bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supervisory Feedback: Alternative Types and Their Impact on Salespeople's Performance and Satisfaction
Authors: Jaworski Bernard J. , Kohli Ajay K.
Published: December 2018

A fourfold typology of supervisory feedback is developed by crossing the locus of feedback (output vs. behavior) with the valence of feedback (positive vs. negative) provided to salespeople. Findings from an empirical study suggest that positive feedback serves an informational and a motivational function and has a significant effect on salespeople's performance and satisfaction. In contrast, negative feedback serves an informational function, but not a motivational function, and improves performance to a relatively small extent. Further, whereas positive output feedback is found to have the strongest total effect on performance, positive behavioral feedback appears to have the strongest total effect on satisfaction. Interestingly, neither negative output feedback nor negative behavioral feedback seems to reduce salespeople's satisfaction with supervisors. Finally, contrary to expectations, salespeople's acceptance of supervisory feedback does not appear to moderate these relationships in general.
Comment on “Adaptive Conjoint Analysis: Some Caveats and Suggestions”7
Authors: Johnson Richard M.
Published: December 2018

The author presents a rejoinder to the article by Green, Krieger, and Agarwal.
Performance against Quota and the Call Selection Decision
Authors: Ross William T.
Published: December 2018

What level of quota should be imposed on the salesperson? The author proposes that when performance against quota is a significant factor in a salesperson's compensation, that salesperson's call selection decision is influenced by his or her position in relation to quota. That is, quota acts as a reference point that influences the salesperson's behavior. Using recent advances in behavioral decision theory, the author proposes that (1) salespersons who perceive themselves to have no chance to attain quota are more likely to make risk averse decisions, (2) salespersons who have made quota are more likely to make risk seeking decisions, and (3) salespersons who have a chance to make quota select the alternative that affords the best opportunity of making quota. These propositions were tested in four studies, three involving hypothetical choice and one involving decisions made in a computerized, behavioral game theoretic experiment. The results indicate that the quota level a salesperson faces can significantly influence his or her decisions.
A Moving Ellipsoid Method for Nonparametric Regression and its Application to Logit Diagnostics with Scanner Data
Authors: Abe Makoto
Published: December 2018

Nonparametric regression becomes increasingly attractive for marketing applications as the required large databases become available. The well-known kernel method provides the regression E( y|x) of a response variable y given explanatory variables x. A new, moving ellipsoid variant smooths the regression surface preferentially along the tangential direction of E( y|x). The method generalizes the flexible regression technique and provides improvements in mean absolute deviation and/or regression smoothness. In an application to brand choice modeling, the ellipsoid method constructs an empirical distribution of the stochastic term in a multinomial logit model. Comparison of empirical and theoretical distributions provides a consistency test for the logit model analogous to examining the normality of residuals in OLS regression.
Investigating Heterogeneity in Brand Preferences in Logit Models for Panel Data
Authors: Chintagunta Pradeep K. , Jain Dipak C. , Vilcassim Naufel J.
Published: December 2018

In analyzing panel data, the issue of heterogeneity across households is an important consideration. If heterogeneity is present but is ignored in the analysis, it will result in biased and inconsistent estimates of the effects of marketing mix variables on brand choice. The authors propose the use of a random effects specification to account for heterogeneity in brand preferences across households in a logit framework. The model parameters are estimated by both parametric and semiparametric approaches. The authors also compare their results with those obtained from logit models in which observed past choice behavioir is used to capture such heterogeneity. The different models are estimated with the IRI saltine crackers dataset. A formal statistical test of the model specifications shows that the semiparametric specification is the most preferred in terms of the overall fit of the model to the data. In addition, that specification predicts best when the models are validated in a holdout sample of households.
Development and Testing of a Model of Consideration Set Composition
Authors: Roberts John H. , Lattin James M.
Published: December 2018

The authors develop a model of consideration set composition. The approach taken is to compare the marginal expected benefits of including an additional brand in the consideration set with its associated costs of consideration. From an expression of the utility that a brand needs to gain membership in an existing consideration set, the authors derive an expression for set composition and optimal set size. They develop a measurement method to test the model at the individual level and apply it to the ready-to-eat cereal market. The model is tested in two ways. First, the utility function is calibrated at the individual level and the model is used to predict consideration of existing brands. The calibrated model also is used to forecast individual consideration of three new product concepts. Second, the predictive ability of a two-stage model of consideration and choice is tested against a traditional one-stage choice model. The authors conclude with a discussion of management implications of the model in terms of auditing currently available brands and new product management.
Limited Choice Sets, Local Price Response, and Implied Measures of Price Competition
Authors: Bronnenberg Bart J. , Vanhonacker Wilfried R.
Published: December 2018

