From Cattle and Coke to Charlie: Meeting the Challenge of Self Marketing and Personal Branding

Since the late 1990s, self marketing and personal branding have become increasingly popular as subjects of self-improvement books, Web sites and consultancy services, especially in the USA. To date, little of this interest appears to have permeated the discipline of marketing, either in terms of formal research, textbook contents or academic curricula. This paper examines the theoretical basis of self marketing and personal branding, identifies some of the conceptual, practical and ethical problems it poses for the discipline, and points to some of the challenges facing higher education in attempting to create a curricular framework within which marketing professionals can learn how to market and brand themselves effectively.     

The Exporter - Import Agent Contract and the Influence of Cultural Dimensions

This paper examines the relationship between an exporter and an import agent in an international marketing channel using agency theory and cultural dimension frameworks, and proposes a research agenda with five testable propositions from this literature. Agency theory provides a way of forming an efficient exporter-agent contract and suggests that efficient contractual conditions are likely to provide the basis of a successful negotiated outcome. Cultural dimensions are elements that are likely to create obstacles to an efficient contractual outcome. This paper presents the concept of the dimensional gap that exporters may need to bridge in order to form an efficient contractual relationship. We suggest that in a cross cultural encounter, a divergence of cultural dimensions between the parties to the contract will impact adversely on agency costs and lead to contractual inefficiencies. By identifying gaps in the cultural dimensions between contractual parties, and taking steps towards reducing these gaps, the potential for such inefficiencies can be reduced, improving the chances of successful contractual outcomes. The dimensional gap considers the influence of four cultural dimensions on contractual efficiency. This paper presents five testable propositions suggesting that cultural gaps within power distance, individualism and masculinity, can be bridged through greater flexibility and adaptability in management decisions acquired through experience and learning, whereas gaps in long term orientation and uncertainty avoidance are less likely to be influenced by such behaviour. Where the latter condition exists, it is proposed that the potential of high transaction costs will result in exporters by-passing intermediaries and using more integrated forms of entry.     

加快建立有效的个人和企业社会信用体系

信用是个人和企业的立身之本,兴业之道.本文在论述信用缺失使我们付出沉重代价的基础上,提出要从信用体系的组织机构及内容两个方面建立个人和企业社会信用体系,并指出个人信用与企业信用是构建社会信用体系的基础和前提.     

The Influence of Organizational and Code-Supporting Variables on the Effectiveness of a Code of Ethics

Prior findings on the effectiveness of the codeof ethics in promoting ethical behavior aremixed. Perhaps more is required to promoteethical behavior than the mere existence of thecode within the organization. The presentstudy proposes, first, that the extent to whichthe organization communicates, enforces andencourages reference to the code is importantto achieving the desired results. Second,organizational ethics variables (namely, topmanagement support for ethical behavior, theassociation between ethical behavior and careersuccess, and organizational ethical climate)can have a significant influence on ethicalbehavior of organizations over and above theimpact of the implementation and use of thecode. Both propositions are supported based onregression analyses of data from a survey of237 managers, the majority of whom hold middleand top level positions within organizations.     

The Effect of Interpersonal Influence on Softlifting Intention and Behaviour

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of interpersonal influence on personal software piracy, also known as softlifting. A laboratory experiment with 54 subjects was conducted, in which each subject was told to participate in a software quality evaluation exercise. However, a ploy was carried out to measure the subjects intention in software piracy under different levels of group pressure and financial gains. The results are interesting. On the intention of softlifting, both group pressure and financial gains are significant determinants. The interaction of group pressure and financial gains is also significant: when group pressure is toward pirating software, financial gains is not a relevant factor; whereas when group pressure is toward purchasing, financial gains becomes a dominant factor in softlifting intention. A further survey (with 216 college students from two public universities in Taiwan) designed to investigate the relationship between consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (Bearden et al., 1989) and softlifting intention/behavior. A path analysis demonstrated that normative influence was related to softlifting intention, yet information influence effect was marginal. The effect of normative influence on softlifting behavior was mainly mediated by softlifting intention. Implications are also discussed.     

Managerial and Peer Influence on Ethical Behavioral Intentions in a Personal Selling Context

This article evaluates the relationship between the ethical behavioral intentions of 374 future salespeople and the ethical climate of the firm. The ethical philosophy (high or low) of top management, immediate sales managers, and the peers of potential sales people were examined to see if they influenced: (1) comfort levels with the philosophy of the firm and (2) likelihood of engaging in unethical sales behavior. Ethical behavior measures included 14 situations such as deceptive sales tactics, deceptive pricing, and unethical behavior toward the employer.     

