Critical Success Factors for Manufacturing Networks as Perceived by Network Coordinators

While networking among small and medium-sized manufacturing firms (SMEs) is a growing phenomenon, there has been little empirical study of the factors that lead to the success of these networks. This study identifies the following eight success factors for manufacturing networks of SMEs, which are ranked by perceived degree of importance to the success of the network: (1) participant character; (2) chief executive officer (CEO) support; (3) confidence; (4) dedication; (5) capabilities; (6) external relationships; (7) intermediary; and (8) information technology. Four success factors were perceived to be significantly more important in joint production and marketing networks compared to joint learning and resource sharing networks: (1) participant character; (2) confidence; (3) external relationships; and (4) information technology.     

International migration versus foreign investment in the presence of unemployment

"This paper extends the standard (two-factor, one-good) model of international factor movements, to include unemployment due to a minimum-income guarantee within the capital-abundant country. From this country's perspective, we establish important departures from previous (full-employment) results. Most notably, our analysis shows that: (1) free factor mobility is worse than no mobility; (2) the optimal degree of labour migration is zero; and (3) national welfare can always be maximized by an optimal flow of capital. The analysis is then extended to examine: (1) illegal migration; (2) subsidization of employment; and (3) alternative views of unemployment."     

Competence‐based management development in small and medium‐sized enterprises: a multi‐stakeholder analysis

Small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered increasingly important for economic growth (Wilson, 1995) and effective management of them is regarded as essential for their survival and success (Jennings and Beaver, 1995). This study adopted a multi‐stakeholder perspective in order to explore the promotion, via Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs); provision and (potential for) purchase of competence‐based management training and development (MTD) in the SME sector in the United Kingdom. Survey data from (551) and interviews with (12) SMEs; plus interviews (6) with TECs and interviews (29) with providers of MTD are reported. ‘Product’ deficiencies in competence‐based MTD are identified and recommendations for promotion made.     

Feeling hungry? let's order through mobile! examining the fast food mobile commerce in China

This study proposes a unique framework that aids to enrich online shopping experience (psychological and monetary gains) and accelerates fast food mobile commerce (m-commerce). The extended technology acceptance model (TAM) is applied while the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) paradigm served as the predominant framework combined with the acquisition-transaction utility theory. This study investigates the mobile website quality, website brand equity (stimulus) influence on (PEOU) and (PU) (organism) to predict Chinese consumer intention to use fast food mobile commerce (response). A total of 936 respondents were participated while data were collected using a convenience sampling technique in China. Results reveal that all dimensions of mobile WQ (i.e., service quality, system quality, and information quality) and Website BE (i.e., brand image, perceived quality, brand association, and brand loyalty) (stimulus) significantly substantially influence PEOU and PU (organism) toward the acceptance of online fast food shopping (response). Digital Coupon Proneness (an accelerator) substantially moderates the relationship between PEOU, PU, and intention to use fast food m-commerce. Based on the assumptions of acquisition-transaction utility theory, category-specific (fast food) digital coupon proneness increase m-commerce for online fast food buying– a novel contribution of the study. Furthermore, research provides unique managerial insights for the industry to utilize the maximum potential of m-commerce in the fast-food industry.     

Ethics in Business: Answering the Call

What might happen if business leaders across the globe viewed their work as a sacred calling in a religious sense? Might not the world be a far better place? This paper is an effort to stimulate debate and discussion on this topic. Concepts addressed include: (a) ethics in business, (b) ethical standards in business settings, (c) the role of law, (d) levels of corporate responsibility, (e) the role of religion in business ethics, (f) the idea of business as a calling in a religious sense, (g) the elements of modern corporate culture, (h) creating an ethical corporate culture, (i) demonstrating corporate social responsibility, and (j) providing servant leadership. The introduction to the paper shows how these concepts interrelate; its conclusion offers a challenge to business leaders to answer their call to business in the truest sense.     

What can managers do about unethical management?

What can and should we do as managers and administrators when our sense of personal morality is at odds with our organization's behavior? Among the many alternatives are: (1) not think about it; (2) go along and get along; (3) protest; (4) conscientiously object; (5) leave; (6) secretly blow the whistle; (7) publicly blow the whistle; (8) secretly threaten to blow the whistle; (9) sabotage; and, (10) negotiate and build consensus for a change in the unethical behavior. This article considers the advantages and disadvantages of these ten types of strategies based on some philosophy, game theory and everyday pragmatics.     

Online consumer behavior: Comparing Canadian and Chinese website visitors

Zajonc's (1980) theory of emotions and Mehrabian and Russell's (1974) stimulus-organism-response (SOR) framework inform the development of a model of online customer behavior. The model examines the impacts of the three types of emotions (pleasure, arousal, and dominance) on perceptions of site atmospherics (informativeness, effectiveness, and entertainment). In turn, the associations of site atmospherics on site attitudes, site involvement, service attitudes, and purchase intentions are investigated. The model is compared between Canadian and Chinese customers based on Hofstede's (1991) cultural value dimensions. The findings supported the model and revealed several non-invariant paths between the groups. Particularly, the impact of pleasure (dominance) on the other behavioral variables was higher for Canadian (Chinese) compared to Chinese (Canadian) customers. Moreover, the impacts of low (high) task relevant cues were stronger for Chinese (Canadian) customers compared to their Canadian (Chinese) counterparts. Discussion centers on the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.     

