A framework of Corporate Social Responsibility for advertising accountability: The case of Australian government advertising campaign

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has emerged as a dominant theme guiding business practice. Governments have embraced this philosophy and legislated to encourage socially responsible business practice in its many forms. While governments' endorsement of CSR practice is expressed in policy, the successful integration into its own practice is not evidenced in the literature. Using a case research method, this paper analyses the nature of Australian government advertising processes, developing a modified framework founded on Wood's (1991 Wood, D. 1991. Corporate Social Performance revisited.. Academy of Management Review, 16(4): 691–718. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) Corporate Social Performance model and Maignan and Ferrell's (2004 Maignan, I. and Ferrell, O. 2004. Corporate Social Responsibility and marketing: An integrative framework.. Academy of Marketing Science, 32: 1 [Google Scholar]) CSR principles. This research is important because it provides an application model for CSR practice and provides government with a decision‐making vehicle for CSR.     

The effect and moderation of gender identity congruity: Utilizing “real women” advertising images

The present article examines the predictive ability of gender identity congruity in explaining women's responses to advertising appeals. The contributions of the article are twofold: (1) to demonstrate whether advertisements that are congruent with female consumers' gender identities elicit strong positive responses and (2) to identify the factors that moderate/mediate the impact of gender identity congruity on consumer responses to advertisements. The research findings provide evidence of the ability of gender identity congruity to elicit positive responses to advertising appeals. The relationship between gender identity congruity and responses to the advertisement is mediated by advertising involvement. The moderating roles of national culture, physical concern, and physical view are also supported. Overall, the congruity theory provides a powerful framework to examine consumer responses to gender portrayals in advertising. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The ‘Real’ Impact of GATT/WTO – a Generalised Approach

Rose’s result in 2004 that GATT/WTO has no significant impact on bilateral trade triggered off a series of empirical studies. Each of those studies augments Rose’s paper in one specific methodological aspect with the general finding that GATT/WTO significantly fosters members’ trade, although the estimated impact varies between 2 per cent and 195 per cent of trade creation. We combine the methodological contributions of previous studies to overcome these isolated approaches, to account for possible interactions and to develop a more general view on the impact of GATT/WTO. In particular, we find that GATT/WTO promotes members’ trade by around 86 per cent.     

The effectiveness of deservingness‐based advertising messages: The role of product knowledge and belief in a just world

Are advertisements that tell consumers they deserve a product effective? Given evidence showing people are motivated to get what they deserve, we argue that for certain consumers this is the case. In two experiments, we manipulated the type of ad participants viewed for a luxury product and then assessed ad effectiveness. We also measured participants’ belief in a just world (BJW) and product knowledge. Deservingness‐based ads were (a) more effective for strong BJW participants, mediated by the degree to which the ads matched participants’ worldview and justified buying the product, and (b) less effective for high knowledge participants. We conclude that deservingness‐based advertising can be successful, depending on consumer characteristics. Copyright © 2016 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of R&D on value added for domestic and foreign firms in a newly industrialized economy

This study compares the impact of R&D on value added between domestic and foreign firms in Singapore. The analysis is based on a comprehensive panel database from 1993 to 1999 provided by the Singapore Government. Our results found that R&D investments of foreign firms generated higher value added than those of domestic firms, and that the difference in value added contributed by R&D was moderated by the type of R&D and the technological level of industry. The study supports the argument that the ownership advantages possessed by foreign firms, relative to domestic firms, have positive effects on R&D performance.     

The effects of learning organization culture on the practices of human knowledge‐creation: an empirical research study in Korea

This research aims to identify the influence of learning organization culture on the practices of organizational knowledge‐creation. Actionable knowledge‐creation practices are put forward as a variable in preference to the learning process itself because they may be more closely related to the achievement of individual and/or organizational performance improvement. Learning organization culture is defined in terms of the seven dimensions of the learning organization established by Watkins and Marsick and their questionnaire based on these dimensions is adapted for the present study. In order to measure knowledge‐creation practices, the knowledge conversion theory of Nonaka and Takeuchi was applied. Confirmatory factor analysis and measurement of internal consistency analyses were used to examine the psychometric properties of the instruments. Multivariate analyses were utilized for measuring the influential relations between variables. The results indicate that the proposed structural model is a valid concept in the Korean context for the purposes of the present research. Learning organization culture shows a strong and positive impact on organizational knowledge‐creation practices. Conclusions and implications are discussed.     