认知复杂性影响薪酬满意度的研究综述

在查阅大量外文文献的基础上,本文对认知复杂性影响薪酬满意度该主题的主要研究方法、研究结论进行了系统总结,并对研究前景作出了展望,认为在今后的研究中可以引入模糊数学的研究方法和认知神经科学的研究视角,从而为薪酬满意度的进一步研究提供一定的理论依据。     

Personal Values’ Influence on the Ethical Dimension of Decision Making

Personal values have long been associated with individual decision behavior. The role played by personal values in decision making within an organization is less clear. Past research has found that managers tend to respond to ethical dilemmas situationally. This study examines the relationship between personal values and the ethical dimension of decision making using Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis. The study examines personal values as they relate to five types of ethical dilemmas. We found a significant positive contribution of altruistic values to ethical decision making and a significant negative contribution of self-enhancement values to ethical decision making. Dr. David J. Fritzsche is a retired Professor of Management and Organization at The Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley. Among the numerous journals in which he published are Journal of Business Ethics, Academy of Management Journal, Journal of Macromarketing, and Simulation & Games. He is the co-author of the Business Policy Game: A Strategic Management Simulation. He authoured the book Business Ethics: A Global and Managerial Perspective (McGraw-Hill, 1997). Dr. Effy Oz is a Professor of Management Science and Information Systems at The Pennsylvania State University, Great Valley, where he teaches courses on IT management, ethical issues in IT, and business-stakeholder relations. He has authored several textbooks including five editions of Management Information Systems (Course Technology Inc., 1998–2006), Foundations of E-Commerce (Prentice-Hall, 2002) and, Ethics for the Information Age (McGraw-Hill, 1994), and a practitioner’s book (The Manager’s Bible, Ivy League Publishing, 1998). He has also published research articles in academic and professional journals, among which are MIS Quarterly, Communications of the ACM, Information & Management, Decisions Sciences, OMEGA, Journal of Business Ethics, and Journal of Computer Information Systems. Dr. Oz is a member of the editorial boards of Encyclopaedia of Information Systems, Information & Management, and Journal of Global Information Technology Management. He is a frequent speaker at IT conferences, has conducted research on a number of IT topics, and has been quoted in numerous media including Computerworld, MSNBC, and the Los Angeles Times. He was awarded the 1997 Notable Contribution to the Information Systems Literature Award by the Information Systems Section of the American Accounting Association, the 1999-2000 Distinguished Faculty Research Award at Penn State Great Valley, and Best Paper Award at the Annual Global Information Technology Conference of 2004.     

The Role of Brand Detachment on the Dissolution of the Relationship Between the Consumer and the Brand

Given the growing role of affective factors in consumer behaviour and particularly on brand loyalty, the deterioration of these factors can provide an additional explanation of the dissolution of the relationship between the brand and the consumer. A new concept, brand detachment, was developed in marketing research to enhance understanding of the dissolution process of the relationship between brands and consumers. Brand detachment results from the dissolution of the affective bond existing between a brand and a consumer and can be seen as an attitudinal aspect of the dissolution process of certain relationships. After conceptualizing brand detachment, the results of a quantitative study (N=434, use of regression analysis) allow this concept to be used as an indicator of the consumer's propensity to end the relationship with the brand. Thus brand detachment has a negative influence on the consideration of the brand and the consumer's subsequent buying behaviour in relation to it.     

基于多Agent的个性化动态信息服务系统的实现

本文针对用户和系统管理员在访问公共信息平台过程中对信息服务内容、种类和服务层次的不同需求,提出了一个基于多 Agent 的个性化动态信息服务系统,并对其中 Agent 行为算法进行优化。     

高管薪酬激励、研发投入与企业绩效影响研究

在沪深A股软件与信息技术服务上市企业2014-2019年的面板数据基础上,运用St at a/SE15.1软件,构建固定效应模型,以高管薪酬激励作为调节变量,实证分析研发投入对企业绩效的影响。研究表明,六年的数据显示软件与信息技术服务上市企业研发投入对企业绩效产生负向影响且显著;高管薪酬激励对企业绩效具有负向影响但不显著;高管薪酬激励对研发投入与企业绩效的关系具有负向的调节作用但不显著。     

The Influence of Culture and Biographical Variables on the Brand Image of Google and Baidu.. An Exploratory Study in Guangzhou,China

The study found significant correlations between the culture dimensions of Confucian work dynamism, human - heartedness and moral discipline and the brand image dimensions of online search engines. It was also found that several significant relationships exist between the biographical variables of age and education and the brand image dimensions, and that culture and bi- ographical variables have a linear relationship with brand image. The findings highlight that culture and biographical information can influence Chinese consumer perceptions of an international or local brand. Organizations thus need to align their brands with the culture and biographical profile of their target markets.     

