Evaluative criteria for purchasing leisurewear: Taiwanese and U.S. students in a U.S. university

The purpose of this research was to provide exploratory information relating to the young consumer market in terms of purchase criteria for leisurewear. Data were obtained from 105 Taiwanese and 126 U.S. students at a major mid-western U.S. university. Direct hand-in questionnaires were employed to obtain a higher usable questionnaire rate. Purchase criteria used for this survey were price, style, brand, fabrication, size/fit, media exposure, colour, country of origin, and quality. Several factors under each criterion were provided. Students were asked to rank the importance of each criterion/factor. Results indicated that much similarity existed between these two groups of students in purchasing leisurewear. However, U.S. students rated highest (in descending order) price, size/fit, style and quality while Taiwanese students ranked highest (in descending order) price, style, quality and size/fit.     

Doing business in Poland: What U.S. managers need to know

Poland has been and continues to be the leader of the transition economies of Eastern Europe. This study provides an in‐depth look at the ongoing economic, legal, and administrative policies of the Polish government in laying the ground‐work for a free‐market society. With the smaller business in mind, we first examine how the government of Poland moved decisively to lay the cornerstone for a private‐sector economy. Next, we demonstrate how Poland redirected its political and legal processes for long‐term global business. Finally, we describe what the U.S. government is doing to help Poland become a better trading partner and what this means to interested American firms. While there are many deep‐seated positive changes throughout Poland as it becomes a more significant global business player, there also are many challenges that must be understood by interested U.S. businesses if their investments in Poland are to be successful. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Flexible technology and industrial structure in the U.S.

This paper analyzes the development over the postwar period of output, employment, and the number of plants in manufacturing in the United States. It is shown that the distribution of flexible technology in the form of machine tools (NCMTs) shifted markedly toward small plants during the 1980s. It is found that the probability of adoption and the penetration rate of NCMTs are higher in large than in small plants, even though the number of NCMTs per worker is much higher in small plants. This apparent paradox is explained. It is also suggested that the shift of output towards smaller plants is correlated with the increased use of flexible technology, and that this reflects changes in the division of labor among plants of various sizes, as well as changes in the composition and organization of production in large plants.The authors would like to thank Bennett Harrison, an unknown referee, and the editors of this Journal for valuable comments. Any remaining errors are the responsibility of the authors.     

International bankruptcy and the spirit of comity: New U.S. law encourages cooperation among nations

While many international businesses are successful, others experience financial difficulties and file for bankruptcy. These cases pose challenges for bankruptcy courts worldwide because the assets of the debtor are located in more than one nation. How is this being handled? The trend is toward cooperation. Under the principle of comity, one nation gives effect to the laws and judicial decisions of another nation as a matter of deference and mutual respect. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act (the Act), effective October 2005, amends the bankruptcy code in several significant ways. One such amendment is Chapter 15: Ancillary and Other Cross-Border Cases. Chapter 15 not only embraces but also advances the spirit of comity.     

An examination of the ethical beliefs of managers using selected scenarios in a cross-cultural environment

Academic literature addressing the topic of business ethics has paid little attention to cross-cultural studies of business ethics. Uncertainty exists concerning the effect of culture on ethical beliefs. The purpose of this research is to compare the ethical beliefs of managers operating in South Africa and Australia. Responses of 52 managers to a series of ethical scenarios were sought. Results indicate that despite differences in socio-cultural and political factors there are no statistically significant differences between the two groups regarding their own ethical beliefs. Results thus support the view that culture has little or no impact on ethical beliefs.Russell Abratt (DBA Pretoria) is Professor of Marketing at the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. His research interests include business ethics and promotional strategy. His work has been published in various sources includingJournal of Business Ethics, European Journal of Marketing, International Journal of Advertising andIndustrial Marketing Management.Deon Nel (DCom Pretoria) is Professor of Marketing at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. His research interests include business ethics and group decision making in organisations. His work has been published in various sources includingJournal of Business Ethics, European Journal of Marketing, Management Research News.Nicola Higgs is a graduate student at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.     

