Journal Articles of Interest from Other Disciplines

The authors describe the present state of economic education in Japan. There is a larger number of undergraduate students who major in economics, but their purpose of studying economics and their economic literacy differ. Precollege economic education is regulated by the course of study and limited by the poor ability of teachers to teach the economics content.     

Market convergence and advertising standardization in the European Union

In this study, we draw on industrial organization and institutional research to explore the relationship between market convergence and standardization of advertising programs. We argue that environmental isomorphism, which maintains that the external market environment is a principal driver of firms’ institutional structures, places pressure on firms to adapt their organizational structures and strategies to changing institutional conditions. We propose that the convergence associated with European market integration will lead firms to emphasize three advertising strategies: creating a uniform brand image, appealing to cross-market segments, and increasing cost performance in advertising. Further, we hypothesize that these strategies will be associated with an overall tendency to standardize advertising strategy and execution. Results of a survey of managers of subsidiaries of Japanese and U.S. firms operating in the EU suggest that firms that believe the EU is converging are more likely to engage in these standardized advertising strategies. Additionally, our findings suggest that firms that seek to create a uniform brand image and appeal to cross-market segments are more likely to standardize their overall advertising programs. Finally, we find that firms’ desire to create a uniform brand image is a function of their goal of building brand equity, regardless of the level to which markets converge. We draw implications for research and practice regarding firm responses to market convergence.     

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.     

What is SMS advertising and why do multinationals adopt it? Answers from an empirical study in European markets

This study examines the factors associated with the intention of multinational corporations operating in Europe to implement SMS advertising. It hypothesizes that managerial intentions to use this medium are related to the perceptions of four factors: (1) the ability to build brand image; (2) the ability to use location-based marketing; (3) the perceptions of how well consumers accept SMS advertising; and (4) the perceptions of the technological infrastructure. Results support the notion that managers from the European Union, Japan, and the United States will be more likely to adopt SMS advertising if they perceive it has the ability to help build the brand. They are also likely to perceive information security as a threat to the ability to “push” the product through the wireless channel. Results also suggest that managers give significant weight to the penetration of the technological infrastructure needed to run the ads through SMS-based messaging service.     

Pasinetti after Sen: Towards a Capability Approach to Structural Dynamics of Consumption

Pasinetti's theory of structural dynamics has, as well as the capability approach, normative implications about income distribution and economic growth. Compared with the latter, however, the individual character of consumption is rather neglected in Pasinetti's framework, but the macro‐economic viability is examined here more intensively as a main issue. In this paper, we will show it possible and fruitful to consistently integrate both complementary approaches and present an analytical foundation of a normative theory of the structural dynamics of consumption.     

Do Global Brands Use Similar Executional Styles Across Cultures? A Comparison of U.S. and Japanese Television Advertising

A major development in global marketing research is the evolution of global consumer culture theory and the notion that global consumer culture positioning (GCCP) strategies can be effective across markets. This study compares the content of a large sample of U.S. versus Japanese television advertising and looks at several executional variables (timing and counting variables) used in prior studies to explore whether global brands use more similar executions across the United States and Japan in comparison with local brands. Results indicate fewer differences for global brands on these dimensions. This pattern of results appears to be consistent with the notion that the use of GCCP strategies aimed at responding to the trend toward global consumer culture have taken hold and that for global brands it is more possible to standardize executions, in addition to strategy, than was the case in the past. However, results suggest that the amount of time that visuals are on screen is more difficult to standardize than other elements of the ad, and that ads for services show somewhat more similarities than ads for physical products. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.     

How do Japanese consumers perceive wireless ads? A multivariate analysis

This article explores the formation of Japanese mobile users’ attitudes to pull-type wireless advertising and their willingness to ‘click’ such ads. Both theoretical and practical considerations are used to develop a structural model, which is then tested using an empirical survey conducted in the greater Tokyo area. External search, content credibility and attitude towards ads are considered as antecedents of willingness to access. Attitude towards ads is conceptualised as a consequence of two psychological motives in wireless internet adoption: perceived infotainment and perceived irritation. The structural equation modelling indicates that all the paths are statistically significant, and provides strong empirical support for our basic propositions. A further analysis classifies the sample into three groups, i.e. e-newsletter subscribers, email users and voice users, according to their demographic data. The findings reveal that e-newsletter subscribers show the most positive perceptions on all the constructs, although the mean values of the total sample are well below an anchoring point. In addition, the principal characteristics of e-newsletter subscribers indicate that so-called ‘parasite singles’ (unmarried young females living with their parents, and with high disposable income) may be playing an important role in wireless internet adoption in Japan.     

Evolutionary paths toward a region-wide economic agreement in Asia

The creation of a region-wide economic agreement in Asia has become a hot topic among trade policymakers in the region. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2010 Summit Statement clearly states that members should pursue a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) by building on various ongoing regional cooperation frameworks including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)+3, ASEAN+6, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This paper attempts to streamline the policy arguments over sequencing issues by clarifying the pros and cons of various paths toward a future region-wide agreement in Asia. The paper presents two possible approaches: consolidation versus expansion. It then identifies how the two approaches differ in terms of evolutionary parameters including the timing of negotiations, scope of agreement, and development of membership. The driving forces behind the evolution of regional agreements in each approach are also clarified. The second half of the paper analyzes three possible paths toward a region-wide agreement—ASEAN+α free trade agreements, TPP, and the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)—in terms of both evolutionary parameters and driving forces.