Agree to disagree

We, the Editors and Publishers of International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, have retracted the following article:

Sivakumar Balakrishnan &; Krishnamurthy Karuppanagounder (2019). Cost of two-wheeler road accidents in India. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion 26(2). DOI: 10.1080/17457300.2019.1576208.

The above article has been retracted due to significant overlap in content with a Master’s Thesis entitled, “Estimation of Willingness to Pay Value for Crash Reduction,” by Geethu Ashok, 2015. The Thesis has subsequently been published as a book titled “Road Safety-Willingness to Pay for Crash Reduction” by Scholars’ Press in 2017 with ISBN: 978-3-330-65119-7. The authors have been informed of this decision and agree with the retraction.

We have been informed in our decision-making by our policy on publishing ethics and integrity and the COPE guidelines on retractions.

The retracted article will remain online to maintain the scholarly record, but it will be digitally watermarked on each page as “Retracted”.     

Responsible Investing of Pension Assets: Links between Framing and Practices for Evaluation

Despite the increase in the acceptance of responsible investing (RI) in general (Allianz, in www.allianzglobalinvestors.com, 2010), the global community is still witnessing unprecedented levels of practices that can only be categorized as “unsustainable”. It appears, then, that either the inroads made by the RI community have not kept up with the increase in unsustainable practices, or, that the RI process itself has been ineffective at producing meaningful change. The current study aims to investigate the practices used by pension plan sponsors to determine how they may enable, or interfere with, the adoption of implementation of RI. We adopt Framing Theory (Benford and Snow, Annual Review of Sociology 26:611–639, 2000), specifically the idea that particular frames find alignment when they resonate with their targets, by either bridging, extending, amplifying or transforming a domain. We extend research to include understudied practices by performing an analysis of 60 public pension funds in Canada. We find evidence of disconnect between the financial frame which dominates practices for compliance and evaluation, and the social frame of RI as a source of change. If the aim of RI is to produce long-term change, then a consideration of whether it aligns with extant practices is critical. We discover a variety of frame alignment tactics already employed in practice. We also find that, even within the dominant financial frame, opportunities for frame extension, amplification and transformation do exist, and examine how these are more (or less) possible depending on how the asset management structure is designed.     

Action Research As an Ethics Praxis Method

Action research is combined research and practical action where the researcher joins with and acts with practitioners to help improve practice and theory building. Action research can be a form of Aristotelian critical, ethical praxis that developmentally changes the action researcher and the external world. Bernstein’s (Praxis and action, 1971) and Eikeland’s (The ways of Aristotle, 2008) interpretations of Aristotelian ethics praxis are considered. The Argyris et al. (Action science: concepts, methods, and skills for research and intervention, 1985) “action-science” and the van de Ven (Engaged scholarship: A guide for organizational and research knowledge, 2007) “engaged scholarship” forms of action research with their differently nuanced interpretations of Aristotelian philosophy as foundations for action research are considered and compared as examples of action research as an ethics praxis method with respect to (1) a key similarity with respect to joining of critical ethics and actionable knowledge; (2) another key similarity with respect to action research practice that can developmentally change the action researcher and the external world; and (3) a key difference with respect to academic literature versus practitioner-based theory building is also considered (Nielsen J Bus Ethics 93:401–406, 2010a). Examples in the cases of the political economist and action researcher, Hirschmann’s “Exit,Voice, Loyalty” approach and Greenleaf’s “Servant Leadership” approach to action research as forms of Aristotelian critical, ethical praxis are analyzed.     

