Nominal group technique: ascertaining SIVA-Need latent attributes
Delbecq, et al. [83] indicated that NGT (Nominal group technique) has three characteristics: 1. In NGT group meeting, experts can offer their personal opinions without being interfered by the others. 2. In traditional group meeting, minority is often affected by the majority. However, each expert’s opinions are deemed as equally important in NGT group meeting. 3. The effectiveness of group decision is usually better than individual decision. Other scholars also propose the advantages of NGT. For example, Ven and Delbecq [84] suggested that NGT may generate more unique ideas than Delphi method could. Roth, et al. [85] believed that NGT may bring out more quality thinking than Interacting groups could. In terms of research cost, Owen, Arnold et al. [86, p185] argued that NGT can generate data in short period of time, resulting in the advantage of low cost. Vander Laenen [87, p1] listed the advantages of NGT as the following: 1. Limiting the influence of researcher and other group members. 2. Increasing the likelihood of equal participation of all experts. 3. Generating the same level of impact on mutually contradictory beliefs and thinking. 4. As it is suitable for exploratory research, research may utilize this method to establish hypothesis on understudied questions. 5. It may help to collect and understand the thinking of populations socially or culturally different from the researcher. In the light of the characteristics and advantages above, and the potential subjective categorization bias created during attribute-establishment of SIVA marketing mix and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this study adopted NGT to assure the objectivity and research quality.
The participants in the NGT were 7 university lecturers in Taiwan, who were not personally acquainted with each other. During the meeting, their opinions were anonymous by replacing their names with alphabets A, B, …G. By doing this, this study aimed to avoid the influence caused by interferences or interpersonal ties. The number of participants was in line with the suggested number—5-8—given by Delbecq, et al. [83]. Lakhani, et al. [88] also pointed out that a limited number of participants is essential in terms of giving each participant sufficient time, and respecting their opinions on the problems.
Among the participants, their academic expertise ranged from marketing management, consumer behavior, strategic management, and customer relationship management; age from 40 to 59; years of teaching from 9 to 20 years. This group of participants formed a representative sample in terms of their ages, academic expertise, and years of teaching. Moreover, their academic expertise was both different and complementary. Given that, they could provide extensive and accurate opinions on the attributes planned to be developed through the combination of dimensions in SIVA and aspects of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
This study primarily followed the procedures proposed by Delbecq, et al. [83] with minor revisions to implement NGT. According to the NGT implementation procedure, it should be completed in one meeting. Nevertheless, sufficient time allows the participants to review the information and explanations, and to think and collect
Tsuen-Ho Hsu, Sen-Tien Her, Yung-Han Chang and Jia-Jeng Hou 43
relevant data. Furthermore, to assure zero interferences, each participant was given a SIVA-Need attributes classification matrix sheet to complete before stage two. This study revised the NGT procedure and divided it into two parts, i.e. before the meeting and after the meeting. Stage 1 and 2 carried out 2 weeks before the meeting whereas stage 3, 4, and 5 during the meeting. The implementation details are as follows.
Before the meeting:
Stage 1 Providing the complete information relevant to this study to all participants, explaining the objectives and research methods adopted by this study in details, and answering their questions.
Stage 2 Participants were asked to examine the attributes situated at the intersection points and circle the ones that match both SIVA dimensions and aspects of Maslow’s most based on the SIVA-Need latent attributes classification matrix table. Other than circling the attributes on the pre-designed table, participants were also asked to fill more suitable latent attributes into a SIVA-Need attributes classification matrix sheet on their own. At this stage, participants completed the matrix table alone, which accordingly reduced the interferences caused by other participants to enhance the advantages of NGT.
During the meeting:
Stage 3 Each participant explained his or her decisions alternately on selecting and circling the attributes based on their finished SIVA-Need attributes classification matrix sheet and notes. To avoid mutual interferences or deliberate guidance, participants were advised against communicating, evaluations, or discussing with each other at this stage. The essence of this stage lay in that each participant offered detailed and through explanations on their finished SIVA-Need attributes classification table without mutual consultations. At this stage, three participants offered additional latent attributes for three intersection points in the matrix. Participant B suggested that “community information” corresponded to the intersection point of the customer information dimension and the aspect of social needs. Participant D suggested that “idealization” corresponded to the intersection point of the customer value dimension and the aspect of self-actualization. Participant E suggested that “accessibility” corresponded to the intersection point of the customer access dimension and the aspect of basic needs.
Stage 4 All of the participants discussed about the implications and appropriateness of attributes in SIVA-Need latent attributes classification matrix, and clarified the issues raised during discussions. The additional attributes provided by participants B, D, and E were also discussed. After discussions, more than of the participants agreed to include the three attributes into the SIVA-Need latent classification matrix table for the evaluation in the next stage.
