bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring potential factors leading to effective training
Authors: Chen Ching‐Yaw , Sok Phyra , Sok Keomony 
Published: September 2007

PurposeA previous study found that the quality of education in Cambodia is poor compared to other developing countries. However, the working performance of commercial banks in Cambodia is high. It was speculated that effective training was the main factor underlying this contradiction. Therefore, the main purpose of this article is to explore the elements of training conducted by commercial banks in Cambodia and to examine their relationship with training effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe research focuses on six factors: training needs assessment; training program; flexibility of training; self‐efficacy; social support; and transfer of knowledge. The data came in the form of questionnaires and desk research. A descriptive analytical approach is then used to describe these six factors.FindingsThe banking industry in Cambodia offers very effective training to its employees. It is also worth noting that more than 80 percent of employees are satisfied with the training, despite few attempts on the part of management to elicit opinions from employees on what training methods should be employed.Research limitations/implicationsAs research studies involving Cambodia are relatively rare, it was difficult for to gather primary data. Because of this limitation and the purpose of this study, descriptive data interpretation was employed.Practical implicationsEven though training can make up for poor education, it is only a short‐term solution. In the long term, education needs to be enhanced to increase working performance.Originality/valueThis research provides a good framework for commercial banks in other developing countries to compare. A cross‐cultural study is also proposed for future research.
A study of managerial derailment characteristics and personality preferences
Authors: Gentry William A. , Mondore Scott P. , Cox Brennan D. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThis research has the purpose of examining whether personality preferences and type from the Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) are related to managerial derailment.Design/methodology/approachThis study is within the context of field research, using 6,124 managers undergoing leadership development processes. Survey methodology was used to assess a manager's self‐ratings of MBTI type and preference, and observer ratings (peer, boss, direct report) of managerial derailment characteristics.FindingsDifferent MBTI preferences of managers are likely to display derailment characteristics as judged by observer perspectives. In an exploratory manner, the MBTI preferences and types are also examined in accordance with different managerial derailment clusters.Research limitations/implicationsThe MBTI's conceptual foundation and psychometrics may be viewed as a limitation, and other personality theories like “The Big Five” could be used. Limitations of the study also include the fact that managers going through a leadership development process may be different to managers in general, and derailment characteristics do not necessarily mean actual managerial derailment.Practical implicationsRegardless of MBTI type or preference, managers can decrease their chances of managerial derailment through examining job fit, increasing self‐awareness, and through other mechanisms mentioned in the paper.Originality/valueThis study is unique, since MBTI preferences and types could signal whether managers display derailment characteristics to their co‐workers. Additionally, this paper gives insight into how managers can prevent derailment, regardless of their MBTI type and preference, thereby having special value for managers and those who study managerial development.
Problem‐based learning: a viable approach in leadership development?
Authors: Yeo Roland K. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to investigate problem‐based learning (PBL) as a viable approach in leadership development. It identifies several key factors, strategies and possible outcomes associated with this new approach to training.Design/methodology/approachReflective inquiry through storytelling was employed as a research tool to gather rich qualitative data from two PBL trainers and 18 senior management personnel in a Singapore engineering firm. In‐depth interviewing was conducted four months after a structured three‐day leadership training using PBL.FindingsThrough a content analysis, three important factors have been identified as contributing to the meaningfulness of leaders' learning process: problem definition; open communication; and utilization of resources. Also, appropriate handholding is required to facilitate participants' deeper understanding of PBL even after the training session.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has led to new theoretical perspectives of cognitive and behavioral learning. For instance, PBL has increased participants' capacity and propensity to learn through the interplay of adaptive and generative learning. Further, the dynamics of learning hinge on the notion of single‐ and double‐loop learning where acting (investigation), thinking (reflection) and learning (knowledge sharing) intersect.Practical implicationsA matrix eliciting a guided approach to PBL in leadership development is presented to make explicit the subtle complexity of the learning process. Through both a structured training to an unstructured operational phase, PBL has led leaders to the discovery of new roles, attitudes and knowledge required to meet current changing times.Originality/valuePBL is traditionally an educational tool, but its wider application manifested in leadership training offers an original perspective in human resource development. Of value is the attempt to quantity qualitative data, yielding considerable clarity in the way complex information is managed.
