A Distance-Based Collective Preorder Integrating the Relative Importance of the Group's Members

In this paper, we propose an aggregation procedure, which includes two steps. In the first one, the group's members elaborate individually a preorder (total or partial) on the alternatives set. These preorders can be obtained, for example, by applying a multicriterion aggregation procedure such as ELECTRE III, PROMETHEE I or II. In the second step, these individual preorders (total or partial) are aggregated into a collective preorder (total or partial). For this purpose, we first built a distance measure between pairs of binary relations in order to quantify the divergence between two preorders. Then we determine, for each pair of alternatives, the relative importance coefficients of the group's members by using a method based on subjective and objective components. These coefficients and the distance measure are finally exploited by an iterative algorithm in order to elaborate a collective preorder synthesizing the individual preorders.     

A Comparative Analysis of the Relative Importance of Service Quality for Two UK Grocery Retailers

This article identifies the relative importance of service quality across two grocery store formats. Research to date, indicates that within the grocery sector, customers expect value for money in terms of product quality, nutritional value and service quality. If these attributes are met in relation to the customers' perceived risk, it is more likely that customer satisfaction and retention will occur. In difficult competitive, social and economic circumstances, some sources indicate that there will be a trading down in customer shopping habits, with more customers expecting higher levels of service provision across a wider range of store formats, including the discounters. This study examines the relative importance of service quality for a quality-led retailer, compared to a discounter. Quantitative and qualitative research was carried out to obtain both a demand and supply–side perspective. Research findings demonstrate that despite the fact that consumer expectations are rising in relation to the overall shopping experience, distinctions in relation to customers' expectations between the levels of service provided across quality-led stores, compared to discounters, is still evident.     

Customer Satisfaction with E-Retailers: The Role of Product Type in the Relative Importance of Attributes

It is of strategic importance for e-retailers to allocate their resources to various service attributes according to their relative importance. How does one determine the relative importance of different service attributes? Does the relative importance of different service attributes remain the same across different product categories? These questions must be addressed by researchers and e-retailers. Since customer ratings for service attributes are highly correlated, modeling methods other than traditional regression models should be used to analyze the relative importance of service attributes to overall customer satisfaction. As such, this article utilizes neural networks in order to study the relative importance of e-retailer service attributes. Importantly, this article shows that the relative importance of e-retailer service attributes varies across different product categories (i.e., convenience, shopping, and specialty goods).     

On the Importance of National Culture for the Design of Information Systems

In this contribution a literature review is conducted to illustrate how national culture influences phases of the design of information systems. For this purpose, we review the literature in order to identify reliable and commonly approved findings as well as still open remaining questions. Fundamentally, our literature review is a comprehensive framework that sets typical dimensions of system design as well as main types of cultural research in relation to each other. The existing research results in the area of national culture are classified along the levels of system design and attributed to typical phases of the design of information systems. It thus becomes apparent that in the domain of culture and information system design it is often only the design subject or the design object that is addressed. Contributions that connect both levels rarely exist. In our review, only a limited number of publications could be identified that covered concrete phases of the development providing system design, implementation, as well as verification and validation. From a theoretical perspective, there is an obvious dominance of Hofstede??s cultural dimensions that well address single topics of the design, such as user interface and inter cultural problems in development teams. Other domains, however (e.g., technology and architecture), are inadequately explained. Further, a predominantly phenomenological focus becomes obvious. The observed cultural phenomena and the connected interpretations are usable in a limited way for concrete development initiatives. The contribution ends with the vision of a theory for the culturally sensitive design of socio-technical information systems that absorbs current scientific knowledge and unites it in a structured approach.     

Understanding Customer Role and its Importance in the Formation of Service Quality Expectations

A search of the Service Quality (SQ) and Customer Satisfaction (CS) literature reveals a gap in knowledge relating to the ‘expectation’ formation aspect of the disconfirmation paradigm.

Little consideration has been given to the ‘role’ of the customer in the service encounter, albeit that the above literature mostly customer that one measure of output performance comprises a customer comparison of the various delivery components with a self-established standard, of which ‘expectations’ appears the most common. A need exists to identify not only how customers define the standards and parameters for evaluation, but also, how the customers’ understanding of their role during service interaction affects the expectations they form.

This paper addresses the above need through the development and subsequent exploratory testing of a conceptual model of expectation formation. In addition to the recognised expectation antecedents of ‘experience’ and ‘familiarity,' two ‘role’ construct dimensions ‘role understanding’ and ‘role benefit’ are introduced in a broader expectation antecedent framework. The relationship between ‘experience’ and ‘familiarity’ with respect to expectations is found to be indirect in nature; with ‘role understanding’ and ‘role benefit’ both performing a mediator function. Managerial and research implications are discussed.     

The Relative Importance of Ethics as a Selection Criterion for Entry-Level Public Accountants: Does Gender Make a Difference?

