Determinants of the satisfaction of firms with the competencies of university students: a Spanish case study

Spanish universities pay little attention to business demands with regard to workforce training and to the research that has been developed in this area. The present study analyses the effect of various factors on firms’ satisfaction with the education provided by universities. The factors include the content of the student's major subject of study and social, methodological and participation skills. The data were obtained from a survey of businesses. Although the results obtained show that all of the factors have an impact on overall satisfaction, they are not of equal importance. University managers may be able to use the information obtained from this study as a basis for designing and implementing action that might improve employers’ level of satisfaction, which has considerable positive consequences. Moreover, the study's methodology could be applied to other outputs of universities, such as the research performed.     

Determinants of website traffic: the case of European fashion apparel retailers

The globalization process together with the extraordinary growth in the use of Internet offer firms new growth opportunities. Retail firms are using a multichannel approach, involving the Internet, in their internationalization strategies. Website traffic as measured by unique users and online awareness is among the measures for assessing the success of the online channel. There is little evidence, however, linking website traffic and the characteristics of the retail multichannel internationalization process. In order to fill this gap, this paper analyses the factors explaining the retailer's international website traffic. Website traffic data for a sample of European fashion apparel retailers are modelled as dependent on characteristics of the organization and of its physical and virtual internationalization strategy. Following the results of several linear regression models, we infer the complementarity of online and offline channels in the international operation, as well as the contribution of social networks as traffic generators.     

Responding to Agenda 21: purchase and waste behaviour and the introduction of weight-based billing – a case study

In many societies unsustainable consumption patterns are currently being recognized as a critical problem receiving increasing public attention. Communities in many parts of the world are responding to United Nations Agenda 21 by attempting to increase public awareness about the necessity of increasing recycling, by increasing fees and taxes on products that are harmful to the environment, by introducing re-use systems, and by changing legislation. These are just a few examples of the kinds of measures that are being employed in an attempt to move towards an ecocyclic society. This article reports a case study from a Swedish municipality, Varberg, and the focus is on the relationship between household routines related to purchases of everyday commodities and waste management. In 1994, Varberg introduced a weight-based billing system for household waste and at the same time a green shopping campaign was launched by the authorities. The article reports findings from a study of 39 households, located in two different areas, a town area with rented apartments and a suburban area with owner occupied, one-family houses. Data have been obtained through interviews and weighing of household waste. Results show that there are important differences between these areas with respect to awareness of the information launched in the campaign, knowledge of the goals of the campaign and in the manners in which dwellers felt affected by the message conveyed. Households in the suburban area, for instance, had a better knowledge of green labels and what they stand for. There are also clear differences in concrete actions that can be taken by those living in the two areas. In the area with rented apartments, weight-based billing for the individual household is not possible, nor is composting a viable alternative. For the suburban families living in their own houses, there are a broad set of measures that could be taken to modify purchase behaviours and waste management towards more environmentally friendly alternatives.     

Determinants of firm-level export performance: a case study of Indian textile garments and apparel industry

Drawing on international trade and industrial organisation theories, this paper identifies variables affecting (a) the export decision function, i.e. to export or sell in domestic market, and (b) the export performance function, i.e. the share of exports in output. These functions are estimated for Garment and Apparel producing units in Delhi. The form of business organisation, reflecting access to capital, turns out to be a key determinant in both functions. The estimated marginal impact of identified variables (scale and share of sales expenses) on the probability of exporting in an estimated Probit model declines sharply when moving from single proprietorship to partnership and on to limited companies. On the other hand, every single determinant (scale, share of wages, share of sales expenses and technical efficiency) has been found to have an increasing marginal impact on export performance in an estimated Tobit model when moving across the three forms of business organisation. Empirical results suggest two policy changes to boost export performance. First, given the importance of scale for exports, the existing policy of reserving garments and apparel for exclusive production in small-scale units needs to be scrapped. Simultaneously, it is also necessary to amend current labour legislation applicable to large-scale factory units, as it introduces labour market inflexibility and hence serves as an impediment to the expansion of existing units and the entry of new units.     