It is becoming increasingly evident that a consumer's brand choice decision in low-involvement categories does not involve full search, evaluation, and comparison of price information of all brands available at point of purchase (global price response). The authors propose a two-stage choice process in which the consumer first identifies a subset of brands within the universal set of brands called the choice set and then evaluates only those brands that are in the choice set relative to one another to select a single brand. The authors find that, consistent with reports of the extent of external price search of consumers, response to shelf price variations is limited to the brands in the choice set (local price response). Their results indicate that employing the assumption of global price response may lead to biased estimates of price elasticity and derived measures of clout and vulnerability. To enable a managerially meaningful and useful assessment of a brand's competitive clout and vulnerability, the authors provide a brand-level approach to integrate local price response into the derivation of these measures.
Competitive-Component Analysis: A New Approach to Calibrating Asymmetric Market-Share Models
Authors: Cooper Lee G. , Klapper Daniel , Inoue Akihiro
Published: December 2018

Managers are unlikely to keep current with advanced developments in market-response analysis, and technical analysts often lack the marketplace knowledge of the many product categories they must track through syndicated data; this is a recipe for bad decisions. The authors present methods based on three-mode factor analysis and multivariate regression that can help both analysts and managers make better decisions regarding whether UPCs should be aggregated into brand units and, if so, how should the aggregation be done; which marketing instruments to track; and how to disentangle correlated promotional strategies. The practicality of this approach is demonstrated by an application to UPC-level data (25 UPCs, seven marketing instruments, and 156 weeks). In this example, to aggregate UPCs within a manufacturer into brand units would distort the relations between the marketing instruments and market responses. A multivariate regression from the competitive-component scores provides a methodologically sound and practical method for calibrating market response in such cases.
Efficient Marketing Communication: Helping the Customer Learn
Authors: Wernerfelt Birger
Published: December 2018

The author proposes that firms should treat customers as partners when they make decisions about marketing communication. The proposal is defended by a claim that for many firms this would help maximize long-term profits. This is supported on two grounds: First, with competition or repeated trade, it may be roughly consistent with literal profit maximization; and second, compared with profit maximization, it is more operational and less conducive to “short-termism.”
Reflections on “A Meta-Analysis of Applications of Diffusion Models”
Authors: Sultan Fareena , Farley John U. , Lehmann Donald R.
Published: December 2018

The authors reflect on their 1990 article, which won the 1995 William F. O'Dell Award, and the past and future trends in studies of diffusion and of empirical generalization.
Joint Segmentation on Distinct Interdependent Bases with Categorical Data
Authors: Ramaswamy Venkatram , Chatterjee Rabikar , Cohen Steven H.
Published: December 2018

The authors discuss a latent class framework for market segmentation with categorical data on two conceptually distinct but possibly interdependent bases for segmentation (e.g., benefits sought and usage of products and services). The joint latent segmentation model explicitly considers potential interdependence between the bases at the segment level by specifying the joint distribution of latent classes over the two bases, while simultaneously extracting segments on each distinct basis. An EM algorithm is used to estimate the model parameters. The authors present an empirical application, using pick-any data collected by a regional bank on two popular, conceptually appealing, and interdependent bases for segmenting customers of financial services—benefits (i.e., desired financial goals) and product usage (of an array of banking services). A comparative evaluation of the approach on synthetic data demonstrates the ability of the modeling framework to detect and estimate the interdependence structure underlying the two segmentation bases and thereby provide more accurate segmentation than “traditional” (single-basis) latent segmentation methods.
Consideration Sets in Conjoint Analysis
Authors: Jedidi Kamel , Kohli Rajeev , Desarbo Wayne S.
Published: December 2018

The authors model product consideration as preceding choice in a segment-level conjoint model. They propose a latent-class tobit model to estimate cardinal, segment-level preference functions based on consumers’ preference ratings for product concepts considered worth adding to consumers’ self-explicated consideration sets. The probability with which the utility of a product profile exceeds an unobserved threshold corresponds to its consideration probability, which is assumed to be independent across product profiles and common to consumers in a segment. A market-share simulation compares the predictions of the proposed model with those obtained from an individual-level tobit model and from traditional ratings-based conjoint analysis. The authors also report simulations that assess the robustness of the proposed estimation procedure, which uses an E-M algorithm to obtain maximum likelihood parameter estimates.
Chiefs in the City: Traditional Authority in the Modern State
Authors: Tieleman Joris , Uitermark Justus
Published: December 2018