A framework for management control research
Authors: Kanthi Herath Siriyama 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a conceptual framework that can be used in studying the changing nature of management control in organizations. It is based on four components of the management control system, namely: organizational structure and strategy; corporate culture; management information systems; and core control package.Design/methodology/approachA range of published works is reviewed to explore the nature of management control.FindingsThe conceptual framework developed in the paper can be used in studying the changing nature of management control in organizations.Research limitations/implicationsThis is not an empirical investigation of management control.Originality/valueThe framework presented in this article is useful to both practitioners and researchers of management control.
“i‐Branding”: developing the internet as a branding tool
Authors: Simmons Geoffrey J. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeTo derive an applicable conceptual framework of branding via the internet form; to show how that framework can, by organising and integrating current knowledge, assist marketing planners in the development of successful internet‐based branding strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual framework presented here derives from a thorough analytical and critical review of the literature on branding in the conventional and virtual marketing environments.FindingsThere are three key themes in the mainstream branding literature, supplemented in the proposed framework by a fourth research stream self‐evidently relevant to internet‐based branding. It is clear that the resulting four main elements of the framework are strongly interrelated in the practice of brand management in the online environment.Practical implicationsThe “Four Pillars of i‐Branding” should be of intellectual interest and practical value to marketing planners and those advising them, providing a more systematic approach to the understanding and application of branding, online.Originality/valueThe literature of “i‐Branding” is at present at a formative stage, with limited integration among its themes. The framework described here provides the basis for the rational formulation and implementation of branding strategies, applying internet‐based tools to the tasks of marketing communication and customer relationship‐building in particular.
An application of the ECSI model as a predictor of satisfaction and loyalty for backpacker hostels
Authors: Chitty Bill , Ward Steven , Chua Christina 
Published: September 2007

PurposeTo determine which factors account for customer satisfaction with a service and their loyalty to a given service provider, in the particular, context of “backpacking” in Australia, a significant element of the country's hospitality and tourism economy.Design/methodology/approachA series of hypotheses was developed from the services marketing literature and built into a 52 item questionnaire administered to 281 backpackers staying at the three youth hostels in Australia, who thus responded whilst actually experiencing the service encounter rather than in recalling it later. The European Customer Satisfaction Index (ECSI) was used to measure the strength and direction of the determinants of customer satisfaction, and the impact that the antecedents of satisfaction had on loyalty to the generic provider.FindingsThe results of confirmatory factor analysis of the questionnaire responses suggest that brand image is a predictor of satisfaction with a hostel, while perceived value indicates a degree of loyalty towards the “brand”.Research limitations/implicationsThe ECSI model's generic measuring criteria limit its generalisability. Further, research could usefully investigate other variables applicable to both hostels and conventional hotels to be included in a measurement model of satisfaction and loyalty for the whole hospitality industry.Practical implicationsBackpacker hostels are an example of experienced‐based service encounters with few clear comparative advantages. The marketing of the generic brand must therefore foster a brand image congruent with the experience actually delivered and the potential customers' expectations of it, thereby reducing decision risk.Originality/valueThe unusual context and particular methodology cast fresh light on an important challenge for marketing planners in the service industries.
Mediating effects of relationship quality on customer relationships: an empirical study in Hong Kong
Authors: Wong Y.H. , Hung Humphry , Chow Wing‐ki 
Published: September 2007

PurposeTo build and test a model of customer relationships, with particular reference to the financial services sector, relating the perceived quality of the relationship to one antecedent and two long term consequences.Design/methodology/approachData collected by street interviews with 207 consumers of financial services in Hong Kong were analysed by the research tool for this study is a questionnaire‐based survey on the quality of financial services in Hong Kong. Customers were interviewed on the streets in the major commercial districts in Hong Kong and a total of 207 completed questionnaires were collected and subjected to factor analysis. The model was tested for goodness of fit and construct reliability.FindingsThe findings confirm that there are significant relationships among relationship quality, information sharing, the expectation of continuing interaction and customers' willingness to recommend their service provider to others.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should apply the model proposed in this study and the findings to other service sectors and other geographic locations, in order to enhance its generalizability.Practical implicationsThe study provides strong evidence that financial service providers need to cultivate good‐quality relationships with customers, especially through regular and open information sharing, in order to maintain them in the long‐term.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this study is to demonstrate that relationship quality is a significant mediating variable between the antecedents and consequences of customer relationships. The expectation of a continuing relationship is also found to be strongly related to customers' willingness to recommend “their” service providers to others.