This paper examines public accountants’ perceptions of the relative importance of business ethics as a selection criterion for entry-level public accounting positions. Also, it seeks to determine whether gender differences do exist with respect to these perceptions. The data were collected through a survey of 335 professional accountants in four southeastern states. The results show that, among the eight selection factors that were studied, technical competence in accounting, communication skills, and interpersonal skills were the most influential, while professionalism and leadership abilities were the least important. Ethics was ranked fourth by the females and sixth by the males. A multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences between the genders with respect to five of the eight factors. The females’ scores were higher for ethics and interpersonal skills and lower for conceptual aptitude, strategic thinking, and leadership abilities. Implications for accounting educators and practitioners are discussed.     

The Information Use in a SME: Its Importance and Some Elements of Influence

The aim of this study is to gain some insights into the importance of the information use for the success of a SME. Consequently we examine some characteristics of the owner/manager and his firm which determine the extent of this use. The value of the model is examined for 208 Belgian SME owner/managers. Our data suggest there is a positive relation between the extent of information use and the performance of a SME. Moreover, we find that SME owner/managers with a greater strategic awareness, with less firm experience prior to the present position and with a greater desire for growth use more information. Also, smaller family ownership and intervention in strategic management, as well as greater delegation of decision making, lead to a higher information use.     

Guilt Regulation: The Relative Effects of Altruistic Versus Egoistic Appeals for Charity Advertising

This article examines how egoistic (versus altruistic) appeals in charity advertising help regulate guilt and result in more favorable ad attitudes and donation intentions. The proposed affect forecasting and regulation model depicts the process by which guilt states are mitigated more effectively by egoistic appeals, because they strengthen the affect forecasting belief that giving to charity leads to happiness. Such enhanced affect forecasting beliefs further improve ad attitudes, which lead to greater donation intentions. This research tests the proposed model by exploring three possible types of guilt: existing guilt (Study 1), integral guilt (Study 2), and incidental guilt (Study 3).     

国家公共秩序还是国际公共秩序——服务贸易总协定中公共秩序的定位

各国服务贸易发展不平衡与国际服务贸易自由化的矛盾使《服务贸易总协定》的公共秩序例外制度成为重要的"缓冲地带"。具有贸易限制效应的争议措施意欲保护的公共秩序的范围认定就成为必须解决的关键问题。WTO司法实践认定为国际社会的公共秩序,而有学者认为是贸易限制措施实施国一国的公共秩序。进一步的研究发现WTO文本规定、相关欧盟司法实践、演进式解释历史等WTO法律解释因素和立法交易成本、国际贸易自行车理论、法官最大化自身利益的理性选择等经济政治因素共同决定国际公共秩序观点更具法理依据,也更合理。但是,国际公共秩序观点的确存在过度压缩成员自治权空间的弊端,有必要对其进行一定程度的软化。     

Assessing the Business Value of Information Technology in Global Wholesale Banking: The Case of Trade Services

The investment in information technologies (IT) in the financial services sector has proliferated in the last decade. Yet there is very little research examining the impact of IT in the financial services sector. In this article, we focus on the trade services application in global wholesale banking. We use the production function approach to estimate the impact of IT in this application. Our estimate of the output elasticity of IT is positive and statistically significant. In addition, we find that the return on investment of IT (increase in dollar revenue per dollar spent in IT) is about 100% per year, holding labor input constant. Our study provides one instance of direct evidence that IT has a favorable impact on productivity in the financial services sector.     

Assignment of Weights to the Member States of the European Union in Order to Model Their Relative Power Positions

Relative power of the member states of the European Union is expressed by weights assigned to the states on the basis of five criteria: population, gross domestic product, national area, political stability, and contributions to the European culture and civilization. The underlying idea is that ratios of these weights should approximate ratios of the five corresponding indicators. In addition, relative power can be moderated when the large member states save their power for issues about which they care more, and it can be amplified when the large states coordinate their efforts in order to dominate a coalition of smaller states. The results of the analysis are used to sketch a power distribution in the enlarged European Union.     

The Importance of Sectoral Differences in the Application of Complementary HRM Practices for Innovation Performance

Recent theoretical and empirical analysis in the field of economic organization has focused almost exclusively on identifying organizational practices and complementarities between such practices, without regard for the type of activity in question. However, organizational theory suggests that more knowledge-intensive production activities often involve higher degrees of strategic uncertainty for firms and performance ambiguity in relation to individual employees. Therefore, the 'organic' or 'clan' form of organization - involving the application of 'new' HRM practices - is expected to perform better within knowledge-intensive sectors of the economy, as compared to other sectors. A sample of 726 Danish firms with more than 50 employees in manufacturing and private services is studied. The results show that HRM practices are more effective in influencing innovation performance when applied together, as compared with situations in which individual practices are applied alone. In other words, organizational complementarities obtain. Moreover, the application of complementary HRM practices is more effective for firms in knowledge-intensive industries ('high' and 'medium' knowledge-intensive industries).     