Determinants of brand equity in cultural organizations: the case of an art exhibition

The purpose of this research is two-fold. First, to explore the factors that help to create brand equity in cultural organizations from the visitor viewpoint and second, to examine the impact of cultural brand equity on visitor satisfaction as well as on future intentions. A model of the relationships is developed and empirically tested using data collected from visitors attending The Ages of Mankind cultural exhibition in Castilla and León, Spain. In the present study, evidence is found to support the propositions that brand equity is closely linked to the particular image it conveys, to the event's recognition, the quality of the exhibitions and the cultural values it transmits. Brand equity also impacts visitor perception of the most recent exhibition, as well as future intentions to attend or even pay an admission fee.     

Observation of a strategic household purchase decision

The present paper focuses on strategic household purchase decisions; i.e., major, complex buying decisions with long-term bindings of economic resources. An in-depth study of house buying in two-career households demonstrated preferences (goals) to be ambiguous, and consequences to be modestly understood and partly uncovered after the purchase. Only a few alternatives were considered, and they were from different broad need-satisfying categories such as purchase of apartment or house, or renting. No direct comparisons of alternatives were observed to take place. The purchase decisions were based on few, very crude decision criteria working as guidelines for judging whether or not the alternatives considered were acceptable, while the final choice seemingly was made according to an affect-referral decision rule.     

The covariates of regularity in purchase timing

An examination of the timing of consumers' purchases for coffee reveals that consumers vary a great deal in terms of the regularity of their purchasing behavior. Some consumers make purchases at seemingly random time intervals, while others purchase at highly regular intervals. The measurement of regularity in purchase timing, as well as the identification of its covariates, is important in many contexts such as modeling purchase incidence and sales forecasting. We measure the degree of regularity among a sample of coffee purchasers and identify several consumer characteristics that vary with the degree of regularity in purchase timing. Results show that regularity in purchase timing is related to brand loyalty, store loyalty and deal proneness, as well as to certain pattern of routinization by the households, and that regularity may be used, along with other aspects of purchase behavior, to provide a basis for market segmentation.The authors wish to acknowledge the support of Information Resources Inc. for providing the data, and are grateful to Professor Jane T. Landwehr, University of Delaware, for her help.     

政府采购市场现场—访广东政府采购中心副主任谭煜筹

一些发达国家希望中国能够成为WTO《政府采购协议》(下称《协议》)的成员之一,他们有意无意地将《协议》与加入世贸的强制性条件捆绑在一起,作为我国加入世贸的一个重要条件.美国确定《协议》谈判的三个重点对象,我国就是其中之一.     

政府采购市场现状——访广东省政府采购中心副主任谭煜筹

一些发达国家希望中国能够成为 WTO《政府采购协议》(下称《协议》)的成员之一,他们有意无意地将《协议》与加入世贸的强制性条件捆绑在一起,作为我国加入世贸的一个重要条件。美国确定《协议》谈判的三个重点对象,我国就是其中之一。欧盟甚至提出,我国可以先享受权利再承担义务,即我国供应商可先进入欧盟的政府采购市场,一段时间后再向欧盟供应商开放中国的政府采购市场。我国没有同意欧美所提出的要求,而是再度重申江泽民主席在亚太经合组织中的承诺,最迟2020年向欧美开放这块市场。这为我国许多行业中羽翼尚未丰满的企业赢得了相当难得的发展机会和市场机会。业内人士透露,我国预计在人世的两年内启动加入《协议》的谈判。     

浅述我国网上团购的现状及展望

网上团购在我国对于消费者来说是一种新兴起的消费模式,而对于传统企业来说是一种很有效的网络营销模式,对于团购网站来说是更一种全新的电子商务模式.本文主要介绍了我国网上团购的发展现状和未来发展趋势进行了展望.以探求和学习的角度来分析我国网上团购活动,以期对于我国网上团购的当前格局和未来的发展有所认识.     