美国国际贸易法院判定美国商务部对河北兴茂轮胎有限公司非公路用轮胎“双反”措施不当案评述

美国进口商和中国出口商不满美国商务部对来自中国的某些非公路用轮胎实施反倾销和反补贴税的裁定,向美国国际贸易法院提出起诉。美国国际贸易法院裁定,美国法律没有明确规定反倾销税法是否可适用于非市场经济国家;本案中美国商务部做的"双反"裁定,在方法上不合理。本文在介绍该案的基本案情、归纳法院推理和判决的基础上,对该案涉及的法律问题做了简要评论。     

Keep it vague? New product preannouncement,regulatory focus,and word-of-mouth

This paper aims to examine the interaction between firm's new product preannouncement (NPP) strategies and consumers' regulatory foci on their WOM intention and the underlying mechanisms. In three experiments, we find that (1) the promotion-focused (prevention-focused) consumers have higher WOM intentions for vague (specific) NPP; (2) curiosity (outcome expectancy) mediates the effects of the NPP strategies on WOM intention for promotion-focused (prevention-focused) consumers; and (3) brand familiarity plays a moderating role, such that the interaction effect between NPP strategy and regulatory focus on consumers' WOM intention holds for a low-familiarity brand only. Our research contributes to a better understanding of NPP strategies and provides actionable strategic support for firms to conduct NPP.     

Beyond merger syndrome and cultural differences: New avenues for research on the “human side” of global mergers and acquisitions (M&As)

This paper focuses on research on the “human side” of global mergers and acquisitions (M&As). We argue that there is a need for a more fine-grained understanding of the “human side,” which requires conceptualizing M&As as practice-oriented processes. Drawing on the practice approach, we outline avenues for further research on the “human side” of global M&As. The research directions include (1) multilayered identity dynamics, (2) emotional processes, (3) participation and change agency, (4) resistance, (5) human resource management (HRM) practices and tools, and (6) new forms of communication.     

Trends in Advertising Research: A Longitudinal Analysis of Leading Advertising,Marketing, and Communication Journals, 1980 to 2010

This study provides a longitudinal content analysis of advertising research articles in 17 top-tier advertising, marketing, and communication journals published over the past 30 years (1980–2010, n = 926). The study's purpose is to shed light on the direction and progression of advertising as an academic field by updating and extending Yale and Gilly's (1988) study of advertising research trends. Nine content characteristics of the journal articles were examined: (1) theory presence (theory driven versus not theory driven), (2) names, types (theory versus theoretical framework/model versus construct), and originating disciplines of theory, (3) topic areas, (4) media of interest, (5) research approaches (empirical versus nonempirical and quantitative versus qualitative versus mixed), (6) methods, (7) types of effects, (8) units of analysis, and (9) research implications. Changes in the content characteristics of journal articles were found across the 30 years analyzed in five-year intervals. Implications for the field, scholars, and advertising practitioners are discussed.     

Global versus Local Strategic Alliances

The authors present a framework within which to decide when a firm should choose a single global strategic alliance partner, when regional alliances are more appropriate, and when it should use multiple local partners. Strategic factors proposed as determining this choice refer to: (1)economies of scale; (2)competitive pressure; (3)market and environmental certainty; and (4)global coordination. Operational considerations that constrain the choice involve: (1)market restrictions; (2)resource availability; (3)fiduciary risk; and (4)adaptation needs. These two sets of factors interact to suggest the appropriate geographical scope of strategic alliances. Two case examples are evaluated within this framework; one dealing with a global strategic alliance, the other with local strategic alliances.     

Predicting the antecedents of consumers' intention toward purchase of mutual funds: A hybrid PLS-SEM-neural network approach

The current study intends to identify the behavioural antecedents of investors' attitude and investment intention toward mutual funds using a robust SEM-ANN approach. It focuses on novel factors in the purview of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing digitalization and social media usage. The research outcome indicates that attitude (ATB), awareness (AW) and investment decision involvement (IDI) have a significant positive relation with investment intention (BI). In contrast, perceived barrier (PBR) negatively relates to investment intention. Herd behaviour (HB) and social media influence (SMI) do not influence investment intention toward mutual funds. Moreover, all the tested predictors share direct relation with the attitude toward mutual fund investment, barring perceived risk (PR), which has an inverse relationship. As per the outcome of ANN sensitivity analysis, attitude is the most crucial determinant of investment intention. It is followed by awareness (AW), perceived barriers (PBR) and investment decision involvement (IDI). Among the significant determinants of attitude, self-efficacy (SE) is the most important determinant, followed by perceived usefulness (PU), perceived emergency (PEMER), subjective norms (SN) and perceived risk (PR).     