Small Business–Bank Relationships and the Role of Internet Banking

In the aftermath of the Cruickshank Report (2000) Cruickshank, D. 2000. “Competition in UK banking (A Report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer)”. London: The Stationery Office.  [Google Scholar] and the Competition Commission's investigation (2002) Competition Commission Report. 2002. “The supply of banking services to SMEs”. HM Treasury, available at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk (accessed 2 December 2002) [Google Scholar] into SME–bank relationships, this paper examines the current state of the small business–bank relationship and ascertains whether the Internet could be used to improve the quality of the relationship. It utilises a qualitative research method, which consisted of 24 interviews with small business owners and relationship managers in banks. The interviews, inter alia, address the following main research questions: what are the needs and expectations of small business owners from their relationships with banks? What do small businesses think about the overall quality of service provided by banks in the relationship context? What was the delivery preference of small businesses and banks in the relationship? What did small business owners and banks think had been the main effects of e-banking on relationship management. The paper incorporates a discussion of the main findings and makes pragmatic policy and practice recommendations based on the results.     

Get MediaSmart®: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Controversy Around Advertising to Children in the UK

In response to calls for increased regulation of advertising to children (occasioned by concerns over childhood obesity levels) a group of UK advertisers targeting young people have sought to demonstrate social responsibility by providing media literacy education resources for children aged six to eleven through the MediaSmart® initiative. This article draws on Critical Discourse Analysis (Fairclough 2001 Fairclough, Norman. 2001. “The discourse of New Labour: Critical discourse analysis”. In Discourse as data: A guide for analysts, Edited by: Wetherell, Marjorie, Taylor, Stephanie and Yates, Simeon. 229–66. London: Sage/Open University Press.  [Google Scholar]) to analyse a selection of publicly available accounts of the 2002 launch and operation of MediaSmart® in order to explore how alternative discursive representations of MediaSmart® construct children and advertising in relation to one another, and how these constructions work to further the social practices of which the discourses in question are part. The analysis concludes that the competing discourses have a stake in the problem of advertising to children remaining open‐ended, but suggests that the possibilities of its resolution lie in (a) the incorporation of children's own perspectives in controversy conducted on their behalf by adults, and (b) conceptions of media literacy which are more active and age‐inclusive than those evident in the discourses currently available.     

Commentary: Relative Presence of Business-to-Business Research in Retailing Literature

Our objective in this article is to correct the record on the contribution of the Journal of Retailing to business-to-business (B2B) research in marketing. In particular, we refute the assertion of LaPlaca and Katrichis (2009 LaPlaca, P. J. and Katrichis, J. M. 2009. Relative presence of business-to-business research in the marketing literature. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing.,  [Google Scholar]) that the Journal of Retailing “does not regularly publish research concerning business-to-business marketing.” Our analysis of recently published (2002–2008) articles in the Journal of Retailing shows that less than 19% are devoted to B2C or C2C topics. Our comparison of the Journal of Retailing's relative emphasis on nine B2B content areas indicates parity with other marketing journals for some topics and a lesser emphasis for others. The key B2B topics of marketing strategy and channels of distribution appear relatively more frequently in the Journal of Retailing than they do in other marketing journals reviewed by LaPlaca and Katrichis (2009 LaPlaca, P. J. and Katrichis, J. M. 2009. Relative presence of business-to-business research in the marketing literature. Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing.,  [Google Scholar]). Hence, any estimate of the contribution of B2B research to marketing knowledge that dismisses the impact of the Journal of Retailing contains a downward bias.     

Information and the Production of Management in a Theory of the Firm

Abstract

I show that the three main contributions to the theory of the business of the last century – those of Cobb and Douglas (1928 Cobb, Charles W., and Paul H. Douglas. 1928. “A Theory of Production.” American Economic Review 18 (Supplement): 139–165. [Google Scholar]), Coase (1937 Coase, Ronald. 1937. “The Nature of the Firm.” Economica 4 (16): 386–405.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), and Lucas (1978 Lucas Jr, Robert E. 1978. “On the Size Distribution of Business Firms.” Bell Journal of Economics 9 (3): 508–523.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) – are actually complementary and can be fitted into a general model of the firm size choice as the solution to a problem of optimal allocation of decision making in the economy. Decisions require information, and the availability and cost of information drives the optimization of firm size by the relevant decision makers - managers and entrepreneurs - pursuing the maximization of profits. Trends in firm size, and their reversals, are shown to depend on the aggregate information/output ratio.     

