bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Linking customer‐based brand equity with brand market performance: a managerial approach
Authors: Tolba Ahmed H. , Hassan Salah S. 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to attempt to bridge a gap in literature by defining and operationalizing specific brand equity constructs, and testing the relationships between customer‐based brand equity and brand market performance. Current literature has focused on building and conceptualizing brand equity, there is no consensus on how it should be measured and what constructs should be included in the measurement process.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted in two phases: a consumer‐level analysis; and a brand‐level analysis. A total of 6,410 observations have been identified (sample size consists of 5,598 usable observations). The second phase involved analyzing the data at the aggregate brand level. Analysis included testing hypotheses on the correlations between customer‐based brand equity constructs and brand market performance. finally, detailed market and country‐of‐origin analyses are presented for managerial considerations.FindingsResults from the consumer dataset have been averaged by brand (a total of 17 brands covering 76 percent and 75 percent of market shares in both economy and luxury markets). At the consumer‐level, structural equation modeling was conducted to test research hypotheses. Results varied according to consumer usage. Attitudinal loyalty and satisfaction were found the strongest predictors of brand preference and intention to purchase. At the aggregate brand level, correlation analyses supported the hypothesis that customer‐based brand equity constructs are correlated with brand market performance.Practical implicationsAnalyses at the consumer and brand levels revealed interesting results about the US automotive market and suggested important managerial considerations. Specific recommendations are offered in order to help companies prioritize their resource utilization and improve their performance in the market.Originality/valueThis study offers a new model that links customer‐based brand equity with brand market performance. It advances both academic and practical findings, and opens the door for new streams of research that link academic models with practical applications. It advances specific practical recommendations to companies and at the same time offers a reliable and valid academic model that could be applied on other industries and countries.
Translating country‐of‐origin effects into prices
Authors: Drozdenko Ronald , Jensen Marlene 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of country stereotyping, bad press, and consumer ethnocentrism on the prices a country can command and be competitive.Design/methodology/approachA total of 767 consumers were given prices for products in 11 different categories, then told each product was made in China. They were then asked how much more (if anything) they would be willing to pay if the product was made in Germany, the USA, or India.FindingsPrice premiums were significant for all categories, and increased for those scoring higher on a Consumer Ethnocentric Tendencies Scale (CET Scale). However, completing the CET Scale before answering price questions caused respondents to have a lower price premium for US products. The size of the price premium was also positively correlated with the amount of exposure to negative news concerning Chinese products.Research limitations/implicationsIt is unknown how consumers would respond to categories not studied.Practical implicationsThe cost of setting up government controls and industry oversight is expensive. However, the cost of negative news with product recalls is also expensive. Countries who avoid such negative news may be able to price their products 14 percent to 100 percent higher.Originality/valueThis study quantifies price premiums available to countries with a positive COO image. It also allows a manager to determine the feasibility of developing domestically produced products in specific categories, by identifying categories where consumers would pay a premium for domestically produced products.
Pricing information goods
Authors: Linde Frank 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show that information goods allow new forms of second degree price discrimination because of their economic special features. In addition, it shall be explained why it makes economical sense for information providers to make offers free of charge, and how price discrimination can assist them thereby.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a literature‐based and practical/analytical depiction, showing in which context the three price discrimination forms have developed and how they are effectively applied.FindingsWindowing, versioning, and bundling are very effective strategies of price discrimination for information goods. This can be illustrated through various application examples. With the division of information content and media carriers a clear distinction between windowing, versioning, and bundling is achieved.Practical implicationsInformation providers receive support for the design of their pricing policy. It is obvious, that with the aid of the depicted price discrimination variants, both market penetration with cost free offers and the generation of revenues from product sales can be aimed for.Originality/valueWhat is new about the paper is the first time comparative portrayal of three recent second degree price discrimination forms and their application to information goods.