Influences on supplier repurchase selection of UK importers
Authors: Gill Donna , Ramaseshan B. (Ram) 
Published: September 2007

PurposeTo investigate the influence of supplier‐performance criteria on importers' decisions to repurchase from the same source, in the context of wine‐importing.Design/methodology/approachSelection criteria were derived from the literature and preliminary discussion with importers. Hypotheses were formulated, linking criteria and performance attributes to post‐purchase re‐buying intentions. Data were collected by self‐completion questionnaire from 152 UK‐based wine importers, and analysed by multiple regression.FindingsSupplier performance with respect to relationship commitment, payment facilities and product quality has a positive impact on repurchase intentions; the influence of price and brand recognition was found to be insignificant.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was limited geographically and by questioning only importers. Future study should investigate relevant behaviour across a wider spread of countries, business types, decision parameters and external variables, and collect data from exporters as well as importers.Practical implicationsIt is concluded that suppliers should focus strategy on all the decision‐criteria investigated in the study, rather than on the narrow base typically found in practice. Exporters should nurture strong relationships with importers, emphasise consistent product quality, and offer flexible payment arrangements. Branding is a route forward, and price will be an issue in the highly competitive UK market.Originality/valueThis is the first study to empirically test the effect of suppliers‐performance criteria on importers' repurchase intentions.
Measuring the effectiveness of marketing information systems
Authors: Gounaris Spiros P. , Panigyrakis George G. , Chatzipanagiotou Kalliopi C. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeTo design and empirically validate an instrument for measuring the effectiveness of a marketing intelligence system (MkIS).Design/methodology/approachA thorough review of the literature of IS in general and MkIS in particular was the foundation for a new conceptualisation of MkIS effectiveness, which was developed into a measuring instrument for experimental application to data collected by a pre‐tested postal questionnaire from 254 five‐star hotels in Greece.FindingsExploratory and confirmatory factor analysis show that the proposed measuring instrument meets acceptable criteria of reliability and validity. The effectiveness of MkIS is found to comprise both internal and external components, related on the one hand to the extent to which the user organization improves functional effectiveness and corporate climate and on the other to its adaptability to market conditions and its customer responsiveness. The instrument is capable of integrating these into a holistic measure.Research limitations/implicationsThe single‐industry, single‐country sample limits the scope for generalization. Future research should address this through replication in different contexts.Practical implicationsA validated measure of the effectiveness of MkIS has important implications for both users and providers. Conceptually, it permits improved understanding of the components of effectiveness. Pragmatically, it provides an assessment of the effectiveness of existing or new systems.Originality/valueUntil now, there has been no empirically validated instrument integrating the several dimensions of MkIS effectiveness.
Market segmentation using geographic information systems (GIS)
Authors: Musyoka S.M. , Mutyauvyu S.M. , Kiema J.B.K. , Karanja F.N. , Siriba D.N. 
Published: September 2007

PurposeTo show how the analytical and visualization capabilities of geographic information systems (GIS) can enhance the communication, understanding and utility of data and information to be used in marketing planning, as compared with their conventional presentation as text and tables.Design/methodology/approachA digital map of the study area was generated and a set of market zones. A multiple regression model for predicting sale of the product under study was then developed, taking into account sales figures from specific distribution outlets and the demographic and socio‐economic characteristics of the population served by the distribution outlets in the identified market zones. Optimum routes and times between the manufacturing plant and the distribution outlets were derived.FindingsCombining geospatial methods with conventional marketing techniques enables users to visualize the spatial distribution of data in maps, complemented by various statistical graphs and diagrams. This form of presentation yields better insights into the nature of the distribution process and better understanding of the diverse markets served.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a single case study of the solution to a logistical question in one district of one city in an African country. The findings must therefore be applied to other contexts with due caution.Practical implicationsThe study nevertheless vividly demonstrates the important role that GIS can play in sales and marketing planning.Originality/valueAn application of planning technology normally encountered in applications beyond the marketing discipline, readily transferable with care to more familiar situations and settings.
