bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Behind Closed Doors”: opportunity identification through observational research
Authors: Webster Cynthia M. , Seymour Richard , Daellenbach Kate 
Published: January 2010

PurposeTo thrive in today's competitive marketplace, businesses constantly need to search for opportunities to develop and be tuned into consumers as innovators. With this in mind, the purpose of this paper is to further understandings of the ways in which consumers transform ordinary products to serve their everyday needs; and broaden appreciation of the role observational research plays in opportunity identification.Design/methodology/approachA hermeneutic approach to observational research is adopted, incorporating both subjective personal introspection (SPI) and videography to discover one family's unusual usage behaviours.FindingsAnalysis, following Holbrook's typology of consumer value, reveals examples of innovative behaviours for the four active consumer value types of efficiency, status, play and ethics, while identification of the reactive value types of aesthetics, esteem, excellence and spirituality proves more difficult.Research limitations/implicationsThis research suggests alternative approaches for future research into opportunity identification, making use of videography and SPI. Moreover, the current work emphasises that innovation and the creative require consideration of the relational rather than just self‐seeking behaviours, needs or events.Originality/valueThis paper illustrates two research methods infrequently used, SPI and videography, positioning both as valuable tools for opportunity identification.
Naturalistic group interviewing in China
Authors: Eckhardt Giana M. , Bengtsson Anders 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis paper and accompanying film demonstrate the techniques of using scenarios, breaching expectations, and using naturalistic groups as being especially appropriate for conducting qualitative marketing research in China.Design/methodology/approachThis study is used to investigate the social construction of brands in China and to demonstrate how to create naturalistic group interviews in China, and why it is beneficial to do so. A film footage of the various groups discussing the scenarios presented to them is presented so the viewer can observe the interactions between the group members.FindingsIn this paper, it is argued that only certain qualitative methods are appropriate in a Chinese context, due to various aspects of Chinese culture which de‐emphasize expressing one's thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and values openly. In the accompanying film, it is demonstrated how: presenting Chinese consumers with scenarios that they can relate to stimulates meaningful discussion; breaching people's expecations is what allows people to articulate underlying meaning systems; and conducting interviews in existing, naturally formed social groups, all lead to naturalistic discussions.Originality/valueAs marketing and consumer research becomes more global, the field of qualitative research needs to take a critical approach to the effectiveness of varying methodologies in varying cultural contexts. A first step in this direction is taken by outlining how and why particular qualitative methods are effective in China. Naturalistic group interviews can also be used in a wide variety of countries and cultural contexts when the construct of interest is the social dynamics of a consumption activity.
Cross‐border shopping: family narratives
Authors: Castaño Raquel , Perez María Eugenia , Quintanilla Claudia 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a framework on the experience of cross‐border shopping. This experience is constructed on narratives, rituals, and intergenerational transfers that move beyond the simple description of experienced events to provide explanatory frameworks of family identity construction.Design/methodology/approachNine in‐depth interviews are conducted with three generations of North Mexican women from three families who shop frequently across the border.FindingsThe findings highlight different processes associated with the experience of cross‐border shopping. First, each family works throughout the years to construct its own identity using the tales of their shared experiences. Second, an intergenerational transfer of knowledge going from grandmothers to mothers to granddaughters in each family occurs as result of the experiences lived together. Third, common knowledge is developed both by Mexican consumers and North American retailers that translates into particular commercial practices. Finally, all our contributors are immersed in a national culture, the North Mexican, sharing and transmitting values like thriftiness, malinchismo, and the relevance of family ties. These values affect their shopping patterns, generating important consequences for both the Mexican and North American economies.Originality/valueThe authors' intent is to contribute to the understanding of the process of family identity construction through consumption. This consumption occurs in a particular context; cross‐border shopping. The experience is singular in the sense that families spend considerable amount of time together while traveling and establishing their shopping routines. This work depicts the shopping rituals passed down from generation‐to‐generation and the derived construction of meaning within the family.
