bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving competitive analysis with temporal text visualization
Authors: Magnusson Camilla
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a visualization method for texts produced by a company's competitors, partners, or customers. This method can be used for competitive intelligence purposes, and in particular, for spotting changes over time in a company's communication.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the judgments of expert readers, topics considered to be important in the quarterly reports of two telecommunication companies were turned into so‐called collocational networks, using a statistical method originating in linguistics.

Findings

The paper shows that when collocational topic networks are produced out of a sequence of quarterly reports, they provide a visualization of how the presentation of these topics changes from one‐quarter to the next.

Research limitations/implications

The statistical method used in this paper does not handle low‐frequency topics, that nevertheless might be of great importance, very well. The method could be developed further so that users' judgments of importance are given more weight.

Practical implications

The method developed in this paper can be turned into a data visualization tool for intelligence practitioners.

Originality/value

Textual data are often overlooked in competitive intelligence, as it is more difficult to visualize and present than quantitative data, such as financial ratios. The method presented here is an easy to grasp “white box” approach to visualizing textual data, as it combines the judgments of subject matter experts with a statistical method.
The effect of customer orientation on frontline employees job outcomes in a new public management context
Authors: Rod Michel , Ashill Nicholas J.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the role of customer orientation in a model of affective and behavioural job outcomes grounded in Bagozzi's reformulation of attitude theory in the new public management context of a former public sector government department that has undergone corporatisation and now operates as a state‐owned enterprise (SOE).

Design/methodology/approach

Frontline employees (FLEs) complete a self‐administered questionnaire on how customer orientation affects their job satisfaction and organisational commitment, and how these job attitudes impact service recovery performance and turnover intentions. Data obtained from the FLEs were analysed using the structural equation modeling‐based partial least squares methodology.

Findings

Seven of eight hypotheses are supported. Results suggest that there is a significant influence of customer orientation on job satisfaction and organisational commitment, which in turn influence service recovery performance and turnover intentions.

Practical implications

The research advances understanding of the influence of customer orientation on affective and behavioural job outcomes. SOE managers can take actions on a number of different fronts to assist progress towards improving FLE service recovery efforts and reduce turnover intentions.

Originality/value

The impact of customer orientation on affective job outcomes (job satisfaction and organisational commitment) and behavioural job outcomes (service recovery performance and turnover intentions) has not been investigated in the context of SOEs.
Visibility and involvement in effective arts marketing
Authors: Lange Candy
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to propose a methodological tool for arts marketing, arguing that traditional approaches are not as effective as the newly developed visibility/involvement model in assessing the quality of a cultural organization's marketing strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The innovative model evaluates art galleries' promotion materials combining their local, visual, and textual dimensions of meaning, drawing on three different theoretical and methodological areas of thought: critical discourse analysis, systemic functional analysis, and mediated discourse analysis.

Findings

The visibility involvement model can be applied by cultural organizations to discern their key audience, and thus, their communicative focus. It is also the foundation of practical recommendations to enhance a gallery's marketing strategy to either deepen or broaden their audience.

Research limitations/implications

While the paper investigates the predominant meaning dimension of different groups of promotional materials, it does not investigate all relevant dimensions. Although, the proposed model provides insights into the quality of the art galleries' marketing activities, it only provides a rather vague distinction between the degrees of visibility and required involvement. This paper does also not account for the usability of the model for organizations outside the cultural sector.

Originality/value

The innovation of the newly developed model lies in the combination of these dimensions coming from three theoretical and methodological areas of thought: mediated discourse analysis, systemic functional analysis, and critical discourse analysis.
Perceptions of interdisciplinary research and developments
Authors: Rudall B.H. , Mann C.J.H.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to review current research and developments with particular reference to new interdisciplinary research and developments.

Design/methodology/approach

A general review and survey of selected research and development topics that result from an interdisciplinary approach is given.

Findings

The paper illustrates the multi‐ and trans‐disciplinary natures of studies in cybernetics systems and management science with a view to further research and development activity.

Practical implications

The choice of reviews provides an awareness of current trends in these areas of endeavour.

