bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupational Exposure of Noise Level in Opencast Iron Ore Mines in India
Authors: ARUN DESHMUKH ANAND , SHRINARAYAN PRAJAPATI SHIVKUMAR , ANUP MISHRA RAHUL
Published: January 2019

Mining in general has become essential industry sector for the sustaining growth of any developing country. In India iron ore mining is mainly mechanised and well developed industry sector, using highly mechanised equipments and technology for excavation and processing of mined iron ore. It is due to this reason iron ore mining seen as a one of the major sector responsible for workplace occupational health hazard particularly for noise related health impacts on workers health. The objective of this study was to ascertain the job specific noise exposure among the Similar Exposure Groups (SEGs). Total 133 personal noise dosimeter samples were collected from different job category and working areas of iron ore mining and processing sector. It was observed that the participated workers in the crushing area were exposed to 81.64 dB (A), Heavy Earth Moving Machineries (HEMM) operators 86.10 dB (A), loading plant workers 83.76 dB (A), screening plant workers 87.62 dB (A) and mines operation and workshop workers 84.92 dB (A). During the study specifically HEMM operators were highly exposed to workplace noise, with 46% samples exceeding warning limit and 18% exceeding danger limit prescribed by Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS), Government of India. It was felt necessary to augment the awareness and safety training to the workers for proper implementation of preventive measure for workplace noise exposure.
Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Soils from Farms in the Vicinity of Durumi Quarry Site in Mpape, Abuja Nigeria
Authors: OYENIKE OJO FATIMAH , BITRUS WOKHE TUKURA , PASCAL CHIMA MADU
Published: January 2019

Seasonal concentrations of eight total and bioavailable heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Cd, Zn, Mn, Ni, Pb an Fe), along with some physico chemical properties of soil in vegetable farms around the rock quarry in Durumi, Abuja was assessed to know the level of heavy metal pollution of the soil. Control and actual soil samples were collected from depths of 0.0 -5.0cm and 5.0 - 10.0cm during dry and rainy seasons. Heavy metal concentrations varied inconsistently in samples and control. Dry season levels of Zn(5.20mg/kg), Mn(19.44mg/kg), Ni(1.69mg/kg) and Pb(4.56mg/kg) and rainy season levels of Zn (0.26mg/kg), Pb(22.53mg/kg) at soil depth of 0.0 - 5.0cm, and dry season levels of Zn(1.19mgkg) and Ni(1.62mg/kg) along with rainy season levels of Cr (0.44mg/kg), Cd (0.06mg/kg), Zn(0.09mg/kg) and Fe(6.74mg/kg) at soil depth of 5.0 -10.0cm were all higher in samples than controls. However, seasonal mean total heavy metals in the soil samples were lower than the Maximum Allowable Limits (mg/Kg) for World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). During dry season, heavy metals that indicated anthropogenic content, had anthropogenic levels that ranged in the order: Cd(16.67%) < Cu(54.17%)
Study of Physico-chemical and Biological Characteristics of the Water of River Ganga at Patna, India
Authors: SATYA KUMARI , NARAYAN CHANDRAVIR
Published: January 2019

River Ganga arises on the southern slopes of the Indian central Himalayan region beginning the Gangotri glacier. The river covers catchment area of 8, 61,404 km2 and its total length in the state Bihar stretch is 475 km. This study was carried out at Patna in the river Ganga at two sampling sites, viz., Digha Ghat (upstream) and Gai Ghat (downstream). The objective of the study was to observe the eminence of water of Ganga at Patna. The results that indicate that the river reaches near the city of Patna (upstream at Digha Ghat) are less polluted with pH 7.75, DO 7.42 mg/l, BOD 2.48 mg/l and COD 15.12 mg/l, while when the river leaves city after travelling 18 km (downstream at Gai Ghat), concentration of all pollutants increases significantly (pH 6.28, DO 6.22 mg/l, BOD 2 mg/l and COD 23 mg/l). The concentration of coliform bacteria (total coliform ranges from 5000 to 6000 MPN/100ml and faecal coliform ranges from 2200 MPN/100ml and 3000 MPN/100ml at both the sites) was recorded at higher level than the upper limit of the permissible level. This increment may be due to domestic and sewage discharge from the city. The municipality of Patna has sewage treatment plant capacity of about 109 MLD but whereas the city generates approximately 250 MLD sewage/township discharge. For the maintenance of pristine quality of water of the river Ganga, the sewage need be treated before discharge
Hydraulic Design of Sewage Treatment Plant for Junagadh Agricultural University Campus
Authors: VAIBHAV M RAM , AJAY D. MAKWANA , THANKI D. S.
Published: January 2019

