Captivate: Building blocks for implementing active learning

In this study, the authors propose a set of key elements that impact the success of an active learning implementation: content delivery, active learning methods, physical environment, technology enhancement, incentive alignment, and educator investment. Through a range of metrics the authors present preliminary evidence that students in courses implementing these elements learn more while exerting similar effort, demonstrate greater understanding of course content, and establish closer connections with fellow students as well as instructors.     

The effect of game-based learning as the experiential learning tool for business and accounting training: A study of Management Game

The authors examine the determinants of the effective implementation of game-based learning (GBL) for experiential learning. They focus on the successful GBL initiative called Management Game (MG) and adopt the theory-driven deductive thematic analysis approach of Boyatzis along with the Matsuo model as theoretical rationale. Overall, the findings show that MG is an effective GBL that addresses the five seminal factors of the Matsuo model. Further, the study sheds light on the optimal structure of the successful GBL that allows learners to effectively acquire knowledge and skills. Several implications of the study are discussed in the conclusion together with the limitations of the study.     

Functional brand qualities and perceived value: The mediating role of brand experience and brand personality

Brand experience and brand personality have become two important theoretical constructs in the branding literature. However, research on the antecedents of these two constructs has been focused on intangible brand characteristics and qualities, underestimating the role of functional features. This study aims to overcome this gap by postulating that two key functional brand qualities, quality and innovativeness, help shape brand experience and personality, which, we ultimately predict, contribute to perceived value. Investments in quality and innovation have grown substantially, but how they materialize in benefits for customers and firms remains unclear. Accordingly, this study provides insights into how firms can engender the characteristics of their offer to build brands that are perceived by consumers as generating a valued brand experience and personality. The results from two samples provide broad support to the proposed model. Both brand quality and innovativeness contribute to brand experience and personality. Moreover, we observe that both brand experience and personality relate to perceived value. Finally, we also determined that brand personality and experience partially mediate the relationship between brand innovativeness and quality and perceived value. Hence, these results provide relevant implications for both theory and the practice of brand management.     

Controlled and uncontrolled communication stimuli and organic food purchases: The mediating role of perceived communication clarity,perceived health benefits,and trust

Despite a growing demand worldwide, organic food remains a niche category, with consumers only purchasing it some of the time. This study examines the mediating effects of consumers’ perceived clarity of organic food-related communication, trust for, and perceived health benefits of organic foods in the relationship between controlled and uncontrolled communication stimuli and organic food purchases. We test our hypotheses on a sample of 1011 Australian organic food consumers using Structural Equation Modeling. We find that all mediators except perceived communication clarity perform as hypothesized, with the latter not mediating the relationship between uncontrolled communications and perceived health benefits of organic foods. The results suggest that marketers should ensure clarity in controlled organic food communications, signal health benefits of organic food and build consumer trust to generate organic purchases.     

Effect of technological and digital learning resources on students' soft skills within remote learning: The mediating role of perceived efficacy

The study analyses the effects of the technological and digital learning resources (DLRs) on the development of students' soft skills (SSk) in remote learning, mediated by the perceived efficacy of students in this modality of education. The study employed a survey research method, and the data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Participants included 637 students experiencing remote learning during the second COVID-19 lockdown in the north of Portugal (between 1 and 15 March 2021). The structural equation modelling analysis technique tested the hypothesized model. The study showed that technological and DLRs were strongly interconnected. The results supported our hypotheses, evidencing that, in remote learning, the adequacy of DLRs had a direct effect on the development of SSk, presenting the efficacy perceived by the students as a mediator of this relationship. The study demonstrated that, with the experience of remote learning, students perceived the development of their SSk, which is consistent with the literature review we carried out. Implications of these findings are discussed, considering the literature on technology-mediated learning and the development of human resources SSk in the context of the digital transition.     