Creating a culture of innovation at Portugal Telecom
Authors: Pitta Dennis A. 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe an implementation process that can aid companies in improving organizational innovation.Design/methodology/approachThe case describes an approach to boost the problem solving and innovation culture beyond the confines of the new product development group.FindingsThe paper provides an application of the organizational development to innovation. The process may not be applicable to all businesses but Portugal Telecom (PT) accomplished an extensive change in corporate culture. By carefully designing an innovation program with valuable incentives made more valuable by peer pressure, PT was able to harness the “wisdom of the crowds,” the knowledge that resides in employees.Their results can be valuable to other companies.Research limitations/implicationsAs in all case studies, the specific conditions found in one organization may not be found more generally in others. Readers are cautioned that the conclusions drawn in the case may have limited applicability.Practical implicationsThe case depicts the process that a firm can use to increase the level of innovation.Originality/valueThe paper describes how an organizational development strategy, focusing on harnessing the efforts of employees can transform a company and its products.
A framework for understanding consumptive delay: rebate proneness and redemption
Authors: McCall Michael , Bruneau Carol L. , Dars Ellis Aimee , Mian Kimberly 
Published: October 2009

PurposeIn this paper the authors seek to develop a measure that can identify those customers who might best be described as rebate prone, and to link rebate proneness to behavioral usage of rebate offers, intentions to use rebate offers in the future, attitudes towards using rebates as a way to try new products, and finally, the tendency to complete the rebate transaction.Design/methodologyIn study 1, college students enrolled in marketing classes at two large state universities were asked to complete a brief online survey regarding their attitudes towards rebates as a promotional tool as well as shopping behaviors and attitudes towards shopping. Study 2 replicated study 1 using a mall intercept approach.FindingsConfirmatory factor analyses of the measure of rebate proneness demonstrated substantial psychometric validity and yielded acceptable levels of internal consistency. In both studies, rebate proneness was significantly and positively related to behavioral, intentional and attitudinal approaches to rebate usage. Rebate prone shoppers viewed rebates as a substantive incentive for trying new products.Research limitations/implicationsThese results are preliminary yet provide an important foundation to explore a measurable propensity towards product and brand specific rebate usage.Originality/valueThe promising theoretical framework of consumptive delay provides a managerial opportunity to segment consumers on the basis of measurable psychological and behavioral tendencies. Rebate usage is but one of a number of strategies that can create and or maintain brand loyalty. The ability to identify and provide incentives to incent rebate prone shoppers has widespread implications including the enhancement of the lifetime value of the customer.
Ecology of social search for learning resources
Authors: Vuorikari Riina , Koper Rob 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThis paper deals with user‐generated interest indicators (ratings, bookmarks and tags). The authors aim to answer two research questions: Can search strategies based on social information retrieval (SIR) make the discovery of learning resources more efficient for users? Can Community search help users discover a wider variety of cross‐boundary resources?Design/methodology/approachCross‐boundary is defined as that the user and resource come from different countries and that the language of the resource is different from that of the user's mother tongue. The authors focus on a portal that accesses a federation of multilingual learning resource repositories. The authors collect users' attentional metadata based on a server‐side logging scheme and use this empirical data to answer two hypotheses.FindingsThe search‐play‐annotation ratio is more efficient with social information retrieval strategies, but community browsing alone does not help users to discover more cross‐boundary resources.Practical implicationsBy social tagging and bookmarking resources from a variety of repositories, users create underlying connections between resources that otherwise do not cross‐reference, for example, via hyperlinks. This is important for bringing them under the umbrella of SIR methods. Future studies should include testing wider range of SIR methods to leverage these user‐made connections between resources that originate from a number of countries and are in a variety of languages.Originality/valueThe use of attentional metadata to model the ecology of social search adds value to the actors of learning object economy, e.g. educational institutions, digital libraries and their managers, content providers, policy makers, educators and learners.
Evaluating technology resistance and technology satisfaction on students' performance
Authors: Daud Norzaidi Mohd , Intan Salwani Mohamed 
Published: October 2009

PurposeUsing the extended task‐technology fit (TTF) model, this paper aims to examine technology resistance, technology satisfaction and internet usage on students' performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Johor, Malaysia and questionnaires were distributed to 354 undergraduate students.FindingsThe structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicate that technology satisfaction and the internet usage significantly explains the variance on students' performance. Task‐technology fit is not a predictor of technology resistance but it does predict the internet usage. The internet usage has greater impact on technology satisfaction than technology satisfaction on the internet usage. Finally, technology resistance is not a predictor of students' performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses only on education in Malaysia and concentrates only on the students' performance and the relationship between technology resistance, technology satisfaction and the internet usage.Practical implicationsThe results provide insights on how Malaysian education systems of a similar structure could improve upon their internet adoption.Originality/valueThis study is perhaps one of the first to address internet adoption in education using an extended task‐technology fit model (task‐technology fit, internet usage, technology resistance, technology satisfaction) to investigate their influences on students' performance.