Bond Ratings and Income Smoothing in Brazil

ABSTRACT

In this article we use the variables proposed by Eckel (1981 Eckel , N. ( 1981 ). “The Income Smoothing Hypothesis Revisited.” Abacus , Vol. 17 , No. 1 , pp. 28 – 40 . [Google Scholar]) and Leuz et al. (2003 Leuz , C. , Nanda , D. , and Wysocki , P. ( 2003 ). “Earnings Management and Investors Protection: an International Comparison,” Journal of Financial Economics , Vol. 3 , No. 69 , pp. 505 – 527 . [Google Scholar]) as proxies to measure income smoothing and find that Brazilian companies that engage in this behavior receive better ratings in their public bond issues. Using data obtained from the National Bond Registration System and the Economatica, we evaluated public bond offerings. The results of univariate and multivariate analyses and robustness tests attest to the significance of the income smoothing factor, regardless of the rating agency. The results support the notion that income smoothing is an information-signaling mechanism and has an impact on bond ratings.     

Consumer receptiveness to international retail expansion: a cross-cultural study of perceptions of social and economic influence of foreign retailers

Guided by the work of Samiee (1993 Samiee, S.1993. “Retailing and Channel Considerations in Developing Countries: A Review and Research Propositions.” Journal of Business Research27 (2): 103–129. doi:10.1016/0148-2963(93)90018-K.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. Journal of Business Research, 27 (2): 103–129), Sakarya, Eckman, and Hyllegard (2007 Sakarya, S., M.Eckman, and K.Hyllegard. 2007. “Market Selection for International Expansion.” International Marketing Review24 (2): 208–238. doi:10.1108/02651330710741820.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. International Marketing Review, 24 (2): 208–238), and Alexander et al. (2010 Alexander, N., A. M.Doherty, J. M.Carpenter, and M.Moore. 2010. “Consumer Receptiveness to International Retail Market Entry.” International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management38 (3): 160–172. doi:10.1108/09590551011027104.[Crossref] , [Google Scholar]. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 38 (3): 160–172), a cross-cultural analysis was undertaken to examine consumer receptiveness to domestic market entry by foreign apparel specialty retailers. More specifically, this study explored differences in consumers' perceptions of the influence of foreign apparel specialty retailers on social, cultural, and economic development across three countries: Spain, Turkey, and the USA. Consumer receptiveness was measured as beliefs about the social and economic influence of foreign retailers and perceptions of retailers' brand characteristics and offerings. An intercept survey of 1233 apparel shoppers was conducted in major metropolitan shopping areas in all three countries. MANOVA revealed that Spanish consumers were least concerned about urban growth associated with foreign retailers and least likely to perceive positive employment/business opportunities and socio-cultural well-being from the presence of foreign retailers. Turkish consumers held the strongest perceptions regarding the influence of foreign retailers on urban growth. Paired sample t-tests revealed that Turkish consumers, when compared with Spanish consumers, evaluated U.S. retailers' offerings more positively and were more receptive to the entry of U.S. retailers into their domestic markets. Results of regression analyses indicated that Spanish and Turkish consumers' beliefs about retail brand characteristics and the socio-cultural and economic influence of foreign retailers positively predicted consumers' receptiveness, whereas age negatively influenced receptiveness. Differences in perceptions among Spanish, Turkish, and U.S. consumers may be attributed to the varying levels of economic development among the three countries as well as to the countries' differing policies concerning foreign retailers. Findings provide a basis for the development of a measure of consumer receptiveness to international retail expansion.     