The Junagadh Agricultural University campus is located in Junagadh, which lies in western Gujarat. The human population on the campus is multiplied distinctively due to the establishment of new schools and hostels.The university campus had a population of 1418 in the year 2013 when the supply of water was 152 lit/day per person and the sewage generation was 0.0084 m3/s (725.76 m3/day).Hence, a sewage treatment plant (STP) with suitable capacity is needed to deal with the elevated sewage. The recycled water can be utilized for agricultural purposes. This paper discusses about the design of STP and its major components such as skimming, grit chamber, and screening chamber, active sludge, sedimentation tank and secondary clarifier in the end sludge drying beds. The proposed design is suitable for 0.0672 m3/s sewage and would help to provide58 MLD process capacity. In the end, treated water will have been used for irrigation purpose in the research field of a university.
The orthopaedic management of long bone deformities in genetically and acquired generalized bone weakening conditions
Authors: Wirth T.
Published: January 2019

Purpose

Diseases such as osteogenesis imperfecta, fibrous dysplasia, hypophosphataemic rickets and others lead to soft and weak bones and long bone deformity in affected patients. As a consequence, these patients lose their walking capacity and functional abilities of the upper extremities as well.

Methods

In combination with bisphosphonate treatment and physical rehabilitation programmes surgical interventions are being applied to correct and stabilize the deformed and less mechanically resistant long bones. Intramedullary devices, ideally with an elongating telescopic mechanism, have proven to be the most suitable implants.

Results

The surgical correction and stabilization of deformed bones in weak bone diseases is very beneficial to the patients. Pain restriction, reduction of fracture events, minimization of consequences of traumatic events and falls have resulted in a significant functional improvement. The patients live on a better activity level with a much-improved individual independence. Despite a high complication and revision rate of the intramedullary rods the gain of quality of life outweighs these negative aspects by far.

Conclusion

Orthopaedic surgical treatment for deformed bones in patients with weak bone diseases has changed the life of the patients and plays a very important role in the disease management protocols. This paper was written under the guidance of the Study Group Genetics and Metabolic Diseases of the European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society.
Complex spine deformities in young patients with severe osteogenesis imperfecta: Current concepts review
Authors: Castelein R. M. , Hasler C. , Helenius I. , Ovadia D. , Yazici M. ,   EPOS Spine Study Group
Published: January 2019

The severity of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), the associated reduced quality and quantity of collagen type I, the degree of bone fragility, ligamentous laxity, vertebral fractures and multilevel vertebral deformities all impair the mechanical integrity of the whole spinal architecture and relate to the high prevalence of progressive kyphoscoliotic deformities during growth. Bisphosphonate therapy may at best slow down curve progression but does not seem to lower the prevalence of deformities or the incidence of surgery. Brace treatment is problematic due to pre-existing chest wall deformities, stiffness of the curve and the brittleness of the ribs which limit transfer of corrective forces from the brace shell to the spine. Progressive curves entail loss of balance, chest deformities, pain and compromise of pulmonary function and eventually require surgical stabilization, usually around puberty. Severe vertebral deformities including deformed, small pedicles, highly brittle bones and chest deformities, short deformed trunks and associated issues like C-spine and cranial base abnormalities (basilar impressions, cervical kyphosis) as well as deformed lower and upper extremities are posing multiple peri- and intraoperative challenges. Hence, an early multidisciplinary approach (anaesthetist, pulmonologist, paediatric orthopaedic spine surgeon) is mandatory.

This paper was written under the guidance of the Spine Study Group of the European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society. It highlights the most pertinent information given in the current literature and various practical aspects on surgical care of spine deformities in young OI patients based on the personal experience of the contributing authors.
POTENSI TEMPE PASTA STERIL IRADIASI SEBAGAI NUTRISI ENTERAL PASIEN YANG MENGGUNAKAN ALAT BANTU NASO GASTRIC TUBE (NGT)
Authors: Irawati Zubaidah , Adji Koesoemowidodo R. S. , Puspita Ades , Tamat Swasono R
Published: January 2019

Food irradiation process has a potential topromote of a safe, adequate and nutritiousfood supply for hospital diets. It has twoapplications that can contribute to thehealth and well being of humanity, i.e. theelimination of foodborne pathogensmicroorganisms, and the preservation offoods by the destruction of pests. Effects ofionizing radiation on tempe pasta selectedas samples for patient food intake throughNaso Gastric Tube (NGT) has beenstudied. Tempe pasta was vacuum packedin a laminate pouch of po lyesteraluminumfoil- linear low densitypolyethylene and gamma irradiated atdoses of 10 kGy and 25 kGy , respectivelyunder cryogenic condition and then storedat room temperature for 6 and 12weeks. Some quality parameters wereobserved. There was no significantdifferences between un irradiated andirradiated tempe pasta on the moisturecontent, pH, protein content and viscosity.Meanwhile isojlavon genestein contentand antioxidant capacity showed anincrease by increasing irradiation dose upto 12 weeks of storage. Malonaldehydecontent in tempe pasta was accelerating byincreasing the irradiation dose andextending the storage period but Peroxidevalue was not detected in all treatedsamples. The irradiated tempe pasta atcertain degree of viscosity and particlesize could be considered as protein basefood intake for immunocompromisedpatients through Naso Gastric Tube(NGT).Keywords: Tempe pasta, food irradiation,isojlavon genestine, nutritious food,immunocompromised patients.
PREPARASI PEREAKSI KIT IMMUNORADIOMETRlCASSAY FREE PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN UNTUK DETEKSI KANKER PROSTAT
Authors: Widayati Puji , Mondrida Gina , Setiyowati Sri , Ariyanto Agus , Susilo V. Yulianti , Lestari Wening
Published: January 2019

Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 34,000 daltons serine protease secreted exclusively by prostatic epithelial cells that lining acini and prostate gland. Increased of PSA levels can be caused by prostate cancer or benign prostate enlargement (benign prostatic hyperplasia, BPH). PSA in the blood was found in the free condition (free PSA) and most of the bound protein (complexed-PSA, c-PSA). Measuring levels of PSA was found in the blood can be done by several methods such as by immunoradiometricassay (IRMA) methods or ELISA methods. IRMA method is one of immunoassay techniques using radionuclides ,/' 125 oJ I as a tracer, so the sample in small 13 quantity can be detected The purpose of this study was obtained PSA reagent kit that includes 1251labeled PSA as a tracer, PSA coated tube and PSA standard that requirements of the kit, then it can be optimized assay design, that eventually PSA reagent kit can be used for early detection of prostate cancer. It has been done labeling of Mab PSA using 125 1with reaction time was 90 seconds, amount of PSA MAb was 75 ugram and the activity of Na_ 125I was 1000 flCi. Preaparation of PSA coated tube using 0.05 M Na2C03 solution, at pH: 9.6 with volume was 250 ml., standard PSA with 0.025 Mphosphate buffer at pH 7.4 containing 5% BSA and 0.1% NaN3, and resulting at 1,25% and 14,12% respectively of NSB and BIT that requirement of the kit.Keywords: Prostate cancer, PSA, IRMA,NSB, Maximum Binding
The French Republic
Authors: Mugnier Clifford J.
Published: January 2019

The Grids & Datums column has completed an exploration of
every country on the Earth. For those who did not get to enjoy
this world tour the first time, PE&RS is reprinting prior articles
from the column. This month's article on The French Republicwas
originally printed in 2001 but contains updates to their coordinate
system since then.
Simultaneous Chain-Forming and Generalization of Road Networks
Authors: Wenzel Susanne , Bulatov Dimitri
Published: January 2019

Streets are essential entities of urban terrain and their automatic extraction from airborne sensor data is cumbersome because of a complex interplay of geometric, topological, and semantic aspects. Given a binary image representing the road class, centerlines of road segments are extracted
by means of skeletonization. The focus of this paper lies in a well-reasoned representation of these segments by means of geometric primitives, such as straight line segments as well as circle and ellipse arcs. Thereby, we aim at a fusion of raw segments to longer chains which better match
to the intuitive perception of what a street is. We propose a two-step approach for simultaneous chain-forming and generalization. First, we obtain an over-segmentation of the raw polylines. Then, a model selection approach is applied to decide whether two neighboring segments should be fused
to a new geometric entity. For this purpose, we propose an iterative greedy optimization procedure in order to find a strong minimum of a cost function based on a Bayesian information criterion. Starting at the given initial raw segments, we thus can obtain a set of chains describing long
alleys and important roundabouts. Within the procedure, topological attributes, such as junctions and neighborhood structures, are consistently updated, in a way that for the greedy optimization procedure, accuracy, model complexity, and topology are considered simultaneously. The results
on two challenging datasets indicate the benefits of the proposed procedure and provide ideas for future work.
Individual Tree Detection and Crown Delineation with 3D Information from Multi-view Satellite Images
Authors: Xiao Changlin , Qin Rongjun , Xie Xiao , Huang Xu
Published: January 2019

