title: Marketing as an Interaction System

authors: Varey, Richard J.

subjects: social interaction

abstract: Marketing thinkers identify concepts of relationship, interaction, and network as useful. Edgar Crane (1972) saw interaction as essential to buyer-seller decision-making. David Ford, Kristian Möller, and Håkan Håkansson followed with explanations of how marketing operates. Christian Grönroos expanded the horizon with ‘interactive marketing’. Evert Gummesson saw interaction as “active contact” and all marketing as relationships and interaction in networks. The Relationship Marketing field flourished – at least for a time.

Whilst many proponents of “interactive communication” and “social interaction” do not see the interaction concept as problematic, they focus attention on practices. I choose to re-examine both ‘interaction’ and ‘communication’, and to relate these concepts to the concepts of society and the social process we call “marketing”.

The discussion proceeds from the general perspective of humans living among others, to the specific situation of marketing in society. I examine the concept of ‘interaction’, and consider social interaction as exchange –a dialogical view of human communication. The patterning of social interaction in markets as distinct from bureaucracies, solidarity groupings, and co-operative collectives is examined.

An alternative sociological analysis of the social is compared with that of the social psychology tradition. Communication is discussed as a mode of interaction, to reveal monologic (technical) and dialogic (humanitarian) conceptions of communication prevalent in the marketing field.

Within the context of an ‘Interaction Society’, marketing is explained as a complex dynamic adaptive interaction system, revealing a conversational nature. It is proposed that interaction directs and co-ordinates, but also co-creates – ‘interactional work’ has innovative capacity.

text: Marketing as an Interaction System Marketing thinkers identify concepts of relationship, interaction, and network as useful. Edgar Crane (1972) saw interaction as essential to buyer-seller decision-making. David Ford, Kristian Möller, and Håkan Håkansson followed with explanations of how marketing operates. Christian Grönroos expanded the horizon with ‘interactive marketing’. Evert Gummesson saw interaction as “active contact” and all marketing as relationships and interaction in networks. The Relationship Marketing field flourished – at least for a time.

Whilst many proponents of “interactive communication” and “social interaction” do not see the interaction concept as problematic, they focus attention on practices. I choose to re-examine both ‘interaction’ and ‘communication’, and to relate these concepts to the concepts of society and the social process we call “marketing”.

The discussion proceeds from the general perspective of humans living among others, to the specific situation of marketing in society. I examine the concept of ‘interaction’, and consider social interaction as exchange –a dialogical view of human communication. The patterning of social interaction in markets as distinct from bureaucracies, solidarity groupings, and co-operative collectives is examined.

An alternative sociological analysis of the social is compared with that of the social psychology tradition. Communication is discussed as a mode of interaction, to reveal monologic (technical) and dialogic (humanitarian) conceptions of communication prevalent in the marketing field.

Within the context of an ‘Interaction Society’, marketing is explained as a complex dynamic adaptive interaction system, revealing a conversational nature. It is proposed that interaction directs and co-ordinates, but also co-creates – ‘interactional work’ has innovative capacity.

year: 2008

title: The Forgotten Password: A Solution to Selecting, Securing and Remembering Passwords

authors: Filmer-Clark, Tracy Jane

subjects: Password

abstract: Internet passwords are required of us more and more. Personal experience
and research shows us that it is difficult to create and remember unique passwords
that meet security requirements. This study tested a unique method of password
generation based on a selection of mnemonic aids aimed at increasing the
usability, security and memorability of passwords. Fifty-one engineers,
accountants and university students aged between 17 - 61 years participated in the
study. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: mnemonic, self-selection
and random. All passwords in the study had to meet the following
criteria: they had to be unique, at least eight characters long with a mixture of
letters and numbers, and not include complete words or personal identifiers,
sequential or repetitive numbers, and the passwords could not be written down or
recorded anywhere. The mnemonic group created passwords based on a variety of mnemonic processes, the self-selection group generated passwords that complied with the 
above criteria, and the random group were assigned random
passwords generated by the experimenter. Password recall was tested online once
a week for three weeks, and then the passwords were renewed, with participants
staying within the same groups for the length of the study. The second password
was tested weekly for three weeks, then the passwords were renewed for the third
and final time and tested for a further three weeks. The expectation was that the
use of mnemonics in password creation would improve accurate recall of
passwords, more so than if the password was 'self-selected' or a random password
was assigned. The results showed that participants in the mnemonic group were
able to accurately recall all three passwords significantly more often than
participants in the self-selection and random groups. Furthermore, passwords
created by the mnemonic group were more secure than passwords created by the
self-selection group, as their passwords generated had a greater number of
characters in them, slightly larger alphabet size, and a higher degree of entropy.
The results are discussed in terms of the practical relevance of the findings.

text: The Forgotten Password: A Solution to Selecting, Securing and Remembering Passwords Internet passwords are required of us more and more. Personal experience
and research shows us that it is difficult to create and remember unique passwords
that meet security requirements. This study tested a unique method of password
generation based on a selection of mnemonic aids aimed at increasing the
usability, security and memorability of passwords. Fifty-one engineers,
accountants and university students aged between 17 - 61 years participated in the
study. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: mnemonic, self-selection
and random. All passwords in the study had to meet the following
criteria: they had to be unique, at least eight characters long with a mixture of
letters and numbers, and not include complete words or personal identifiers,
sequential or repetitive numbers, and the passwords could not be written down or
recorded anywhere. The mnemonic group created passwords based on a variety of mnemonic processes, the self-selection group generated passwords that complied with the 
above criteria, and the random group were assigned random
passwords generated by the experimenter. Password recall was tested online once
a week for three weeks, and then the passwords were renewed, with participants
staying within the same groups for the length of the study. The second password
was tested weekly for three weeks, then the passwords were renewed for the third
and final time and tested for a further three weeks. The expectation was that the
use of mnemonics in password creation would improve accurate recall of
passwords, more so than if the password was 'self-selected' or a random password
was assigned. The results showed that participants in the mnemonic group were
able to accurately recall all three passwords significantly more often than
participants in the self-selection and random groups. Furthermore, passwords
created by the mnemonic group were more secure than passwords created by the
self-selection group, as their passwords generated had a greater number of
characters in them, slightly larger alphabet size, and a higher degree of entropy.
The results are discussed in terms of the practical relevance of the findings.

year: 2008

title: He huringa āhuarangi, he huringa ao: A changing climate, a changing world

authors: Awatere, S

subjects: climate change adaptation

abstract: Iwi/hapū (tribe/subtribe) governance institutions are increasingly asserting their rangatiratanga (autonomy) to manage climate change risks and meet the well-being of whānau (family)/ hapū/iwi. Howevere, there is a shortange of specific guidance for whānau/hapū/iwi with respect to climate change adaptation and mitigation. We provide a commentary about risk and uncertainty, knowledge gaps, and options for climate change mitigation and adaptation for whānau/hapū/iwi.

text: He huringa āhuarangi, he huringa ao: A changing climate, a changing world Iwi/hapū (tribe/subtribe) governance institutions are increasingly asserting their rangatiratanga (autonomy) to manage climate change risks and meet the well-being of whānau (family)/ hapū/iwi. Howevere, there is a shortange of specific guidance for whānau/hapū/iwi with respect to climate change adaptation and mitigation. We provide a commentary about risk and uncertainty, knowledge gaps, and options for climate change mitigation and adaptation for whānau/hapū/iwi.

year: 2021-10