Originality/value

The reviews are selected from a global database and give a studied assessment of current research and development initiatives.
Requirements of complexity for complex organizational conceptions
Authors: Iván Tarride Mario , Zuñiga Milton
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a way of asking about organizational conceptions. Some years ago, Edgar Morin proposed the paradigm of complexity as the one that opposes to and contains both the mechanicist and the systemic paradigms, which he calls simplifiers. Based on these paradigms, some of their principles, as well as their influence in organizational thinking are studied here, looking for the establishment of a set of considerations to be taken into account when treating an organizational conception as complex.

Design/methodology/approach

Ten paradigmatic principles were compared from the mechanicism, systemic and complexity viewpoints, considering how they were used in the organizational discourse.

Findings

As a result, complex organizational conceptions consider the subject as active conscience in the world. In the same way, they establish dialogic relations among: the universal and the particular, temporal reversibility and irreversibility, the parts and the whole, linear and circular causality, order and disorder, organization and environment, observer and organization, and autonomy and dependence, through the use of the complex logic that allows adopting a meta‐point of view to articulate the contradictions and paying attention to the result of the dialogic processes pointed out.

Research limitations/implications

The paper focuses especially on the dialogic principle, leaving the need to approach both the recursion and hologramatic principles, according to that proposed by Edgar Morin.

Practical implications

The paper establishes some references which should contribute to the understanding of complex organizations, as human activity systems, beyond the objectivism of the so‐called “complex systems”.

Originality/value

In this paper, a way of asking about organizational conceptions is proposed, with the aim of knowing the degree of satisfaction of paradigmatic requirements of complexity; so that, it allows knowing if what is being called complex – the organizations – is being treated in a complex way in turn.
Decoding consumer perceptions of premium products with rule‐developing experimentation
Authors: Gofman Alex , Moskowitz Howard R. , Bevolo Marco , Mets Tõnis
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to summarize the results of an empirical project to understand the perceptions of consumers of the future high end products in the USA. This project was a precursor of a larger global project on the topic.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach utilizes the consumer insights‐driven process, rule‐developing experimentation (RDE), introduced by the senior authors and developed in cooperation with Wharton School of Business (University of Pennsylvania). The empirical part was conducted with qualified US consumers (middle‐ and upper‐middle class respondents). Based on a series of in‐depth qualitative interviews with global leaders of luxury and premium companies, star designers and thought leaders, five dimensions of high end offering were identified, with each dimension having a unique set of four factors (elements). The second part included a quantitative survey based on RDE (modified conjoint analysis) conducted in the USA with 373 qualified middle‐ and upper‐middle class respondents to discover the driving forces behind their perceptions of high end.

Findings

There are four distinct consumer mindsets towards future high end products. The segmentation is based on a disciplined experimentation afforded by RDE and produces a more targeted understanding of the consumer mind.

Practical implications

The paper provides insights of what might drive the consumer perception of high end products in the near future. The pattern‐based consumer mind‐set segmentation creates actionable directions for corporations in answering today's big question “How can brands migrate from being cost‐driven commodities to higher margins and profits?” The answer is in the high end.

Originality/value

The approach offered here could help designers and brand managers to efficiently create better products that consumers like and perceive as high end. This will result in higher margins and help marketers to differentiate their respective products from the competition.
Consumer innovativeness and shopping styles
Authors: Eun Park Ji , Yu Jun , Xin Zhou Joyce
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Innovative consumers are an important market segment. This paper seeks to investigate whether consumers' innate innovativeness is associated with their shopping styles. Specifically, it aims to explore the relationship between two types of innovativeness – sensory and cognitive – and consumer shopping styles.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper integrates the consumer innovativeness and consumer shopping styles literature. It is built on the premise that if consumer innovativeness is regarded as a general personality trait, then it would also be reflected in consumers' shopping approaches. A structural equation model is used to test the relationship between cognitive and sensory innovativeness and various shopping styles.

Findings

Sensory innovativeness and cognitive innovativeness can lead to different shopping styles. Cognitive innovators are inclined to show shopping styles such as quality consciousness, price consciousness, and confusion by overchoice. On the other hand, sensory innovators are inclined to have shopping styles such as brand consciousness, fashion consciousness, recreational orientation, impulsive shopping, and brand loyalty/habitual shopping.

Research limitations/implications

The research is based on a convenience sample of young consumers in a particular country – China. Generalizability of the results would depend on future research conducted in other cultures and consumers of other age groups.

