The effect of media,product and message factors on ad persuasiveness: the role of affect and cognition

The effects of media, product and advertising strategy variables on consumers' thoughts and feelings are investigated. Both direct and indirect paths from the advertising variables to ad persuasiveness measures are also analysed with the indirect paths leading through affective and cognitive responses. Two hundred and forty television and magazine ads are analysed with respect to advertising variables, affect, cognition and ad persuasiveness. Results indicate that advertising variables are indirectly linked to ad persuasiveness with the indirect path occurring through affective and cognitive responses.     

Positive affect and decision frame in negotiation

This study examined decision frame (“gain” vs. “loss”) and negotiator affect (positive vs. control) in a simulated bilateral negotiation where negotiators dealt with a programmed opponent and made offers and counteroffers on three issues that differed in value. Direct comparisons between the gain and loss frame conditions, in the control-affect condition, revealed a replication of the standard frame effect: a loss frame produced fewer concessions than a gain frame. However, an interaction effect indicated that the frame effect reversed in the positive affect condition: under positive affect, a loss frame produced greater concessions than a gain frame. In addition, the data indicated a replication of earlier work showing that positive affect can lead to more integrative agreements in negotiation. The results suggest that positive affect can influence location of a reference point in evaluating prospective outcomes; one implication is that prospect theory can be useful for understanding the effects of affect in bilateral negotiation.     

Negotiator affect: the state of the art (and the science)

Negotiation, once regarded by researchers as essentially a cognitive process through which parties with non-identical preferences allocate resources through joint decision making, is now understood to have a significant affective component. I discuss in this essay the evolution of research exploring the role of affect in negotiation, consider the interplay of affect and cognition that underlies the papers in this issue, and comment on methodological developments and challenges in the study of negotiator affect. Attention to the role of affect is no longer a peripheral pursuit in negotiation research, but it does remain an elusive one.     

经济管理中的决策制定

领导的过程就是制定决策并实施决策的过程.决策正确与否,关系到事业的成败,经济的兴衰.因此,在经济管理中按照科学的秩序和方法,制定和实施决策,实现决策科学化,这是市场经济的需要,是事业发展的需要,也是检验现代领导者经济管理水平的重要标志.     

A behavioral model of ethical and unethical decision making

A model is developed which identifies and describes various factors which affect ethical and unethical behavior in organizations, including a decision-maker's social, government and legal, work, professional and personal environments. The effect of individual decision maker attributes on the decision process is also discussed. The model links these influences with ethical and unethical behavior via the mediating structure of the individual's decision-making process.Michael Bommer, Clarence Gratto, Jerry Gravander and Mark Tuttle all come from Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY.Michael Bommer is Professor and Chairman of the Dept. of Management. He is co-author of two books. His articles have been published in several journals.Clarence Gratto is Assistant Professor of Business Law. Jerry Gravander is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Liberal Studies and he has written several articles, published in Technology Review, Journal of the Humanities and Technology and Journal of the International Society for Technology Assessment. Mark Tuttle is Assistant Professor at the School of Management and he is the author of articles which appeared in Journal of Vocational Behavior and Journal of Educational Psychology.     

Capital structure decision making: A model for family business

Most theoretical and empirical studies of capital structure focus on public corporations. Only a limited number of studies on capital structure have been conducted on small-to-medium size enterprises (SMEs), and this deficiency is particularly evident in investigations into factors that influence funding decisions of family business owners.Theory indicates that there is a complex array of factors that influence SME owner-managers' financing decisions. Recent family business literature suggests that these processes are influenced by firm owners' attitudes toward the utility of debt as a form of funding as moderated by external environmental conditions (e.g., financial and market considerations).A number of other factors have been shown to influence financing decisions including culture; entrepreneurial characteristics; entrepreneurs' prior experiences in capital structure; business goals; business life-cycle issues; preferred ownership structures; views regarding control, debt–equity ratios, and short- vs. long-term debt; age and size of the firm; sources of funding for growth; attitudes toward debt financing; issues relating to independence and control; and perceived risk and attitudes toward personal risk.Although these factors have been identified, until now there does not appear to have been any attempts to develop empirically-based models that show relationships between these factors and family business owners' financing decisions. Utilizing theories derived from divergent disciplines, this study develops an empirically tested structural equation model of financing antecedents of family businesses. Participants of our study involved a random sample of 5000 business owners who were mailed a 250-item Australian Family and Private Business questionnaire developed specifically for this investigation.Notably, our findings reveal that firm size, family control, business planning, and business objectives are significantly associated with debt. Small family businesses and owners who do not have formal planning processes in place tend to rely on family loans as a source of finance. However, family businesses in the service industry (e.g., retailers and wholesalers) are less likely to use family loans as are those owners who are planning to achieve growth through new products or process development. Use of capital and retained profits is likely for family businesses planning to achieve growth through an increase in sales but less is likely for family businesses in the manufacturing sector and lifestyle firms. In addition, debt and family loans are negatively related to capital and retained profits. Equity is a consideration for owners of large businesses, young firms, and owners who plan to achieve growth through increasing profit margins. However, equity is less likely to be a consideration for older family business owners and owners who have a preference for retaining family control.Our findings suggest that the interplay between multiple social, family, and financial factors is complex. In addition, our findings indicate the importance of utilizing theories that also help to explain behavioral factors (e.g., owners' needs to be in control) that affect financial structure decision-making processes. Practitioners and researchers should consider the dynamic interplay among business characteristics (e.g., size or industry), behavioral aspects of business financing (e.g., business objectives), and financial factors (e.g., gearing levels) when working with and researching family enterprises.     