Consumer purchase behaviour of irradiated beef products: a simulated supermarket setting

In December 1997, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of irradiation to kill harmful bacteria in beef. As a result of limited information about consumers’ potential response to implementation of this technology, a supermarket simulation setting (SSS) test was conducted to assess consumer purchase behaviour. The objectives were to determine consumers’ willingness to purchase irradiated beef products when provided with information at the grocery store level and consumer's perceptions towards irradiated beef. Primary household grocery shoppers (n = 207) in Griffin, Georgia, USA who consumed beef at least twice per week participated in the study. Ground beef, ground chuck, top round steak and rib eye steak were displayed in refrigerated cases in either traditionally labelled packages (non‐irradiated) or in packages labelled as irradiated. Irradiated and non‐irradiated beef had the same unit price. Participants were instructed to purchase two packages of each cut on their first shopping trip; they then shopped a second time after an informative poster about irradiation had been placed in the display cases. The results indicated that irradiation information displayed on the poster at the point of purchase was effective in causing significant change in beef purchase behaviour. The information caused some consumers who had bought traditional packages initially to buy irradiated packages subsequently while others who bought irradiated packages initially subsequently bought traditional packages. Hence, the net effect of the information was minimal. A mean test across form/cut showed that consumers did not differentiate between the ground form and the muscle form in selecting irradiated packages.     

Determinants of the corporate identity construct: a review of the literature

Corporate identity has received significant attention from both academics and practitioners in the last 25 years. Despite many articles written in this area a definitive construct of corporate identity and its measurements does not yet exist. The objective of this paper is therefore to provide a review of the literature on the corporate identity construct and its components and also to present the academic and managerial implications of this study.     

浅谈采购业务购买环节的内部控制

采购是指购买物资(或接受劳务)及支付款项等相关活动.采购业务需要由预算、采购、收货、财会各部门共同协助完成.将采购业务中的预算、采购、验收、付款等部门工作的授权审批分离开来,对购买、审批、验收、付款等环节建立标准化业务处理程序,健全以采购申请、经济合同、结算凭证、入库单据为载体的控制系统,加强购买、审批、验收付款的控制.     

Buying free rewards: the impact of a points-plus-cash promotion on purchase and reward redemption

While many studies have investigated consumer purchase behavior in reward programs, a better understanding of customer redemption behavior is lacking, particularly when promotions affect a core aspect of reward programs—free rewards. In this paper, we examine the impact of a promotion on purchase and reward redemption in a reward program in which consumers can partially cover the cost of a free reward with their money. The literature on reward programs suggests a positive reinforcement caused by reward redemption, whereas the literature on promotion provides different views regarding the existence of a postpromotion dip. Using data from a major retailer’s reward program, we verify that such a promotion attracted customers with less transaction activity and shorter tenure. Interestingly, consumers using the promotion increased their preference for hedonic rewards compared to their previously observed behavior. This change in preference persisted after the promotion ended. Overall, the promotion significantly increased the number of redemptions but generated a negative impact on subsequent consumer behavior by decreasing purchase incidence and quantity. Our findings point to a need to understand the trade-off between spending money on buying an otherwise free reward and future regular purchases.

     

Online purchase determinants of loyalty: The mediating effect of satisfaction in tourism

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of four online purchase determinants (website image, routine, website knowledge and innovativeness) on customer loyalty and the mediating effect of customer satisfaction within the context of e-commerce. The research model is tested using data collected from 3188 regular buyers of the national leader in the sector being studied. The statistical analyses were conducted within the Structural Equation Modeling framework. Results show that there is a complete mediating effect of e-customer satisfaction in the relationship between three online purchase determinants (website image, online routine and website knowledge) and e-customer loyalty. The research results provide an important insight into how e-companies can pursuit and use delight to highlight customers' loyalty. These results allow for a better understanding of customer specificities, with practical actions aimed at their real needs and expectations.     

