The attributes of a cruise ship that influence the decision making of cruisers and potential cruisers

A never ending challenge for the cruise industry is to convert potential cruisers to cruisers. Grounded in Attribute Knowledge Theory and studies on novelty seeking, this study addressed this challenge by examining the different attributes of a cruise ship that influence the decision making of cruisers and potential cruisers. Using a sample of cruisers and potential cruisers with similar socio-demographics, this study found that they perceive seven dimensions of onboard attributes, but attach different importance to some of them. These results, consistent with the theoretical prediction, provide evidence that the cruise industry should develop different marketing strategies for cruisers and potential cruisers.     

Quiet enjoyment in the National Parks of England and Wales: public understanding of the term and its influence on attitudes towards recreational activities

In response to concerns raised since the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 established the National Parks, the National Parks Review Panel (1991) recommended that the term ‘quiet enjoyment’ be included in the Environment Bill to clarify the wording of the second purpose for National Parks. During parliamentary debate the term was removed, and some have subsequently claimed that this weakened the Environment Act 1995. This article describes the outcomes of a survey to establish the nature of public understanding of the terms ‘quiet enjoyment’ and ‘quiet recreation’ and to identify the nature of incidents perceived as interfering with ‘quiet enjoyment’ and ‘quiet recreation’. The results indicate that the terms ‘quiet enjoyment’ and ‘quiet recreation’ hold different meanings for the public, with ‘quiet enjoyment’ being a broader and more emotive concept than ‘quiet recreation’. However, despite differences in meaning of the two terms, similar factors were reported as interfering with both ‘quiet enjoyment’ and ‘quiet recreation’. Respondents were also asked about the perceived acceptability of a range of activities within National Parks, and about their own involvement in those activities. Links were found between perceived compatibility of recreational activities with the terms ‘quiet enjoyment/quiet recreation’ and their acceptance in National Parks. Those surveyed viewed some restrictions on activities as necessary.     

An examination of reference prices at factory outlet stores

The purposes of this research study were to (1) examine the use of reference prices by one segment of retailing – factory outlet stores and (2) explore related public policy considerations. The researchers found that there was a significant difference between advertised reference prices at factory outlet stores and the regular retail price found in department or specialty stores in the same market. Advertised reference prices in outlets were significantly higher – a 6.2 percent difference. For only two of the product categories studied were differences not significant – housewares and children's apparel. Since these comparative reference prices are not in line with the regular prices at traditional stores, there is a potential for deceptive price claims.     

MEASURING NEW ZEALAND'S GDP 1865–1933: A COINTEGRATION-BASED APPROACH

Official and semi-official estimates of New Zealand's national income are available on an annual basis for the years since 1932. Retrospective, non-official, estimates are available from 1859. Chiefly these are constructed following Doblin's (1951) pioneering use of money stock data, velocity, and the implications of the Quantity Theory of Money, and include the estimates of Hawke (1975), Rankin (1992) and Cashin (1995).
This paper estimates New Zealand real GDP per capita with monetary data using valid, intervention-free, cointegration methods. The new measures avoid the ad hoc adjustments found in Rankin (1992), yet unlike Cashin (1995), they incoporate specific New Zealand monetary features. The new time series conform well with independent benchmarks and the historiography of the pre-1914 period. Alternatively, they suggest an interpretation of New Zealand's growth experience for years around World War One which differs from that of Australia, and from the findings of Rankin (1992) and Cashin (1995).     

Negotiating ‘Difference’: Representing Disabled Employees in the British Workplace

Drawing on qualitative interviews with disabled employees, union officers and disability‐related organizations, this article examines employee attempts to negotiate workplace adjustments and associated issues of workplace representation. UK employment law utilizes an individual medical model of disability, which conflicts with traditional collective approaches favoured by trade unions, which has implications for disabled employees and union representation. We explore the different strategies available to unions and conclude that, despite the role played by disability‐related organizations in supporting employees, unions are the only workplace actors who are capable of reconfiguring the ‘personal as political’ and integrating disability concerns into wider organizational agendas.     

A New Scale to Measure Executive Servant Leadership: Development,Analysis, and Implications for Research

This article introduces a new scale to measure executive servant leadership, situating the need for this scale within the context of ethical leadership and its impacts on followers, organizations and the greater society. The literature on servant leadership is reviewed and servant leadership is compared to other concepts that share dimensions of ethical leadership (e.g., transformational, authentic, and spiritual leadership). Next, the Executive Servant Leadership Scale (ESLS) is introduced, and its contributions and limitations discussed. We conclude with an agenda for future research, describing ways the measure can be used to test hypotheses about organizational moral climate, ethical organizational culture, corporate responsibility, and institutional theory.     

Same-Sex Sexual Harassment: A Legal Assessment with Implications for Organizational Policy

The legal debate over sexual harassment (SH) has taken an interesting turn concerning the controversial issue of same-sex sexual harassment (SSSH). Disagreement among circuit courts' decisions propelled the U.S. Supreme Court to grant full review to the SSSH case of Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., et al. (1996) [83 F.3d 118 (5th Cir. 1996) [online]. Available: http://laws.findlaw.com/5th/9530510cvl.html]. In a unanimous decision, the Justices indicated that (a) SSSH not only violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and (b) that the law does not exclude the idea that one heterosexual male can sexually harass another heterosexual male [Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., et al., S. Ct. 96-568, Lexis 1599 (1998)]. This paper reviews the history of SSSH law and discusses the implications of the Oncale decision for SH policies and procedures.