The value of informal learning within work-based learning: The economic benefits of WBL

Recent updates to federal policy governing career and technical education (CTE) in the United States have emphasised the need to include work-based learning (WBL) experiences as central components of CTE programming. Many of these experiences showcase an informal learning component which has strong ties to early career success as suggested by the Human Capital Theory. This study explores the following questions: What is the relationship between WBL and early career income? Are there differential relationships based on the type of WBL experience? The Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS) includes nationally representative data for student participation in WBL and early career income. We used school-fixed effects and propensity score matching techniques to respond to our questions regarding the potential relationship between WBL participation and early career income. We found that students who participated in at least one WBL experience in high school could expect to have an average 7% higher income compared to non-WBL participants. With respect to specific WBL experiences, job shadowing, community service, and mentoring had the largest positive relationship to higher early career income. Findings from this study indicate that participation in WBL experiences can have a positive impact on a high school graduate's college and career readiness as measured through early career income. Given the differential relationships observed for different types of WBL, schools, policymakers, and students should explore WBL options that best align with their personal goals.     

Small firm internationalization through experiential learning: The moderating role of socialization tactics

The importance of experiential knowledge for small firm internationalization has been emphasized in the process model of internationalization, the international new venture or born-global frameworks and the management characteristics perspective in the exporting literature. However, none examines in detail under what conditions experiential learning is more important for internationalization. We borrow insights from the socialization tactics literature to theorize how the context, content and social aspects of a foreign sojourn offer different opportunities for the acquisition of experiential knowledge to support the internationalization of small firms. We suggest that socialization tactics moderate the relationship between individual international experiential knowledge and small firm internationalization. We propose that the opportunities for international experiential learning are superior when the socialization context is individual and formal (rather than collective and non-formal), the socialization content is sequential and fixed (rather than random and variable) and when socialization involves serial and investiture (rather than disjunctive and divestiture) social aspects.     

Effects of Chinese consumers' relationship benefits and satisfaction on attitudes toward foreign fashion brands:The moderating role of country of salesperson

The paper examines the various responses of consumers depending on the country of salesperson (COS) and to look into the effects that consumer–salesperson relationship benefits have on consumer satisfaction and brand attitude. The results suggest that consumers' perceived social benefit and functional benefit positively influenced their satisfaction with salesperson, and a significant positive effect of consumers' satisfaction with salesperson on consumers' brand attitude is found. This positive relationship was moderated by COS. These findings suggest that COS will serve as an important retail mix for global marketers. Other results and management implications are also discussed.     

Reconceptualizing cultural distance: The role of cultural experience reserve in cross-border acquisitions

Cultural distance is one of the most widely used distance construct in international business. However, scholars have long questioned the notion that cultural distance has a homogenous impact on organizational actions and performance. We redress this by examining how the relationship between cultural differences and deal abandonment in cross-border acquisitions is contingent on firm-level cultural experience reserve and industry affiliation. Drawing on the organizational learning theory and cultural friction perspective, we first propose that the cultural experience reserve of a focal firm mitigates the positive impact of cultural differences on cross-border deal abandonment. We then hypothesize that the firm's industry context affects the uncertainties associated with cultural differences. Our findings based on a sample of 197 Indian services sector firms support our theoretical predictions.     

The effect of digital signage on shoppers' behavior: The role of the evoked experience

This paper investigates the role of digital signage as experience provider in retail spaces. The findings of a survey-based field experiment demonstrate that digital signage content high on sensory cues evokes affective experience and strengthens customers' experiential processing route. In contrast, digital signage messages high on “features and benefits” information evoke intellectual experience and strengthen customers' deliberative processing route. The affective experience is more strongly associated with the attitude towards the ad and the approach behavior towards the advertiser than the intellectual experience. The effect of an ad high on sensory cues on shoppers' approach to the advertiser is stronger for first-time shoppers, and therefore important in generating loyalty. The findings indicate that the design of brand-related informational cues broadcast over digital in-store monitors affects shoppers' information processing. The cues evoke sensory and affective experiences and trigger deliberative processes that lead to attitude construction and finally elicit approach behavior towards the advertisers.     