A linguistic decision process in group decision making

Assuming a set of linguistic preferences representing the preferences of the individuals, a linguistic choice process is presented. This is developed using the concept of fuzzy majority for deriving a collective linguistic preference, and the concept of nondominated alternatives for deriving the selected alternatives in the linguistic choice process. The fuzzy majorities are equated with fuzzy linguistic quantifiers. The collective linguistic preference is derived by means of a linguistic ordered weighted averaging operator whose weights are defined using a fuzzy linguistic quantifier. In order to obtain the nondominated alternatives, we present a novel reformulation of Orlovski's nondominance degree under linguistic information.     

Merger and acquisition evaluation and decision making model

Based on three merger and acquisition (M&A) methods and applying multiple-criteria decision making, the purpose of this paper is to establish an M&A evaluation model. The decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) results show that the three business M&A methods possess interactive effect and self-feedback relationships. This study utilizes the analytic network process to calculate the weights of seven evaluation criteria; expected stock dividend is ranked as the most important criterion, followed by stock price/earnings per share, stock dividend growth, sales/market capitalization ratio, discount rate, replacement value, and liquidation value. This study uses Vlsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) to evaluate the performance of three Taiwanese banks. The results show that Bank B is the best M&A investment choice. Finally, the study establishes a comprehensive M&A decision making evaluation model.     

A model and case for supporting participatory public decision making in e-democracy

In this paper, focusing on participatory public decision making processes, I propose a framework for group support systems and discuss related research issues. As a case illustrating the feasibility of participatory public decision making, I present the participatory budgeting experience in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The case is analyzed based on the proposed framework.     

Husband-wife innovative consumer decision making: Exploring the effect of family power

The study investigates the effect of one component of spousal influence—family power—on the innovative consumer decisions perceived to be made independently by one's mate. Information was gathered via a questionnaire by personally contacting a sample of 71 married couples. The hypothesis tested was that a wife, by virtue of her greater relative exercise of family power, exerts a high degree of influence over the innovative consumer decisions made by her husband. Specifically, it was hypothesized that a wife will have more influence over the choices perceived to be made by her husband than will he. The results supported the hypothesis.     

Ethical decision making: A review of the empirical literature

The authors review the empirical literature in order to assess which variables are postulated as influencing ethical beliefs and decision making. The variables are divided into those unique to the individual decision maker and those considered situational in nature. Variables related to an individual decision maker examined in this review are nationality, religion, sex, age, education, employment, and personality. Situation specific variables examined in this review are referent groups, rewards and sanctions, codes of conduct, type of ethical conflict, organization effects, industry, and business competitiveness. The review identifies the variables that have been empirically tested in an effort to uncover what is known and what we need to know about the variables that are hypothesized as determinants of ethical decision behavior.Robert C. Ford is a professor of management at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has authored or coauthored two texts and a number of published articles in a variety of journals including theAcademy of Management Journal, Journal of Management, Journal of Applied Psychology, California Management Review, andBusiness Horizons. He is the incoming President of the Southern Management Association and has served the Academy of Management as Chairs of the Management History Division, the Management Education and Development Division, and Placement Director.Woodrow D. Richardson is an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has published inHealth Care Management Review, Simulation & Gaming, andSmall Business Controlling. He teaches courses in Business & Society and Business Policy, and he was the recipient of the University Excellence in Teaching Award in 1989.     

A multilevel and dynamic model of intragroup conflict and decision making: Application of agent-based modeling

Although intragroup conflict has both multilevel and dynamic natures, less attention has been paid to establishing a holistic model of intragroup conflict that emerges across levels and unfolds over time. To address this research gap, we extend the multilevel view of intragroup conflict (Korsgaard et al. 2008) to develop a multilevel and dynamic model of intragroup conflict that explicitly includes (a) the role of time and (b) the feedback loop to encompass the dynamic aspect of intragroup conflict. We further instantiate the extended model in the context of team decision-making. To achieve this and systematically examine the complex relationships, we use agentbased modeling and simulation (ABMS). We directly investigate how two types of intragroup conflict—task and relationship conflict—interplay with cross-level antecedences, interrelate and develop over time, and affect team outcomes. This study adds to the intragroup conflict research by extending the field with multilevel and dynamic views.     