While forms of authority that descend from social or cultural tradition are commonly understood as archaic, traditional authorities often survive and occasionally even thrive during the formation of modern states. Chieftaincies do not only endure in the Ghanaian countryside but also proliferate in new neighbourhoods on the peripheries of Ghana’s fast-growing cities. We develop an explanation for the endurance of traditional authorities, based on extensive fieldwork in one recently developed neighbourhood in a previously uninhabited part of Greater Accra, where we conducted interviews and analysed documents from the archives of the chief’s Divisional Council. We show that the formation of a modern state has restricted the chiefs’ discretion as sovereigns but afforded them greater power as managers of the land and gatekeepers of the state bureaucracy. Traditional authority is not overwritten but rather refined, transformed and stabilized in the process of state formation.
The Philosophical Presuppositions and Implications of Celebrating the Liturgical Year
Authors: Geldhof Joris
Published: December 2018

Reparatur enim nobis salutis nostrae annua revolutione sacramentum, ab initio promissum, in fine redditum, sine fine mansurum. In quo dignum est nos erectis sursum cordibus divinum adorare mysterium, ut quod magno Dei munere agitur, magnis Ecclesiae gaudiis celebretur. 1
“Revaluing Prosper of Aquitaine in Contemporary Liturgical Theology”
Authors: Novak Joseph A.
Published: December 2018

Contemporary liturgical theologians rely upon the now classic passage from Prosper of Aquitaine—ut legem credendi lex statuat supplicandi—as a foundation for much of their constructive proposals. However, the competing interpretative approaches to Prospers adage have threatened its integrity by either expecting too much or too little from the phrase.

This essay argues for a renewed examination of Prospers writings and proposes a new method of interpretation, one that addresses both the immediate concerns of Prosper and the aims of contemporary liturgical theologians. This new interpretative scheme views liturgical practice, Holy Scripture, and Church tradition as the necessary components in deriving the Prosperian lex supplicandi. In revisiting Prospers writings to validate this thesis, this essay provides an exhaustive map of three major interpretation camps of Prospers phrase, and suggests a fourth approach.
Pantomime as a Foundation for Ritual and Language
Authors: GÜRdenfors Peter
Published: December 2018

This article aims at tracing the evolutionary roots of rituals. My main thesis is that rituals have emerged as conventionalizations of pantomimes. The original function of pantomime is for teaching. In that function, pantomime derives from demonstration. My focus in this article is on rituals that produce group identification. Like pantomime, rituals signify meaning beyond the actual actions. Like demonstration and pantomime, ritual is a tool for learning. What is learnt is system of beliefs that become shared within a society. Such shared beliefs strengthen the cohesion within a society. Although both ritual and language are tools for sharing worlds, they have partly different functions. One function of ritual is to promote long-term cooperation, while language primarily coordinates action.
The Place for the Proclamation of the Word in Western Liturgy: Reflections on Current Practice
Authors: Pacik Rudolf
Published: December 2018

In this contribution we shall address an issue of present-day usage: How ought the place for proclamation to be arranged, bearing in mind the needs of the celebration in its aspect as dramatic action, and the sign-character of the celebration's various elements? On the history of the matter I shall say nothing here; I shall be assuming it. 1

1 See R. Pacik, “Der Ambo in der eneuerten Liturgie” in E. Renhart and A. Schnider (eds), Sursum corda. Variationenen zu einem liturgischen Motiv. Fur Philipp Harnoncourt zum 60. Geburtstag (Graz 1991) 243-54, esp. 243-5, with survey of Roman Catholic guidelines, 245-7.
Data hiding technique in steganography for information security using number theory
Authors: Rehman Amjad , Saba Tanzila , Mahmood Toqeer , Mehmood Zahid , Shah Mohsin , Anjum Adeel
Published: December 2018

In the current era, due to the widespread availability of the Internet, it is extremely easy for people to communicate and share multimedia contents with each other. However, at the same time, secure transfer of personal and copyrighted material has become a critical issue. Consequently, secure means of data transfer are the most urgent need of the time. Steganography is the science and art of protecting the secret data from an unauthorised access. The steganographic approaches conceal secret data into a cover file of type audio, video, text and/or image. The actual challenge in steganography is to achieve high robustness and capacity without bargaining on the imperceptibility of the cover file. In this article, an efficient steganography method is proposed for the transfer of secret data in digital images using number theory. For this purpose, the proposed method represents the cover image using the Fibonacci sequence. The representation of an image in the Fibonacci sequence allows increasing the bit planes from 8-bit to 12-bit planes. The experimental results of the proposed method in comparison with other existing steganographic methods exhibit that our method not only achieves high embedding of secret data but also gives high quality of stego images in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR). Furthermore, the robustness of the technique is also evaluated in the presence of salt and pepper noise attack on the cover images.
Challenges of Edible Oils From Farm to Industry: Views of Stakeholders
Authors: Zargaraan Aziz , Mohammadi-Nasrabadi Fatemeh , Hosseini Hedayat , Salmani Yeganeh , Bahmaei Manochehr , Esfarjani Fatemeh
Published: December 2018

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to explore stakeholders’ views about quality and safety of edible oils from farm to industry and propose policy options to address these challenges.