Practical implications

The findings of this research help managers to develop a deeper insight into product development and marketing. Product form can be designed to appeal to the two different types of innovative consumers – cognitive innovators and sensory innovators. Marketing communication and brand management should be based on the shopping styles of these different types of innovative consumers. Furthermore, since the youth market in China represents an enormous opportunity for marketers, the paper provides valuable insights into this key market segment in one of the most important markets in the world.

Originality/value

The paper is the first step in exploring the relationship between consumer innovativeness and consumer shopping styles. It provides new insights into the shopping patterns of consumers who belong to different innovativeness types. In addition, it also makes a new contribution to the shopping styles literature by exploring potential antecedents to the various shopping styles.
New or recycled products: how much are consumers willing to pay?
Authors: Hamzaoui Essoussi Leila , Linton Jonathan D.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to consider the price premium that consumers state they are willing to pay for products with reused or recycled content. It also aims to address the effect of the impact of product category on consumers' willingness to pay premium prices.

Design/approach/methodology

Willingness to pay was studied for seven different product categories (n=49).

Findings

Perceived functional risk is an important determinant of the price that consumers are willing to pay for products that have recycled or reused content. It was also found that consumers will switch from a recycled product to a new product within a smaller range of price for products with high functional risk.

Research limitations/implications

The study is exploratory, while it serves its purpose by raising initial questions and finding that this is a complex area that is worth studying. Additional work is clearly required to consider the wide range of potentially relevant variables and a sampling plan that ensures an understanding of the generalisability of findings across the population within a region and across regions.

Practical implications

A technique for understanding consumer willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) is provided and insights into differences are offered between products in terms of WTP for greener products. Practitioners can use this technique to determine the price range and indirectly the profitability of a version of their product based on recycled or reused content.

Originality/value

An understanding of WTP for products with recycled or reused content is developed. This is important as legislation in many countries aims at diverting disposed product from waste dumps to consumers.
Transformers
Authors: Goldman Sharon M.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine the current and future outlook of smartphones and how they will transform the loyalty marketing landscape.

Design/methodology/approach

The approoach takes the form of tapping big‐name companies, like Nielsen, Ogilvy and Wells Fargo, to provide insight into how marketers are looking to utilize smartphones and to predict where the future is going with smartphone techonolgy.

Findings

As smartphones increasingly entrench themselves as the ultimate personal device, it is no surprise that loyalty marketers are keenly interested in the evolving role technologies will play in increasing customer loyalty overall, as well as in boosting reward programs. After all, these pocket‐sized portable wonders offer promising ways to strengthen the two‐way relationship between companies and their customers, the very sort of relationships enjoyed by loyalty programs and their members.

Practical implications

Encouraging as smartphone development has been, however, there is still a long way to go in terms of consumers taking full advantage of the available technology. Experts agree that despite encouraging growth, North America remains in the early days of smartphone adoption and consumer interest. After all, according to recent Forrester research from the fourth quarter of 2009, about 17 percent of cell phone subscribers own smartphones, though predictions exist for that number to rise to 25 percent next year. For the time being, the remaining users are sticking to simpler, typically very inexpensive, traditional cell phones – known in the mobile industry as “feature” phones.

Originality/value

The paper provides exclusive interviews with representatives from some of the largest marketing firms in the industry today. It also provides tangible tips and tools to utilize in the real world marketing plans.
Scholars, merchants and civil society
Authors: Nuruddeen Muhammad Ibrahim
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness of the role of Islamic endowments (awqaf) as viable mechanisms for financing poverty alleviation programmes and the value of the third sector in promoting public welfare.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary sources provided the main data for the study. These were supplemented with personal discussions and observations. Narrative approach was used for analysis.

Findings

The lack of awareness about endowments (awqaf) is a barrier to harnessing their potentials in redressing socio‐economic inequities and enhancing the quality of life of the poor in Kano.

Social implications

Scholars, merchants and civil society organizations will be awakened to the need to cooperate in employing the institution of awqaf reducing poverty through the provision of quality education, better health care and employment opportunities. Government will be made aware of the need to explore non‐conventional methods in tackling poverty, recognize Islamic endowments (awqaf) as viable alternatives in financing community welfare programmes and provide all necessary policy support –legal/institutional/financial – for their smooth operation.