Applied digital library project management
Authors: Cervone H. Frank 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThis paper sets out to define and describe paired comparison analysis as a method for prioritizing the factors that have the most impact in a digital library project.Design/methodology/approachUsing theory and example, the paper relates the use of paired comparison analysis to the successful prioritization of competing demands in digital library projects.FindingsPaired comparison analysis is useful to project managers and project teams alike as a means for prioritizing the issues, factors, and courses of action within a single project or among multiple projects, especially when these items are difficult to evaluate using an objective scheme.Originality/valueThe paper fills a gap in the digital library project management literature by providing an overview of a useful tool to prioritize the issues, factors, and courses of action within a project or among several projects, particularly when these items cannot be compared based on similar measures.
Contributions of open access to higher education in Europe and vice versa
Authors: Chantavaridou Elisavet 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the relationship between open access and academic institutions, as well as the initiatives that spring from this relationship with a mainly European geographical focus.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the main European initiatives and collaborations in the area of open access that have been university‐driven so far.FindingsThe strength of many universities is in leading many national European initiatives, and collaborations by universities that aim to provide open access to research output, scientific publications and student theses and dissertations. Individual university efforts are the ones that pioneer in software and application development. International agreements and declarations are also signed by university representatives in order to promote open access and the close bond between higher education and open access.Originality/valueThe paper describes the latest developments regarding the promotion of open access in European universities and the collaborations that they form. Smaller countries can benefit from these examples. E‐theses projects are estimated to lead the next pan‐European projects related to open access.
An empirical study of the driving forces behind online communities
Authors: Toral Sergio L. , Rocío Martínez‐Torres M. , Barrero Federico , Cortés Francisco 
Published: October 2009

PurposeA large variety of online communities have emerged during the last years as a result of the challenges faced by both the business and scientific worlds. This trend has also been promoted by the development of internet and new Web 2.0 technologies. In this context, this paper is focused on the determinants of success of online communities. But, as a difference from other studies, these determinants are analyzed from the social network analysis perspective. Several constructs related to the community organization as a social network are proposed and their interrelations are hypothesized in a general research framework. The obtained results test the proposed model providing the most relevant antecedents of the project success.Design/methodology/approachA case study based on Linux ports to non‐conventional processor and environments is used to test the proposed model. Structural equation modeling analysis is used to validate the structural proposed model.FindingsThe main antecedents of online communities' success, quantifying the strength of the relation through the standardized path coefficients.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited to a particular set of online communities engaged with the development of the non‐conventional Linux ports. However, they constitute a representative set of communities in the field of the open source projects (OSS) development, which are typically developed using a community of support.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils the main antecedents causing the successful development of Internet virtual communities. Instead of using sources of data coming from users' surveys, this study employs community interactions as a source of data. Results have important implications over the development of online communities, like software business models based on virtual communities and open source software.
The effect of community identification on attitude and intention toward a blogging community
Authors: Shen Chung‐Chi , Chiou Jyh‐Shen 
Published: October 2009

PurposeInternet portals have long been providing free services (e.g. e‐mail, blog) to attract new users and retain existing customers. However, it is uncertain whether the users will continue to use the present free service over time. Blog enables people to interact with others extensively and the population of blog users has been skyrocketing in recent years. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of virtual community on a user's attitude and intention to continually use the current blog service.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual empirical model has been developed on the foundation of social psychology, relationship marketing, and transaction cost analysis (TCA). Users of blogging communities who have frequent experience of interacting with other members were the objects for this study. In total, 243 valid samples were obtained for empirical testing by employing structural equation model.FindingsResults show that asset specificity and community pressure play mediating roles in the relationship between community identification and attitude toward using blog services, which in turn affects intention to stay with a blogging community. Perceived usefulness is successful in determining the attitude of using blogging community.Originality/valueThis paper is believed to be the first that uses a sociology view of community and asset specificity to investigate its impacts on online consumer loyalty. The study advances the relationship marketing literature in explaining user's new service adoption behavior by adding community identity and community pressure generated through the process of using web‐based services. The paper concludes with implications for web‐based service providers, and additional extended research relevant to the study of virtual community and asset specificity is also provided.
