This study investigated wine drinkers' perspectives on how product quality
is conceptualized. The research was carried out because the dominant paradigm for
quality within the marketing literature is perceived quality, and as such it is
important to understand how consumers construct frameworks to understand quality and
specifically whether they share this perception of the particular importance of the
notion of perceived quality. Qualitative processes were used to obtain data from 60
informants. The findings indicate that consumers can adopt subjective or objective
frameworks, with some also leaning towards relative and absolute quality positions.
These conflicting frameworks are resolved by using an interactionist perspective,
which allows quality to mediate the varying quality correlates noted in the
marketing literature.
Anon
(2003) Starting a Cellar. URL (consulted April 2003): http://www.wineontheweb.com/consumer_advice/startingacellar/startingacellar.html
2.
Belk, R.W.
(1975)
‘Situational Variables and Consumer Behaviour’
, Journal of Consumer Research2(December):
157–164
.
3.
Bolton, R.N.
and
Drew, J.H.
(1991)
‘A Multistage Model of Customers’ Assessments of
Service Quality and Value’
, Journal of Consumer Research17(March):
375–384
.
4.
Bristol, T.
and
Fern, E.F.
(1996)
‘Exploring the Atmosphere Created by Focus Group Interviews:
Comparing Consumers’ Feelings Across Qualitative Techniques’
, Journal of the Market Research Society38(2):
185–196
.
5.
Caillard, A.
and
Langton, S.
(2000) Langton's Australian Fine Wine: Buying and
Investment Guide (4th edn).
Sydney: Media21 Publishing
.
6.
Calder, B.J.
(1977)
‘Focus Groups and the Nature of Qualitative Marketing Research’
, Journal of Marketing Research14(August):
353–364
.
7.
Charters, S.
(2002)
‘The Two Wines’
, paper presented at the Bacchus to the Future
Conference, Brock University, St. Catherines, Ontario, May.
8.
Charters, S.
and
Pettigrew, S.
(2003)
‘I Like it but How do I Know if it's Any
Good?’ Quality and Preference in Wine Consumption’
, Journal of Research for Consumers5, URL (consulted February 2005): www.jrconsumers.com
9.
Charters, S.
and
Pettigrew, S.
(2005)
‘Is Wine Consumption an Aesthetic Experience?’
, Journal of Wine Research16(2):
37–52
.
10.
Charters, S.
and
Pettigrew, S.
(2006)
‘Product Involvement and the Evaluation of Wine Quality’
, Qualitative Market Research9(2):
181–193
.
11.
Day, E.
and
Castleberry, S.B.
(1986)
‘Defining and Evaluating Quality: The Consumer's View’
, Advances in Consumer Research13:
94–98
.
12.
Delbridge, A
, and
Bernard, J.R.L.
(eds) (1998) The Macquarie Concise Dictionary.
Sydney: The Macquarie Library
.
13.
Douglas, J.D.
(1985) Creative Interviewing. Beverly Hills,
CA: SAGE
.
14.
Garvin, D.A.
(1984)
‘What Does “Product Quality” Really Mean?’
, The Sloan Management Review (Autumn):
25–43
.
15.
Garvin, D.A.
(1987)
‘Competing on the Eight Dimensions of Quality’
, Harvard Business Review
(November–December):
101–109
.
16.
Gutman, J.
(1982)
‘A Means-end Chain Model Based on Consumer Categorization Processes’
, Journal of Marketing46(Spring):
60–72
.
17.
Holbrook, M.B.
(1981)
‘Integrating Compositional and Decompositional Analyses to
Represent the Intervening Role of Perceptions in Evaluative Judgments’
, Journal of Marketing Research18(February):
13–28
.
18.
Holbrook, M.B.
(1994) ‘The Nature of Customer Value: An
Axiology of Services in the Consumption Experience’, in
R.T. Rust
and
R.L. Oliver
(eds) Service Quality: New Directions in Theory and Practice, pp.
21–71.
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
.
19.
Holbrook, M.B.
(ed.) (1999) Consumer Value: A Framework for Analysis and
Research.
New York: Routledge
.
20.
Holbrook, M.B.
and
Corfman, K.P.
