bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Computational study of the sensitivity to ignition characteristics of the resonance in DI diesel engine combustion chambers
Authors: Broatch Alberto , Margot Xandra , Gil Antonio , Christian Donayre (José) 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study is to give insight about the influence of the piston bowl geometry and the fuel ignition features on the resonance of direct injection diesel engines combustion chambers in order to provide support to the experimental findings on combustion noise.Design/methodology/approachThe resonance due to the burned gases oscillations in a diesel combustion chamber is caused by the sudden rise in pressure due to the initial ignition of the air‐fuel mixture, and leads to the resonance noise. In the CFD study presented here the excitation source is represented by imposing locally in a small area (excitation zone) the pressure and temperature gradients of the start of combustion. The CFD approach is first validated against the acoustic modal theory. A parametric study representing different ignition conditions is then performed with a real bowl geometry.FindingsThe solutions obtained are analysed in terms of the energy of resonance (ER) and the response in the frequency domain. It was found that the response in frequency only varies with the diameter of the bowl, while the ER varies significantly in function of the injection conditions.Research limitations/implicationsThese first conclusions need to be verified on the one hand by taking into account the piston motion, and, on the other hand, by modelling in a more realistic way the combustion excitation.Practical implicationsThis CFD study has brought some insight into the flow phenomena that affect the resonance modes of a combustion chamber.Originality/valueThis CFD study uses a novel methodology to model the effect of the combustion excitation on the resonance modes of a combustion chamber.
Weight optimization of sampling instruments for ESA Mars Express mission
Authors: Yung K.L. , Ko S.M. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper sets out to present the weight optimization of sampling drill‐bits which is designed for European Space Agency – Beagle 2 Mars Express mission.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, two techniques, finite element analysis and numerical optimization, are employed to find out the optimal solution within the various constraints.FindingsThe result shows that the total weight of sampling drill‐bits was reduced over 76.7 percent.Originality/valueThe proposed methodology can also be applied in different engineering design applications and provides a total integrated solution as a generic template for design engineers.
Determinants of export intermediaries' service‐mix configurations
Authors: Balabanis George 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe main objective of the study is to classify export intermediaries (EIs) on the basis of their service offering and to understand how they adjust the composition of their service‐mix to a number of internal and external contingencies.Design/methodology/approachA set of hypotheses were developed and tested on data collected from a random sample of British EIs through a postal survey. Cluster analysis was used to classify EIs on the basis of their service‐mix composition, whereas multinomial logit and multivariate analysis of variance were used to test the main hypothesis.FindingsResults showed the existence of three types of EIs: full‐service provider (FSP) EIs; transaction creator EIs; and physical fulfiller EIs. Transaction creator EIs are the smallest group of the three and FSP EIs, the largest. The composition of the service mixes of these EIs is influenced by the number of countries served; physical presence to foreign markets; distance of the foreign markets and the extent to which an EI takes title of the goods. Specifically, results showed that “full service” EIs tend to be physically present in foreign markets, to serve more countries, and to serve geographically distant markets.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of the study is that it provides evidence from only one country and results may not apply in other contexts. Thus future research, on a different context is desirable and it should take into account additional factors that affect the provision and configuration of EI services. The quality of the offered services is an important issue that was not examined by this study. Different types of EIs are likely to be linked with different levels of service quality as well as service assortment. It would be interesting in the future to examine the possible determinants of EI service quality as well as the existence of trade‐offs between service quality and service assortment.Practical implicationsPractical implications can be drawn for both the EIs as well as the current or potential users of EI services. The study offers guidelines to EIs on how to adjust their service offering to the characteristics of their external and operational environment. The result of the study helps the users and potential users of EI services to identify the types of EIs that can match better their needs and objectives.Originality/valueFirst, it provides a systematically derived and practically useful classificatory scheme of EIs on the basis of services. Second, it examines an extended number of contingencies integrated in a conceptual framework that jointly influence an EIs service offering.