Saving for Retirement: Understanding the Importance of Heterogeneity

A large number of households spend much of their working lives not engaged in saving for retirement, in contrast to the basic proposition that motivates the lifecycle model of consumption. This article discusses the relationship between this observed savings behavior and three specific areas of heterogeneity in the household consumption problem: budget constraints, savings motives, and preferences. Using the Surveys of Consumer Finances, the article shows that saving for liquidity (precautionary motives) and saving for specific purchases (like housing and education) compete with saving for retirement and may explain why the median household approaches the last years of its working life with only a year’s worth of income in financial assets. Another part of the explanation is shown to be high discount rates or rates of time preference, which cause households to engage in “buffer-stock” saving over the earliest years of their working lives. Heterogeneity in motives and preferences for saving present a challenge to financial professionals and policy makers who hope to encourage more people to save actively for retirement. JEL Classification D910     

Assessing the Benefits of Trade Facilitation: A Global Perspective

This paper estimates the relationship between trade facilitation and trade flows using a panel of disaggregated manufactured goods for the 2000–2001 period for 75 countries. Four categories of trade facilitation are defined, measured and assessed for their impact on bilateral trade flows using a gravity model. The four measures of trade facilitation are: port infrastructure (air and maritime), customs environment, regulatory environments and e‐business infrastructure. The results suggest that raising global capacity halfway to the world average in the four areas would increase trade by $377 billion. Most regions of the world increase exports more than imports. In large part, this result stems from increased exports to OECD markets that is obtained through a country's own effort to improve ports, customs, regulations and services infrastructures. In addition, the results suggest that reform and capacity building in trade facilitation in areas related to GATT Articles V, VIII and X that are under discussion at the World Trade Organisation could expand trade and exports significantly. Many of the reform measures necessary to achieve this goal need not necessarily require large‐scale investment projects, but rather action in legal and administrative reform to facilitate trade.     

Search for Nutrition Information: A Probit Analysis of the Use of Different Information Sources

Much consumer research on nutrition information-seeking has focused on prepurchase label reading. This study examines the search for nutrition information from a broader group of sources, because prepurchase label reading appears to be only a small part of consumers' total search. The use of different information sources was analyzed using 2 cost benefit model for search. Benefits are related to the importance of nutrition to the consumer, and to obtaining better food value. Although the model fits better for some sources than for others, support was obtained for the model. The results suggest the usefulness of a cost-benefit approach in understanding consumer information-seeking for nutrition; they emphasize the importance of examining consumers' use of a variety of information sources and support recent suggestions for segmentation of the audience for nutrition information. Policy makers may be able to encourage search for nutrition information by emphasizing the enduring importance of nutrition to consumers.     

Assessing Trade Potential in Agricultural Sector of Iran: Application of Gravity Model

This article attempts to assess Iran's trade potential, explore over- and under-trade countries and determine factors affecting export development by using the gravity model. Seventy countries, which are considered the major markets for Iran agricultural products, are divided into 50 developing and 20 developed ones. By using panel data during the period when the export premium was submitted (2002–2005), Iran's agricultural exports were predicted. For this purpose, equations for each group of countries regressed by applying the augmented gravity model. Finally, the results were compared with actual figures. The results showed that Iran was more over-traded with developing countries relative to developed ones. This analysis helps us to determine the proper commercial direction, assess trade potential capacity and explore effective factors on export development such as export premium. Therefore, trade flows can be improved with under-trade countries and will be supported with over-trade ones through proper policies.     

论住房价格高低的评判标准——从生命周期理论角度的一点思考

本文在基于消费者生命周期理论的基础上,提出了如何通过计算消费者所能承受的最高理论房价,并将其与实际房价进行比较来确定房价高低判断标准的思路,并进行了实证研究。实证研究表明,全国各省会城市中还没有一致地出现房价实际值高于理论值的现象、在城市中的不同行业中所能承受的房价理论值并不相同以及上海、杭州、北京等几个城市可能存在一定的房地产泡沫。     

Business Ethics in Theory and Practice: Diagnostic Notes A. A Prescription for Value

A business ethics practitioner and a moral theologian discuss business ethics. Drawing from value-added accounting principles, and extending them to include the company's stake-holders, especially its employees, Welch explains their significance for the origin, formation, and direction of his company's new ethics program. Primeaux responds to Welch from a perspective rooted in the economic theory of profit maximization and its ethical implications. Among the similarities in their thinking is a serious consideration of the role of profit for business and business ethics.     

Assessing the Efficacy of Armed-Forces Recruitment Advertising: A Reasoned-Action Approach

SUMMARY

In an all-volunteer military service system, advertising is expected to fulfill a vital role in lead generation, which ultimately influences enlistment. The present study employed the theory of reasoned action to assess the efficacy of U.S. Naval recruitment commercials on relevant behavioral beliefs, social norms, interest, and behavioral intention. As expected, exposure to the commercials significantly enhanced beliefs toward the Navy, but Structural Equation Modeling revealed that exposure failed to enhance the influence of beliefs on interest in the Navy, with only social norms exerting a strong influence. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

地理信息系统在中国贫困治理中的应用研究综述

地理信息系统(GIS)在中国贫困治理相关研究中发挥着重要作用.本文以CNKI数据库中检索的2010—2020年关于GIS在中国贫困治理中的文献为研究对象,对中国GIS技术与贫困治理的融合发展进行深入分析.研究发现,目前GIS技术在中国贫困治理中的应用主要体现在以下方面:贫困空间分布及特征、空间贫困及其分异机制、扶贫信息...