Whose street is it anyway? Visual ethnography and self‐reflection
Authors: Rabikowska Marta 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply a self‐reflexive interpretive method of writing as a method of analysis of findings from a critical research based on videography documenting the relationship between ethnicity, consumption, and place.Design/methodology/approachAn innovative theoretical approach employed is interpretativist ethnography inspired by creative writing. This methodological approach allows the researcher to move beyond the rigidness of academic discourse and consequently enables a more intimate connection with the object of research.FindingsThe main outcome of this paper is realization that the presence of the researcher and her own autobiography affects the results of research and that articulation as much as execution of research is always subjective. A significant implication of this kind of approach is uncertainty and unreliability which questions the positivist objectivism dominating in both consumer studies and marketing. A subsequent limitation is a free reading which evades possibility of definite conclusions.Originality/valueBy providing a film and a commentary to it in one publication, this paper overcomes the traditional separation between the visual and the textual and contributes to the multisensory model of academic practice. It is particularly important for ethnography and visual studies where the application of the senses has both a theoretical and a practical value.
Constructing audio‐visual representations of consumer archetypes
Authors: Caldwell Marylouise , Henry Paul , Alman Ariell 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain how audio‐visual archetypal representations likely to engender emotional identification and consumer‐inquisitiveness by marketing professionals can be constructed.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs video‐ethnography involving the following steps: development of a typology of consumer archetypes based on a priori theory, screening for and identifying informants to exemplify each archetype, filming interviews in and around their homes, developing realistic audio‐visual representations of each archetype and assessing marketing practitioners reactions to the audio‐visual representations.FindingsIn response to the audio‐visual archetypal representations, marketing practitioners displayed a high degree of interest and emotional relatedness. The interest generated in the screenings motivated animated discussion and often a desire to better understand the consumers represented by each archetype. These heightened reactions contrast strongly with the relatively emotionally flat responses to traditional marketing research reports.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates that carefully crafted audio‐visual representations of consumer archetypes are likely to engender a consumer orientation in marketing professionals and hence associate with improved marketing decision‐making. It explains that this situation is likely explained by audio‐visual media's superior capacity to foster experiential, emotional knowledge of others, and, the origins of consumer archetypes in the collective un/consciousness and/or widespread strongly embedded cultural beliefs, norms, and values.
Trends and developments within corporate communication: an analysis of ten years of CCIJ
Authors: Elving Wim J.L. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse the trends in the papers which have been published in Corporate Communications: An International Journal (CCIJ) over the past ten years. The analysis will focus on the region of the world the (first) authors come from and on the topics of the paper.Design/methodology/approachAll papers published in Volumes 5 to 14 of CCIJ have been listed and analysed on the country where the first author comes from and the subjects of the paper.FindingsIn the first part of the last ten years, authors predominantly come from the Anglo‐Saxon world (UK, USA and Australia); whereas, in the last period 45 per cent of the papers come from authors from continental Europe. The subjects of the papers show a bigger interest in corporate identity, reputations and corporate social responsibility in the last period, whereas internal communication and change communication remain important over the whole last ten years.Originality/valueThis overview is the first of its kind to be published in CCIJ. It shows the growing importance of the journal in the last ten years and the development of the journal into an important journal in the study of corporate communications.
Content analysis of corporate blogs as a relationship management tool
Authors: Cho Soyoen , Huh Jisu 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how major corporations in the USA utilize corporate blogs for building and maintaining relationships with various publics.Design/methodology/approachApplying the relationship management framework, a longitudinal content analysis of corporate blogs is conducted in 2006 and 2008. The blogs are identified by a thorough search of blogs operated by corporations listed on Fortune 500 companies or Interbrand Top 100 global brands. A systematic coding scheme is developed based on the existing research on relationship maintenance strategies and corporate communication.FindingsA growing number of major corporations in the USA have adopted blogs as a corporate communication tool and the popularity of topic‐oriented blogs appears to have increased over time. While corporate blogs tend to apply various relationship maintenance strategies, the application of such strategies tends to be concentrated on a certain type of strategies.Practical implicationsDespite the increasing adoption of the corporate blogging practice, many corporations still do not seem to harness the unique potential of a blog to the fullest extent. To maximize the relationship management efforts, practitioners should consider expanding the scope and level of relationship management strategies. For researchers, this paper proposes a new approach for examining corporate blogs as a public relations tool by applying the relationship maintenance strategy framework.Originality/valueThis paper is the first attempt to provide a longitudinal overview of the state of corporate blogs and strategies. In addition to offering descriptive information about the corporate blogging practice, this paper proposes a new research framework for studying corporate blogs.