Individual tree detection and crown delineation (ITDD) are critical in forest inventory management and remote sensing based forest surveys are largely carried out through satellite images. However, most of these surveys only use 2D spectral information which
normally has not enough clues for ITDD. To fully explore the satellite images, we propose a ITDD method using the orthophoto and digital surface model (DSM) derived from the multi-view satellite data. Our algorithm
utilizes the top-hat morphological operation to efficiently extract the local maxima from DSM as treetops, and then feed them to a modified superpixel segmentation that combines both 2D and 3D information for tree crown delineation. In subsequent steps, our method
incorporates the biological characteristics of the crowns through plant allometric equation to falsify potential outliers. Experiments against manually marked tree plots on three representative regions have demonstrated promising results – the best overall detection accuracy can be 89%.
Automaticity of lexical access and executive control in Croatian-German bilinguals and second language learners
Authors: Vujnović Malivuk Kristina , Palmović Marijan , Zergollern-Miletić Lovorka
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study was to explore automaticity of lexical access and executive functions of language learners and bilinguals while considering their language automaticity. Three groups of youths aged 14 to 18 were tested: Croatian-German early bilinguals, Croatian high school students who participated in a German immersion programme at school and Croatian high school students of German as a foreign language. The participants were tested on a modified version of the Stroop test (i.e., a Stroop-like test). It presented pictures of an animal or an object with names of an animal or an object written over the picture. The names were written in Croatian or German and were either congruent or incongruent. Lexical access was slower for the bilinguals in both Croatian and German, which suggests that they used more of their cognitive resources because both of their languages were highly active, and more executive control was required to complete the task.
Exploring change
Authors: Bleifuß Tobias , Bornemann Leon , Johnson Theodore , Kalashnikov Dmitri V. , Naumann Felix , Srivastava Divesh
Published: January 2019

Data and metadata in datasets experience many different kinds of change. Values are inserted, deleted or updated; rows appear and disappear; columns are added or repurposed, etc. In such a dynamic situation, users might have many questions related to changes in the dataset, for instance which parts of the data are trustworthy and which are not? Users will wonder: How many changes have there been in the recent minutes, days or years? What kind of changes were made at which points of time? How dirty is the data? Is data cleansing required? The fact that data changed can hint at different hidden processes or agendas: a frequently crowd-updated city name may be controversial; a person whose name has been recently changed may be the target of vandalism; and so on. We show various use cases that benefit from recognizing and exploring such change.

We envision a system and methods to interactively explore such change, addressing the
variability
dimension of big data challenges. To this end, we propose a model to capture change and the process of exploring dynamic data to identify salient changes. We provide exploration primitives along with motivational examples and measures for the volatility of data. We identify technical challenges that need to be addressed to make our vision a reality, and propose directions of future work for the data management community.
Impact of Online Consumer Reviews on Sales: The Moderating Role of Product and Consumer Characteristics
Authors: Zhu Feng , Zhang Xiaoquan (Michael)
Published: January 2019

This article examines how product and consumer characteristics moderate the influence of online consumer reviews on product sales using data from the video game industry. The findings indicate that online reviews are more influential for less popular games and games whose players have greater Internet experience. The article shows differential impact of consumer reviews across products in the same product category and suggests that firms’ online marketing strategies should be contingent on product and consumer characteristics. The authors discuss the implications of these results in light of the increased share of niche products in recent years.
Trying Harder and Doing Worse: How Grocery Shoppers Track In-Store Spending
Authors: Van Ittersum Koert , Pennings Joost M.E. , Wansink Brian
Published: January 2019

Although almost one in three U.S. households shops on a budget, it remains unclear whether and how shoppers track their in-store spending to stay within those budgets. A field study and two laboratory studies offer four key generalizations about budget shoppers in grocery stores: (1) They predominantly use mental computation strategies to track their in-store spending, (2) they adapt their mental computation strategy to the dominant range of price endings of items in their shopping baskets, (3) those who try to calculate the exact total price of their basket are less accurate than those who estimate the approximate price, and (4) motivated shoppers are less accurate than less motivated shoppers (because they tend to calculate rather than estimate the total basket price). A second field study demonstrates that shoppers who underestimate the total price of their basket are more likely to overspend, leading to negative store satisfaction.
Referral Programs and Customer Value
Authors: Schmitt Philipp , Skiera Bernd , Van den Bulte Christophe
Published: January 2019

Referral programs have become a popular way to acquire customers. Yet there is no evidence to date that customers acquired through such programs are more valuable than other customers. The authors address this gap and investigate the extent to which referred customers are more profitable and more loyal. Tracking approximately 10,000 customers of a leading German bank for almost three years, the authors find that referred customers (1) have a higher contribution margin, though this difference erodes over time; (2) have a higher retention rate, and this difference persists over time; and (3) are more valuable in both the short and the long run. The average value of a referred customer is at least 16% higher than that of a nonreferred customer with similar demographics and time of acquisition. However, the size of the value differential varies across customer segments; therefore, firms should use a selective approach for their referral programs.
Marketing in the C-Suite: A Study of Chief Marketing Officer Power in Firms’ Top Management Teams
Authors: Nath Pravin , Mahajan Vijay
Published: January 2019