Originality/value

The worth of this paper lies in drawing the attention of stakeholders, like policy makers, and the general public to the contemporary relevance of, and demand for, Islamic endowments (awqaf) in solving many of the socio‐economic problems excluding the poor from leading a decent life.
Characteristics of services – a new approach uncovers their value
Authors: Moeller Sabine
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Four characteristics have been regularly applied to services: intangibility, heterogeneity, inseparability, perishability (IHIP). More and more exceptions occur which have resulted in substantial criticism. This paper aims to show that each characteristic is valid and useful when related to an individual aspect of services instead of being assigned to services as a single entity.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on customer integration, a framework (FTU framework) and a resource typology are developed. These approaches are the theoretical foundation of the analysis.

Findings

The FTU framework and a resource typology reveal different aspects of services and allow the assignment of the IHIP characteristics to them. Intangibility is assigned to the service offering, heterogeneity and inseparability to customer resources, and perishability to the facilities of the provider.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is based on a theoretical analysis. Researchers may want to empirically test the approach.

Practical implications

Assigning the IHIP characteristics more clearly to certain aspects of services reveals their origin and makes them more tractable. For example knowing that heterogeneity of services is due to customers resources makes it more predictable and manageable.

Originality/value

Although the IHIP characteristics are both widely cited and criticized, existing research has only tried to find and establish new characteristic(s). The approach of this paper is original because it takes a more trenchant look at them in order to develop a framework identifying aspects of services for which they apply.
Testing a branch performance model in a New Zealand bank
Authors: Yavas Ugur , Babakus Emin , Ashill Nicholas J.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This study aims to develop and test a comprehensive model that begins with management commitment/concern and progresses through intermediate links of service climate and in‐role frontline employee (FLE) performance to customer satisfaction and eventually to sales performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Branches of a major retail bank in New Zealand serve as the study setting. Data pertaining to management commitment/concern and service climate were collected using an intranet survey distributed to the branch employees, and customer satisfaction data were gathered via mail questionnaires from the branch customers. Objective measures of in‐role FLE performance and sales performance were provided by the bank from corporate records.

Findings

Results showed that management commitment/concern was significantly related to service climate; service climate to in‐role FLE performance; in‐role FLE performance to customer satisfaction; and customer satisfaction to branch sales.

Research limitations/implications

Testing viability of the model in other service sectors would be fruitful.

Practical implications

Since service climate has a direct positive influence on FLEs' in‐role performance, branch management should focus on creating a positive service climate by taking the necessary actions to improve training, rewards and technological support.

Originality/value

The study uses an objective in‐role performance measure in measuring branch employees' performance.
Towards a paradigmatic foundation for accounting practice
Authors: Nørreklit Hanne , Nørreklit Lennart , Mitchell Falconer
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework (pragmatic constructivism) for a new paradigm for accounting practice. The paradigmatic base of practice is an important element in explaining, understanding, justifying and defending practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is designed to argue the case for the use of pragmatic constructivism as a basis for the development of a paradigmatic foundation of accounting practice. To achieve this, pragmatic constructivism is explained and its application to accounting is illustrated and contrasted with the traditional paradigm of realism.

Findings

The analysis shows how the use of a less reductionist paradigm than realism can assist accountants both in the creation of a rationale and a defence for practice.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis is exploratory in the sense that a new paradigmatic framework is outlined and used to illustrate its potential to develop a paradigm for practice. The creation of a full practice paradigm for accounting is beyond the scope of one paper. Hence this analysis should be viewed as only a first step towards developing a paradigm of accounting practice.

Originality/value

The proposal of pragmatic constructivism for this purpose is novel to the accounting literature. The value of its application lies in its potential to explain and defend accounting practice.
Neoliberalism, deregulation and Sarbanes‐Oxley
Authors: Merino Barbara D. , Mayper Alan G. , Tolleson Thomas D.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The paper aims to use a neoliberal ideology to frame an analysis of how the power of ideas can be used to maintain a failed corporate governance model based on stockholder primacy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs the concept of corporate hegemony to provide an understanding of the conditioning environment in the USA in the 1990s. It examines the tactics that neoliberals used to gain consensus for their ideology and to skillfully deflect criticism in the face of significant policy failures that have had a global impact.