Methods:

Semistructured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 11 experts in the edible oil industry. Participants were selected through purposive and snowball sampling. Open-ended interview questions were used to identify the edible oils’ challenges from farm to industry. All interviews were recorded and final transcripts were re-read to obtain categories until themes were developed using directed content analysis and constant comparison methods.

Results:

Six categories in 14 themes with 49 sub themes were explored based on the perspectives of the stakeholders who were responsible for edible oil industry: (1) safety, (2) imports, (3) factory, (4) edible oils’ monitoring, (5) edible oil industry, and (6) building consumer trust. The participants’ views showed that to increase the quality and safety of edible oils, the following approaches are required: updating food safety regulations, effective inspection, monitoring and surveillance systems, updating laboratory equipment, and controlling the media advertising.

Conclusions:

In order to build and maintain effective edible oil safety systems, strong links must be established between all sectors responsible. The key players need to have access to reliable and up-to-date information so that timely collective action can be taken. It is recommended that governments face up to this task and lead the way. The research findings seek to offer policy options for government and the stakeholders for challenging future strategies for edible oil industry.
Development of exercise-related values in heart failure patients supported with a left ventricular assist device
Authors: Schmidt Thomas , Bjarnason-Wehrens Birna , Mommertz Stephanie , Schulte-Eistrup Sebastian , Willemsen Detlev , Sindermann Jürgen , Predel Hans-Georg , Reiss Nils
Published: December 2018

Following implantation of a left ventricular assist device, the build-up and long-term maintenance of adequate exercise capacity and functional performance become crucial. The aim of this study was to observe the development of exercise-related values at different times, as well as to detect possible influencing factors. We performed a prospective single-centre study: 10 patients (63 years, 100% male, body mass index = 27.5, 100% HeartWare) underwent the following diagnostic tests during cardiac rehabilitation and during two subsequent ambulatory visits: 6-min walking test, handgrip strength test, cardiopulmonary exercise test and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure questionnaire. Mean follow-up was 482 days after left ventricular assist device implantation. Significant improvements could be observed between the end of cardiac rehabilitation and ambulatory visit 1; 6-min walking distance increased from 367 to 449 m (p < 0.01), peak VO2 from 10.0 to 11.9 mL/kg/min (p < 0.05) and peak load from 62.4 to 83.0 W (p < 0.01). However, there were no further improvements between ambulatory visit 1 and ambulatory visit 2. In the long term, a significant mean weight gain of more than 10 kg could be observed (p < 0.01). A negative linear correlation between weight gain and absolute improvement in peak load (r = −0.77, p < 0.01) and peak VO2 (r = −0.75, p < 0.05) could be demonstrated. In conclusion, exercise-related values following left ventricular assist device implantation initially improve significantly. Later, however, no further improvements can be observed. In the long term, pronounced weight gain is conspicuous, concomitant with a significantly lower increase in exercise values of the patients. In the future, both dietary and structured physical activity follow-up interventions should be integrated in patient routines.
Peer Victimization in Preadolescent Children With ADHD in Turkey
Authors: Örengül Abdurrahman Cahid , Goker Hulya , Zorlu Aziz , Gormez Vahdet , Soylu Nusret
Published: December 2018

The present study aims to investigate peer victimization and its relationship with comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and quality of life (QoL) among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Study sample consisted of 66 children with ADHD (mean age = 8.6 ± 1.1 years) and age- and gender-matched 66 controls (mean age = 8.5 ± 1.3 years). In self-reports, the ADHD group reported significantly higher rates of victimization and bullying than the non-ADHD group. Verbal and physical forms of victimization and bullying were the most prevalent forms in both groups; however, exclusion from peer groups, which is named as relational bullying, was the most significantly differing type between two groups. QoL parameters did not significantly differ between the children involved in bullying and those not involved, except for the lower physical QoL in victimized children in the control group. In conclusion, peer victimization was significantly more prevalent in the ADHD group than the non-ADHD group. Preventive measures are needed for peer victimization, especially for children with ADHD.
What Predicts Career Adaptability?: An Application of Achievement Goal Theory and Adult Attachment Theory
Authors: Furness Matthew P.
Published: December 2018

Extensive research has documented the impressive individual and organizational benefits that come with high levels of career adaptability (CA). At the current time, however, only the fixed dispositional traits underpinning CA have been investigated. In this study, I contributed to existing literature by drawing upon achievement goal theory and adult attachment theory to test a model where several malleable psychosocial constructs predicted CA levels. To test this model, a cross-sectional study was conducted, with 210 respondents from three organizations completing a self-report questionnaire. Analyses of the data collected yielded support for some, but not all, of the hypothesized relationships. Most notably, the results indicated that mastery goal adoption predicts CA, but only when individuals feel that their supervisor supports their career autonomy. The findings also suggested that anxious, but not avoidant, attachment negatively predicts CA. The practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed.
Corporate Entrepreneurship in the Digital Era: The Cascading Effect through Operations
Authors: Joshi Maheshkumar P. , Kathuria Ravi , Das Sidhartha
Published: December 2018