Some chief marketing officers (CMOs) are more powerful than others. The authors investigate the drivers and outcomes of this phenomenon using a hierarchical measure of power for the CMO in the top management team (TMT), or corporate executive suite (C-suite). Theory suggests that CMO power in the TMT should increase with (1) the CMO's control over resources required by other executives in the C-suite, (2) the criticality and (3) effective provision of these resources, and (4) the nonsubstitutability and (5) centrality of the CMO. The authors use these rationales to identify factors that affect CMO power in public U.S. firms with the CMO position for at least two of the five observed years. The findings show that CMO power increases when the CMO has the additional responsibility of sales, as TMT marketing experience decreases, and as firms with low levels of TMT marketing experience pursue innovation. Furthermore, CMO power in highly divisionalized TMTs and the CMO's additional responsibility of sales improve sales growth, but CMO power in firms that are unrelated diversifiers reduces profitability. The authors discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results for marketing's influence in the C-suite and the firm, the integration of marketing and sales, and market orientation.
Emotional Intelligence in Marketing Exchanges
Authors: Kidwell Blair , Hardesty David M. , Murtha Brian R. , Sheng Shibin
Published: January 2019

This research examines how sales professionals use emotions in marketing exchanges to facilitate positive outcomes for their firms, themselves, and their customers. The authors conduct three field studies to examine the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) in marketing exchanges on sales performance and customer relationships. They find that EI is positively related to performance of real estate and insurance agents, even when controlling for the effects of domain-general EI, self-report EI, cognitive ability, and several control variables. Sales professionals with higher EI are not only superior revenue generators but also better at retaining customers. In addition, the authors demonstrate that EI interacts with key marketing exchange variables—customer orientation and manifest influence—to heighten performance such that high-EI salespeople more effectively employ customer-oriented selling and influence customer decisions. Finally, the results indicate a complementary relationship between EI and cognitive ability in that EI positively influences performance at higher levels of cognitive ability. These findings have implications for improving interactions between buyers and sellers and for employee selection and training.
The Effect of Goal Visualization on Goal Pursuit: Implications for Consumers and Managers
Authors: Cheema Amar , Bagchi Rajesh
Published: January 2019

This research demonstrates that as people approach a goal, external representations, which increase the ease of visualizing the goal, enhance goal pursuit. Specifically, consumers judge easy-to-visualize goals to be closer than difficult-to-visualize goals, which in turn increases effort and commitment. Ease of visualization affects performance in swimming competitions and the physical effort exerted in the lab. Visualization also affects commitment toward savings, willingness to wait for service, and performance in a simulated sales task. Importantly, the beneficial effects of visualization exist only when people are close to the goal. In addition, the effect of visualization attenuates when the goal is split into subgoals. Managers can use these results to enhance consumer goal pursuit, influence consumer satisfaction in online service encounters, and motivate employees to improve performance. In these varied contexts, visual representations of goal progress (e.g., progress bars) enhance motivation as people approach their goal.
Customer Satisfaction and Stock Prices: High Returns, Low Risk
Authors: Fornell Claes , Mithas Sunil , Morgeson Forrest V. , Krishnan M.S.
Published: January 2019

Do investments in customer satisfaction lead to excess returns? If so, are these returns associated with higher stock market risk? The empirical evidence presented in this article suggests that the answer to the first question is yes, but equally remarkable, the answer to the second question is no, suggesting that satisfied customers are economic assets with high returns/low risk. Although these results demonstrate stock market imperfections with respect to the time it takes for share prices to adjust, they are consistent with previous studies in marketing in that a firm's satisfied customers are likely to improve both the level and the stability of net cash flows. The implication, implausible as it may seem in other contexts, is high return/low risk. Specifically, the authors find that customer satisfaction, as measured by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), is significantly related to market value of equity. Yet news about ACSI results does not move share prices. This apparent inconsistency is the catalyst for examining whether excess stock returns might be generated as a result. The authors present two stock portfolios: The first is a paper portfolio that is back tested, and the second is an actual case. At low systematic risk, both outperform the market by considerable margins. In other words, it is possible to beat the market consistently by investing in firms that do well on the ACSI.
Brands as Signals: A Cross-Country Validation Study
Authors: Erdem Tülin , Swait Joffre , Valenzuela Ana
Published: January 2019

This article tests how well the information economics view of brand equity explains consumer brand choice in countries that represent different cultural dimensions. In this empirical analysis, the authors use survey and experimental data on orange juice and personal computers collected from respondents in Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Spain, Turkey, and the United States. The results provide strong empirical evidence across countries for the role of brands as signals of product positions. In addition, the positive effect of brand credibility on choice is greater for consumers who rate high on either collectivism or uncertainty avoidance. Credible brands provide more value to collectivist consumers because such consumers perceive these brands as being of higher quality (i.e., reinforcing group identity). Credible brands provide more value to high-uncertainty-avoidance consumers because such brands have lower perceived risk and information costs.
Emotional Branding and the Strategic Value of the Doppelgänger Brand Image
Authors: Thompson Craig J. , Rindfleisch Aric , Arsel Zeynep
Published: January 2019