Findings

The paper highlights the power of ideology to create a desired outcome. It finds that Sarbanes‐Oxley represented a neoliberal victory in that it legitimated shareholder primacy and continued use of a failed corporate governance model.

Practical implications

Sarbanes‐Oxley did not address the systemic problems associated with deregulation; it will not resolve the basic problem of how to prevent corporate malfeasance in an economic environment that rewards arbitrage capitalism, high risk and a focus on short‐term profits.

Originality/value

If shareholder primacy weakens accountability, as the paper suggests, then accounting researchers need to develop models that focus on deregulation rather than on regulatory capture and the use of state power to promote private interests. Accounting academics need to assume the role of public intellectuals and to reject Milton Friedman's focus on negative freedom as the sole objective of economic activity and examine economic well being in terms of positive freedom.
Numerical study of blood flow through different double bell‐shaped stenosed coronary artery during the progression of the disease, atherosclerosis
Authors: Mandal D.K. , Manna N.K. , Chakrabarti S.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to perform numerical simulations through different shaped double stenoses in a vascular tube for a better understanding of arterial blood flow patterns, and their possible role during the progression of atherosclerosis. The dynamics of flow features have been studied by wall pressure, streamline contour and wall shear stress distributions for all models.

Design/methodology/approach

A finite volume method has been employed to solve the governing equations for the two‐dimensional, steady, laminar flow of an incompressible and Newtonian fluid.

Findings

The paper finds that impact of pressure drop, reattachment length and peak wall shear stress at each restriction primarily depends upon percentage of restriction, if restriction spacing is sufficient. The quantum of impact of pressure drop, reattachment length and peak wall shear stress is much effected for smaller restriction spacing. If recirculating bubble of first restriction merges with the recirculating bubble formed behind the second restriction in this smaller restriction spacing. The similar effect of smaller restriction spacing is observed, if Reynolds number increases also.

Originality/value

The effect of different shaped stenoses, restriction spacing and Reynolds number on the flow characteristics has been investigated and the role of all the flow characteristics on the progression of the disease, atherosclerosis, is discussed.
Canada's global and business competitiveness: competition policy reform in a changing world
Authors: Kiggundu Moses N. , Uruthirapathy Aareni
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Exploration of the policy reforms necessary to strengthen Canada's competitiveness among world trading economies. The paper aims to compare Canada's competitiveness with two economic partners, the USA and the UK, and two emerging economies, China and India.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from the annual Global Competitiveness Reports (GCRs) were used to compare Canada with the other countries.

Findings

Canada requires a national strategy to create a generation of Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs and executives with a global mindset.

Research limitations/implications

Although Canada has many global trading partners, the paper compares Canadian competitiveness with only two economic partners and two emerging economics. Also, only data from the GCRs are used. Other measures of competitiveness need to be taken into consideration to better understand Canada's global and business competitiveness.

Originality/value

This paper provides new insights into Canada's lack of global competitiveness. The main reasons for this lack of competitiveness are analysed and recommendations are provided for Canadian policy makers to enhance competitiveness.
A framework of total value orientation for strategic outsourcing decisions
Authors: Bhagat Parimal , Byramjee Framarz , Taiani Vincent
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive framework of strategic value encompassing several critical dimensions of value creation/delivery process amidst transactions between organizations, which outsource their work to local/global service‐providing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper consolidates pertinent extant literature encompassing these value dimensions, into a cohesive framework of “total value orientation” (TVO) for strategic outsourcing decisions, juxtaposed with their respective antecedents/outcomes.

Findings

This research paper models the strategic outsourcing process as blending the three perspectives of shared value, respectively, outsourcing service‐provider value, client firm value, and relationship value, which converge toward manifesting into a common synergy labeled as “TVO” of the business system; thereby explaining how outsourcing has transitioned from a mere economically convenient and transaction cost optimizing‐business decision to a more strategically driven initiative based on shared governance and decision‐making.

Practical implications

This integrated framework of comprehensiveness value assessment helps transacting firms in determining the efficacy of an outsourcing decision. The TVO perspective can be usefully extended beyond pure dyadic transaction relationships to a network of relationships between the client firm and its business partners. Such evaluation/measurement of value of the entire business system is critical for firms and organizations to develop greater competitiveness in today's world of global collaborations.