A Subcultural Analysis of the Brazilian Knowledge Industry: When Nation,Industry, and Organizational Cultures Collide

ABSTRACT

This exploratory research seeks to better understand the relationship between national and industry culture, concentrating particularly on the case of the Brazilian knowledge industry. Perceptions of real and ideal corporate values were obtained from 98 professional and managerial staff from Brazil and 40 from the United States. The results were also compared to those of a multi-industry Brazilian sample reported in Nelson and Gopalan (2003 Nelson , R. E. , and Gopalan , S. ( 2003 ). “Do Organizational Cultures Replicate National Cultures?” Organization Studies , Vol. 4 , pp. 115 – 152 . [Google Scholar]). The Brazilian knowledge industry respondents' view of their organizational culture was much more favorable than the US knowledge industry respondents' perceptions. The Brazilian knowledge industry sample also contained unique subcultures that varied by employment regime and favorably reflected on the industry's ability to adapt to modern trends. This configuration of results does not clearly favor any of the major theories of organizational culture but suggests a complex pattern of interaction between country, industry, industry position, and employment regime. The results do, however, suggest that interaction effects of country by industry may be much stronger than the main effects of either industry or nation.     

A Measure for Companies' Customer Portfolio Management

Purpose/Contribution: Customer portfolio management (CPM) is one of the key areas of customer-relationship and network management in business markets. However, there is scant research about the implementation of this concept in business. This article contributes to this conceptually rich but empirically nascent field of CPM research by (1) conceptualizing customer portfolio management, (2) forming a measure for it, (3) validating the suggested measure, and (4) suggesting implications for future research and management.

Methodology: A CPM construct is proposed based on the synthesizing of the theory and the findings from a qualitative field study of companies' management practices. The suggested construct is formative and consists of the following four dimensions: analysis efforts, analysis design, responsiveness efforts, and responsiveness design. Hence, this conceptualization takes into account both the strength and style of companies' CPM practices. The measure is validated following Diamantopoulos and Winklhofer's (2001) Diamantopoulos, A. and Winklhofer, H. 2001. Index construction with formative indicators: An alternative to scale development. Journal of Marketing Research, 38(2): 269–277. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] guidelines for developing formative measures. Together with the content validity established in the conceptual phase of the research, the results from a cross-industry survey of 212 companies give support to the construct validity of the suggested CPM measure. Partial least squares modeling is applied in validating the measure.

Implications: This study gives an extensive, up-to-date review of customer portfolio management and provides measures for future research on companies' CPM practices and performance. Further, the theory and the field study highlighted several central topics that should be addressed in future CPM studies. The resulting managerial implications derive from the discussion on the key aspects of developing CPM practices in business.     

Convergence Rates to Output Growth in a Global World: The Roles of Openness and Government Size

In this article, we examine the effects of three openness measures on 54 industrial and emerging economies' output growth over the “globalization years” of 1986–2004. Controlling for standard determinants of the Solow growth model in panel data, we find positive effects of openness on real output growth. While we find support for higher convergence rates under the open economy, the convergence rates in this article for both samples are remarkably close to the 2% level documented in Mankiw et al. (1992) Mankiw, G., Romer, D. and Weil, D. 1992. A Contribution to the Empirics of Economic Growth. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 107(2): 407–437. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. The inclusion of G/Y, however, reduces the speed of convergence more substantially in industrial economies.     

“Strategic Failure” in the Financial Sector: A Policy View

Analysis of the recent financial crisis has tended to focus upon “market” and corresponding “regulatory” failures. While this provides important insights, it may neglect deeper issues at the root of recent problems. In this paper, we take a broader perspective, drawing upon the stategic choice approach to the theory of the firm (Cowling and Sugden, 1998 Cowling, Keith and Sugden, Roger. 1998. The essence of the modern corporation: markets, strategic decision-making and the theory of the firm. The Manchester School, 66: 59–86. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar], 1999 Cowling, Keith and Sugden, Roger. 1999. The wealth of localities, regions and nations: developing multinational economies. New Political Economy, 4: 361–378. [Taylor & Francis Online] [Google Scholar]). We present a governance-based analysis which emphasises the process of engaging interested “publics” in corporate decision-making processes. We illustrate our arguments with respect to three UK cases – Northern Rock, Bradford and Bingley, and HBOS banks – which each required major interventions by the UK Government and whose recent history reveals significant changes in ownership, governance and corporate strategy. We argue that the current period of reform for these former building societies represents an ideal opportunity to address serious concerns over governance within the financial sector, and we propose a revised mutual solution as one appropriate way forward.     