Emotional branding is widely heralded as a key to marketing success. However, little attention has been given to the risks posed by this strategy. This article argues that emotional-branding strategies are conducive to the emergence of a doppelgänger brand image, which is defined as a family of disparaging images and meanings about a brand that circulate throughout popular culture. This article's thesis is that a doppelgänger brand image can undermine the perceived authenticity of an emotional-branding story and, thus, the identity value that the brand provides to consumers. The authors discuss how the tenets of emotional branding paradoxically encourage the formation and propagation of doppelgänger brand imagery. This article develops the counterintuitive proposition that rather than merely being a threat to be managed, a doppelgänger brand image can actually benefit a brand by providing early warning signs that an emotional-branding story is beginning to lose its cultural resonance. This article demonstrates these ideas through an analysis of the doppelgänger brand image that is beginning to haunt a paragon of emotional branding—Starbucks. The authors conclude with a discussion of how marketing managers can proactively use the insights gained by analyzing a doppelgänger brand image.
Value-Based Differentiation in Business Relationships: Gaining and Sustaining Key Supplier Status
Authors: Ulaga Wolfgang , Eggert Andreas
Published: January 2019

Many business customers today consolidate their supply bases and implement preferred supplier programs. Consequently, vendors increasingly face the alternative of either gaining a key supplier status with their customers or being pushed into the role of a backup supplier. As product and price become less important differentiators, suppliers of routinely purchased products search for new ways to differentiate themselves in a buyer–seller relationship. This research investigates avenues for differentiation through value creation in business-to-business relationships. The results suggest that relationship benefits display a stronger potential for differentiation in key supplier relationships than cost considerations. The authors identify service support and personal interaction as core differentiators, followed by a supplier's know-how and its ability to improve a customer's time to market. Product quality and delivery performance, along with acquisition costs and operation costs, display a moderate potential to help a firm gain and maintain key supplier status. Finally, price shows the weakest potential for differentiation.
Job Satisfaction, Job Performance, and Effort: A Reexamination Using Agency Theory
Authors: Christen Markus , Iyer Ganesh , Soberman David
Published: January 2019

The objective of this article is to clarify ambiguities in the literature regarding the relationships among three key constructs of work relationships: effort, job performance, and job satisfaction. The relationship between job performance and job satisfaction is of central interest to research in organizational psychology. However, empirical research in that area finds that the link between these constructs is weak at best. A negative effect of effort on job satisfaction is consistent with agency theory, but there is limited empirical evidence to support this assumption. Moreover, some studies have found a positive effect of effort on job satisfaction. Using a model that incorporates the main constructs from agency theory and organizational psychology, the current study finds a negative, direct effect of effort and a positive, direct effect of job performance on job satisfaction. The authors show that conflicting findings in the literature are the result of inconsistency in both the measurement and the definition of constructs across studies that do not fully account for all the relationships between constructs. The current findings emphasize the need to distinguish clearly between factors that represent employees' inputs in a work relationship (i.e., effort) and those that represent their outputs (i.e., job performance). The article also demonstrates the importance of properly accounting or controlling for all key variables to eliminate biases that can arise in empirical research on work relationships.
Cross-Functional “Coopetition”: The Simultaneous Role of Cooperation and Competition within Firms
Authors: Luo Xueming , Slotegraaf Rebecca J. , Pan Xing
Published: January 2019

Extant marketing literature tends to view cross-functional relationships as primarily cooperative or competitive in nature, but not both. In contrast, this research focuses on cross-functional “coopetition” (i.e., the joint occurrence of cooperation and competition across functional areas within a firm). Using responses from midlevel managers and top executives, the authors find that cross-functional coopetition enhances a firm's customer and financial performance. The authors further show that this influence is mediated by market learning, indicating that performance returns to cross-functional coopetition occurs through an underlying learning mechanism.
Consumer Contamination: How Consumers React to Products Touched by Others
Authors: Argo Jennifer J. , Dahl Darren W. , Morales Andrea C.
Published: January 2019

Although consumers like to touch products while shopping, the authors propose a theory of consumer contamination, positing that consumers evaluate products previously touched by other shoppers less favorably. The authors test the theory by manipulating cues that increase the salience that consumer contact has occurred. Furthermore, the authors investigate the role of disgust as the underlying mechanism of the theory.
Valuing the Real Option of Abandoning Unprofitable Customers when Calculating Customer Lifetime Value
Authors: Haenlein Michael , Kaplan Andreas M. , Schoder Detlef
Published: January 2019