Originality/value

This articulated framework captures several value dimensions into a consolidated structure that reflects the effectiveness of the relationship network between transacting entities within the business system.
Empirical investigation on the magnitude of job offshoring from an organizational contingency perspective
Authors: Jian Wang Yong , Cruthirds Kevin W. , Baeza Miguel A.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between the magnitude of job offshoring and organizational contingencies, including total number of employees, multinationality, business diversification, and relevancy of business activities.

Design/methodology/approach

Previous studies on job offshoring were restricted in descriptive and prescriptive understanding of the phenomena. Utilizing secondary data, this paper provides empirical findings on the magnitude of job offshoring from an organizational contingency perspective.

Findings

The results indicate that larger and multinational firms tend to offshore a larger number of jobs, and less diversified firms tend to offshore a higher ratio of jobs. Also, firms that offshore their core business activities are more likely to move a higher ratio of jobs to offshore destinations.

Research limitations/implications

This paper reveals some of the key organizational factors that account for the magnitude of job offshoring within American firms.

Practical implications

The findings offer insights in what the government, the society, the workforce need to prepare for future changes and the globalization of business.

Originality/value

The paper offers empirical explanations of the magnitude of job offshoring. Various governmental, private, and international institutions may rely on the findings in making political, commercial, and social policies and decisions.
Ethical brand management: customer relationships and ethical duties
Authors: Story John , Hess Jeff
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore the ethical implications of creating committed customer relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses an empirical study to test a series of hypotheses concerning the impact of customers' commitment to a brand on their behaviors toward that brand. It then contrasts these behavioral changes with the assumptions of ethical frameworks.

Findings

Customers' behaviors toward a brand change as they become committed to the brand. They shop less, consider fewer brands, and are willing to pay more. These changes violate assumptions of less stringent ethical frameworks. The result is that, as customer commitment increases, the ethical burden on the brand also increases.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited by the scope of the sample, automobile finance. Future research should explore customer commitment in other product and service categories to determine the extent to which commitment varies.

Practical implications

The implications of these results are that, when a brand does a great job of satisfying customers and building trust, commitment develops, which increases the ethical burden on the brand. The very brand actions that develop commitment high quality, good service, caring about the customer, must actually increase in importance once strong customer relationships are built.

Originality/value

The findings in the paper are unique, in that they evaluate a marketing model in terms of ethical impact, rather than simply in terms of increased sales or market share. These findings should be valuable to any brand manager who is focusing on building or managing customer‐brand relationships.
Drivers of brand trust in internet retailing
Authors: Ruparelia Nimisha , White Lesley , Hughes Kate
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the attributes that create brand trust in internet retailing extending the work by Ha, and expanding the purchase categories.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a two‐phase qualitative and quantitative methodology, 15 in‐depth interviews were conducted followed by written surveys from 199 respondents. Linear regressions were undertaken to test the hypotheses. Further to the empirical research, a new model is proposed.

Findings

Regression analysis using Ha's six scales of security, privacy, brand name, word of mouth, information, and (past) experience yielded anR2of only 0.105 for the dependent variable of web brand trust. Similar results were obtained when adding in extra scales (i.e. website design and navigation, returns policy and country of origin), and when completing regression analysis using only the attributes that had a statistically significant correlation with brand trust. The results for all three types of regressions increased toR2≤ 0.165 when the attributes length of time using the internet, length of time purchasing from the internet and frequency of internet purchase on the internet were included.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of the study was that the sample included only part‐time graduate students from one Australian university. Therefore future research should include respondents from a wider range of ages, income and educational levels.

Originality/value

The study extends the work of Ha to additional cultural and internet retailing contexts. It also introduces a wider range of factors affecting brand trust.
Searching for boundary conditions for successful brand extensions
Authors: Jung Kwon , Tey Leslie
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Past research on brand extensions has been searching for conditions for successful brand extensions. Two contradictory response patterns between fit levels and extension evaluation have been observed in past studies. This study attempts to synthesize these seemingly contradicting past findings by considering a situational factor (i.e. situational involvement) and a consumer personality factor (i.e. consumer innovativeness) as moderating factors for the effect of extension similarity on evaluation of brand extensions.