Incentives for learning: How free offers help or hinder motivation

This research examines how incentives for learning can be designed to promote lasting learning motivation. The authors examined this research question in the context of continuing education, in which adult learners were given the opportunity to take educational courses for free. The authors contrasted two approaches commonly used when offering free courses—a tuition waiver versus a tuition refund. Although both arrangements were priced at zero, refunds outperformed waivers in promoting long-term learning, due to the monetary cost incurred in the former instance (even if it was refundable).In the first study, an e-learning activity was offered to the participants for free; those who were offered a fee refund (vs. waiver) were less likely to drop out, spent more time reading the learning materials, and were more likely to return to the learning activity during the post-experimental phase. Two further studies showed that when the participants evaluated an incentivized learning opportunity, the waiver drew more attention to the incentive and reduced attention to the learning benefits, but the refund preserved the latter considerations. The last study demonstrated the possibility of directing attention to the learning benefits by introducing a non-monetary cost into the signup procedure for a free course. These findings are consistent with the mental accounting explanation, which suggests that people are motivated to track and seek out learning benefits after they have incurred a cost.     

The role of machine learning analytics and metrics in retailing research

This research presents the use of machine learning analytics and metrics in the retailing context. We first discuss what is machine learning and explain the field’s origins. We then demonstrate the strengths of machine learning methods using an online retailing dataset, noting key areas of divergence from the traditional explanatory approach to data analysis. We then provide a review of the current state of machine learning in top-level retailing and marketing research, integrating ideas for future research and showcasing potential applications for practitioners. We propose that the explanatory and machine learning approaches need not be mutually exclusive. Particularly, we discuss four key areas in the general scientific research process that can benefit from machine learning: data exploration/theory building, variable creation, estimation, and predicting an outcome metric. Due to the customer-facing nature of retailing, we anticipate several challenges researchers and practitioners might face in the adoption and implementation of machine learning, such as ethical prediction and customer privacy issues. Overall, our belief is that machine learning can enhance customer experience and, accordingly, we advance opportunities for future research.     

The overlooked distinction of multinational enterprise subsidiary learning: Its managerial and entrepreneurial learning modes

The theme concerning modes of learning in multinational subsidiaries is the focus of enquiry in the current study. This theme is closely linked to the issue of how subsidiaries become alert and seize opportunities. Such an investigation is also important for management practice because effective subsidiary learning can render sustainable competitive advantage in the host country. We performed an in-depth case examination on six multinational subsidiaries of a large Finnish firm. We identify two learning modes of multinational subsidiaries that we refer to as managerial and entrepreneurial learning. We find that managerial learning shares characteristics with the systems-structural learning perspective; is facilitated by embeddedness of the subsidiary in the MNE system; and, transferred in the MNE through many conventional and reverse knowledge flows. On the contrary, entrepreneurial learning shares characteristics with the interpretive learning perspective; is facilitated by embeddedness of the subsidiary in the host country; and, transferred in the MNE through relatively fewer reverse knowledge flows. The distinction between these two learning modes and their discrete characteristics enlighten past research that has largely failed to pinpoint the importance of the two modes for MNE subsidiary activities.     

Structuring assignments to improve understanding and presentation skills: Experiential learning in the capstone strategic management team presentation

In the strategic management course, students select, analyze, and present viable future alternatives based on information provided in cases or computer simulations. Rather than understanding the entire process, the student's focus is on the final presentation. Chickering's (1977) research on active learning suggests students learn more effectively when participating in analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The authors highlight instructional changes with students, gathering primary data independently and later comparing findings in a team-based scaffolding process. Statistical analysis of students' self-reported understanding scores both before and following the experiential intervention support the benefits. Qualitative comments by the students, embedded librarian, faculty, and business practitioners also indicate improved learning resulted from course modifications.     