Determinants of the growth aspiration: a quantitative study of Venezuelan entrepreneurs

The article examines the determinants of the growth aspiration of Venezuelan entrepreneurs. We use the GEM database and build an econometric model based on a set of exogenous variables grouped into three large categories: contextual or environmental factors, individual factors and business variables. Given the Venezuelan specific characteristics, we place a particular focus on understanding the differences between entrepreneurs belonging or not to the BoP. The primary findings of this work are the identification of the variables that explain growth aspiration, namely, belonging to the BoP, gender, education, motivation and years of study and some additional variables where individual factors interact with the contextual factor BoP. The second finding is that there are significant differences for the entrepreneurs belonging and not belonging to the BoP, with a threshold where the entrepreneurs of the BoP become averse to continuing to aspire to growth. Practical and policy implications are elaborated with the results.     

社会责任是企业持久竞争力的源泉

当今西方社会对企业社会责任日益重视,美国安然事件和一系列的公司丑闻,更使这一问题成为全球关注的焦点。目前国际上普遍认同企业社会责任是:企业在创造利润、对股东利益负责的同时,还要承担对员工、对顾客和环境等利益相关者的社会责任。对中国企业而言,企业社会责任的缺失给企业带来的压力不仅仅是社会舆论压力,还有来自全球供应链的压力,相关的社会责任标准已通过跨国公司的商品     

The Determinants of Firm Exit from Exporting: Evidence for the UK

This study seeks to understand to what extent new exporters are able to survive in international markets and whether exit from exporting is more likely to be associated with firm-level heterogeneity or more general factors such as trade costs and/or barriers to entry and exit (such as sunk costs). This study presents the first analysis undertaken for a nationally representative group of UK firms on the determinants of exit from exporting, using panel data covering all market-based sectors of the UK during 1997–2003. Our findings suggest that the probability of a firm ceasing to export is directly influenced by its productivity and other attributes associated with firm-level productivity differences (such as size and foreign ownership). Micro-finance factors, such as profitability and the ability to finance through long-term debt, play an additional role. Lastly, sectoral differences (e.g. industrial concentration) also help explain the firm’s exit decision, whilst trade costs lead to a higher probability of exiting from selling internationally.     

The responsible shareholder: a case study

Shareholders are sometimes considered to be, in moral terms, the owners of a company, they are after all the carriers of the residual liabilities and bear a higher proportion of the financial risk. However, in company law, the shareholders' responsibility is limited, and in financial terms shareholders are only liable up to the fully paid value of the share certificate. Moreover, when the shares are sold, the responsibility and risk are transferred completely to the new bearer of the shares. Whether this gap in moral and legal perceptions can be judged to be satisfactory in business ethics terms is a moot point and will be partly explored in this case study which seeks to analyse the shareholder's responsibility towards a firm in which they own shares. The case study company chosen as a vehicle to explore these issues is that of Turner & Newall; a company that subjected its employees, communities and customers to a major health hazard – asbestosis. This paper will use the Turner & Newall archive materials to illustrate the moral hazards that can arise for shareholders. In particular it will examine the ethical responsibilities of shareholders towards those stakeholders who were exposed to the dangers of asbestos. This case is a significant test of the veracity of the legal system of company control, and exposes the ineffectiveness of that system in accountability terms. The case study also deals with specific issues that arose in the asbestos crisis, as well as with more general issues in our present system of corporate governance and shareholder responsibilities.     

The politicisation of whistleblowers: a case study

The focus of this article is on the political nature of whistleblowing. It argues that reprisals by management, rather than silencing the whistleblower, result in the transformation and politicisation of the individual. The process that leads to the transformation of a loyal employee into a political activist is considered through analysing the experiences of a whistleblower in the sphere of financial regulation in South Africa. The article investigates the effect of retaliation by the employer on the employee-organisational relationship. It looks in particular at the nature of the power struggle between the whistleblower and management and suggests explanations why organisations tend to respond in such a harsh fashion to whistleblowing. It concludes that the act of whistleblowing not only displays an expressive dimension, but also a political instrumental dimension that is often neglected in literature on whistleblowing.