Consumer Attitudes toward and use of Advertising Content in a Small Daily Newspaper

Results of the study indicate that the advertising content of the newspaper in the present study is viewed as local news by its subscribers and consequently has the highest readership of any type of content in this paper. While it was assumed that the advertising content of this newspaper would be well-read, the magnitude of readership and reader-interest in advertising was surprising.

In regard to questions concerning the reader's attitude toward the amount of advertising carried by the newspaper under study, it was found that rather than feeling there was too much advertising in the paper, the majority felt that it was either “just right” or that they wanted more advertising in the future.

This article is based in part on a paper presented for the Advertising Division at the Association for Education in Journalism convention in Ottawa, Canada, August 16–20, 1975.     

Attitudes of marketing professionals toward ethics in marketing research: A cross-national comparison

The study reported here examines, in the context of Crawford's (1970) items, differences in research ethics attitudes among marketing professionals in Australia, Canada, Great Britian, and the United States. The study results indicate the lack of significant differences in research ethics attitudes among marketing professionals in the four countries. This finding is interpretable as implying the generalizability of the results of previous research ethics studies involving domestic (United States) marketing professionals as respondents. Ishmael P. Akaah is Associate Professor of Marketing at Wayne State University. He received his M.B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. His articles have appeared in the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Advertising Research, Journal of Health Care Marketing, Journal of Business Research, International Marketing Review, Journal of Global Marketing, Journal of Business Logistics, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of Direct Marketing, Journal of Business Ethics, Savings and Development, Eastern Africa Economic Review, Journal of Information and Optimization Sciences, and Proceedings of the American Marketing Association.     

Corporate characteristics and the corporate socialization of local (Mexican) managers of U.S. multinational corporations

This paper examines the proposition that local nationals employed as (local) managers by foreign subsidiaries of multinational corporations have managerial attitutes which are generally between those of indigenous managers employed by domestic firms in both the parent and host countries. The evidence strongly suggests that the concept has validity, and that the organization attributes of capital, R&D, and marketing intensity influence the managerial attitudes of the three groups of managers and the differences among these attitudes.     

Attitudes towards computer technology: comparison of retail buyers and apparel manufacturers in the U.S.A.

Apparel retailers and manufacturers are incorporating advanced technologies such as CAD/CAM systems and electronic data interchange into their businesses. Attitudes held by key personnel toward these new technologies can enhance or hinder implementation. This study was designed to investigate and compare the attitudes of manufacturers and buyers towards computer technology. Fifteen Likert-type attitude statements were developed by the researchers. A pilot test of the instrument resulted in minor changes. A total of 105 usable questionnaires were returned: 57 from manufacturers and 48 from retail buyers. t-test results indicated that buyers' and manufacturers' attitudes differed significantly on five of the 15 attitude statements. A discriminant analysis showed that the same five statements significantly discriminated buyers from manufacturers. Manufacturers' responses were more positive than buyers' on four of these statements. Overall, the results indicated that apparel manufacturers and retail buyers held favourable attitudes towards computer technology.     

Effects of coping strategies on sociocultural and psychological adjustment of western expatriate managers in the PRC

Western expatriates currently working on the Chinese mainland participated in a mail survey to examine their coping strategies and adjustment to the Chinese work environment. As expected, the results suggest that managers who use problem-focused coping strategies adjust better than those using symptom-focused strategies do. Implications of these findings for Western expatriates assigned to China are discussed.     