This study examines a firm’s response to perceived changes in the environment, such as the growth of the digital era, at different levels of a firm—beginning with the adoption of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) down to process renewal (PR). We further explore if the technological intensity of a firm, high-tech or low-tech intensity, influences its choice of mode for organisational renewal (OR)—use of internal competence or outside acquisition—to exploit the opportunities created by the digital era. Using survey data from 170 firms, we test a sequential relationship among environmental changes (growth of the digital era), CE, OR and finally PR that involves operating procedures at the functional level. We conclude by identifying the study’s interdisciplinary contributions, which open new research avenues in the field of CE.
KHL: Consulting for Managing Sales Force Attrition (A)
Authors: Nair Unnikrishnan K , Purani Keyoor
Published: December 2018

Kalpak Healthcare Limited (KHL), a large pharmaceutical company in the southern part of India, once faced severe sales force turnover in its Life Branded Medications SBU, popularly called the Branded SBU (B-SBU). It became an issue of highest concern to the top management of KHL; so they appointed a team of consultants from a premier management school in the region to study the issue and recommend possible solutions and strategies. Over a period of 6 months, the consultants conducted extensive research—studying internal company records, analysing the industry and external environment, gathering qualitative data through in-depth interviews (DIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) among KHL employees and executing a division-wide quantitative survey labelled as Manpower Mood Meter (M3) among the field executives—and finally came up with recommendations.

The case is organized as two independent, successive ones—A and B. Case (A) describes the consultants’ engagement with KHL and ends with them pondering over the types of analyses to be done with the huge volume of data they had collected. Case (B) details the kinds of analyses they actually do and the inferences they draw. The set of recommendations the consultants finally make to the KHL top management is given in the epilogue of the teaching note. The critical value of this case lies in its ability to open up the students’ minds to the dynamic interplay of multiple factors—individual, managerial, organizational, industrial-contextual and historical—that holistically affect a phenomenon like ‘attrition’ in organizations. This could perhaps also be one of those rare cases that makes use of the principles of System Dynamics in a real, applied and combined context of marketing and human resource (HR) management.
A race from the bottom? Lessons from a workers’ struggle at a Bangalore warehouse
Authors: Kumar Ashok
Published: December 2018

This paper analyses the emergence of the ‘full package’ firm in India and its implications for workers’ strategies. A ‘full package’ firm expands outward, from low-value assembly-only products to high-value specialized garment production; consolidating under one roof. Historically, geographic and political barriers separated centres of value-creation (producers) and value-capture (brands and retailers) in the global garment sector. However, enhanced value-capture at the point of production has led to considerable consolidation organizationally, giving an increasingly symbiotic character to relationships within ‘buyer driven’ supply chains. Though this change aggregates the bargaining power of workers, it also introduces new obstacles to workers’ organization. The concomitant rise of supplier-end value capture allows garment trade unions to nonetheless demand greater shares. Thus, previously unviable modes and methods have become available to workers engaged in struggles with their employers in the globalized garment sector. This paper examines a protracted workers’ struggle in light of this process. In doing so, the paper demonstrates that codes of conduct and auditing alone cannot significantly impact labour standards because the needs of capital accumulation are greater than the threat posed by any auditing program or code. Ultimately, the paper demonstrates that labour rights within the garment GVC will not arrive through a rights-based approach -- though strong codes of conduct and independent auditing can assist -- but rather through a combination of an increased power of suppliers vis-à-vis buyers, greater workers' bargaining power with their direct employers, and -- critically -- workers' self organization.
Access for Refugees Into Higher Education: A Review of Interventions in North America and Europe
Authors: Streitwieser Bernhard , Loo Bryce , Ohorodnik Mara , Jeong Jisun
Published: December 2018

This paper examines current interventions to reduce barriers to access into higher education for refugees in North America and Europe. We analyze a diversity of interventions sponsored by host governments, higher education institutions, foundations, nongovernmental organizations, and individuals. These interventions differ in size, delivery method, focus, and extent of support, and range from a single language course or limited online learning opportunity to fully accredited higher education programs. However, significant problems hamper the efficacy of many current interventions. We examine providers’ rationales for working with refugees using Knight and De Wit’s rationales for internationalization of higher education, later reconceptualized in four interrelated groups of rationales: academic, political, economic, and socio-cultural. To these, we propose adding a fifth category: humanism. To widen refugee participation and success in higher education, we suggest that policy makers and administrators should adopt a longer-term perspective, increase transparency, and use evidence-based approaches to develop and evaluate refugee programming.
The Influence of New Product Factors on Export Propensity and Performance: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Atuahene-Gima Kwaku
Published: December 2018

