A content analysis of ethical policy statements regarding marketing activities

Many large corporations now have written codes of ethics to guide the business/marketing activities of employees. The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and types of topics which are covered in the ethics policy statements of large U.S. corporations. The results indicated that the topics covered most often (respectively) were: misuse of funds/improper accounting, conflicts of interest, political contributions, and confidential information. It is concluded that in addition to written ethics policy statements, top management should communicate ethical values and demonstrate by example. Robert E. Hite (Ph.D. University of Arkansas) is Associate Professor of Marketing at Kansas State University. His textbook is entitled Managing Salespeople, and his articles have appeared in such journals as the Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and Industrial Marketing Management. Joseph A. Bellizzi (Ph.D. University of Nebraska) is Associate Professor of Marketing at Kansas State University. He was previously employed by Hilti Fastening systems as a Market Research analyst. His articles have appeared in such journals as the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Advertising Research, and Journal of Retailing. Cynthia Fraser (Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania) is Associate Professor of Marketing at Kansas State University. Her research interests are international marketing and marketing models. Her articles have appeared in such journals as the Journal of Consumer Research and Industrial Marketing Management.     

Cash holdings and business group membership

This study examines the cash policies of business group members (i.e., affiliates). Using a panel dataset of private Belgian affiliates and comparable non-affiliated firms, the empirical results show that business group affiliates hold significantly smaller amounts of cash as compared to non-affiliated firms. This finding is consistent with the notion that affiliates can afford to keep lower cash reserves because these firms can access the internal capital market of the group. The analysis also combines affiliate level and group level data to evaluate cash drivers and shows that groups in financial distress reduce cash holdings in affiliates. However, affiliates that are more important for the group's reputation and operations maintain cash levels comparable to affiliates belonging to financially healthy groups.     

Working Time as Gendered Time

Household-labor time and market-labor time are organized in part through the social structure of unequal gender relations. Generally, women do more household work than men, women's market work is undervalued, and the greatest rewards for market work accrue to men. The career model of employment is biased in favor of men who have few household responsibilities. Even noncareer seniority-sensitive job paths assume male incumbency with limited competition from household responsibilities. In this article we discuss the gendered underpinnings of the organization of time in contemporary Western society by critically examining household-labor time and the masculine models of career and noncareer employment. In addition to the important feminist goal of pay equity, we argue for a feminist politics of time that promotes alternative work-time arrangements for women and men to foster gender equality in the market and at home.     

Exploring VCR use as a leisure activity

On the basis of a uses‐and‐gratifications perspective, this exploratory study examined the TV viewing and VCR use of a sample of 119 households with VCRs. The instrument developed for use in this study consisted of a TV and VCR diary in which respondents recorded a variety of information related to each viewing (or recording) occasion for 1 week. The results suggest that although the ability to manipulate the broadcast schedule was a valued feature of the VCR, VCR use merely enhanced established patterns of TV viewing rather than significantly altered TV viewing or leisure behavior. The playback function of the VCR represented a primarily solitary activity pursued for entertainment and relaxation. Watching rented movies represented a primarily social activity pursued for entertainment, relaxation, and companionship. An equal number of television programs were viewed alone as were viewed with others.     

Perceived effect of a salesperson's stigmatized appearance on store image: an experimental study of student's perceptions

The Perception of a specific stigma, obesity, and its influence on store image was studied. Previous studies have acknowledged the role salespeople play in the perception of a store's image, but no previous studies have specifically focused on the influence of the physical appearance of sales personnel on store image. The results of an experiment that examined students' perceptions of salespersons' appearance showed that, if a salesperson was described as obese, then the store was perceived as having a poorer image and as being less successful, regardless of the sex of the salesperson or the type of store. The implications of these findings for retailers are discussed in light of the Americans with Disabilities Act and recent legal discussion concerned with protecting physically stigmatized workers.     

Exploring the national and organizational culture mix in service firms

Using representative samples of U.S. and Japanese retail service firms, this study explores whether one particular type of organizational culture is the best with respect to business outcomes (performance and customer satisfaction) or whether the optimum culture depends on the national context in which the firm is embedded. The findings suggest that there is a significant interaction effect of organizational culture with national culture on outcomes. Specifically, the relationships between the importance placed on the cultural values of stability, people orientation, and detail orientation and outcomes are significantly greater for Japanese than for U.S. service retailers. On the other hand, the relationships between the values of aggressiveness, innovation, and outcome orientation and outcomes are greater for U.S. retailers. Further, the findings show that firms whose cultures match those of their home countries exhibit lower levels of outcomes when they operate in other countries with different cultural values. Implications are given for how service retailers might be designed and managed for purposes of improving business outcomes.     

Responses to industrial closure

From a high point in the early seventies resistance to plant closure, especially in the form of the occupation, progressively declined throughout the rest of the decade. This article attempts to explain this trend in terms of changing socioeconomic contexts and management strategies.     

Who's right for an international assignment?

Picking the wrong candidate for an international assignment can be costly for both the individual and his or her company. So more and more companies are turning to testing techniques like the Overseas Assignment Inventory that allows a company to compare a candidate against a profile of success based on a study of thousands of international managers.