20世纪90年代美日经济运行状况比较分析

美日作为两大经济强国,其经济发展的态势在20世纪90年代截然不同。本文首先对两国经济在90年代的表现作了客观的描述和对比,然后从高新技术与信息技术产业的发展、经济体制、金融和经济全球化等四个角度对导致这一现象的原因作了分析,以期能对我国今后经济发展道路的选择提供借鉴。     

An understanding of baby boomers' attitudes toward financial services products in Ghana

This study employed a self‐completion questionnaire to determine the financial needs and specific market characteristics of baby boomers (BBs) in Ghana. The results reveal that BBs are financially savvy and conscious of where to live after retirement. Due to low income and overreliance on families in time of sickness, life insurance is not often purchased. The respondents choose a bank that offers efficient customer services and low rates of interest on loans, and do not perceive long‐term investment to be profitable. The most effective forms of communication are radio, TV, and word of mouth. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Time Orientation and Attitudes toward Advertising in a High-Context Culture: An Empirical Study of Macau

Each culture has its own dominant construct of time that influences the value placed on the use of time by individuals. This empirical study examines how time orientations influence attitudes toward advertising in a high-context culture of an Asian economy. Data was collected through surveys in Macau. Findings show that Macanese are more future orientated but less enthusiastic towards advertising; they switch to another channel and engage in other activities during commercial breaks. Results also show that past orientation has the strongest impact on advertising avoidance. The authors offer managerial implications for the development of effective advertising programs in this emerging market.     

Consumer perceptions toward sugar content of fruit juice products in a developing country

The purpose of this paper is to determine consumer perceptions toward sugar content of fruit juice (FJ) products in South Africa amid the current sugar tax debate. The paper also ascertains how and if consumption patterns and socio-demographic factors are associated with consumer perceptions toward FJ sugar content. A cross-sectional study was conducted via structured self-administered questionnaires, which were disseminated on a face-to-face basis. Over 7600 consumers aged 16–66+ years in suburbs, townships, and informal settlements were surveyed in South Africa. The data were analyzed through the application of a generalized linear model. Half of the respondents agreed that FJ products were high in sugar. Furthermore, several consumption and socio-demographic factors had a varied influence on consumers’ perceptions toward FJ products. This study provides marketers and retailers with new insight regarding the marketing of FJ products in a developing country amid the sugar tax debate.     

High-Tech Corporatism: Management-Employee Relations in U.S. Electronics Firms, 1920s-1960s

In this article I examine corporative management practices inelectronics firms in Boston and in Silicon Valley from the 1920sto the 1960s. Managers in several key firms developed thesepractices in response to political and professional ideologiesand as a way to address the problems of hiring, using, and retaininga highly skilled work force. They did this independently ofthe welfare capitalism plans of corporations such as EastmanKodak and before the guru theorists and work empowerment programsof the 1960s. The corporatist methods first developed in Bostonand further refined in Silicon Valley later diffused to mostU.S. firms in the software, computer, Internet, and biotechnologyindustries.     

Employment Creation in Small Technological and Design Innovators in the U.K. during the 1980s

This paper provides rare empirical evidence on employment creation by innovative small firms in the U.K. over the eleven years between 1980 and 1991. Drawing on a database of firms which were recognised as having introduced important innovations, the paper examines the extent of employment growth in these companies and compares their growth with that discovered by other studies of small firms in the U.K. This shows that the innovative firms have grown at a significantly faster average rate than small firms generally. Some of the factors associated with employment change in small firms are assessed. This shows that the initial size, age, sector of activity and type of innovation introduced by the firms were all associated with differences in their average rate of growth. The employment created was, however, highly concentrated in a few firms, but even the fastest growing of these companies (directly) created hundreds rather than thousands of new jobs over the period of analysis.     

U.s. Multinational staffing practices and implications for subsidiary performance in the u.k. And thailand

This study addresses two questions about the U.K. and Thai subsidiaries of U.S. multinationals: (1) What is the relationship between a company's staffing policy and subsidiary performance? and (2) When are companies more likely to use an expatriate rather than a local manager? The study concludes that local managers are most effective in subsidiaries located in a developing country, subsidiaries that rely on a local customer base, and subsidiaries with marketing themes similar to the themes used at their U.S. headquarters. Expatriates are more likely to be in charge of larger subsidiaries and those with a marketing theme similar to that of the headquarters. ? 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.