This study investigates the unique role of new product factors in the firm's propensity to export and its performance in exporting new products. Results from a sample of Australian firms show that product advantage, proficiency of pre development activities, and international orientation of the development process have significant positive influence on the firm's propensity to export new products. Further, the new product's domestic market performance and its impact on the sales and profitability of other products of the firm are significantly related to its export performance. A noteworthy finding is that firm factors overwhelm new product factors in explaining export performance of new products. Managerial implications of the findings are explored.
Grouping Euroconsumers: A Culture-Based Clustering Approach
Authors: Kale Sudhir H.
Published: December 2018

The move toward European integration entails significant adjustments in a firm's marketing strategy. Despite the dismantling of legislative barriers, cultural milieu of the various member nations will continue to be an obstacle toward true integration. This study clusters 17 European nations on Hofstede's (1980) cultural dimensions. Three distinct clusters emerge, each with its unique cultural composition. Scrutinizing the cultural make-up of each cluster offers the possibility of selecting an appropriate marketing mix across nations belonging to the same cluster.
Strategic Considerations in European Retailing
Authors: Samiee Saeed
Published: December 2018

The Single Market Initiative (SMI) has resulted in many changes in European retailing. This study explores the influences of the SMI on the European retail sector and discusses the strategic trends emerging from recent changes. The study is based on secondary sources of data as well as on personal interviews throughout Europe. The results indicate that although retailing in Europe remains fragmented, very competitive, and dominated by small and medium-sized firms, large, world-class retailers are emerging/entering the European retailing scene and intensifying competition.
The Reality of the Eurobrand: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Whitelock Jeryl , Roberts Carole , Blakeley Jonathan
Published: December 2018

This article considers the issue of the globalization of brands, relating the concept to the European arena. While the evidence for global brands is mixed, in Europe the opening up of the Single Market suggests opportunities for marketers to reap the benefits of harmonization of laws relating to advertising, the development of pan-European media, and “reciprocity.” Through empirical research of the 100 top UK brands in consumer non-durables, this study examines the preponderance of pan-European brands and discovers what modifications are needed to the marketing strategy of a brand to achieve pan-European sales. It also presents the factors that are considered to have most influenced these modifications. A definition of the term “pan-European,” from the point of view of the respondents themselves, is also offered.
International Marketing Involvement: The Construct, Dimensionality, and Measurement
Authors: Gencturk Esra , Childers Terry L. , Ruekert Robert W.
Published: December 2018

The growing importance of international marketing operations for the survival and success of an increasing number of businesses underscores the need to understand their involvement in these activities. To this end, this article proposes an eclectic and multidimensional definition as well as a new measure of international marketing involvement where equity, administrative, and operational components represent the three distinct behavioral means that can be utilized by a business to perform foreign marketing activities. Based upon a field study conducted in the United States of 45 firms and 78 product market units, evidence is supportive of the internal consistency and construct validity of the proposed measure of international marketing involvement (IMI).
Internationalization of Franchise Systems
Authors: McIntyre Faye S. , Huszagh Sandra M.
Published: December 2018

Though the internationalization of firms has progressed in theory development and empirical testing during the last two decades, researchers continue to concentrate on the exporting behavior of manufacturers to the exclusion of other forms of international involvement. This exploratory study provides a partial test of the internationalization hypothesis in a franchise setting and identifies two segments of franchisors, which differ in several ways. Franchise systems in the final stage of internationalization have larger international operations, generate a larger percent of sales from international operations, and have more diversified expansion plans. In addition, systems in the two stages differ in ownership structure. The findings add insights into the internationalization process of franchise systems that are useful to practitioners in the implementation of market expansion strategies and to researchers in the continuing effort to further understand international franchising.
Reducing the Impact of Barriers to Exporting: A Managerial Perspective
Authors: Shoham Aviv , Albaum Gerald S.
Published: December 2018

Most prior research on barriers to exporting has been descriptive. The perceived importance to firms of numerous barriers has been documented in various countries and regions. Perceptions of barriers are important because they influence managerial behavior in international markets. Surprisingly, researchers have mostly ignored the firm and decision making characteristics that give rise to barriers. Why do some firms perceive barriers to be more important than other firms? Or, why do some firms perceive a given barrier as more important than it is for another company? The research reported here examines the role of cultural distance and managerial decision-making style as explanatory variables. The data indicate that both play a role in predicting the perceived importance of export barriers to exporters.
Bandwagon Pressures and Interfirm Alliances in the Global Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Pangarkar Nitin , Klein Saul
Published: December 2018

