Retail Store Loyalty Management via an Analysis of Heterogeneity of the Service Elements

This paper follows a line of research opened up by a series of authors who use a marketing approach for the study of retail service productivity. Without departing from the line of reasoning established by these authors, the main purpose of this paper is to detect possible differences in marketing productivity within and between different types of retailing services, using a research model that includes both the firm's effort and that of the customer. The two services selected for this purpose are grocery outlets and petrol stations.     

Droht eine Immobilienpreisblase in Deutschland?

Since 2009, real estate prices in Germany have been rising rapidly after a period of stagnation during the Great Recession. This raises the question of whether the recent price increases are fundamentally driven or rather an indication of a real estate bubble in Germany. To tackle this question, we take a look at several real estate demand-side indicators. As real estate bubbles sometimes form in certain sub-segments of the real estate market only, the authors also conduct a disaggregate analysis by looking at different real estate types in Germany’s most important metropolitan areas. In what follows, we investigate the relation of real estate prices and rents and test for explosive behaviour of the price-generating processes. Our findings suggest that the recent upswing in the German real estate market seems to be based on fundamental factors. Except for the sub-segment of flats in some of the metropolitan areas, there is no evidence for price increases being unsustainable.     

Capital Structure of Portuguese Service Industries: A Panel Data Analysis

Using panel data for the period 1999–2003, this study shows that internal and external financing are not perfect substitutes, not corroborating the theorem of Modigliani and Miller. Portuguese service industries prefer internal to external financing, corroborating Pecking Order theory. The bigger the size of the company, the greater the level of debt, corroborating Trade-Off and Signalling theories. The negative relationship between the amount of fixed capital and debt corroborates Agency theory. The results allow us to conclude that debt contributes to improving management efficiency, agency problems between shareholders and creditors having little relevance.     

Physicians' appraisal of mobile health monitoring

This study addresses what factors influence and moderate Japanese physicians' mobile health monitoring (MHM) adoption for diabetic patients. In light of the multilevel sequential check theory, the study tests whether novelty seeking, self-efficacy, and compatibility moderate the effects of overall quality, net benefits, and perceived value of MHM on physicians' usage intention. Self-efficacy serves as an evaluation of resources for coping with an event, while compatibility involves the judgment of an event's congruence with a motive or goal. The study results support four out of nine moderation hypotheses. Our findings clearly indicate that the impact of overall quality and net benefits on physicians' intention to use MHM would be significantly strengthened by self-efficacy and compatibility, but not by novelty seeking.     

Austerity measures in crisis countries — results and impact on mid-term development

Since the onset of the sovereign debt crisis, the crisis-stricken countries in Europe have been pushed to take drastic steps to consolidate their finances and reduce their budget deficits. Despite strong public opposition and largely damaging short-run effects, the countries have undertaken many of the internationally recommended/mandated reforms and spending cuts. In this Forum, authors from Greece, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal report on the fiscal consolidation achieved in their respective countries — and the sacrifices that have made it possible. Furthermore, the authors detail what remains to be done to resolve the crisis.     

Are there nonlinear relationships between the profitability of Portuguese service SME and its specific determinants?

Using quantile regressions, this paper examines the possibility of significant nonlinear relationships between the profitability of Portuguese service small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and its specific determinants. The results lead to the conclusion that there is a significant nonlinearity between specific determinants and profitability in Portuguese service SMEs. In the lower quantiles of the distribution of profitability of Portuguese SMEs, it is found that profitability on the one hand is catalysed by size, long-term debt and managerial control, and on the other hand, it is restricted by risk and research and development intensity. In the upper quantiles of the profitability distribution of Portuguese service SMEs, liquidity and research and development intensity serve as catalysers of profitability, while long-term debt restricts the level of profitability.     

Relational,Functional Benefits and Customer Value in Large Retailing: A Cross-Format Comparative Analysis

ABSTRACT

Based on the existing marketing concept on relational and functional benefits and on the retailing management of customer value, the present research empirically tests the influence of these customer benefits by providing a comparative analysis for different retailing formats, such as supermarkets and hypermarkets. Using questionnaire data for a sample of customers (N = 362), the authors developed structural equation modeling. This study identifies the factors influencing customer value, as well as the key to understand the relationships of customer benefits, customer value, loyalty, and purchase intention in the retailing service context. The contribution of the present research includes empirically testing a conceptual model, by developing a comparative analysis, along with providing some meaningful insights to retailing managers on how to strategically manage customer value variables to increase and enhance customer retention and purchase intent.     

陕西省耕地面积变化与粮食生产的相关性研究  ———基于1980～2010年的数据分析

我国的粮食生产与粮食安全问题一直是农业经济学界普遍关注的学术问题,结合耕地面积变化展开的研究也颇为多见,从全国到各省的分析皆有,但一般集中在粮食主产区省份.陕西省虽不是我国粮食主产区,但其耕地面积不小,因此对其耕地面积变化与粮食生产的相关性研究也有较强的现实意义.该文总结了陕西省耕地面积概况和粮食生产概况,以1980～2010年的数据为基础,选取了总量、年变化率等指标,分析了陕西省耕地面积与粮食产量的相关性问题.研究结果表明:认为近年来陕西省耕地面积、粮食总产量和人均粮食产量均呈现缓慢增加态势;虽然粮食单位面积产量、耕地面积变化对粮食总产的约束作用逐渐弱化,但粮食单位面积产量与粮食总产量的相关系数仍为高度相关.提出陕西省应该在未来一段时期内保持耕地面积的相对稳定,提高粮食单位面积产量.     

政府监管与蔬菜质量安全研究

蔬菜质量安全问题,已成为我国政府和民众关注的焦点,成为影响我国蔬菜国际竞争力、持续增加我国农民收入、全面建设小康社会的关键因素.该文在分析我国农产品质量安全监管现状的基础上,重点分析了我国蔬菜质量安全存在的主要问题,并从政府机关、生产供应层面、创业协会提出了相应的对策.     

集体建设用地土地级别评定探讨  ———以新野县为例

该文从集体建设用地定级特点出发,分析了定级中存在的双重差异和定级单元划分中存在的问 题,构建了宏观趋势指标与微观差异指标共存的指标体系,分析了采用差异单元格的优点,并以新野县为 例进行了实证研究。结果表明:采用宏观趋势指标与微观差异指标共存的指标体系和差异单元格进行集体 建设用地级别评定,其结果符合研究区域实际,具有较强的操作性。研究结论:宏观趋势指标与微观差异 指标共存的指标体系和差异单元格可用于集体建设用地土地级别评定。