Orientation Toward International Business Relations and the Influence of Values of Middle Eastern Business Elite

This research maps out a framework for the application of the value structure of Jordanian business elites, relying on Schwartz's (1992 Schwartz, S. H. 1992. “Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries”. In Advances in experimental social psychology, Edited by: Zanna, M. Vol. 25, 1–65. New York, NY: Academic Press. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) theory of the contents and structure of values. The results suggest that Jordanian managers attribute the highest importance to achievement and security values and the lowest importance to tradition and hedonism. Moreover, the study explores the relationship between different value types and the willingness of Jordanian decision makers to conduct business with individuals from other countries. Finally, the sample suggests differences in values related to willingness for business collaboration among various countries, as a function of perceived cultural context.     

Social Constructivism,Mental Models,and Problems of Obedience

There are important synergies for the next generation of ethical leaders based on the alignment of modified or adjusted mental models. This entails a synergistic application of moral imagination through collaborative input and critique, rather than “me too” obedience. In this article, we will analyze the Milgram results using frameworks relating to mental models (Werhane et al., Profitable partnerships for poverty alleviation, 2009), as well as work by Moberg on “ethics blind spots” (Organizational Studies 27(3):413–428, 2006), and by Bazerman and Chugh on “bounded awareness” (Harvard Business Review, 2006; Mind &; Society 6:1–18, 2007) Using these constructs to examine the Milgram experiment, we will argue that the ways in which the experiments are framed, the presence of an authority figure, the appeal to the authority of science, and the situation in which the naïve participant finds herself or himself, all create a bounded awareness, a narrow blind spot that encourages a climate for obedience, brackets out the opportunity to ask the moral question: “Am I hurting another fellow human being?” and may preclude the subject from utilizing moral imagination to opt out of the experiment. We will conclude that these forms of almost blind obedience to authority are correctable, but with difficulty. We will argue that linking the modification of mental models to an unbinding of awareness represents an important synergistic relationship and one that can build effectively on the lessons learned from our experience with moral imagination.     

The paradox of exclusion and multiculturalism in postcolonial identity†

This article analyzes the discriminatory representation of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong advertisements through a semiotic analysis of a TV commercial for an insurance company. The ridiculing of a foreign domestic helper through a colorist representation is inscribed in an ethnographic inquiry that explores how the representation of the foreign “other” in terms of dark skin color serves to project a common conceptualization of Hongkongers’ own identity. The discussion explores the paradoxical understanding of Hong Kong as a multicultural and global city, in contrast with the apparently homogenous Chinese mainland, while excluding from the concept of “multiculturalism,” non-Chinese ethnicities through discrimination based on skin color. Thus, the role the TV commercial plays is to shape and reinforce this paradox, perpetuating the idea of the Hong Kong identity as Chinese, but multicultural at the same time.^?? An early version of this paper was presented at the Kern Conference in Visual Communication, Rochester, New York, April 2014.     

Life on the Red Carpet: Star Players and Referee Bias in the National Basketball Association

Fans of the National Basketball Association (NBA) have long considered the idea that NBA referees are biased in various ways, such as when certain “star players” benefit from so-called “phantom fouls” committed against them or are sheltered from calls against fouls they commit. Using two data sets, the first based on Wallace, Caudill, and Mixon (2013 Wallace, Scott, Caudill, Steven B., and Mixon, Franklin G., Jr. 2013. Homo Certus in Professional Basketball: Empirical Evidence from the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Applied Economics Letters 20 (7): 642–648.[Taylor &; Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]), and a second based on all player games during the 2011 NBA Playoffs series, including dozens of NBA All Stars, the present study empirically investigates this potential form of referee bias by examining both early- and late-game free throw shooting in these most critical games of any season for NBA players, coaches, owners, and fans. The empirical results suggest that marquee NBA players are the beneficiaries of referee bias that occurs near the end of NBA Playoffs contests. More specifically, through regression models with various fixed effects, we find that NBA All Stars are awarded with an additional 0.32 free attempts per minute during the fourth quarter of NBA Playoff games.     

