In search of employment: online technologies and Polish migrants

This paper seeks to advance our understanding of recruitment strategies focusing on a hitherto undeveloped research area, which scrutinises the relationship between social media and recruitment strategies in the context of facilitating international migration. The case study used to explore this activity is migrant workers from Poland seeking and engaging in employment in the UK hospitality sector. Using empirical findings, the paper outlines the role of the Internet fora as a transnational platform for job searching and job advertising, emphasising migrants' role as recruitment agents.     

Hotel roomrates under the influence of a large event: The Oktoberfest in Munich 2012

Surprisingly few studies deal with the implications of large events for hotel prices. We address this issue by modeling hotel prices in Munich under the influence of the Oktoberfest. By utilizing internet data from a metasearch provider for check-in dates prior to and during the Oktoberfest 2012, it is analyzed how the event affected the daily price level as well as price differentials between hotels. In general, average hotel prices are very volatile over time. Apparently, Munich hotels tend to set prices according to expected demand and vary those depending on the day of the week during the event. Ceteris paribus, roomrates are highest on Oktoberfest Friday and Saturday nights, followed by Oktoberfest weekdays and Oktoberfest Sunday nights, but there is a general and strong price-raising impact. Prices differ across hotels mainly due to the star category attributed to a hotel and the proximity to the event. Both price premia are time-dependent.     

网络环境下青少年心理健康教育研究

网络的推广与普及给青少年的身心带来了巨大的影响,它在拓宽青少年认知结构空间、促进其情绪宣泄和培养青少年多元价值观的同时,也容易导致青少年认知能力迷失、人际关系淡漠、生活意志丧失、抑郁、焦虑、敌对等一系列的心理问题。而我国当前在青少年网络心理问题的治疗过程中,存在着禁止青少年上网、只进行德育训诫、重治轻防和治疗人员专业水平较低等问题。提高青少年心理健康教育的效果,应建立家庭、学校和社会三位一体的教育和预防机制,开展网络心理教育,注重法制教育、德育教育与心理教育的有机结合并提高青少年网络心理疾病治疗人员的专业化水平。     

Critical resource: An institutional economics of the Internet addressing-routing space

This paper links the analysis of IP address policy to the established vocabulary and concepts of institutional economics. Internet addressing and routing are usually discussed in technical terms, yet embedded in this highly technical discourse are a number of critical economic concepts, such as scarcity, externalities, common pool resources, tragedy of the commons, and conflict over the distribution of costs. To solve these problems, governance institutions native to the Internet have evolved. Yet despite the centrality of addressing and routing to Internet governance, there is very little research literature that bridges economic, institutional and technical discussions of IP addressing and routing. This paper connects the techno-economic discussion to analysis of institutions and governance arrangements.     

An acceptance model for an Internet protocol television service in Korea with prior experience as a moderator

This study examines the effect of users' prior experience on the adoption behaviour in the Internet protocol television (IP TV) service domains. This article proposes a new acceptance model for an IP TV service considering the moderating effect of experience and verifies the model with an empirical study. Respondents are classified into either experienced or inexperienced groups according to their prior experience with the IP TV service. The results indicate that motivational factors used in our study affect behavioural intention. In addition, this study shows that the influence of extrinsic motivational factors on the behavioural intention are stronger for the experienced group than the inexperienced group and the influence of intrinsic motivational factors on the behavioural intention are stronger for the inexperienced group than the experienced group. This article concludes with study implications, as well as limitations and future research directions.     

Bandwagon and leapfrog effects in Internet implementation

This paper underscores the critical relationship between innovation adoption and innovation implementation, particularly how two contrasting effects—bandwagon and leapfrog—relate to organizational Internet diffusion. Bandwagon effects, adopting a technology due to fad and fashion, accelerate adoption but often lead to ineffective technology implementation. Leapfrog effects, however, attenuate adoption and often lead to effective technology use relative to early adopters. Drawing on and combining related Malaysian hospitality studies, this paper illustrates these two effects and extends the literature by showing that early, and late, adoption can relate positively to successful Internet implementation. In addition, the findings complement and question literature suggesting that business websites evolve through predictable linear patterns, and that adopter categories differ in innovation implementation styles.     

Perceived risk and risk-reduction strategies in Internet shopping

This article focuses on the appearance of new kinds of risk and new risk-relievers in electronic buying situations. A qualitative study was conducted in order to identify risk dimensions and risk-relievers. The links between risk and risk-relievers were taken into account. A quantitative survey was also conducted in order to measure perceived risk level and risk-reliever utility, and to present a cluster analysis of consumer riskreduction behaviour based on risk-reliever utility scores.     

The Impact of Personality Variables,Prior Experience,and Training on Sales Agents' Internet Utilization and Performance

ABSTRACT

Emerging literature on the impact of the Internet on business-to-business (B2B) marketing has primarily focused on examining this issue from the perspective of manufacturers and buyers. This study focuses on the sales agent, a third prominent actor in B2B markets, and tests a conceptual model that relates a sales agent's personality, demographic, and user-situational constructs to that sales agent's Internet utilization for selling activities. Further, the model tested in this study relates a sales agent's Internet utilization to perceived sales performance. Findings in this study indicate that internal locus of control, learning orientation, and sales related Internet training relate positively to a sales agent's Internet utilization, and that a sales agent's age relates negatively to Internet utilization. Further, the results support a positive relationship between a sales agent's Internet utilization and sales performance. This study emphasizes that the Internet can be a productive tool for sales agents. The implications of the results of this study for sales agents with respect to training and recruitment are discussed and avenues for future research are suggested.     

Web-Based Promotions

Abstract

Numerous business and popular articles continue to appear to stress the importance of the Internet as a powerful and interactive means of communication. As with other media, the web affects viewers' product evaluations and behavioral intentions. This article attempts to understand how students (recently admitted freshmen) form opinions about their school through interaction with the university web site. Multiple studies are conducted using website variables. The results of study one suggest website vividness, interactivity, and entertainment value are crucial in the formation of positive evaluations of and word of mouth behaviors directed toward the university. In study two, these same predictors helped explain word of mouth intentions but contributed little to evaluations.     

Exploring Content and Design Factors Associated with Convention and Visitors Bureau Web Site Development

Abstract

Convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) have become important organizations within the tourism industry. The International Association of Convention & Visitor Bureaus (IACVB) reported that it represents approximately 500 destination management organizations in 30 countries (IACVB, 2003). As one of the most important components of the tourism industry in the United States, the Convention and Visitors Bureau performs various activities to facilitate destination marketing and development, with the aim of enticing leisure and convention customers to their particular city or region. Meanwhile, meeting planners are using technology to enhance their ability to produce and execute meetings that demonstrate a high return on investment. Consequently, CVBs' websites have enormous potential in selling a destination and facilitating the meeting/convention planning process. This paper explores the content and design factors associated with convention and visitors bureau web site development. It also demonstrates how planners utilize the Internet and CVB websites.