Inflation and the transition to a mixed economy: Can it work?

This paper reviews a number of possible scenarios for introducing a market element into a centrally planned economy, and analyses the financial relationships between the planned and the market sectors of the resulting mixed economy. It is argued that repressed inflation with some degree of excess demand and administrative price-control, is not neutral, but has distribution effects which greatly ameliorate the financial position of the state in a mixed economy in which the banking sector is still part of the state-controlled sector.     

Project management: a methodology for success

Project management's ultimate measurement is the successful integration of new technology into the culture of the organization. The first and most crucial step in any implementation is the specification and subsequent selection of the equipment or technology. It is important to make the "right" choice--one where the technology provides value-added services to the users so it helps them do their jobs better now and in the future. Making a "wrong" choice can severely impact even the best-managed implementation (and project managers' careers). There is simply no margin for error--so getting it right the first time is not merely an option, it is a prerequisite for success.     

Learning barriers: a framework for the examination of structural impediments to organizational change

The body of knowledge on organizational learning is believed to be large and fragmented. Therefore, this knowledge seems to be of limited use to practitioners. We, however, present an alternative review of the most important publications on organizational learning that deals explicitly with learning barriers. The structural causes of problems with organizational learning are related to malfunctioning components of the cybernetic learning system of the organization. Thus, it became clear that the body of knowledge on organizational learning is less fragmented and does not contain any contradictions. This resulted in our construction of a framework in which the major contributions on organizational learning are integrated. It allows practitioners to use strengths of multiple theories to analyze change management problems. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Developing enterprise collaboration: a methodology to implement and improve interoperability

The aim of this article is to present a methodology for guiding enterprises to implement and improve interoperability. This methodology is based on three components: a framework of interoperability which structures specific solutions of interoperability and is composed of abstraction levels, views and approaches dimensions; a method to measure interoperability including interoperability before (maturity) and during (operational performances) a partnership; and a structured approach defining the steps of the methodology, from the expression of an enterprise’s needs to implementation of solutions. The relationship which consistently relates these components forms the methodology and enables developing interoperability in a step-by-step manner. Each component of the methodology and the way it operates is presented. The overall approach is illustrated in a case study example on the basis of a process between a given company and its dealers. Conclusions and future perspectives are given at the end of the article.     

Political culture: a theory in search for methodology. An editorial

Quality & Quantity -     

Using social marketing to increase breast cancer screening among African American women: perspectives from African American breast cancer survivors

• Despite progressive preventative techniques, intervention programs, and guidelines to help reduce breast cancer mortality, African American women (AAW) remain affected by breast cancer in greater numbers compared to Caucasians. As rates of breast cancer mortality continue to increase among AAW, a greater need for change emerges, which should include crafting culturally specific social marketing programs that promote breast cancer awareness among AAW. This exploratory study focuses on social marketing strategies to promote this awareness. The research underscores several social marketing strategies from the perspective of AAW (N = 130) breast cancer survivors. Qualitative data were collected from focus groups regarding social marketing strategies needed to promote breast cancer awareness. The discussions revealed social marketing campaigns that are culturally sensitive and unswerving are more likely to increase behavior modification. Furthermore, messages from other AAW tailored toward a specific market are more beneficial for promoting breast cancer screening.

Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cluster Analysis for mixed data: An application to credit risk evaluation

Credit risk is one of the main risks faced by a bank to provide financial products and services to clients. To evaluate the financial performance of clients, several scoring methodologies have been proposed, which are based mostly on quantitative indicators. This paper highlights the relevance of both quantitative and qualitative features of applicants and proposes a new methodology based on mixed data clustering techniques. Indeed, cluster analysis may prove particularly useful in the estimation of credit risk. Traditionally, clustering concentrates only on quantitative or qualitative data at a time; however, since credit applicants are characterized by mixed personal features, a cluster analysis specific for mixed data can lead to discover particularly informative patterns, estimating the risk associated with credit granting.     

公共关系战略运行的五大要素

随着现代科技的突飞猛进,社会组织与公众之间的关系,人与人之间的关系,越来越备受全人类的高度重视.过去,有些社会组织仅把公共关系当作战术来运用.现在,逐步提升到战略的高度上来研究了.良好的人际关系,是一个难得的可开发的资源,也是一个营造出来的生存与发展的环境.充分运用公共关系学为社会组织主体服务,是业界内外都关心的课题.但是,对于这个问题的深入分析和研究,特别是对于企业中带有战略性的重大决策,很有价值.     

Towards developing a methodology for doing qualitative research: The dynamic-comparative case study method

This discussion integrates key concepts from case research methodology, theory development, the configurational approach to organizations, and actual research experience, in order to suggest a “systematic process” for doing qualitative research, described as the Dynamic-Comparative Case Study Method (D-CCSM). It is believed that D-CCSM is especially appropriate for researchers who: (1) are interested in studying new topical areas in organizations; (2) want to develop testable, midrange, theory from the processual analysis of case studies; (3) would like to replicate their studies in multiple research settings; and (4) have limited research resources. Insights and suggestions for using the D-CCSM approach are also included.     