Complementing consumer magazine brands with internet extensions?
Authors: Tarkiainen Anssi , Ellonen Hanna‐Kaisa , Kuivalainen Olli 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of the effects of web site extension on the parent‐magazine brand in the context of experiential goods, and to identify factors that are related to success.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on the relationship between consumers' experiences on magazine web sites and their loyalty towards the print magazine.FindingsThere are different ways in which the web site can complement the print version. The first mechanism is related to engaging in more frequent communication with the magazine's readers, and the second is related to consumer‐initiated interaction between other readers. In both cases something is offered that cannot be obtained from the print magazine, but is assumed to complement it.Originality/valueThe paper increases understanding of brand extensions with regard to experiential goods, but more research is needed on the factors that are related to extension success.
Quantitative assessment of European municipal web sites
Authors: Miranda Francisco Javier , Sanguino Ramón , Bañegil Tomás M. 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe internet is becoming increasingly important in the communication between local governments and citizens, which makes the usability of municipal web sites a critical factor in government‐citizen communication. The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model for evaluating the potential of municipal web sites.Design/methodology/approachIn this work an objective investigation of the issue has been conducted by manually accessing and evaluating 84 European municipal web sites. Quality of web home pages was determined using an original Web Assessment Index, which focuses on four categories: accessibility, speed, navigability and content.FindingsA detailed report of the results arising from this investigation is presented and systematically analyzed.Originality/valueThe most valuable output from this paper is not the ability to identify the best sites, but to see how each municipal site is compared to related sites and to spot ideas and practices that can improve city sites. These findings will be useful for both researchers and practitioners who seek to understand the issues relevant to municipal e‐government.
Factors affecting purchase intention on mobile shopping web sites
Authors: Lu Hsi‐Peng , Yu‐Jen Su Philip 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore a conceptual model for analyzing customers' perceptions of using mobile commerce services for online shopping. This paper provides insights into consumer behavior, and the results have important implications for designers, managers, marketers, and system providers of mobile shopping (m‐shopping) web sites.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical investigation was carried out to test the hypotheses. The samples include 369 professional participants. For testing the relationships of the model, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used.FindingsThe results demonstrate that anxiety, which is an affective barrier against using innovative systems, is a key negative predictor of a customer's intentions to use mobile phones. Also, the consumer's self‐perception of mobile skillfulness significantly affects anxiety, enjoyment, and usefulness. Furthermore, enjoyment, usefulness, and compatibility have an impact on a customer's behavioral intentions.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study help to understand what hinders or encourages the m‐shopping intention of online customers.Originality/valueThe results not only help develop a sophisticated understanding of mobile commerce theories for researchers, but they also offer useful knowledge to those involved in promoting m‐shopping to potential purchasers. The value of the paper is that the results could be applied to other portable information technology service adoptions, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), smart phones, advanced mobile phones, and portable global positioning systems (GPS).
Miscellanea U: post‐disciplinary networks in social media
Authors: Reid Alex 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider the pedagogical, disciplinary, and institutional implications of social media for higher education.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines current theories on educational technology and social media in the context of specific social media (Second Life and iTunesU) used in pilot programs.FindingsThe paper finds that social media dramatically alter the material contexts in which we make decisions about how to organize people and information in higher education. The operation of social media, particularly the low costs of group formation and risk‐taking, is difficult to accommodate within the traditional institutional structures of higher education.Originality/valueThis paper expands the conversation of social media in higher education beyond the limited (though certainly significant) tasks of technical innovation and policy making to recognize the larger institutional and disciplinary challenges and opportunities they represent.