Stage 5 Participants each conducted a final evaluation, graded, and ranked the attributes. Based on their evaluations, this study created a final rank (Table 2). The attributes
44 International Journal of Electronic Commerce Studies
with the highest rank at their corresponding intersection points were then used to a concluding SIVA-Need attributes classification matrix table (Table 3).
Table 2. SIVA-Need Latent Attributes Ranking needs
attributes SIVA A B C D E F G A B C D E F G
amenity 1 3 3 3 2 3 2 2.4 1 commodity safety
3 3 2 3 3 3 2 2.7 1
convenience 3 1 2 2 1 1 3 1.9 2 reliabilty 2 1 3 2 1 1 1 1.6 3 pleasanteness 2 2 1 1 3 2 1 1.7 3 certainty 1 2 1 1 2 2 3 1.7 2
transparency 3 2 3 2 3 3 1 2.4 1 information safety
2 1 2 2 1 2 2 1.7 1
intelligibility 2 1 2 3 1 2 2 1.9 2 traceability 1 2 1 1 2 1 1 1.3 2 completeness 1 3 1 1 2 1 3 1.7 3
usability 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1.4 3 dependability 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1.4 2
affordability 3 1 2 2 1 2 1 1.7 2 psychological benefits
2 2 1 1 1 2 2 1.6 1
product benefits 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2.9 1
efficiency 4 3 1 3 3 3 4 3.0 1 friendliness 2 3 1 3 1 3 1 2.0 2
effectiveness 1 1 2 1 4 1 3 1.9 4 consumption safety
3 2 3 1 3 2 2 2.3 1
immediacy 3 2 3 2 1 4 1 2.3 3 accuracy 1 1 2 2 2 1 3 1.7 3 ●accessibility 2 4 4 4 2 2 2 2.9 2
needs attributes SIVA A B C D E F G A B C D E F G
affectivity 2 3 2 2 1 3 2 2.1 2 sense of accomplishment
1 2 2 1 3 2 1 1.7 3
sociability 3 2 1 3 3 1 3 2.3 1 exclusiveness 2 3 3 2 1 3 2 2.3 1 emotionality 1 1 3 1 2 2 1 1.6 3 applicability 3 1 1 3 2 1 3 2.0 2
communicability 1 2 1 1 3 1 1 1.4 3 respect for diversity
2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1.6 1
online consultation
2 3 3 3 1 3 3 2.6 1 privacy 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1.4 2
★community information
3 1 2 2 2 2 2 2.0 2
connectability 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1.1 2 exceptioness 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1.4 3 brand community value
1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1.9 1 sense of honor 3 3 1 3 2 3 3 2.6 1
dignity 2 1 3 2 3 2 1 2.0 2
serviceability 2 3 1 1 1 3 1 1.7 2 courteous reception
3 2 3 3 2 2 3 2.6 1
care ability 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 1.6 3 warmth 1 3 1 2 1 1 1 1.4 3 belongingness 3 2 3 3 3 2 3 2.7 1 initiativeness 2 1 2 1 3 3 2 2.0 2
needs attributes SIVA A B C D E F G
personal style 2 1 2 2 1 2 1 1.6 1 customized 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1.4 2
completeness 3 3 1 3 3 3 1 2.4 1 sufficiency 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 1.3 3 uniqueness 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2.3 2
personal value 4 4 4 3 4 3 4 3.7 1 perfection 2 1 1 4 1 1 3 1.9 4 integration 3 2 3 1 2 4 2 2.4 2 ▲idealization 1 3 2 2 3 2 1 2.0 3
autonomous consumption
2 1 2 2 2 2 1 1.7 1
actualization 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1.3 2
Customer value
Customer access
Note: The alphabets A, B…G represent the expert participants respectively. ★Participant B suggested to include “community informatio”. ▲Participant D suggested to include “idealization”. ●Participant E suggested to include “accessibility.
Self- actualization
grades average rank
Customer solutions
Customer information
average rank
Customer solutions
Customer information
Customer value
Esteem needs grades
Customer access
Social needs grades
average rank
Customer solutions
Customer information
Customer value
grades
Customer access
average rankBasic needs grades
average rank Safety needs
Tsuen-Ho Hsu, Sen-Tien Her, Yung-Han Chang and Jia-Jeng Hou 45
Table 3. SIVA-Need Attributes Classification Matrix needs
attributes SIVA
Basic needs
Safety needs
Social needs
Esteem needs
Self- actualization
Customer solutions
Amenity Commodity safety
Sociability Exclusiveness Personal style
Customer information
Transparency Information safety
Online consultation
Respect for diversity
Completeness
Customer value
Product benefits
Psychological benefits
Brand community value
Sense of honor
Personal value
Customer access
efficiency Consumption safety
belongingness Courteous reception
Autonomous consumption