Cultural influences on future transportation technology usage: The role of personal innovativeness,technology anxiety and desire

This study develops and validates a model, based on personal cultural values theory and psychological research, in relation to technology adoption. The model focuses specifically on the future use of on-demand air mobility (ODAM), which is expected to have significant implications for city commuting and personal well-being in the years ahead. We use a path modelling approach, in addition to recently advanced analytical methods such as the finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS), measurement invariance of composite models (MICOM) and multi-group analysis, to validate the model using a data set of 627 young consumers from the Czech Republic. The research model explains 45.2% variation in the future use of ODAM using our global model. This variance explained in the future use of ODAM increases to 62.3% and 64.5% respectively, when we segment our data set into two groups. The results also show that tradition has significant influence on technology anxiety, personal innovativeness and desire to use ODAM. Independence positively affects personal innovativeness but not the desire to use ODAM. We also find that technology anxiety influences the desire to use, which in turn influences the future use of ODAM. However, we find group differences in the influence of ambiguity intolerance on technology anxiety, desire and personal innovativeness. Thus, the study also evaluates the existence of significant differences between two groups in our data set. Overall, the study suggests that individual cultural values play a particularly important role in influencing the future use of ODAM through psychological characteristics. The research implications of the study are discussed in the article.     

The role of intellectual capital and university technology transfer offices in university-based technology transfer

This study develops a theoretical model to explain the relationships among intellectual capital, research outcomes, and technology transfer (TT) performance, investigating the role of university TT offices (UTTOs) in the innovation process. The authors examined these relationships by sampling 49 Taiwanese universities within a 2-year period. It is concluded that universities with specialized UTTOs indeed promote TT performance (TTP) based on university–industry cooperation. Furthermore, the results indicate that human capital is positively associated with research outcomes and relational capital. The greater the amount of relational capital, which represents the degree of university–industry cooperation, the more significant is the positive effect on research outcomes and TTP. The more research outcomes are produced, the more academic research and patent technology will be transferred to industry.     

Binge watching: An exploration of the role of technology

Watching television shows in quick succession on the Netflix and Amazon Prime platforms is on the rise. Although widespread, this binge watching behavior has received limited attention from marketing academics. The current study conceptualizes binge watching needs and examines their effect on the gratifications obtained from binge watching. We apply the lens of uses and gratifications (U&G) theory for model development and test the model empirically, using data from two cities in India. We add a new category of needs, namely technology-related needs, to the existing psycho-sociological-related needs (named as content-related needs in this paper) present in plain-old-television studies (POTS). We find that a technology-related need—that is, modal experience (the presence of media content in various formats leading to superior experience)—significantly impacts gratification from binge watching. We also find a strong moderating effect of self-control, used in previous studies of binge-eating and binge-shopping, in which the effect of modal experience, navigability and parasocial interaction need gratification is heightened for consumers who have low levels of self-control. We build on these findings to suggest implications for marketers, advertisers, and consumer-advocacy groups.     

The role of multinationals in economic development: The benefits of FDI

During her five years at the World Bank, Harrison initiated four studies involving multinational enterprises in four developing countries: Ivory Coast, Mexico, Morocco and Venezuela. These studies measure the role of multinational enterprises in promoting technology transfer; test whether multinationals push up wages for local workers; and analyze the validity of the “pollution haven hypothesis,” which states that foreign investors flock to developing countries to take advantage of lax environmental standards. Harrison finds no evidence of pollution havens and shows that multinationals raise wages for local workers. However, she finds that technology transfer has generally been limited to the joint ventures who receive foreign equity participation.     

The role of information technology in corporate strategy of small and medium enterprises

The crisis of the new economy might have cast doubt on the usefulness of the Internet for business activities. However, it is unquestionable that the possibilities offered by Internet-based technologies in terms of information processing, transfer and collection enable the firm to improve market knowledge and the relationship with clients and suppliers. This work explores, theoretically and empirically, the possibilities offered by the Internet to facilitate the internationalization process of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well as to improve the relationship with other firms within the same value chain. Using a wide representative sample of Spanish SMEs, the empirical analysis confirms the benefits of the Internet in both cases.     

The role of information technology systems in the performance of mergers and acquisitions

Mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are an important tool for improving a firm's competitive positioning and performance. Despite M&As’ promise, however, they often fail to meet performance goals. Challenges often arise when managers try to integrate two companies’ information technology (IT) systems, and the difficulties encountered often create both short- and long-term performance problems for companies. To help address these challenges, we highlight important issues that managers involved in M&As must consider. We also present some best practices that managers should follow to improve the odds of successful IT integration.