Design/methodology/approach

An experimental design with three factors (i.e. extension similarity, consumer innovativeness, and situational involvement) is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

It was found that, under the high involvement condition, innovative subjects show a pattern suggested by the inverted U‐shaped hypothesis in their extension evaluations. Subjects in other conditions, on the other hand, show a pattern suggested by the fit hypothesis.

Practical implications

The findings of the study provide useful implications to marketers who are considering brand extensions. Marketers may need different strategies depending on the degree of extension similarity and the characteristics of their target customers.

Originality/value

By identifying boundary conditions for successful brand extension, the findings of the study contribute to increase understanding in the brand extension literature.
The importance of meeting price expectations: linking price to service quality
Authors: Toncar Mark F. , Alon Ilan , Misati Everlyne
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the role of price and price expectations in service quality evaluations based on a study of the US hotel sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an experimental study to test service quality and price congruency through randomly assigned treatments to a quota sample of 120 students.

Findings

The research shows that the degree to which subjects' price expectations are met influences their evaluations of service quality. This is especially true in the case of a price loss; when the actual price exceeds the expected price. However, when there is a price gain, subjects' evaluations of service quality were not affected.

Research limitations/implications

The experiment sacrificed external validity for internal control; an artificial stimulus was used in a carefully controlled experimental setting to control the subjects' exposure to price and service manipulations. A small sample size of student subjects was used; only 20 subjects in each treatment group. The results obtained were based on subjects' evaluation of a written script, and not an actual service encounter. By virtue of using an experimental design, the experiment did not consider a broad range of potential factors.

Originality/value

The paper uses an experiment to test the effects of price gains and price losses on consumers' perceptions of the quality of a service encounter.
The ultimate in new product design: molding the product concept to user learning needs
Authors: Swan Hobart , Pitta Dennis
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a tool to aid new product development.

Design/methodology/approach

The case describes how an organization solved the problem of managing the new product development process in a way that integrates the perceptions and values of the variety of professionals on the typical cross‐functional team.

Findings

Cross‐functional product teams are designed to include the input of different team members with different areas of expertise and thinking styles. Some work effectively, using lists to organize their thinking. Others are more effective using graphic tools that present a picture that allows them to make connections among a group of concepts and tasks. The company featured in the case, developed a tool that maximizes the effectiveness of both styles.

Research limitations/implications

As in all case studies, the specific conditions found in one organization may not be found more generally in others. However, the solution portrayed in the case has widespread application.

Practical implications

The case depicts the processes that underlie new product development and a tool that can be used to manage the process. Other companies may find that attending to each type of user learning style can improve the effectiveness of their development efforts.

Originality/value

The case describes how a software product that collects and integrates the insights of decision makers and experts who possess different perceptual styles can enhance the productivity and effectiveness of a product team.
Investment opportunities, corporate finance, and dividend payout policy
Authors: Abor Joshua , Bokpin Godfred A.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of investment opportunities and corporate finance on dividend payout policy.

Design/methodology/approach

This issue is tested with a sample of 34 emerging market countries covering a 17‐year period, 1990‐2006. Fixed effects panel model is employed in our estimation.

Findings

A significantly negative relationship between investment opportunity set and dividend payout policy is found. There are, however, insignificant effects of the various measures of corporate finance namely, financial leverage, external financing, and debt maturity on dividend payout policy. Profitability and stock market capitalization are also identified as important in influencing dividend payout policy. Profitable firms are more likely to support high dividend payments to shareholders. However, firms in relatively well‐developed markets tend to exhibit low dividend payout policy.

Originality/value

The main value of the paper is in respect of the fact that it uses a large dataset from emerging market countries. The results generally support existing literature on investment opportunity set and dividend payout policy.
Enhancement of value portfolio performance using data envelopment analysis
Authors: Pätäri Eero J. , Leivo Timo H. , Samuli Honkapuro J.V.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a basis of value portfolio selection criterion.

Design/methodology/approach

The portfolios are composed of the comprehensive sample of Finnish non‐financial stocks based on their DEA scale efficiency scores. The performance of portfolios is evaluated on the basis of average return and several risk‐adjusted performance metrics. Moreover, the impact of holding period length on the results is examined by varying the portfolio reformation frequency from one to five years at annual frequency.