The Impact of Media Multitasking on the Cognitive and Attitudinal Responses to Television Commercials: The Moderating Role of Type of Advertising Appeal

In two studies, we explored the effect of media multitasking on viewers' cognitive and attitudinal responses to television commercials and the moderating role of advertising appeals. The limited capacity theory of Lang (2000 Lang, Annie (2000), “The Limited Capacity Model of Mediated Message Processing,” Journal of Communication, 50 (1), 46–70.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that integrates both the motivational and cognitive ability aspects of information processing was used as the theoretical framework. The results of Study 1 show that, in line with previous findings, media multitasking negatively affects cognitive responses but has an overall positive effect on attitudinal responses to television commercials. The results of Study 2 suggest that this effect on attitudinal responses is present only for commercials that focus on the desirability (compared to the feasibility) of a product. The results indicate that in media multitasking contexts, television commercials that rely primarily on stressing the desirability of a product have both a cognitive and an attitudinal advantage compared to those that rely primarily on stressing the feasibility of a product.     

The coherence of inconsistencies: Attitude–behaviour gaps and new consumption communities

Abstract

Despite the growing success of well-marketed environmentally friendly products, there remains a gap between consumers' positive attitudes towards green issues and products, and their inconsistent and often conflicting consumption behaviour. Indeed, this is a challenge for social marketers seeking to advance the sustainability agenda. Therefore, this study problematises what has been conceptualised as attitude–behaviour gaps (Boulstridge & Carrigan, 2000 Boulstridge, E. and Carrigan, M. 2000. Do consumers really care about corporate responsibility? Highlighting the consumer attitude–behaviour gap. Journal of Communication Management, 4(4): 355–368. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), and explores how groups of consumers have re-construed such practices and their meanings through the formation of New Consumption Communities (Szmigin, Carrigan, & Bekin, 2007 Szmigin, I., Carrigan, M. and Bekin, C. 2007. “New consumption communities and the re-enabling of 21st century consumers”. In Consumer tribes, Edited by: Cova, B., Kozinets, R.V. and Shankar, A. 296–311. Oxford: Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann.  [Google Scholar]). Multi-sited ethnographic findings illustrate the social processes through which ethical and green forms of consumption are established and normalised. Findings also stress the importance of normative and habitual reframing through ‘ethical spaces’ (Barnett, Clarke et al., 2005 Barnett, C., Cafaro, P. and Newholm, T. 2005. “Philosophy and ethical consumption”. In The ethical consumer, Edited by: Harrison, R., Newholm, T. and Shaw, D. 11–24. London: Sage. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]) in establishing and maintaining increased consistency in participants' consumption meanings, behaviours, and goals. Thus we re-frame attitude–behaviour gaps as coherent inconsistencies, which allows for a move away from solely trying to explain and change individual consumer behaviour, to identifying how suitable upstream and downstream (Verplanken & Wood, 2006 Verplanken, B. and Wood, W. 2006. Interventions to break and create consumer habits. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 25(1): 90–103. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) approaches and policies can be used to facilitate more sustainable forms of consumption.     

Creating an Ethical Work Context: A Pathway to Generate Social Capital in the Firm

There is a need for further research to understand how social capital in the workplace can be promoted. This article studies the generation of social capital from a comprehensive perspective that integrates ethics and general management. We propose the concept of “ethical work context” as an influential antecedent of the social capital in the firm. The ethical work context, which is aligned with the “humanizing culture” approach proposed by Melé (Journal of Business Ethics 45(1), 3–14, 2003a), allows a broader comprehension of the concrete management practices and organizational dynamics that generate organizational social capital. It is argued that social capital, understood as a by-product of the ethical work context, results both from organizational design and ongoing managerial activity. Creating an ethical work context brings ethics and social capital into the realm of the general manager; a figure that has remained absent from the social capital literature.