This study examines the applicability of a bandwagon explanation for interfirm alliances in the global pharmaceutical industry. A sample of alliances undertaken by 43 firms, with headquarters in the United States, Europe, and Japan, in the period 1975 to 1989, was analyzed. Bandwagon pressures, measured by the proportion of other firms in one's peer group undertaking alliances and their average number of alliances, was found to influence both the probability that a firm will undertake at least one alliance and the number of alliances it undertakes.
The EXPERF Scale: A Cross-National Generalized Export Performance Measure
Authors: Zou Shaoming , Taylor Charles R. , Osland Gregory E.
Published: December 2018

A large number of studies have attempted to identify factors that are correlated with exporting success. However, much controversy exists about the key determinants of export performance and their relative importance. A major reason for this lack of consensus is the absence of a unified measure for capturing export performance. In this study, an attempt is made to develop a generalized export performance measure, the EXPERF scale, that can be applied to multiple countries. Results from a survey of top executives of U.S. and Japanese exporters support a three-dimensional scale for measuring export performance. The three dimensions of the export performance (EXPERF) scale are financial export performance, strategic export performance, and satisfaction with export venture. Implications of the study for further research and managerial practice are also discussed.
Global Sourcing of Services and Market Performance: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Kotabe Masaaki , Murray Janet Y. , Javalgi Rajshekhar G.
Published: December 2018

Global procurement of services has received an increasing amount of managerial attention in recent years. Service firms seem to have begun sourcing some of their activities from abroad in much the same way that manufacturing firms have outsourced in the past 30 years. However, little is known about the performance implications of a service sourcing strategy. This study applies, with appropriate modifications, a global components/finished goods sourcing strategy framework to the service sector. It also tests hypotheses relating service firms’ global sourcing strategy to their market performance.
Dimensions of Price as a Marketing Universal: A Comparison of Japanese and U.S. Consumers
Authors: McGowan Karen M. , Sternquist Brenda J.
Published: December 2018

Consumer behaviors within a segment and regarding a product category that do not vary across cultures are defined as market universale (Dawar and Parker 1994). Japanese and U.S. students (N = 267) participated in this study of price cues. The psychometric properties of three different price scales—price/quality schema, prestige sensitivity, and value consciousness—are assessed, and equality constraints are introduced to compare the measurement models from the two groups. Results suggest that the scales are reliable measures across the two countries and that market-universal behaviors may exist for a similar segment of Japanese and U.S. consumers.
The impact of functioning hemodialysis arteriovenous accesses on renal graft perfusion: Results of a pilot study
Authors: Laranjinha Ivo , Matias Patricia , Oliveira Regina , Casqueiro Ana , Bento Maria Teresa , Carvalho Ana Paula , Adragão Teresa , Jorge Cristina , Bruges Margarida , Birne Rita , Machado Domingos , Weigert André
Published: December 2018

Introduction:

After a kidney transplant, it is unknown whether the maintenance of a functioning hemodialysis arteriovenous access could have deleterious effects on renal grafts. We hypothesize that maintaining an arteriovenous access can deviate a significant proportion of the cardiac output from the renal graft. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a temporary closure of the arteriovenous access could lead to an increase in graft perfusion.

Methods:

We conducted a study in 17 kidney-transplanted patients with a functioning arteriovenous access. We evaluated, at baseline and 30 s after compression of the arteriovenous access (access flow occlusion), the hemodynamic parameters and the renal resistive index of the graft by Doppler ultrasound.

Results:

After arteriovenous access occlusion 82.4% (n = 14) of the patients had a decrease in resistive index. All patients had a decrease in heart rate (67 vs 58 bpm, p < 0.001) and 14 (82.4%) had an increase in mean blood pressure (98.3 vs 101.7 mm Hg, p = 0.044). There was a significant decrease in the resistive index (ΔRI) after the access occlusion (0.68 vs 0.64, p = 0.030). We found a negative correlation in Qa (r2 = −0.55, p = 0.022) with the ΔRI, and Qa was an independent predictor of ΔRI in a model adjusted to pre-occlusion resistive index.

Conclusion:

Our results showed that temporary occlusion of an arteriovenous access causes a significant decline in renal graft resistive index and this decline is higher with the occlusion of accesses with higher Qa. These results suggest that the maintenance of arteriovenous accesses, mainly those with higher Qa, can decrease renal graft perfusion.
A Colonic Perineurioma
Authors: Otani Tomoyuki , Hatakeyama Kinta , Ohtani Emi , Nakayama Susumu , Fujimoto Takashi , Ohbayashi Chiho
Published: December 2018