In recent years, several authors have developed models that focus on the allocation of scarce marketing resources based on customer lifetime value (CLV). These approaches use CLV to develop a rank order of customers and recommend devoting more resources to customers with higher ranks. However, it has been discussed in the literature that a simple net present value analysis may not reflect the value of the flexibility to make such decisions. Therefore, some authors recommend the use of a real-options analysis in certain situations. Building on this stream of research and using the case of the option to abandon unprofitable customers, this article proposes an approach that combines real-options analysis and CLV; this approach explicitly values the seller's flexibility to abandon unprofitable customers. Using a combination of examples, empirical analysis, and Monte Carlo simulations, the authors provide evidence that the divergence between CLV that includes and CLV that excludes option value can be substantial and may not be the same for all customers. Therefore, the authors conclude that a distribution of customers based on CLV can change when option value is included. Thus, using CLV as a basis for marketing decisions but not including the value of the option to make such decisions a priori when calculating CLV can lead to an overall biased result.
Are All Smiles Created Equal? How Emotional Contagion and Emotional Labor Affect Service Relationships
Authors: Hennig-Thurau Thorsten , Groth Markus , Paul Michael , Gremler Dwayne D.
Published: January 2019

In this study, the authors examine the effects of two facets of employee emotions on customers’ assessments of service encounters. Drawing on emotional contagion and emotional labor theories, they investigate the influence of the extent of service employees’ display of positive emotions and the authenticity of their emotional labor display on customers’ emotional states and, subsequently, on customers’ assessments of the service interaction and their relationship with the service provider. To test the study hypotheses, 223 consumers participated in a simulated service encounter in which actors played the roles of service employees. In a 2 × 2 factorial design, the employees varied both the extent of their smiling behavior and their emotional labor display by engaging in surface or deep acting. The results show that the authenticity of employees’ emotional labor display directly affects customers’ emotional states. However, contrary to expectations, the extent of employee smiling does not influence customer emotions, providing no support for the existence of primitive emotional contagion in service interactions. Furthermore, employee emotions exert an influence on customer outcomes that are of interest to marketers.
Friends, Businesspeople, and Relationship Roles: A Conceptual Framework and a Research Agenda
Authors: Heide Jan B. , Wathne Kenneth H.
Published: January 2019

This article develops a conceptual framework of roles in marketing relationships. Drawing on emerging theory from economic sociology and March's (1994) notion of decision “logics,” the authors discuss two prototypical relationship roles, namely (1) a “friend,” who uses a “logic of appropriateness” and follows established rules, and (2) a “businessperson,” whose decisions are guided by utility-maximizing considerations under a “logic of consequences.” Next, they use extant theories of interfirm governance to suggest that firms’ relationship strategies can be used both to create different relationship roles in the first place and to activate them over time. The authors posit that activation can have several different outcomes, including reinforcement of an existing dominant role or actual switching to a new one. Theoretically, the conceptual framework allows for integration of different perspectives on interfirm relationships, some of which have provided seemingly inconsistent accounts of firm behavior. From a managerial perspective, the framework identifies specific matches between particular relationship roles on the one hand and firms’ governance strategies on the other hand. In general, the framework suggests that an in-depth understanding of roles is a prerequisite for the deployment of relationship management initiatives toward resellers, customers, and suppliers.
The Influence of Avatars on Online Consumer Shopping Behavior
Authors: Holzwarth Martin , Janiszewski Chris , Neumann Marcus M.
Published: January 2019

An impediment to Web-based retail sales is the impersonal nature of Web-based shopping. A solution to this problem is to use an avatar to deliver product information. An avatar is a graphic representation that can be animated by means of computer technology. Study 1 shows that using an avatar sales agent leads to more satisfaction with the retailer, a more positive attitude toward the product, and a greater purchase intention. Study 2 shows that an attractive avatar is a more effective sales agent at moderate levels of product involvement, but an expert avatar is a more effective sales agent at high levels of product involvement.
Making Sales Technology Effective
Authors: Hunter Gary K. , Perreault William D.
Published: January 2019

Firms invest billions of dollars in sales technologies (STs; e.g., customer relationship management, sales automation tools) to improve sales force effectiveness and efficiency. However, the results expected from ST investments are often not achieved. This article proposes relationship-forging tasks that are critical to the link between ST use and key aspects of salesperson performance (i.e., a salesperson's relationship-building performance with customers and administrative performance). The authors evaluate relationship-forging tasks in the context of a model that considers the antecedents and consequences of three different uses of ST: accessing, analyzing, and communicating information. In general, the results of a field study, which is analyzed using block-recursive structural equation modeling, support the relationship-forging theory and show that relationship-forging tasks predict 57% of the variance in a salesperson's relationship-building performance with customers. The findings also support hypotheses that using ST either to analyze or to communicate information has mediated positive effects on a salesperson's relationship-building performance with customers. However, a salesperson's use of ST to analyze information has negative influences on administrative performance, creating an unexpected trade-off for sales and marketing managers.
When to Give up Control of Outsourced New Product Development
Authors: Carson Stephen J.
Published: January 2019