Cross‐cultural advertising research: where we have been and where we need to go
Authors: Okazaki Shintaro , Mueller Barbara 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine recent patterns and developments in the literature on cross‐cultural advertising research.Design/methodology/approachCitation analysis was performed for cross‐cultural advertising articles published in major marketing and business journals from 1995 to 2006.FindingsCultural values were the most studied topic area in cross‐cultural advertising research. Content analysis was the most widely employed methodology, followed by surveys. North America and the original European Union (EU) member states were the most frequently investigated, whereas there appears to exist a paucity of research in newer EU countries, and in Latin American, Middle Eastern, and African markets.Originality/valueBased on findings from the citation analysis, the authors outline future directions for the advancement of cross‐cultural advertising research in theoretical foundations, methodological issues, and countries to be explored.
Cultural values and effective executional techniques in advertising
Authors: Fam Kim‐Shyan , Grohs Reinhard 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine likeable executional techniques in advertising across five Asian countries and their impact on purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachA total of 1,000 urban young adults in five Asian countries (HK, China, Indonesia, Thailand and India) were telephone interviewed on their thoughts about the TV advertisement/s that they liked, product that was being advertised and purchase intention. Their responses were summarised into seven likeable executional techniques and product categories.FindingsThere is not a specific likeable executional technique that influences a purchase in four of the five countries. India is the only country where significant but weak overall model fit observed. These results demonstrate that, while there are differences among the countries, people in the same cohort broadly share the same values. For product categories, our findings demonstrate that product nature may moderate cultural influence on advertising effectiveness.Practical implicationsInternational advertisers who are vying for a share of the largely‐untapped Asian market can benefit by understanding the target country's cultural values and using it as a guideline for creating effective executional techniques in advertising.Originality/valueThis study extends the existing knowledge which demonstrates that, in Asia, persuasive executional techniques differ depending on the product category.
Personal uses and perceived social and economic effects of advertising in Bulgaria and Romania
Authors: Petrovici Dan , Marinova Svetla , Marinov Marin , Lee Nick 
Published: September 2007

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to uncover the underlying dimensions of, and examine the similarities and differences in, personal uses of advertising, perceived socio‐economic effects of advertising, and consumer beliefs and attitudes toward advertising in Bulgaria and Romania. Moreover, it aims to identify the relative importance of the predictors of attitudes toward advertising in the two countries.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws upon findings of previous research and theoretical developments by Bauer and Greyser, Sandage and Leckenby, and Pollay and Mittal. The study uses a stratified random sample of 947 face‐to‐face interviews with adult respondents from major urban areas in Bulgaria (507) and Romania (440). Variables are measured on multi‐item scales as a typical application of the reflective indicator model.FindingsResults show that there are significant differences between Romanian and Bulgarian respondents in terms of their attitudes toward advertising. Romanians are more positive about advertising as an institution than the instruments of advertising. Romanians seem to accept the role of advertising in a free market economy, but have less confidence in advertising claims and techniques. Bulgarian respondents seem more sceptical toward advertising in general and are less enthusiastic about embracing the role of advertising as an institution. Moreover, Bulgarians are highly negative towards the instruments advertising uses to convey its messages to consumers.Research limitations/implicationsThe research findings reflect the views of urban dwellers and may not be generalisable to the wider population of the two countries. Interviewer bias was reduced by eliminating verbal or non‐verbal cues to the respondents, and by the use of stratified random sampling.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests that the regulatory role of codes of advertising practice and industry regulating bodies should be enhanced, and their ability to protect consumers enforced. Marketing campaigns should be more inclusive to involve diverse social groups and reflect generally‐accepted social norms.Originality/valueThis study reveals that, while general attitudes toward advertising may be similar, attitudes toward the institution and instruments of advertising may differ even in countries with geographic proximity and low cultural distance.