Ethics and international marketing
Authors: Carrigan Marylyn , Marinova Svetla , Szmigin Isabelle 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper is a general review contextualising the current debate on ethics and international marketing. The aim of the paper is to present an overview of historical and current trends as a background for this special issue edition ofInternational Marketing Reviewfocusing on international marketing ethics.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines how ethics in international marketing have evolved and progressed towards the current “ethics era” and presents discussion surrounding the role and value of an ethical approach towards marketing in a global marketplace.FindingsEssentially the paper argues that marketers should creatively embrace the complex challenges of the international marketplace by rethinking their approach to marketing ethics.Originality/valueGives an overview of the special issue.
Consumer preferences for the marketing of ethically labelled coffee
Authors: De Pelsmacker Patrick , Janssens Wim , Sterckx Ellen , Mielants Caroline 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis study aims to assesses the relative importance that Belgian consumers attach to different characteristics and marketing practices of ethically labelled coffee, i.e. type of ethical issue, label issuer, amount of information provided, distribution and promotion strategy and branding.Design/methodology/approachBuying behaviour is studied by means of a web‐based survey in a sample of 750 Belgian consumers, using conjoint analysis.FindingsConsumers attach greatest importance to the distribution strategy of ethically labelled coffee, followed by the type of ethical label, and the issuer of the label. Ethically labelled coffee should be available in ordinary supermarkets and be presented along with non‐ethical coffee brands. Fair trade labelled coffee is by far the most preferred over eco‐ and bio‐labels. European government labels, or labels issued by non‐governmental organizations, are preferred over national (Belgian) government endorsed labels. Consumers prefer extra information on the package, in addition to a label. Out‐of‐shop promotion of the label and the type of brand are of minor importance. The results are similar across different socio‐demographic groups.Practical implicationsImplications for governments, NGOs, and manufacturers and distributors of ethically labelled coffee (and possibly other ethical products) are offered.Originality/valueThe contribution of the study is that it measures the relative importance of factors that have previously been identified as relevant in a realistic multi‐attribute preference‐formation framework.
Comparing Thai and US businesspeople
Authors: Marta Janet K.M. , Singhapakdi Anusorn 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine differences in the ethical decision‐making processes of Thai and American businesspeople, considering perceived moral intensity, corporate ethical values (CEV), and perceived importance of ethics.Design/methodology/approachSurvey respondents were professional marketers in Thailand (n=605) and US (n=453). Results were analyzed using MANOVA and ANOVA. Scales have been used previously in the literature, so we report reliability.FindingsAmerican managers were more likely to perceive the unethical marketing behaviors to be more serious. American organizations were found to have higher CEV than Thai organizations. The results revealed no differences between the two groups of businesspeople, however, on their perceptions about the importance of ethics.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations inherent in this research include the initial development of the development of the measurements in the US and some notable demographic differences between the samples.Practical implicationsAs investment becomes more globalized, it is imperative that mangers understand that differing ethical perceptions can be a critical factor in working together successfully, and are occasionally an absolute limitations to establishing operations in a particular country.Originality/valueThe study should be especially useful to people who manage businesses in these two countries, but many of the implications will be valuable to anyone in international business situations, in dealing with differences in ethical perception.
An ethics of representation for international marketing communication
Authors: Schroeder Jonathan E. , Borgerson Janet L. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper offers an ethical analysis of visual representation that provides criteria for and sheds light on the appropriateness dimension of marketing communications. It provides a theoretically informed framework for recognizing and understanding ethical issues in visual representation.Design/methodology/approachAn interdisciplinary conceptual review and analysis focuses on four representational conventions, synthesizing ethical concerns, to provide a broader context for recognizing and understanding ethical issues in marketing representation: face‐ism, idealization, exoticization and exclusion. This framework is discussed and applied to marketing communications.FindingsIt argues that valuations of communication appropriateness must be informed by an awareness of the ethical relationship between marketing representations and identity. It is no longer satisfactory to associate advertising solely with persuasion, rather advertising must be seen as a representational system, with pedagogical as well as strategic functions. We conclude by discussing the theoretical, research, and managerial implications that arise from an ethics of visual representation.Originality/valueUrges moving beyond an advertising=persuasion model to encompass representation and culture in marketing communication studies. Contributes to understanding the ethical implications of marketing communication. Challenges marketers and researchers to broaden their conception of marketing communication to one more consistent with an image economy.
