Constructing the culinary consumer: transformative and reflective processes in Italian cookbooks

This paper explores how culinary texts operate in both performative and transformative senses in relation to wider societal norms of gender and cultural capital. As such, the paper explores changes to the way in which the culinary consumer is presented in British Italian cookbooks from 1954 to 2005. Across the period, we see a shift in the gendered representation of the culinary subject, from a housewife in the period 1954–1974, to a working mother from 1975 to 1986, and most recently as male or female cook from 1987 to 2005. We also see shifts in representation of cultural capital in these same periods from learning new cooking skills, to adapting existing cooking skills to displaying skills in shopping and product selection. In charting these changing discourses, we find that whilst reflecting wider culinary culture, these cookbooks also act in a transformative sense to promote (and indeed require) specific enactments of gender and cultural capital.     

Determinants of holistic passenger experience in public transportation: Scale development and validation

Transportation literature is shifting its focus from passengers’ perception of transit quality to understanding passenger experience from a holistic perspective. Few studies have investigated passenger experience factors from a holistic perspective; however, they are explored independently. A holistic approach can help the transport service providers to understand the complete journey of the passenger. This study proposes the concept of holistic passenger experience (HPX) and identifies the determinants of HPX in the context of public transportation with specific reference to Indian Railways. The study develops a comprehensive scale that measures the influence of these determinants on HPX to address this gap. Following a systematic scale development process, this study identified and validated (content, construct, convergent, and discriminant validity) a seven factor structure scale that determines HPX. Of these seven factors, four factors (vehicle maintenance, comfort & security, off board service, and travel information) constitute the core services offered by the transport service provider. Interestingly these four factors can be effectively managed by the service provider. The other three factors (social environment, supporting services, and accessibility) cannot be entirely managed by the transport service provider effectively, as these factors fall beyond the scope of the service provider.Nomological validity results are explained by constructing a matrix (holistic passenger experience Matrix) which reveals that most of the constructs that are can be managed by the transport service provider can be mapped to the cognitive component of customer experience, whereas most of the factors which go beyond the scope of the transport service provider could be mapped to the emotional component of customer experience. The findings can assist the transport sector executives to identify the key determinants to deliver superior passenger experiences throughout the journey.     

Success through commitment and trust: the soft side of strategic alliance management

This article argues that the success of international strategic alliances requires attention not only to the hard side of alliance management (e.g., financial issues and other operational issues) but, also, to the soft side. The soft side refers to the development and management of relationship capital in the alliance. Relationship capital consists of the socio-psychological aspects of the alliance that are positive and beneficial to the alliance. Two important areas of relationship capital are mutual trust and commitment. Based on our findings from two major studies of Japanese strategic alliances, we develop a dynamic model of trust and commitment based on mutual adjustments of alliance partners. We also show how the dynamics of trust and commitment affect the performance of international strategic alliances with the Japanese. The article concludes with a discussion of the managerial implications of our findings and the dynamic model.     

International briefing 6: Training and development in the United States

Increasingly, training and development is playing an important and strategic role in the economic success of US organisations (Marquardt, 1999, Tannenbaum and Yukl, 1992). US organisations recognise that they now operate in a new global economy, an economy which involves the use of advanced technologies and increased responsiveness to customers’ needs. It is becoming one that requires greater and greater innovation and flexibility in production, service delivery and market know‐how. American firms realise more than ever that employee knowledge gained through training and development has become a strategic necessity and more and more the source of strategic advantage (Drucker, 1994).     

Exploring adolescent development skills through Internet usage: a study of French 11–15 year olds

In order to develop a better understanding of teenage consumers, who represent the most highly sought after market segment for researchers and marketing practitioners in France, it is important to explore their competencies as consumers. This ethnographic research explores the consumption skills of teenage consumers using the new technologies. By examining how teenagers particularly in the age group of 11–15 year olds define a competent consumer and how they perceive themselves as competent consumers, we should be able to understand the better consumption behaviours they exhibit, the purchase decision they make and the limitations they feel they must overcome to become fully competent consumers. This study begins by exploring teenage social activities and how they engage with and use digital products as part of their subculture. Broad concepts of competence are then discussed from a psychosociological perspective and a marketing perspective. Next, teenage perceptions of what it means to be a competent consumer are explored and what are the behaviours associated with a competent consumer. Findings of this study showed that teenagers are not mere followers of marketing strategies. They develop consumption skills in relation to their experiences, their peers and media, which are more often linked to their consumption learning. The study importantly suggests that nowadays teenagers are active participants and producers of their cultural consumption processes.     

International briefing 12: Training and development in Norway

In Norway, the system of initial education is distinguished by public regulation, provision and financing, whereas the system of vocational training, and adult learning until recently has been deregulated, and dominated by private providers and employer financing. During the last decade comprehensive reforms of vocational and adult education and training have aimed at expanding public involvement and increasing participation in learning. Some major challenges persist, however, in terms of developing an all–inclusive system of lifelong education, training and learning.     

International briefing 7: Training and development in Singapore

Singapore’s only resource is its people. It has made HRD as a key strategy for economic development since its inception. Its economic success story is entwined with the training and development of its workforce. A national manpower development infrastructure has been put in place to facilitate training and lifelong learning of its people for the twenty‐first century under a master plan called Manpower 21. Continuous training and skills development has been possible through close cooperation between the state, employers and the unions through unique working relationships between several policy‐making institutions, such as the National Manpower Council and the National Wages Council.     