Actor‐networking stakeholder theory for today's corporate communications
Authors: Luoma‐aho Vilma , Paloviita Ari 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to suggest a need to widen stakeholder theory to include non‐human influences to better describe the complex corporate environment. Drawing from actor‐network theory, non‐human entities may “translate” new, unexpected stakeholders to support their aims.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs a theoretical conceptual approach with three illustrative examples.FindingsThe examples provided show that corporate crises result partly from previously unacknowledged non‐human spheres of influence and cause corporations serious losses. Corporations that take a proactive stance and monitor the weak signals of change are able to improve their standing and maintain legitimacy.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework created requires more testing with different examples across contexts and cultures. Future studies should examine the process of translation more deeply and examine who can potentially be translated into a stakeholder.Practical implicationsCorporate communication should play “the devil's advocate” on issues and analyze not only stakeholders, but also non‐human entities that may be able to translate others into joining their cause.Originality/valueThis paper broadens stakeholder theory to better describe the current corporate environment by highlighting the process of translation among stakeholders and non‐human entities.
Financial resources and corporate reputation
Authors: Siano Alfonso , Kitchen Philip J. , Giovanna Confetto Maria 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify convergent elements between corporate reputation and financial resources. The paper seeks to draw parallels between corporate reputation management and corporate financial management in order to define common management principles.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, the analogy‐based approach is used to identify similarities in the functions and risks between corporate reputation and financial resources. This approach is the prerequisite for defining common management principles.FindingsThe paper proposes some arguments in favour of common functions and risks thesis of corporate reputation and financial resources. The finding of common functions and risks opens the way for an analysis of common principles in corporate reputation management and corporate finance management.Research limitations/implicationsCross‐fertilization between corporate communication and reputation and corporate finance can encourage effective evolution over time of the common management principles. The limitation of the research is the parallelism between two types of resources which traditionally belong to different subjects/disciplines. Cultural barriers may oppose the acceptance of this unusual juxtaposition of resources.Practical implicationsThe use of these common principles allows for the development of an appropriate cultural background of managers. It could create advantages both for large companies and small businesses. The shared cultural background and language should serve to improve interaction and dialogue among managers on an intra‐ and inter‐organizational levels.Originality/valueThe parallels between corporate reputation and financial resources; the common management principles of these different resources; and their theoretical‐conceptual and practical implications, are entirely new topics in literature.
Positioning and differentiation by using brand personality attributes
Authors: Ingenhoff Diana , Fuhrer Tanja 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of mission and vision statements on corporate web sites and to analyze differentiation strategies through the use of online brand personality attributes in order to find if and how the attributes are effectively used to build up a unique corporate identity.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis is used to investigate similarities and differences between sectors and industries in Switzerland, based on the brand personality scale of Aaker. Also, the paper focuses on the impact of the communication of brand personality elements, in terms of positioning and differentiation, using correspondence analysis.FindingsThe claim that companies do present brand personality by frequently communicating respective attributes through mission and vision statements published on their web site are supported. However, top management does not seem to be geared towards industry norms when phrasing the statements, as a considerable similarity in statement content is found across industries. The results show that companies position themselves using their competitors as a frame of reference.Research limitations/implicationsThe results may lack generalizability to small and medium‐sized businesses and other industries.Practical implicationsAs most companies in the study position themselves using the same attributes and specifically emphasize “competence,” the results include practical implications for the need to develop uniqueness and differentiation by other means.Originality/valueThis paper discovers a gap between the claim that organizations seek uniqueness in their personality attributes and the reality of their involvement in mutual coorientation when defining their identity, forcing them to adapt to each other.
