, 2018. "Poverty alleviation in rural China: policy changes, future challenges and policy implications," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(2), pages 241-259, May.
    25. Dan Ariely & Anat Bracha & Stephan Meier, 2009. "Doing Good or Doing Well? Image Motivation and Monetary Incentives in Behaving Prosocially," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(1), pages 544-555, March.
    26. Minnema, Alec & Bijmolt, Tammo H.A. & Non, Mariёlle C., 2017. "The impact of instant reward programs and bonus premiums on consumer purchase behavior," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 194-211.
    27. Ran Kivetz, 2005. "Promotion Reactance: The Role of Effort-Reward Congruity," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 31(4), pages 725-736, March.
    28. Wilfred Amaldoss & Jinzhao Du & Woochoel Shin, 2021. "Media Platforms’ Content Provision Strategies and Sources of Profits," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 40(3), pages 527-547, May.
    29. Yansui Liu & Yuanzhi Guo & Yang Zhou, 2018. "Poverty alleviation in rural China: policy changes, future challenges and policy implications," China Agricultural Economic Review, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 10(2), pages 241-259, May.
    30. Ran Kivetz & Oleg Urminsky & Yuhuang Zheng, 2006. "The Goal-Gradient Hypothesis Resurrected: Purchase Acceleration, Illusionary Goal Progress, and Customer Retention," Natural Field Experiments 00658, The Field Experiments Website.
    31. Christine Exley, 2018. "Incentives for Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Reputations," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(5), pages 2460-2471, May.
    32. Sanjiv Erat & Uri Gneezy, 2016. "Incentives for creativity," Experimental Economics, Springer;Economic Science Association, vol. 19(2), pages 269-280, June.
    33. Yanwen Wang & Michael Lewis & Cynthia Cryder & Jim Sprigg, 2016. "Enduring Effects of Goal Achievement and Failure Within Customer Loyalty Programs: A Large-Scale Field Experiment," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 35(4), pages 565-575, July.
    34. Kuppuswamy, Venkat & Bayus, Barry L., 2017. "Does my contribution to your crowdfunding project matter?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 72-89.
    35. Imas, Alex, 2014. "Working for the “warm glow”: On the benefits and limits of prosocial incentives," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 14-18.
    36. Schwartz, Daniel & Keenan, Elizabeth A. & Imas, Alex & Gneezy, Ayelet, 2021. "Opting-in to prosocial incentives," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 132-141.
    37. Fontecha, John E. & Nikolaev, Alexander & Walteros, Jose L. & Zhu, Zhenduo, 2022. "Scientists wanted? A literature review on incentive programs that promote pro-environmental consumer behavior: Energy, waste, and water," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    38. Danaher, Peter J. & Sajtos, Laszlo & Danaher, Tracey S., 2016. "Does the reward match the effort for loyalty program members?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 32(C), pages 23-31.
    39. Shackleton, Sheona & Campbell, Bruce & Lotz-Sisitka, Heila & Shackleton, Charlie, 2008. "Links between the Local Trade in Natural Products, Livelihoods and Poverty Alleviation in a Semi-arid Region of South Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 505-526, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chen, Yanyan & Mandler, Timo & Meyer-Waarden, Lars, 2021. "Three decades of research on loyalty programs: A literature review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 179-197.
    2. Ricardo Montoya & Constanza Flores, 2019. "Buying free rewards: the impact of a points-plus-cash promotion on purchase and reward redemption," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 107-118, March.
    3. Bombaij, Nick, 2021. "Effectiveness of loyalty programs," Other publications TiSEM 095c506d-5b5c-4ea3-9b41-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    4. Bombaij, Nick J.F. & Dekimpe, Marnik G., 2020. "When do loyalty programs work? The moderating role of design, retailer-strategy, and country characteristics," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 175-195.
    5. Alex Belli & Anne-Maree O’Rourke & François A. Carrillat & Ljubomir Pupovac & Valentyna Melnyk & Ekaterina Napolova, 2022. "40 years of loyalty programs: how effective are they? Generalizations from a meta-analysis," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 50(1), pages 147-173, January.
    6. Ashraf, Nava & Bandiera, Oriana & Jack, B. Kelsey, 2014. "No margin, no mission? A field experiment on incentives for public service delivery," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 1-17.
    7. Bombaij, Nick J.F. & Gelper, Sarah & Dekimpe, Marnik G., 2022. "Designing successful temporary loyalty programs: An exploratory study on retailer and country differences," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 1275-1295.
    8. Meyer-Waarden, Lars, 2015. "Effects of loyalty program rewards on store loyalty," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 22-32.
    9. Bies, Suzanne M.T.A. & Bronnenberg, Bart J. & Gijsbrechts, Els, 2021. "How push messaging impacts consumer spending and reward redemption in store-loyalty programs," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 877-899.
    10. Bies, Suzanne, 2022. "Examining the effectiveness of activation techniques on consumer behavior in temporary loyalty programs," Other publications TiSEM ade86df3-4846-4318-938f-a, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    11. Sharma, Dheeraj & Verma, Varsha, 2014. "Psychological and economic considerations of rewards programs," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 924-932.
    12. Alina Nastasoiu & Neil T. Bendle & Charan K. Bagga & Mark Vandenbosch & Salvador Navarro, 2021. "Separating customer heterogeneity, points pressure and rewarded behavior to assess a retail loyalty program," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(6), pages 1132-1150, November.
    13. Christine L. Exley & Stephen J. Terry, 2019. "Wage Elasticities in Working and Volunteering: The Role of Reference Points in a Laboratory Study," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 65(1), pages 413-425, January.
    14. Ebo Botchway & Jack McLaughlin & Jan Verpooten & Siegfried Dewitte, 2023. "Loyalty Programs in Second-Hand Markets Stimulate Demand but May Interfere With Supply," RAIS Conference Proceedings 2022-2023 0357, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies.
    15. ITO Koichiro & IDA Takanori & TANAKA Makoto, 2015. "The Persistence of Moral Suasion and Economic Incentives: Field experimental evidence from energy demand," Discussion papers 15014, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    16. Fang, Xing, 2022. "Why we hide good deeds? The selfless and anonymous donation behavior in crowdfunding," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    17. De Paola, Maria & Gioia, Francesca & Scoppa, Vincenzo, 2018. "The adverse consequences of tournaments: Evidence from a field experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 1-18.
    18. Timothy Gubler & Ian Larkin & Lamar Pierce, 2016. "Motivational Spillovers from Awards: Crowding Out in a Multitasking Environment," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(2), pages 286-303, April.
    19. Anya Samek & Roman M. Sheremeta, 2017. "Selective Recognition: How to Recognize Donors to Increase Charitable Giving," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 55(3), pages 1489-1496, July.
    20. Goette, Lorenz & Stutzer, Alois, 2020. "Blood donations and incentives: Evidence from a field experiment," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 170(C), pages 52-74.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:soceps:v:92:y:2024:i:c:s0038012123003002. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/seps .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.