The Influence of Publication of Financial Statements, Risk of Takeover and Financial Position of the Auditee on Public Auditors' Unethical Behaviour

This study examines the effects of publication of financial statements, the risk of a takeover of the auditee and the auditee's financial position on auditors' willingness to allow material errors in financial statements in case of management pressure. The results show that all factors significantly influence auditors' willingness to allow errors in financial statements.     

The Impact of Organizational and Environmental Variables on Strategic Market Orientation

Abstract

This paper offers a new look at market orientation by conceptualizing it from a strategic perspective. It differs from the current literature in that it develops a measure that emphasizes managerial attitudes and strategic intent. The new measure is empirically scrutinized by an investigation of its relationship with pertinent organizational and environmental variables, as well as company performance. Based on a survey of nearly 400 companies operating in the U.S., significant relationships emerged between Strategic Market Orientation and three organizational variables, namely strategic priorities, inter-departmental coordination and ownership nationality. Two of the environmental variables, namely intensity of competition and rate of technological change were also significantly related to Strategic Market Orientation. The relationship between Strategic Market Orientation and company performance remained inconclusive.     

The Effects of Ethical Climates on Bullying Behaviour in the Workplace

Various aspects of the relationship between ethical climate types and organizational commitment have been examined, although a relationship with the concept of bullying, which may be very detrimental to an organization, has not attracted significant attention. This study contributes to the existing research by taking the effects of bullying behaviour into consideration. The aim of this study is to explore the effects of bullying behaviour upon the relationship between ethical climate types and organizational commitment. It will be noted that work-related bullying behaviour significantly mediated the relationship between instrumentality climate and two of the dimensions of organizational commitment. Significant relationships between ethical climate dimensions and organizational commitment can also be detected. By emphasizing a required ethical climate dimension for organizations this study therefore presents in outline a partial strategy to reduce bullying behaviour and to increase organizational commitment.     

公平与效率视角下新农合二次补偿制度的困境与出路——基于甘肃省的调查研究

新型农村合作医疗二次补偿制度作为一种临时性的调控措施,增加了新农合基金的使用效率,拓宽了参合农民的受益范围。然而在实践中,新农合二次补偿制度尚存在一些自身难以克服的制度缺陷,如效率欠佳、公平性缺失、补偿对象甄别不规范等。此类问题已经制约着新农合的发展,不利于新农合规范高效率地运行。从公共政策公平与效率的视角对该制度所面临的困境进行分析,探讨了甘肃二次补偿制度困境突破的对策建议,以有助于促进甘肃乃至西北地区新农合制度的进一步完善。     

外国直接投资对我国进出口规模的影响——基于虚拟变量、协整及格兰杰检验的实证研究

本文根据1980-2004年我国出口、进口和外国直接投资的数据,利用虚拟变量、单位根检验、协整检验、格兰杰检验和建立回归模型等方法,就外国直接投资对我国外贸进出口规模的影响进行了实证研究和度量,得出结论:外国直接投资对我国的进出口规模具有促进作用,1996年后随着利用外国直接投资结构的不断优化和调整,在促进外贸增长的贡献效用上也有了大幅度提升,最后提出了相应的政策建议。本文的创新点在于使用虚拟变量衡量定性因素,在建模前进行了充分的前提检验,以保证模型是稳定和有效的。     

An Empirical Investigation of the Influence of Selected Personal, Organizational and Moral Intensity Factors on Ethical Decision Making

This exploratory study of ethical decision making by individuals in organizations found moral intensity, as defined by Jones (1991), to significantly influence ethical decision making intentions of managers. Moral intensity explained 37% and 53% of the variance in ethical decision making in two decision-making scenarios. In part, the results of this research support our theoretical understanding of ethical/unethical decision-making and serve as a foundation for future research.     

《资本论》中的补偿经济思想

补偿是促进经济社会可持续发展的前提,《资本论》研究了资本主义生产总过程,在这个过程中马克思论述了工人利益的受损与补偿、社会再生产过程的补偿、生态断裂与补偿等问题。《资本论》中的补偿思想对于中国协调劳资利益关系,正确处理社会生产各部门之间的比例关系,正确处理人与自然之间的关系,促进经济可持续发展具有重要的现实意义。