Antecedents of consumers’ intentions to upgrade their mobile phones

The fourth generation (4G) mobile phone will soon be launched. Marketers need to know which factors determine whether customers choose to upgrade their mobile phones, as this will affect the diffusion of third generation (3G), 4G, and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access phones. This study integrates pre- and post-adoption theories, upgrading, and value-based theory to examine plans to upgrade to a newer model mobile phone among second generation (2G) and 3G mobile phone users. The empirical results show that the technology acceptance model fails to explain consumers’ intentions to upgrade in sequence. Although customers perceived next-generation mobile phones as being easier to use and more useful than their current model phones, this did not directly influence them to upgrade. When users were satisfied with their current model, they were not willing to upgrade to a newer generation model. Moreover, value assessments affect users’ plans to upgrade to next-generation mobile phones.     

Estimating switching costs involved in changing mobile phone carriers in Japan: Evaluation of lock-in factors related to Japan’s SIM card locks

This paper employs a web-based conjoint-type questionnaire to examine empirically user preference for a hypothetical Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) unlock situation in Japan’s mobile phone market. This paper also analyzes carriers’ other marketing strategies to lock in consumers. The empirical analysis in this study reveals the following: over 80% of survey respondents evaluate a highly compatible platform with the SIM unlocked. Approximately 70% of consumers find that the value of discounts on initial payments exceeds the discounts on one-year monthly payments. In addition, conditions set by continuing agreements for mobile carriers and mobile handsets reduce consumer benefit by 35% at the median in the case of SIM unlocking with compatible platforms.     

Knowledge sharing and strategic fit in integrated product development proejcts: An empirical study

While product strategy has been approached from a variety of perspectives, the role of strategic fit as a critical linkage of knowledge sharing practices and new product development outcomes have not been adequately explored. This paper discusses how strategic fit is instrumental for cross-functional teams to integrate product development outcomes. This paper identifies critical knowledge sharing components that enhances the extent of strategic fit that in turn improves the success of product development efforts. Strategic fit or alignment requires knowledge sharing practices of the product development team. Teams with a shared knowledge base are more capable of thinking strategically, adapting their actions to their project environment and accordingly engaging in innovative problem-solving while ultimately achieving project goals of time, cost and value. This paper presents and tests a research model using a sample of 285 product development projects of firms from USA, Canada and Spain. The results suggest that strategic fit is associated with greater knowledge sharing and enhance product development outcomes in both small and large firms as well as diverse regions (i.e., USA, Canada and Spain).     

Reducing the level of switching costs in mobile communications: The case of Mobile Number Portability

Switching costs are one of the most important economic forces that affect market competition in mobile communications. Both theoretical and empirical studies have shown that switching costs reduce market competition leading to higher prices, lower product and service quality, and lower customer welfare. Given their negative consequences, national regulatory authorities have designed policies aimed at reducing switching costs and fostering competition. One of the most important of these, in the mobile communications industry, is mobile number portability (MNP). The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of MNP on switching costs in mobile phone services. First, a hierarchical Bayes model is proposed to measure switching costs at the customer level and to investigate the impact of MNP on them. Second, this study examines the drivers of MNP adoption by customers using a binary logit specification. The results reveal that this regulatory policy has significantly reduced the cost of switching and that MNP adoption partially depends on customer-related variables.     

Churn analysis for an Iranian mobile operator

To survive in the challenging environment of a global market, organizations must recognize and analyze customer attitudes. To be competitive, organizations must recognize and forecast customer preferences and behaviors to maximize customer retention before their rivals do so. This research identifies factors that affect customer churn, the single most valuable of an organization's assets. One year's data from call log files relating to 3150 customers were selected randomly from an Iranian mobile operator call-center database. Binomial Logistic Regression was the method of analysis used in this research. The results of this research indicate that a customer's dissatisfaction, their amount of service usage and certain demographic characteristics have the most influence on their decision to remain or churn. The results also imply that customer status (active or inactive status) mediates the relationship between churn and the cause of churn. The Iranian government's current plan to privatize the telecommunications industry without deregulation leads to a non-square competition environment. Deregulation in favor of delegating more authorities of customer care is necessary in order to develop a square private competition environment in the Iranian mobile telecommunications industry.     

Access to ICT in rural and urban Thailand

This paper addresses the information and communication technology adoption decisions of Thai households. The findings suggest that household composition, education, wealth, and occupation are key factors determining information and communication technology adoption. The rural–urban gap of mobile phone adoption was negligible in 2009 after controlling for household characteristics, while the gaps for other information and communication technologies have persisted. Having a family member migrate to work elsewhere significantly increases the likelihood of mobile phone adoption.     

Ethiopia: Food for work or food for relief

This article examines the aims, context and experience of food aid projects in Ethiopia. The major focus is a case study of an Ethiopian food-for-work project — the largest in sub-Saharan Africa — and favourable conclusions are drawn. Factors are identified which have made for this apparent success. Since one factor is local food shortage, consideration is also given to the proposition that the concept of ‘relief aid’ needs a wider definition than heretofore.     

Due date assignment in repetitive projects

This paper demonstrates the significance of location-specific differences in manufacturing characteristics and in consumer demand for technology competitiveness. It looks, in particular, at the economic viability of emerging polymer composite automobile body technologies if produced in the United States (U.S.) versus if produced in the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) The results show that polymer composite bodies, when produced locally for the local market, are competitive for significantly fewer cars in the P.R.C. (7%) than in the U.S. (29%). Despite consumer demand characteristics in the P.R.C. being more favorable for composites, differences in production characteristics between the two locations dominate the overall effect. These results suggest that in cases such as automobile bodies where markets and manufacturing location are tightly coupled, firms may need to put as much emphasis on understanding the impact of local production differences on technology competitiveness as in understanding local markets.     

Competition in Turkish mobile telecommunications markets: Price elasticities and network substitution

This paper estimates demand elasticities for Turkish mobile telecommunications markets. In contrast to most other studies, firm-level data is used to estimate dynamic panel data models including instrumental variable techniques. Both short- and long-run elasticities are calculated, yielding a long-run price elasticity of −0.72 for the post-paid market and of −0.33 for the pre-paid market. The short-run price elasticity is estimated to be −0.36 for the post-paid market and −0.20 for the pre-paid market. In addition, there is evidence of fixed-to-mobile traffic substitution for consumers who use pre-paid cards.     

Best-matching protocols for assembly in e-work networks

Assembly networks pose many challenges to the comprising businesses due to their ever-growing distributed nature. This article explores the benefits of incorporating best-matching protocols (BMP) into the principles of design for assembly (DFA) to make better use of already existing information on equipment, parts and suppliers. Best-matching protocols for cooperation requirement planning (BMP-CRP), for part matching (BMP-part) and supplier selection were developed. A case study for the matching of parts and suppliers is provided. The results of the case study corroborate the benefits in quality and costs that the best-matching protocols can yield for businesses in an assembly e-work network.