Findings

The results show that the DEA scale efficiency scores add value to portfolio selection. Though outperformance of the DEA value portfolios in contrast to both comparable glamour portfolio and the stock market average is most evident for shorter (i.e. annual and biannual) holding periods, the absolute performance of the DEA value portfolio can be enhanced by using longer reformation intervals.

Research limitations/implications

The sample of stocks is not large in spite of its comprehensiveness from the local stock market aspect. Future studies can apply DEA approach to other stock markets to examine whether the results are parallel to this study.

Practical implications

The DEA is particularly useful as a multicriteria methodology in cases in which the number of stocks in the sample is large.

Originality/value

This paper is the first attempt to form value portfolios using DEA models. The proposed methodology provides an interesting alternative to detect undervalued stocks by capturing several dimensions of relative value simultaneously. It provides also useful implications in portfolio management.
Rational speculative bubbles in MENA stock markets
Authors: Yu Jung‐Suk , Kabir Hassan M.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the existence of rational speculative bubbles in the Middle East and North African (MENA) stock markets.

Design/methodology/approach

To complement shortcomings of the traditional bubble tests, such as unit root tests and cointegration tests, mainly relying on expectations of future steams of dividends, the authors employ fractional integration tests and duration dependence tests.

Findings

Despite recent extreme fluctuations of MENA stock markets, fractional integration tests built on autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average models do not support the possibility of bubbles in the MENA stock markets. Similarly, duration dependence tests based on nonparametric Nelson‐Aalen hazard functions not only reject the existence of bubbles but also support equality of hazard functions between domestic and the US‐based investors without regard to the rapid financial liberalization and integration in the MENA stock markets.

Originality/value

The reliable results of bubble tests of the MENA stock markets provide domestic and international investors as well as policy makers with invaluable benchmark to better understand the irregular and highly fluctuating stock market behaviors of the MENA stock markets compared to other developed and emerging stock markets. For domestic and international investors, the formal analysis of MENA stock markets behavior including rational speculative bubbles will help them in their portfolio decisions and hedging purposes. Similarly, the empirical results of bubble tests in the paper will be also helpful to policymakers in MENA countries to take actions to improve the functioning of these dynamic markets.
Managing Chinese consumers' value profiles: a comparison between Shanghai and Hong Kong
Authors: Ramasamy Bala , Au Alan , Yeung Matthew
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate the degree of dissimilarities among Chinese individuals' value profiles by using data collected from Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

The shortened version of the Rokeach Value Survey for consumer research by Munson and McQuarrie was used. The data collection was done by distributing copies of questionnaires to researchers' contacts who worked at financial intuitions, e.g. banks, brokers and insurance agencies in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Findings

The current study demonstrates the degree of dissimilarities among Chinese individuals' value profiles by using data collected from Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Research limitations/implications

The study selects two developed cities of China only and the samples from the two cities are relatively small.

Practical implications

The results imply that value‐based information should be used together with demographic information for segmenting the market. The study suggests the number of segments for Shanghai and Hong Kong.

Originality/value

This study explains the significance of studying values in the context of market segmentation, particularly among Chinese populations.
Management practices of Chinese managers in Chinese MNCs operating in Bangkok
Authors: Bunchapattanasakda Chanchai , Wong Pisit
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze Thai and Chinese national characteristics based on Hofstede' s cultural dimensions, Chinese human resource management approaches, and Thai and Chinese social concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for the analysis were obtained by surveying MBA students currently working in Chinese multinational companies and studying in public and private universities in Bangkok, using purposive sampling along with snowball sampling method. The design of the questionnaire was based on specific questions modified from Hofstede's cultural dimensions including power distance, socialism, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and time horizon.

Findings

There were differences in cultural values between Thai employees and Chinese managers. Moreover, Chinese managers are not adapting themselves to the Thai culture. However, the Thai employees were satisfied working with the Chinese managers.

Research limitations/implications

The study is a descriptive study and does not provide a reason for explaining the good working relationships between Chinese employers and Thai employees.

Practical implications

The study reveals the working relationship between Chinese and Thais and suggests that cultural differences exist but good working relationships can still be maintained.

Originality/value

Instead of regarding cultural diversity as an evil, this paper shows that some racially and culturally mixed groups can work comfortably together.