Multichannel shopping: The effect of decision making style on shopper journey configuration and satisfaction

Prior research demonstrates links between the maximizing tendency in decision making and online shopping behaviour, with maximizers spending considerable time on their online shopping yet being somewhat dissatisfied with their shopping decisions. Our research extends prior knowledge to the multichannel shopping context. Multichannel shopper journeys are an important form of shopping, whereby the activities comprising a shopping event occur in more than one channel. Our quantitative study examines relationships between two dimensions of maximizing, maximization as a strategy and maximization as a goal, multichannel shopper journey configuration and subsequent affect. Maximization as a strategy directly and positively relates to the numbers of channel switches and of pauses in a shopper journey and to the use of product and retailer reviews. It is indirectly associated with increased counterfactual thinking and regret, and with decreased satisfaction. Maximization as a goal has no effect on multichannel shopper journey configuration or on affect. Our findings have managerial relevance for multichannel retailers. We demonstrate that product and retailer reviews are of particular importance to those employing maximization as a shopping strategy, as they mitigate against their increased tendency to engage in counterfactual thinking. As counterfactual thinking leads maximizers to increased regret and decreased satisfaction, multichannel retailers can improve shopper satisfaction by actively directing their customers to reviews. Shoppers using maximization as a strategy could be helped to configure their shopper journeys with fewer channel switches and fewer pauses, as these provide maximizers with opportunities to doubt their decisions.     

The effect of formalism on unethical decision making: The mediating effect of moral disengagement and moderating effect of moral attentiveness

This study examined the relationship between formalism and unethical decision making among Chinese working adults. A total of 316 Chinese adult employees completed measures of ethical predispositions, unethical decision making, moral disengagement, and moral attentiveness. The results showed that formalism was related to a weaker propensity to morally disengage. Moral disengagement positively predicted unethical decision making and mediated the relationship between formalism and unethical decision making. Further, perceptual moral attentiveness negatively moderated the relationship between formalism and moral disengagement. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are presented.     

Consumer decision making and variety of offerings: The effect of attribute alignability

In recent years, many companies have considerably increased their number of offering varieties. The underlying rationale for such product strategies is substantiated by the belief that assortment proliferation would better satisfy customers' diverse preferences. However, empirical evidence exists suggesting that if there are too many varieties to choose from, customers sometimes either refrain from making a purchase at all, or else resort to simple selection heuristics. This article approaches the issue of assortment variety from a decision‐theoretical perspective, by positing circumstances under which expanding the number of varieties will positively or negatively affect consumer behavior. Herein, the concept of attribute alignability provides explanatory potential. Two experimental studies are presented which analyze the effect of the number of product varieties on customers' decision‐making behavior by means of manipulating the choice settings in a virtual car configurator. It can be shown that whether the product attributes in question are alignable or nonalignable is the decisive factor in explaining customer decision making under variety. Furthermore, “pseudo‐alignability”is achieved easily via the relabeling of product options. These findings yield concrete managerial insights for the customer‐oriented design of product lines consisting of a basic product and several varieties derived from it. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Does economic globalisation affect income inequality? A meta-analysis

A large volume of econometric literature has studied the impact of economic globalisation on income inequality around the world. However, reported econometric estimates vary substantially, which makes it difficult to draw valid conclusions. This paper presents a quantitative summary and analysis of existing estimates regarding the globalisation–inequality relationship. We use a new data set consisting of 1,254 observations from 123 primary studies. By applying meta-analysis and meta-regression methods, we obtain several main findings. First, globalisation has a (small-to-moderate) inequality-increasing effect. Second, while the effect of trade globalisation is small, financial globalisation shows a more sizeable and significantly stronger inequality-increasing impact. Third, we find an average inequality-increasing impact of globalisation in both advanced and developing countries. Fourth, education and technology moderate the impact of globalisation on income inequality.     

Strategic decision making in start-ups: the effect of top management team organization and processes on speed and comprehensiveness

Technology-based start-ups operate in high-velocity environments that make considerable demands on the comprehensiveness and speed of strategic choices. This study argues that characteristics of top management team (TMT) organization as well as TMT processes, namely, debate and trust, significantly influence the comprehensiveness and speed of strategic decision making in start-ups. Hypotheses are theoretically developed and tested with data from an empirical investigation of German start-ups.     

Exploring the contextual and individual factors on ethical decision making of salespeople

This paper studies how salespeople make ethical decisions. For this purpose a structural model has been developed which configures how the organization's environment, the organizations's climate, and personality traits affect ethical decision making. Internal communication and the choice of a control system especially affect ethical decision making. Internal communication also affects the attraction of salespeople with unethical personality traits (Machiavellism), while the control system affects the ethical climate. Ethical climate and salespeople's personality traits also affect the ethical decision making. In fact the study shows that ethical decision making can be influenced by management.Willem Verbeke is assistant professor in marketing, School of Economics, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. His research concentration is sales management.Cok Ouwerkerk is founder and director of the CSA, a consulting firm for statistical applications, in Mijnheerenland, The Netherlands. He has been involved in many research projects at different Dutch universities and firms.Ed Peelen is associate professor at the School of Economics, The University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. His research concentration is marketing management and logistics.