The internationalization speed of e‐commerce companies: an empirical analysis
Authors: Luo Yadong , Hongxin Zhao John , Du Jianjun 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis study aims to explain the internationalization speed of e‐commerce companies (ECCs).Design/methodology/approachBased on the archive data of the American ECCs, the study used multiple regression analysis to estimate the influences of a number of micro‐ and macro‐factors.FindingsThe results show that the speedy foreign market entry by ECCs was positively influenced by top management team's international experience, and innovative and marketing capabilities.Research limitations/implicationsThe study did not deal with the entry mode of ECCs inviting more future research efforts in this direction. Additionally, as established MNEs have integrated e‐commerce into existing business, future research can be devoted to examine the impact of this integration on the internationalization of firms.Originality/valueExtant literature has addressed the internationalization of ECCs with a focus on the level of internationalization. This study contributes to the current literature by extending research on globalization of ECCs and incorporating both micro‐ and macro‐level factors affecting the speed of international expansion.
Branding and the externalisation of production
Authors: Strange Roger 
Published: January 2007

PurposeAn increasing number of consumer goods are being produced in industries which may be characterised as “buyer‐driven” commodity chains, where the various stages of production are undertaken by different firms (often in different countries) and where the lead role(s), both in establishing and coordinating, the chain, are taken by large retailers and/or brand‐name merchandisers in the countries of the final markets. Often these lead firms do not own any production facilities, but simply manage all the elements of their production and trade networks. The purpose of this paper is to explain the conditions under which the retailers/merchandisers are able to outsource, or externalise, production activities in this way whilst still retaining control over the activities within the commodity chain.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is theoretical, and the evidence provided is purely anecdotal.FindingsThe main argument is that it is the retailers/merchandisers' possession of “brand name capital” or privileged access to customers that enables them to externalise production to independent suppliers whilst leveraging their control to obtain lower costs and higher profits.Practical implicationsThe implications of this process of externalisation are far‐reaching, and include new opportunities for local firms in developing countries to engage in world markets, changes to the international division of labour, and new patterns of trade.Originality/valueThe paper adopts a different perspective on the phenomenon of outsourcing, with important implications for policy‐makers in both home and host economies.
Behavioral attributes and performance in international strategic alliances
Authors: Robson Matthew J. , Skarmeas Dionysis , Spyropoulou Stavroula 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe aim of this study is to provide a methodical, analytical, and focused review of international strategic alliance (ISA) studies examining empirically behavioral attributes' performance outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThis study centers on an integrative analysis of 41 studies investigating the performance relevance of behavioral attributes. After developing a conceptual framework, which included two categories of these attributes – relationship capital (i.e. trust and commitment) and exchange climate (i.e. cooperation, communication, and conflict reduction) – the methodologies of the studies were profiled and their empirical findings aggregated. The accumulated effect of each behavioral attribute on performance and extent to which this effect varies in relation to ISA geographic location and type and study operating period was examined.FindingsThe review suggests that while there are direct links between behavioral aspects and alliance performance, the strength of these varies across the two categories. Of the relationship capital and exchange climate aspects, commitment and cooperation, respectively, prove most consistently positively linked to performance. Still, the results for all the behavioral attributes appear more consistent when taking the study context into consideration.Research limitations/implicationsEmpirical research on behavioral attributes' links to alliance performance is still at an early stage of development and assertions concerning relationship management offering the key to ISA success are somewhat premature. Improvements need to be made in terms of conceptualizations, research designs, and analytical techniques used if the field is to build concrete theory on the subject.Practical implicationsIt would appear that the behavioral paradigm can be relied on to pay‐off in alliances involving only DC partner firms and/or a cooperative agreement structure, but should be applied more cautiously and selectively in LDC‐DC and/or formal joint venture partnerships.Originality/valueThis is the first review exercise focused on providing fine‐grained insights covering the complexity of the burgeoning literature on the behavioral paradigm's performance relevance in ISAs.
