CONTACT INFORMATION
Office:	209 Kalkin  FIND OFFICE
Phone:	656-0516
E-Mail:	bonifield@bsad.uvm.edu
Office Hours:	Mondays & Wednesdays 4:00-5:30 p.m. or by appointment

• BSAD 153 - Consumer Behavior
  Section A, 003 Kalkin 11:00-12:15 MW - ON-LINE SYLLABUS
  Section Z1, 003 Kalkin 11:00-12:15 MW - ON-LINE SYLLABUS
   
• BSAD 155 - Marketing Communications
  Section A, 325 Kalkin 2:00-3:15 MW - ON-LINE SYLLABUS
  Section Z1, 325 Kalkin 2:00-3:15 MW - ON-LINE SYLLABUS

Publication History

Journal Article, Academic Journal

• Bonifield, C. M.; Cole, C.; Schultz, R. L. - "Product Returns on the Internet: A Case of Mixed Signals?" (Refereed) - Journal of Business Research - 2010 [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: In two studies, we investigate the interrelationship between return policy leniency and retailer quality. In the first study, we content analyze the return policies of e-tailers randomly selected from those listed at two services that rate the quality of Web sites (Gomez.com and BizRate.com). Then we relate the return policy characteristics to these quality ratings. Consistent with signaling theory, we find that as the ratings of e-tailer quality increase, return policy leniency increases in non-consumable product categories. However, the positive quality/return policy leniency relationship does not hold in consumable product categories. In a follow-up experiment, we investigated how consumers interpret the return policy signal. Specifically, we find that consumers' ability to control their shopping experience and their general trust of e-tailers moderate their reations to return policies that differ in leniency. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of this research.
  
• Bonifield, C. M.; Bailey, A. A. - "Broken (Promotional) Promises: The Impact of Firm Reputation and Blame" (Refereed) - Journal of Marketing Communications - 2009
• Bonifield, C. M.; Tomas, A. M. - "Intellectual Property Issues for Marketers in the Virtual World" (Refereed) - Journal of Brand Management - 2009 [View publication] [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: A rapidly growing number of marketers consider virtual worlds a compelling opportunity to reach and interact with current and potential consumers. These marketers face complex challenges, many of them brought about by the unique nature of an economy comprised of real dollars being used to acquire virtual products. We explore one challenge these marketers face: protection of their intellectual property in the virtual world. In the following sections, we describe relevant virtual world intellectual property issues, including discussion of copyright, trademark and personality rights protections, and potential abuses that exist in the context of these environments. We also describe two recent lawsuits regarding the protection of intellectual property in the virtual world. We conclude with several considerations for marketers and public policy makers as they negotiate this complicated area.
  
• Bonifield, C. M.; Cole, C. - "Better Him Than Me: Social Comparison Theory and Service Recovery" (Refereed) - Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science - 2008 - v. 36, no. 4, pp. 565-577 [View publication] [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: We conduct two studies to examine if, when, and why communication strategies using social comparisons can effectively restore emotional equilibrium after a service failure, and thus aid recovery efforts. In our first study, we find that after a service failure, like compensation, downward social comparisons reduce anger and improve post-purchase behavioral intentions (including exiting, complaining to management, engaging in negative word-of-mouth, and complaining to a third party). However, when two recovery tools, compensation and downward social comparisons are used together they do not have an additive effect. Additionally, we show that anger mediates the social comparison effect. In a second study, we further explore the social comparison effect and the financial compensation effect using complete and incomplete downward social comparisons and multiple levels of financial compensation. Our findings indicate that complete downward social comparisons are particularly effective at improving all four types of post-purchase behavioral intentions when financial compensation is non-existent or relatively low. Finally, we discuss implications for theory and practice.
  