Perineurioma is a mesenchymal neoplasm best known in soft-tissue pathology. A colonic perineurioma is a relatively recently described entity and sometimes encountered in specimens from the large intestine, especially distal colon. Without its recognition, a perineurioma can be misdiagnosed as other more common gastrointestinal spindle cell neoplasms. Here, we describe a case of colonic perineurioma with polypoid growth extruding into the intestinal lumen. Case. A woman in her seventh decade of life underwent a follow-up colonoscopy after an uneventful resection of a benign colonic polyp. A previously undetected 6-mm polyp was found in the sigmoid colon and was resected endoscopically. Microscopic examination of the lesion revealed a proliferation of bland spindle cells in the lamina propria mucosae, which were immunohistochemically positive for epithelial membrane antigen, claudin 1, and glucose transporter-1. A colonic perineurioma was diagnosed.
Biosynthetic vascular graft: a valuable alternative to traditional replacement materials for treatment of prosthetic aortic graft infection?
Authors: Betz T. , Neuwerth D. , Steinbauer M. , Uhl C. , Pfister K. , Töpel I.
Published: December 2018

Background and Aims:

To report the experience of a tertiary vascular surgery center using Omniflow II® biosynthetic vascular grafts for treatment of prosthetic aortic graft infection.

Materials and methods:

Retrospective analysis of all patients with prosthetic graft infections who underwent in situ aortic reconstruction using Omniflow II® grafts or other conduits between March 2015 and May 2017. Early and late mortality, perioperative complications, and reinfection rate were analyzed.

Results:

Sixteen patients (14 males, median age 68.5, range 57–89) with prosthetic aortic graft infection were treated at our center. Eight patients received an Omniflow II® biosynthetic graft, two patients silver-triclosan coated grafts, three patients bovine pericardial tube grafts, and three patients composite bovine pericardial tube grafts with Omniflow II® graft extensions. Perioperative complications occurred in seven patients (43.8%). Early mortality rate was 18.7% (n = 3). In addition, four patients died during follow-up after a median of 11 months (range 0–34 months). We did not observe any reinfections. Bypass grafts were patent in all patients. No major limb amputations were performed during follow-up.

Conclusion:

Treatment of prosthetic aortic graft infection with Omniflow II® vascular grafts is feasible. Graft material seems to have an excellent resistance to infection and might be a valuable alternative to traditional replacement materials. Especially long-term durability has to be continuously monitored and documented.
Analysis of the input power flow characteristics of cylindrical shells with combination boundaries
Authors: Chen Luyun , Liu Yong
Published: December 2018

In this study, the input power flow problem of the cylindrical shell with complex acoustic boundaries was investigated. According to the acoustic characteristic of control domain which combination free interface and rigid wall interface at the same time for the cylindrical shell, the double reflection method and mirror image method were applied, and the analytical function of the input power flow for the cylindrical shell was derived. Finally, a cylindrical shell in the quarter-infinite acoustic space for example, the numerical calculation of input power flow of cylindrical shell was carried out. The influences of acoustic boundary characteristics, location, and frequency on the input power flow were compared. In addition, the effectiveness and convergence of the proposed method was verified using finite element method.
Robot-assisted weight-bearing exercise for stroke patients with limited mobility
Authors: Shanshan Guo , Wang Yulong , Wang Kun , Long Jianjun , Lv Xing , Huang Zhiyong , Yang Yi , Miramini Saeed , Zhang Lihai
Published: December 2018

Weight-bearing exercise is a well-accepted physiotherapy to prevent osteoporosis for stroke patients. But the immobility of stroke patients limits the types and intensity of conventional interventions. Recent advances in robot-assisted therapeutic device provide an innovative way which could potentially overcome the above-mentioned limitations. However, the effects of robot-assisted physiotherapy on osteoporosis prevention have not been fully understood. The purpose of the present study is to develop an innovative theoretical framework to investigate the effects of static robot-assisted walking exercise on bone health. Through conducting a series of studies using a robot, force insoles and CT-image-based computational modeling, our results show that robot-assisted walking can significantly reduce the osteoporosis risk for stroke patients. However, the vertical peak ground reaction forces generated from static robot walking is generally lower than that from treadmill walking due to the fact that there are no heel strike and push-off effects in static robotic walking.
Law Enforcement Interactions: The Role of Communication Sciences and Disorders Professionals
Authors: Neave-DiToro Dorothy , Fuse Akiko , Bergen Michael
Published: December 2018

Issues related to law enforcement interactions with individuals with disabilities, communication impairments, and/or limited English language proficiency can have deleterious effects due to possible communication breakdowns. These populations are significantly more likely to be victims of a crime and are more likely to have interactions with law enforcement officers than those without disabilities. Difficulties may be encountered due to limited training and resources available to law enforcement and a lack of public awareness on the topic. This article calls upon professionals in communication sciences and disorders to raise awareness among the patients/clients and families they serve and calls on law enforcement to provide trainings, education, and exposure to various de-escalation techniques to support officers dealing with these vulnerable populations.