Relational exchange in US‐Japanese marketing strategic alliances
Authors: Voss Kevin E. , Johnson Jean L. , Cullen John B. , Sakano Tomoaki , Takenouchi Hideyuki 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo develop and test a new model of relational exchange in marketing‐oriented non‐equity international strategic alliances.Design/methodology/approachThe model is tested using a sample of 97 matched dyads of US and Japanese firms in the electronics industry. The model was tested using three stage least squares.FindingsThe data generally support the proposed model for both nations/cultures. The results suggest that the benevolence dimension of trust is a more important determinant of managerially assessed alliance marketing performance for the Japanese firms relative to their US partners.Research limitations/implicationsWhile strong inferences are inhibited by the nature of our data set, our research implies that cultural sensitivity is an important determinant of the credibility and benevolence dimensions of trust and quality information exchange. Also, exchanging quality information is a strong mediator of the trust‐performance relationship.Practical implicationsInternational marketing managers should be focused on the process of developing high levels of alliance marketing performance. Our results suggest that this performance can be linked, at least in part, to the exchange of relevant, timely, important information. Information exchange in turn depends on the development of trust and cultural sensitivity in the relationship.Originality/valueThis paper integrates the cultural sensitivity construct into a relational exchange model of international alliances, demonstrating the importance of being open to, and understanding of, culturally driven operational differences. The important behavioral construct we call quality information exchange is a mediator in the relational exchange model, an improvement over models that include only relational constructs such as trust and commitment.
Globalizing internationals: product strategies of ICT manufacturers
Authors: Gabrielsson Peter , Gabrielsson Mika , Darling John , Luostarinen Reijo 
Published: January 2007

PurposeA highly interesting research problem relates to how international information and communication technology (ICT) manufacturers from small and open economies (SMOPECs) can meet the huge globalization challenge of developing products and managing them during global expansion. In particular, how do product strategies change when these companies move from international to global and why?Design/methodology/approachA theoretical framework and propositions are constructed, which are then examined in a multiple case study of Finnish ICT manufacturers.FindingsThe results confirm that the globalizing internationals, i.e. companies that first internationalize after the domestic period and then globalize their operations outside the domestic continent, develop towards standardized product strategy alternatives, wider product assortment and advanced product categories.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contribute by providing a deeper understanding of the impact of the explanatory factors on global product strategies and their development of globalizing internationals in the Finnish ICT equipment manufacturing field. Also, the study results are expected to be most relevant for companies originating from SMOPEC countries.Practical implicationsThis study describes in detail the product strategy dimensions and standardization alternatives for globalizing international ICT companies and impacting factors for managers to consider when planning their global expansion and product strategies.Originality/valueLittle research has been done on the evolution from the international to the global stage. This research is in fact among the first studies studying globalizing internationals and their products strategies. An understanding of the evolution of products strategies and the reasons for this development will contribute to the international marketing field.
Factors affecting acceptance of the internet as a marketing‐intelligence tool among employees of Greek bank branches
Authors: Lymperopoulos Constantine , Chaniotakis Ioannis E. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the importance that branch employees of Greek banks attach to the internet as a tool of marketing intelligence, and the factors that affect its acceptance as such a tool.Design/methodology/approachUsing the technology‐acceptance model (TAM) as a basis, a questionnaire is designed by the researchers, and completed by employees. Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to analyse the data, and this confirms the relationships proposed by the TAM.FindingsThe main findings of the study are that: branch employees of Greek banks feel that a marketing‐intelligence system is a prerequisite for effectiveness in their work; although the internet is the fourth‐most important source of market intelligence for branch employees of Greek banks, they require greater access to the internet to meet their market‐intelligence needs; perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use of the internet directly affect bank employees' attitudes – which, in turn, affect the employees' intentions of using the internet as a marketing‐intelligence tool; and education and working experience affect employees' attitudes indirectly (through perceived usefulness).Research limitations/implicationsMain limitations of this study are related to the sampling method and the fact that the field research was conducted only in Athens, the capital of Greece.Originality/valueFinally, the paper suggests how banks could exploit the internet as a marketing intelligence tool for their branch employees and what actions should be planned in order to facilitate its adoption.