The author investigates the impact of client control on supplier task performance in the burgeoning area of outsourced new product development. In relationships in which the outsourced task requires a high degree of creativity on the part of the supplier, ex ante contractual control is shown to increase supplier performance. In contrast, ex post client control is shown to reduce supplier performance, though certain highly skilled clients can overcome this effect. Behaviorally, clients exercise less control both ex ante and ex post in relationships in which the outsourced task requires a high degree of creativity on the part of the supplier. Managerially, the results suggest that clients should use more ex ante control to govern highly creative tasks. In general, clients should use less ex post control over such tasks, though highly skilled clients can actually benefit from using greater control.
The Influence of Corporate Messages on the Product Portfolio
Authors: Biehal Gabriel J. , Sheinin Daniel A.
Published: January 2019

The authors examine factors that change the influence of corporate messages for forming judgments about products in the company's portfolio (i.e., transfer). Corporate messages transferred more than a product message onto other products in the company's portfolio. However, a product message had more influence than corporate messages for that product. Moreover, a corporate ability (quality) message transferred more to the portfolio than did a corporate social responsibility message. Finally, a competitive product message that preceded a company product message and was positioned similarly to a company product lessened corporate message diagnosticity, reducing transfer. However, this occurred only for a product in the same category but not for a product in a different one. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for corporate brand and product brand managers and suggest directions for further research.
Uphill or Downhill? Locating the Firm on a Profit Function
Authors: Mantrala Murali K. , Naik Prasad A. , Sridhar Shrihari , Thorson Esther
Published: January 2019

When deciding about changes in levels of multiple marketing investments aimed at improving profits, managers need to know whether they are on the uphill side or the downhill side of the profit function with respect to each investment variable. Spending errors made by an uphill-located firm that believes that it is a downhill-located firm can have serious consequences. This article offers an econometric “diagnostic tool” to infer a company's current location on a multivariable profit function and to determine the changes in investments that will take the company to the neighborhood of the maximum profit. The authors apply the proposed approach to daily newspaper industry data and investigate the optimality of companies' allocation behaviors with respect to three marketing efforts: investments in quality, distribution, and advertising space sales effort. A novel feature of this problem setting is that it involves a “dual-revenue” market with possibly interrelated demands for subscriptions and advertising space. The authors derive normative rules for marketing investments in four dual-revenue market types. The empirical analysis finds that daily newspapers' dual revenues are positively interrelated and that a majority of these companies are located near the optimal level of spending for quality, a surprising finding considering that previous studies have characterized marketing managers as overspenders. Indeed, when these companies are suboptimal, they are much more likely to be underspending (i.e., they are located on the uphill side of the profit function) than overspending. In addition, the research furnishes estimates of sales elasticities with respect to quality, personal selling, and distribution investments, which are sparsely available in the extant literature.
A Longitudinal Examination of Net Promoter and Firm Revenue Growth
Authors: Keiningham Timothy L. , Cooil Bruce , Andreassen Tor Wallin , Aksoy Lerzan
Published: January 2019

Managers have widely embraced and adopted the Net Promoter metric, which noted loyalty consultant Frederick Reichheld advocates as the single most reliable indicator of firm growth compared with other loyalty metrics, such as customer satisfaction and retention. Recently, however, there has been considerable debate about whether this metric is truly superior. This article (1) employs longitudinal data from 21 firms and 15,500-plus interviews from the Norwegian Customer Satisfaction Barometer to replicate the analyses used in Net Promoter research and (2) compares Reichheld and colleagues' findings with the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Using industries Reichheld cites as exemplars of Net Promoter, the research fails to replicate his assertions regarding the “clear superiority” of Net Promoter compared with other measures in those industries.
Quasi-Darwinian Selection in Marketing Relationships
Authors: Eyuboglu Nermin , Buja Andreas
Published: January 2019

This article introduces quasi-Darwinian selection as a new explanatory paradigm for marketing relationships. In this paradigm, established relationships are viewed as survivors of a selection process whose parameters are the conduct of the partners, dependencies between the partners, and external adversities in the markets. Selection has the effect of culling certain combinations of these parameters, such as attempts at unilateral control when the partner is not dependent. The effect of selection is to carve out patterns that appear as associations between parameters, for example, between unilateral control and dependence. Traditionally, such associations have been interpreted as causal effects of one parameter on the other. This study shows that quasi-Darwinian selection may sometimes be the more correct explanation of an observed association. The guiding principle can be summarized by the motto “selection creates association.” As an explanatory paradigm, selection may rival causation. The quasi-Darwinian framework applies to any type of marketing relationships in the business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets. Examples include all relationships in the supply chain, relationships between service providers and customers, and relationships between sales representatives and customers. The article develops the quasi-Darwinian framework in generality, but it emphasizes applications to business-to-business relationships. When associations between relationship parameters are carved out by selection, they can be interpreted as adaptations, and their descriptive meaning has normative implications; if partners in a relationship pattern their conduct according to these associations, on average, they may enhance the longevity of their relationship.