(1985) ‘Quality and Value in the Consumption
Experience: Phaedrus Rides Again’, in
J. Jacoby
and
J.C. Olson
(eds) Perceived Quality: How Consumers View Stores and
Merchandise, pp. 31–57.
Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath
.
21.
Huberman, A.M.
and
Miles, M.B.
(1994) ‘Data Management and Analysis
Methods’, in
N.K. Denzin
and
Y.S. Lincoln
(eds) Handbook of Qualitative Research, pp.
428–444.
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
.
22.
Jacoby, J
, and
Olson, J.C.
(1985) ‘Preface’, in
J. Jacoby
and
J.C. Olson
(eds) Perceived Quality: How Consumers View Stores and
Merchandise, pp. xi–xiii.
Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath
.
23.
Jacoby, J.
,
Olson, J.C.
and
Haddock, R.A.
(1971)
‘Price, Brand Name!! and Product Composition Characteristics as
Determinants of Perceived Quality’
, Journal of Applied Psychology55(6):
570–579
.
24.
Janesick, V.J.
(1994) ‘The Dance of Qualitative Research
Design’, in
N.K. Denzin
and
Y.S. Lincoln
(eds) Handbook of Qualitative Research, (pp.
209–219).
Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE
.
25.
Lichtenstein, D.R.
,
Bloch, P.H.
and
Black, W.C.
(1988)
‘Correlates of Price Acceptability’
, Journal of Consumer Research15(2):
243–253
.
26.
Mano, H.
and
Oliver, R.L.
(1993)
‘Assessing the Dimensionality and Structure of the Consumption
Experience: Evaluation, Feeling and Satisfaction’
, Journal of Consumer Research20(December):
451–466
.
27.
Markham, D.
(1998) 1855: A History of the Bordeaux Classification.
New York: John Wiley
.
28.
Monroe, K.B.
and
Krishnan, R.
(1985) ‘The Effect of Price on Subjective
Product Evaluations’, in
J. Jacoby
and
J.C. Olson
(eds) Perceived Quality: How Consumers View Stores and
Merchandise, pp. 209–232.
Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath
.
29.
Morgan, D.L.
(1988) Focus Groups as Qualitative Research.
Newbury Park, CA: SAGE
.
30.
Oliver, R.L.
(1997) Satisfaction: A Behavioral Perspective on the
Consumer.
New York: McGraw Hill
.
31.
Olson, J.C.
and
Jacoby, J.
(1972)
‘Cue Utilization in the Quality Perception Process’
, Advances in Consumer Research3:
167–179
.
32.
Pirsig, R.M.
(1991) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
London: Random House
.
33.
Quester, P.G.
and
Smart, J.
(1998)
‘The Influence of Consumption Situation and Product Involvement
over Consumers’ Use of Product Attributes’
, The Journal of Consumer Marketing15(3):
220–238
.
34.
Robinson, J.
(ed.) (1999) The Oxford Companion to Wine (2nd
ed.).
Oxford: Oxford University Press
.
35.
Roby, N.
(2005) ‘After Sideways’,
Decanter: California Supplement48-48.
36.
Rokeach, M.
(1968) Beliefs, Attitudes and Values.
San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass
.
37.
Steenkamp, J.-B.E.M.
(1989) Product Quality.
Assen: Van Gorcum
.
38.
Steenkamp, J.-B.E.M.
(1990)
‘Conceptual Model of the Quality Perception Process’
, Journal of Business Research21:
309–333
.
39.
Sweeney, J.C.
and
Soutar, G.N.
(1995)
‘Quality and Value: An Exploratory Study’
, International Journal of Business Studies3(2):
51–66
.
40.
Wallendorf, M.
and
Belk, R.W.
(1989) ‘Assessing Trustworthiness in
Naturalistic Consumer Research’, in
E. Hirschman
(ed.) Interpretive Consumer Research, pp.
69–83.
Provo, UT: Association for Consumer Research
.
41.
Zeithaml, V.A.
(1988)
‘Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value: A Meansend
Model and Synthesis of Evidence’
, Journal of Marketing52(July):
2–22
.