They shouldn't let them out for us to see': Empathy and affect intensity as determinants of responses to representations of the facially disfigured in charity advertising

Test subjects were exposed to made-up advertisements for a hypothetical facial disfigurement charity. Certain groups saw an advertisement featuring a disfigured young person on his own; others a similar representation but with the addition of either a physically attractive or unattractive female announcer. Responses to a written appeal accompanying the visual imagery were measured and analysed according to test subjects' levels of emotionality and predisposition to experience empathy. The experiment was repeated using control groups who were given comparable advertisements that did not include any sight of a disfigured person — only an attractive or unattractive female announcer. It emerged that advertisements containing both a disfigured individual and a physically attractive announcer evoked the most favourable responses.     

Motivators and barriers to sustainable food consumption: Qualitative inquiry about organic food consumers in a developing nation

The present research attempts to qualitatively explore the motivators and barriers of organic food consumption in the Indian context. The data were collected using semistructured in‐depth interviews and analyzed using grounded theory. The theoretical sampling technique was used to interview 34 consumers who have purchased organic food in the past. The findings reported health consciousness, environmental consciousness, social identity, consumer ethnocentrism, and concern for farmers as the factors that motivate organic food purchase among consumers. The factors such as high prices of organic food, unavailability, trust issues, and limited marketing communications from the firms were identified as major barriers to organic food purchase and consumption. The study is one of the initial attempts to qualitatively explore the consumers' motivation for organic food consumption in the Indian context. The findings will help policymakers to devise suitable strategies so that they can effectively target the organic food choices by understanding the motivators/barriers, and promote the sustainable lifestyle in the society, as food consumption plays a crucial role in achieving environmental sustainability.     

Stakeholder value analysis: a methodology for intergrating stakeholder values into corporate enviromental investment decisions

Increasingly, decision‐makers in industry are being faced with complex investment decisions created and made emotive by diverse stakeholder expectations. Investments with the potential to have an impact on a company's environmental performance are a prime example of this since they are driven by multidimensional impacts, many of which are difficult to quantify in scientific and monetary terms. This paper presents a stakeholder value analysis (SVA) model, which can be used to address such problems, using a multiple‐attribute decision methodology. This decision tool has been developed and validated through a series of industrial applications, one of which is outlined here. This application describes the use of the tool in a company context whereby stakeholders from within the company are canvassed for their priorities and views. The SVA tool is used not only to guide and support this process but also to analyse the data and consequently produce output decision metrics, which express the preferences of all relevant stakeholders and which can therefore be more confidently used to support the final decision. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

The effects of barriers to entry on monopolistic intermediary online services: The case of a digital library

Online intermediaries (OIs) are becoming increasingly important market institutions. They have low marginal costs and display the indirect network effect, which suggests that the benefit of an intermediary to sellers (buyers) increases with the number of buyers (sellers) connected to that intermediary. OIs may be further characterized by the levels of barriers to entry they face and the direct network effect, i.e., the benefit to a seller decreases with the number of sellers connected to the intermediary. This paper models a digital library where creators sell their works to information users. It is found that a monopolistic digital library with the above characteristics over-serves its creators, which leads them to over-invest in creation, and over-supply information products to consumers. Furthermore, the over-investment is more severe when the barriers to entry in the digital library sector are lower. A counter-intuitive policy implication is that removing barriers to entry in monopolistic markets with the above characteristics does not improve, but rather worsens, social welfare.     

Managerial perspectives on drivers for and barriers to sustainable supply chain management implementation: Evidence from New Zealand

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that drive or prevent companies' implementation of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices. To this end, we interviewed 29 senior managers from 23 New Zealand‐based companies. The key reported drivers were customer expectation, top management commitment, moral and ethical values of managers, reputation management, and economic and operational benefits. Conversely, cost concerns, strategic and structural restraints, supplier and customer issues, and a lack of effective regulations were cited as critical obstacles to SSCM implementation. Thus, the evidence from our findings provides support for both instrumental and normative logics for SSCM implementation. The findings further indicate that, in general, instrumental and normative logics are congruent; however, varied tensions arise when managers seek to simultaneously address competing yet desirable SSCM aspects. Accordingly, we argue that it is imperative to understand, work through, and manage such tensions as balancing divergent sustainability aspects holds considerable potential for successful SSCM implementation.     

Nested logit model and maximum quasi-likelihood method: a flexible methodology for analyzing interregional migration patterns

"A flexible methodology for explaining interregional migration in terms of relevant socioeconomic variables is set forth in this paper. Concerned with setting observation against theory, it makes use of (1) the nested logit model as a theoretical substratum, and (2) the maximum quasi-likelihood method as a method for parameter estimation and statistical inference. Application to interprovincial migration data over a 22-year period (1961-1962 to 1982-1983) shows that, in Canada, migration does not appear to serve well as an equalizer of economic opportunities."