Status consumption and role-relaxed consumption: A tale of two retail consumers

Our study contrasts status-seeking consumers with role-relaxed consumers across personal, social influence, and market influence factors. The results of a survey of 598 consumers supported all but four of 15 hypotheses. The findings suggest that status-seeking consumers: (1) tend to conform to group norms, yet (2) maintain a need for uniqueness, (3) are susceptible to normative, but not necessarily informational interpersonal influence, (4) can be opinion leaders, but not necessarily opinion seekers, and (5) have tendencies that contrast sharply with role-relaxed consumer tendencies. In contrast, role-relaxed consumers: (1) do not generally conform to group norms, (2) are typically not susceptible to informational nor normative interpersonal influence, (3) do not pay attention to social comparison information, (4) are neither opinion leaders nor opinion seekers, and (5) have tendencies that contrast sharply with status consumer tendencies.     

Reconsidering the venture capitalists' “value added” proposition: An interorganizational learning perspective

This study examines the interorganizational relationships among venture capitalists (VCs) and new venture teams (NVTs) for their contribution to long-term improvement in the performance of a venture. Research in (1) learning assistance, (2) NVT dismissal and (3) procedural justice provide important insights into the unique interorganizational relationship that exists among VCs and the NVTs they fund. We found the following: (1) no statistically significant support for strategic information, (2) a negative association for dismissals and (3) positive support for procedurally just interventions. These longitudinal findings suggest important future research on interorganizational relationships.     

Ethical tension points in whistleblowing

This paper analyzes the number of procedural and substantive tension points with which a conscientious whistleblower struggles. Included in the former are such questions as: (1) Am I properly depicting the seriousness of the problem? (2) Have I secured the information properly, analyzed it appropriately, and presented it fairly? (3) Are my motives appropriate? (4) Have I tried fully enough to have the problem corrected within the organization? (5) Should I blow the whistle while still a member of the organization or after having left it? (6) Should I keep anonymity? (7) How ethical is it to assume the role of a judge? (8) How ethical is it to set in motion an act which will likely be very costly to many people? Substantive tension points include such questions as: (1) How fully am I living up to my moral obligations to my organization and my colleagues? (2) Am I appropriately upholding the ethical standards of my profession? (3) How adversely will my action affect my family and other primary groups? (4) Am I being true to myself? (5) How will my action affect the health of such basic values as freedom of expression, independent judgment, courage, fairness, cooperativeness, and loyalty?     

Rethinking the Employees’ Perceptions of Corporate Citizenship Dimensionalization

The article suggests that the four-factor model of corporate citizenship (CC: economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities) does not fairly represent all pertinent dimensions of employees’ CC perceptions. Based on an empirical study with a sample of 316 employees, we show that, at least in some contexts, individuals distinguish seven CC dimensions: (1) economic responsibilities toward customers; (2) economic responsibilities toward owners; (3) legal responsibilities; (4) ethical responsibilities; (5) discretionary responsibilities toward employees; (6) discretionary responsibilities toward the community; and (7) discretionary responsibilities toward the natural environment. We do not suggest that this seven-factor model represents all of the (more) relevant CC dimensions in the employees’ minds. We aim to share evidence showing that the four-factor model proposed by Maignan et al. (Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 27(4):455–469, 1999) may be refined, at least when the employees are the stakeholders in question.     

A meta-analysis of the determinants of organic sales growth

We present the results of a meta-analysis on drivers of organic sales growth conducted using a Hierarchical Bayes estimation technique. Based on a comprehensive review of a diverse set of literatures on organic sales growth, we identify eleven drivers of organic sales growth performance of firms: (i) innovation, (ii) marketing orientation (iii) advertising (iv) interorganizational networks, (v) entrepreneurial orientation, (vi) management capacity, (vii) firm age, (viii) firm size, (ix) competition, (x) munificence, and (xi) dynamism. Among the variables under a manager's control, innovation, advertising, market orientation, interorganizational networks, entrepreneurial orientation and managerial capacity serve as positive drivers of organic growth. Older firms and firms operating in dynamic and competitive environments face constraints in terms of organic growth. We find that the omission of marketing variables in empirical models biases the elasticities of eight of the drivers of organic growth. Three study design characteristics impact the magnitude of elasticity of organic growth drivers: using cross-sectional data instead of panel data, using growth rates instead of absolute change as operationalization of growth and using market share instead of sales as a measure of revenues.     

What's Behind CRM Research? A Bibliometric Analysis of Publications in the CRM Research Field

The diversity of approaches to customer relationship management (CRM) brings about the need for systematic reviews. The objective of this article is to identify and categorize the most used publications in the CRM field. We conducted a bibliometric analysis using the Web of Science database. To identify and categorize the subfields, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis. The most used publications were categorized into: (1) methodology in the CRM research field; (2) relationship marketing; (3) service quality and customer loyalty; (4) implications of market-oriented strategy; (5) CRM theory and its practical implications; (6) strategic management; and (7) customer value.