• Bonifield, C. M.; Bailey, A. A.; Tomas, A. M. - "Where Avatars Come From: Exploring Consumers' Motivations in Virtual Worlds" (Refereed) - Innovative Marketing - 2008 - v. 4, no. 4, pp. 6-13 [View publication] [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: As the popularity of virtual worlds continues to grow, millions of individuals around the world are engaging in virtual lives through avatars in virtual worlds like Second Life, Gaia Online, and Zwinktopia. These individuals' avatars engage in a broad range of activities from socializing to consumer behaviors, in many cases with real, rather than virtual, currency. These avatars, as virtual representations of self, clearly exist. What remain unclear are the motivations underlying consumers' desires to create avatars, and the choices they make in constructing their avatars and choosing the behaviors in which their avatars engage. Here we propose three factors as useful in furthering our understanding of these behaviors: possible selves, openness to experience, and social comparison theory. Better understanding of what motivates consumers' avatar construction will help marketers frame their advertising, promotions, and product offerings to better appeal to consumers who participate in virtual worlds. Specifically, we propose factors like openness to experience and social comparisons may be used to identify market segments that are most likely to respond to marketers' advertising and promotional programs to buy goods and services for their avatars, or to buy experiences, such as social or recreational activities for their avatars. In this conceptual paper, we describe the factors and create a series of propositions. We conclude with a discussion of the potential future research directions and the managerial implications of this research.
  
• Bonifield, C. M.; Cole, C. - "Affective Responses to Service Failure: Anger, Regret, and Retaliatory versus Conciliatory Responses" (Refereed) - Marketing Letters - 2007 - v. 18, no. 1, pp. 85-99 [View publication] [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: After a service failure, consumers make appraisals or assessments about the characteristics of this failure. These appraisals, in turn, affect how a consumer responds emotionally and behaviorally. Using an appraisal-tendency framework, we predict that two negatively valenced emotions (anger and regret) underlie or mediate the effects of consumers' appraisals about service failure on post-purchase behaviors. Consistent with the predictions, in a laboratory study, we find that anger plays a powerful role in explaining retaliatory behaviors, and that both anger and regret account for the effect of appraisals on conciliatory behaviors. We extend the same appraisal-tendency framework to predict how changes in emotions underlie the effects of recovery efforts on post-purchase behaviors. Again consistent with predictions, in the laboratory study and in a web-based study, we find that recovery efforts that reduce anger decrease retaliatory behaviors. However, both studies provide less clear-cut evidence about the emotional mediators between recovery efforts and conciliatory behaviors. Because conciliatory behaviors are important behaviors for businesses to promote, future research should explore what other emotions explain recovery effort effects on conciliatory behaviors.
  
  
• Bonifield, C. M.; Kurata, H. - "How Customization of Pricing and Item Availability Information Can Improve E-Commerce Performance" (Refereed) - Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management - 2007 - v. 5, no. 4, pp. 305-314 [View publication] [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: Two characteristics of e-commerce, the ability to micromarket (i.e., customizing a marketing plan according to customers' purchasing patterns) and the ability to selectively offer item availability information (i.e., manipulating whether or not to display the total number of items available to customers), considerably increase firms' potential to improve their performance. This paper considers e-business in the hotel and airline industries, which has two customer segments: one is the leisure segment, which focuses more on price, and the other group is the business segment, which focuses heavily on schedule. We propose an analytical model that determines the optimal pricing and demonstrates that e-business can improve its revenue by taking into account customer segmentation when offering item availability information to customers. We provide numerical examples which demonstrate that accuracy in segmenting customers and the size of each segment will influence the performance of customized marketing planning. We also present managerial implications derived from these analytical findings.
  

Book, Chapter in Scholarly Book-New

• Bonifield, C. M.; Cole, C. A. - "Understanding Comprehension of Marketing Communications among Older Consumers" (Refereed) - The Aging Consumer: Perspectives from Psychology and Economics - 2009 , LEA/Psychology Press: New York, NY
• Bonifield, C. M.; Cole, C. - "Advertising to Vulnerable Segments" (Refereed) - Handbook of Advertising/Sage Publications - 2007 , Thousand Oaks, CA [Show/Hide Abstract]
  Abstract: This chapter examines the impact of persuasive messages on potentially vulnerable consumers, with a focus on two demographic groups: children and elderly adults. We provide a theoretical framework that incorporates recent research and provides new insights into this area, and conclude with a discussion of implications for public policy and business practice.