The growth of product variety — a myth?

The starring point for this article is the changing spectrum of goods and services, in the product variety as seen by the eyes of the individual facing the supply in the market. Apart from the fact that product variety is an interesting research object in itself, it would appear to have a distinct connection with numerous sketches characterising the ‘New era’. The article examines the historical change of product variety with the aid of empirical examples and points out a number of conflicting trends.     

The advertising performance of non-ideal female models as a function of viewers' body mass index: a moderated mediation analysis of two competing affective pathways

Advertisements often display ideal female bodies which create unattainable standards of beauty, generating body anxiety and disorders in female viewers. Accordingly, public health concerns would encourage the use of natural, unedited models in advertisements. However, the advertising performance of natural models remains contentious. We argue that previous inconsistent findings about this performance may result from a complex causal framework in which natural models impact performance through two affective mediators (body anxiety, and repulsion toward the model), while allowing moderation by the viewer's own body mass index (BMI). Data collected in a nationally representative sample of 400 young women largely (but not entirely) validate this causal framework. Natural models triggered repulsion in viewers with higher BMI, which hurt advertising performance. Body anxiety, however, was positively correlated with advertising performance, and did not mediate any effect of natural models.     

The Restructuring of Market Socialism in China: The Contribution of an “Agency” Theoretical Perspective

Most discussions of the development of market socialism in China adopt an “institutional approach” in which socioeconomic and political organizations are described as a complex set of arrangements determined by the policies and role of the Communist Party. Such institutions are often seen to be little more than passive forces responding to the imperatives and stipulations of the party. However, the character and continuing development of market socialism is far more complex than this. It is made up of interacting forces that are the outcome of the purposive actions of economic agents that, although created and nurtured by the party, create tensions within the socioeconomic structure and thereby shape the direction of societal change. It is these that constitute many of the defining characteristics of market socialism. There are, the tensions between the imperatives of an emerging market economy and the political imperatives of the party. But there are others that are determined by the goals and values of a diversity of agents within both the state‐owned and privately owned sectors of the economy. For an understanding of these, we argue in this article for the need to adopt an “agency approach,” that is, one that focuses on the key roles of actors and agencies in shaping institutional arrangements of the sort that constitute present‐day market socialism. This, we argue, does not displace an “institutional” theoretical perspective but complements it, thereby offering a more complete insight into the generic character of a socioeconomic structureÑin this case, Chinese market socialism. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The joint impact of humor and argument strength in a print advertising context: A case for weaker arguments

Humor is used extensively in advertising, but with mixed results. Drawing on the heuristic systematic model of persuasion, the authors explore a contingency underlying the impact of humorous executions on ad and brand attitudes for a convenience good. Results of a laboratory experiment with print ads show that the presence (vs. absence) of incidental humor can interact with message characteristics such that humorous ads engender more positive attitudes when they employ weaker arguments, and less positive attitudes when they use stronger arguments. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Sustainable tourist behaviour – a discussion of opportunities for change

Research shows that despite their declared positive attitudes towards sustainable tourism, only a few tourists act accordingly by buying responsible tourism products, choosing environmentally friendly transportation or behaving responsibly towards destination communities. The low support from customers is one of the main barriers for progress towards sustainable tourism. One reason can be that existing initiatives are missing customers' attention, discouraging industry and governments to continue promoting sustainable tourism. Positive attempts to encourage sustainable consumption in other sectors indicate that specific barriers may reside in the nature of tourist choices. Taking a critical look at tourism research and literature, this article examines the interplay between reasons for tourists' choice of products and services, and environmental motivations. After identifying possible gaps that may explain current failures to stimulate responsible tourist choices, the article concludes by discussing the implications for the effectiveness of informative and awareness‐raising tools aimed to facilitate the shift towards responsible tourist behaviour and actions.     