Creatingesprit de corpsin times of crisis
Authors: Agerholm Andersen Mona 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to analyze the communication processes from both a management and an employee view during a corporate value implementation process within a Danish windmill company. The purpose of this paper is to develop further understanding of the potential problems that may occur during such a process within an organization.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is a case study based on a social constructionist approach. A multi‐dimensional model of reception analysis is proposed in order to capture employees' readings of value statements.FindingsThe study shows that the distance between top management's views on the values and employees' perceptions is noteworthy. This distance is primarily caused by circumstances in the case company's historical and situational context. One of the questions this paper raises is whether values are an ideal management tool in times of an organizational financial crisis.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper only focuses on one organization. Additional research is needed in other organizations attempting to communicate values internally in times of crisis.Practical implicationsManagers need to take newer communication theory into consideration in order to be aware of what might go wrong in a communication process. They also need to consider both the daily working context of the employees and the historical and situational context of the organization before they launch a value project. The communicative competences of middle managers and their capability to enter in dialogue with the employees should also be taken into consideration.Originality/valueThe research illuminates the potential problems that may occur during an organization's value process and offers recommendations for future value implementation efforts in organizations.
Searching for corruption in Serbia
Authors: van Duyne Petrus C. , Stocco Elena , Bajovic Vanja , Milenović Miroslava , Lojpur Elizabeta E. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a description of the state of corruption in Serbia, based on available empirical evidence produced by the penal law‐enforcement agencies themselves.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses an analysis of available documents, criminal cases of the Municipal Court of Belgrade, data from the Public Prosecution Office and the National Statistical Bureau. Given the scarcity of research in Serbia, the usual inaccessibility of judicial sources, the study is a first reconnaissance based on what is available at present.FindingsThe basic finding is a huge gap between what the people experience about corruption and what is eventually prosecuted. The law‐enforcement agencies address this phenomenon haphazardly and in a fragmented manner, displaying a fundamental lack of data management, resulting in lack of transparency.Research limitations/implicationsResearch in such a sensitive area and within a political culture of opacity, addressing incomplete data, will in its first stage yield limited results. The project will be continued with additional interviews with knowledgeable people, extension of the statistics and validation and comparison of other anti‐corruption bodies as far as they have a measurable output.Practical implicationsThe short‐term practical implication is that researchers “got over the threshold” and entered the law enforcement “chambers”. Practical applications concern the contribution to transparency, which is required for doing research and impacts on the way the practitioners address their own practice.Originality/valueThe paper addresses a certain field in a country that has so far been only scantly researched.
Accession blues: modest successes and major difficulties in Romania
Authors: Neagu Norel 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the legislation and case law relevant to preventing and combating fraud affecting the European Union (EU)'s financial interests in Romania.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores how the legislation is implemented in the process of Romania's accession to the EU, how it has been interpreted in case law, the reasons for the results achieved so far and the link between these specific offences and the general fraud offences provided for in the Criminal Code and other special laws.FindingsThe analysis examines the deficiencies in the legislation and in practical implementation thereof, focusing on the penalties and on recovery of funds.Practical implicationsThe research highlights the need for practitioners clearly to distinguish between the common legislation applicable to fraud offences, on the one hand, and offences affecting the EU's financial interests, on the other, thus contributing to a fair trial.Originality/valueThe paper identifies the linkages between the common legislation applicable to fraud offences and offences affecting the EU's financial interests, which are still blurred even for Romanian legislators, especially in the field of Community revenue.
Fighting EU fraud: why do we make life difficult for ourselves?
Authors: Quirke Brendan 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the arrangements and institutions that have been put in place at both the transnational and the national levels to fight fraud against the European budget. It also seeks to consider the experiences of two new Member States, Romania and the Czech Republic, in seeking to build effective anti‐fraud structures and to co‐operate effectively with Brussels.Design/methodology/approachSemi‐structured interviews are undertaken with officials of the European Anti‐Fraud Office (OLAF), as well as with officials in both Romania and the Czech Republic. A review of secondary materials such as official reports and academic articles is also undertaken.FindingsThe fight against European Union (EU) fraud is hampered by a number of factors. Fragmentation occurs at different levels, transnational, national and legal. The lead transnational agency OLAF has not been given the support it requires and has been subjected to a long period of uncertainty regarding its powers and responsibilities. New Member States have been admitted to the EU, but some of them have not been ready in terms of their ability to tackle fraud effectively. These problems are to a large extent self‐inflicted, and make the fight against fraud all the more complex and difficult.Originality/valueThe paper provides an insight into the difficulties facing both OLAF and the agencies of new Member States in terms of fragmentation and seeking to acquire investigative and other technical skills in a very short period of time. It is an addition to a body of literature which is not particularly extensive.