The atmosphere of the image: an aesthetic concept for visual analysis

This paper introduces the concept of “atmosphere” as relevant for visual analysis. This concept was developed in aesthetic theory and has been used previously in studies of aesthetic artefacts and architecture. When a visual encounter is viewed as an aesthetic situation, the concept helps to explain how the impact of images derives from their aesthetic, emotional and corporeal effects, from the mood and cognitive responses they create. In this paper, a case study from the trading floor of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange is presented to illustrate how the atmosphere of imagery exerts an aesthetic influence on people. Emphasizing the subtle power of atmospheres, the paper outlines implications for broader issues of consumption and culture.     

The U.S.–Brazil relationship opportunity: Business synergies for a dynamic global environment

The U.S.–Brazil relationship features an intersection of public and private sectors characteristic of the post‐2000 dynamics of international business and governmental relations. As a triple helix reference for the private sector, the public sector, and academia, this article explores how further alignment of public and private interests of the United States and Brazil can improve the bilateral relationship between the two largest countries in the Western hemisphere. The first section recaps the U.S.–Brazil public relationship and cultural perspectives shared between Brazil and the United States. The second section reviews the relevance of the U.S.–Brazil relationship in Brazil's economy and business marketplace. Sections 3 through 5 discuss specific trade, investment, and tax agreements that can be mutually beneficial for the United States and Brazil. The final section recommends further areas for public–private cooperation between the United States and Brazil.     

Food or ‘virtual’ food? The construction of children's food in a global economy

This paper explores the pattern of change and development in the marketization and reconstitution of food products for children. It is in the past few decades that global corporations’ search for new markets has come to focus intensely on children. In the eyes of global corporations, children are a huge, multibillion dollar market. Childhood may be understood as a social construction but its form is historically specific. At present, the market is defining and reconstituting cultural meanings of childhood without being contested by other significant groups in society. The paper goes on to explore how transnational corporations have transformed the production and marketing of food. The paper discusses the food risks and the challenges faced by the fast food industry which specifically targets children. The reconstitution and the rebranding of popular children's food is producing ‘virtual’ food rather than real food. We live in an era where childhood offers untold opportunities in the northern hemisphere. However, the global market has come to dominate and define the social construction of childhood. Other cultural forms of identity outside of consumerism are not making the same impression. The food risks associated with the global processing of food and the health risks that have been linked to these new food forms ultimately has consequences not only for children but for society as a whole.     

The Importance of Global Shocks for National Policymakers – Rising Challenges for Sustainable Monetary Policies

This paper analyses the importance of global shocks for the global economic developments and national policymakers from a novel perspective. On the one hand, we examine whether global factors convey additional information about monetary conditions not summarised by national aggregates. More specifically, we keep an eye on the question whether domestic monetary policies have become less effective in the wake of financial globalisation. We adopt a FAVAR framework to derive structural shocks on a worldwide level and their impact on other global and also national variables. We estimate our macromodel using quarterly data from Q1 1984 to Q4 2012 for the G7 countries plus the euro area. According to our results, global liquidity shocks significantly influence the global economy at the commodity price level. However, some other common shocks originating from house prices and GDP play a role at the global level as well.     

The extent of marketability and consumer preferences for traditional leafy vegetables – a case study at selected markets in Ghana

This paper reports on a survey conducted at two major marketing centres in Ghana; Tamale in the dry savannah zone and Kumasi in the forest zone. One hundred traders were interviewed using a semi‐structured questionnaire and focus groups discussions held on traders’ perceptions and consumer preferences, relative importance and indigenous nutritional knowledge of traditional leafy vegetables (TLVs). The survey established that, with the exception of Xanthosoma mafafa (cocoyam leaves), inter‐market distribution of TLVs is limited because of their perishable nature, narrow utilization base and lack of storage techniques. Socio‐culturally related factors limiting the distribution of TLVs include regional diversity and ethnic differences in the dietary patterns of the Ghanaian populace, inadequate knowledge about the methods of preparations as well as nutritional and medicinal values of TLVs. The most preferred TLVs as reflected in the consumers’ buying behaviour and traders’ perceptions are Xanthosoma mafafa (cocoyam leaves), Corchorus spp.(Ayoyo), Amaranthus spp (Alefu) and Hibicus sabdariffa (Bra). The order of preference in the forest zone is Xanthosoma mafafa (cocoyam leaves) > Corchorus spp.(Ayoyo) > Amaranthus spp (Alefu) > Hibicus sabdariffa (Bra), while the reverse order pertains in the savannah zone.