International briefing 15: Training and development in Austria

The system of primary, secondary, and tertiary education in Austria is largely regulated through federal laws. Especially on the tertiary level major reforms have been initiated during the last decade. Beyond that, vocational training, especially as part of apprenticeships, is shaped by and adapted to the structure of the Austrian economy, consisting mostly of small and medium sized enterprises. This type of job oriented training and development is strongly, although decreasingly, influenced by the system of social and economic partnership in Austria. In contrast, management training and post tertiary education is much more diverse and less regulated. Beside already ongoing educational reforms, pressures due to global competition will increasingly impact vocational training and development in the future.     

International business mentoring for development: the importance of local context and culture

This research investigates the value of donor‐funded, cross‐cultural business mentoring in a development context. Following a review of the existing literature on cross‐cultural mentoring, it examines the effectiveness of the Pacific Business Mentoring Programme in Samoa through interviews with 23 entrepreneurs and a survey of the New Zealand mentors. Research findings show that mentoring can provide both business and socio‐cultural development outcomes. However, the majority of entrepreneurs believe that their mentor did not have a good understanding of the local cultural context. Some cultural practices appear to be detrimental to running a business, but they add to the resilience of local people and should therefore not be undermined. This research indicates that donor‐funded business mentoring can be an effective tool for development assistance if mentors are sensitive to the local cultural context.     

International briefing 9: Training and development in the United Arab Emirates

This article explores the training and development strategies and practices of large business organisations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The survey reveals that Emirati companies are very aware of best training and development practice as implemented in their foreign counterparts, and that they generally adopt similar methods and strategies. The article considers the influence of national culture, religion, government policies, education and the economic environment upon the training and development strategies and practices of companies in the UAE. It is argued that despite the negative effects of a dwindling oil sector, the UAE's companies are well placed to maintain their current regional success and that they will soon be playing an increasingly important role in international trade, thus significantly contributing to the continuing economic growth of the country.     

新时期军队财务信息资源的开发与利用初探

作为军队财务,不可避免地加速向信息化转型,因而财务信息资源的开发与利用,上升到军队财力保障的重大层面.本文针对我军财务信息的现状,剖析开发与利用的重大意义,有效提出了加快这一建设的基本途径,以及保密等问题进行了初探.     

Developing and assessing critical thinking skills in marketing students: The power of making explicit problem-solving processes

Applied research is a course that has been taught to develop and effectively assess critical thinking skills in marketing students. A modified version of the problem-solving model using explicit problem-solving processes is employed in the design of course material and delivery. Assessment data support students’ ability to critically think at both lower and higher levels. Assignments include creative and timely experiential exercises to reinforce important marketing concepts, encourage student interest, and develop critical thinking skills.     

International briefing 11: Training and development in Saudi Arabia

The people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are, just like the citizens of any other country, the most valuable resource potential it possesses (Al‐Dogether, 1993). Thus, in its development plans the Kingdom makes all possible efforts to spend its wealth on preparing the citizen for his expected role in modern development (GOTEVOT, 1996). The current government policy thrust is to expand technical education and industrial training to meet the labour market requirements. This article explores the training and development strategies and practices in Saudi Arabia.     

Wages and skills utilization: effect of broad skills and generic skills on wages in Singapore

Many people go for training to upgrade their skills which is hoped to pave the way for better pay. But what are the kinds of skills that really affect wages? Employers have emphasized the value of generic skills such as interpersonal and communication skills, teamwork and problem solving. Does possession of these skills translate to at least the same or better wages as compared with having broad skills represented by educational qualifications and job‐related training? This paper, arising from the research project on the Skills Utilisation in Singapore, aims to answer which skills can have more influence on wages and which job‐related training in terms of training duration can have more impact on wages. Using ordinal logistic regression, our findings show that educational qualification and initial training time can influence wages as well as utilization of leadership, planning and problem‐solving skills.     

压路机新旧标准在工程机械发展中的重要性

近几年来压路机相关标准陆续进行了修订,仔细分析这些标准的变化情况,不难发现它们的修订具有以下共同特点,即积极采用国际标准,与国际标准接轨、技术指标要求提高、更加注重安全和环保.其实这些特点不单是表现在压路机标准上,其它很多标准都有所反映,正代表了我国工程机械标准的发展趋势.     

Creation of consumer loyalty and trust in the retailer through store brands: The moderating effect of choice of store brand name

Within the current economic context, store brands play an important role in differentiation strategies based on assortment and positioning in terms of distributor prices. To begin with, this study identifies three determining aspects of retail loyalty and trust: satisfaction with price levels, the perceived image of the assortment and loyalty to the store brands (SB). Secondly, this study proposes a theoretical relational model among the aforementioned aspects. Finally, this study analyzes the moderating role that the strategy of choosing SB name (umbrella brand label vs. brands different from the label brand) plays in the relationship between loyalty to SB and loyalty to and trust in the retailer. By including this moderating variable, we seek to contribute to current academic research and to provide insights into the importance that SB strategy (label vs. own name) has for the effect of loyalty to SB on the relative results of the retail company. Our research results show that making the umbrella SB name the same as the label brand name increases the positive effect of customer loyalty to SB on loyalty to the retailer, but not the effect of trust on this loyalty compared to chains that use SB names different from those of the label. These results have important implications for management.     

Building trust early: the influence of first and second order expectations on trust in international channels of distribution

Scenario-based survey data from export managers in the U.S. and Peru are used to explore interactive decision-making in an international distribution channel context. Export managers’ first and second order expectations [J. Acad. Market. Sci. 13 (1985) 4] are operationalized in terms of affect- and cognition-based trust mechanisms [Soc. Forces 63 (1985) 967] and are examined in relation to multi-stage interactive decision-making. Findings suggest that building trust early is more dependent on matching, rather than exceeding, a partner’s expectations. In addition, managers who heavily weigh their beliefs of what others expect of them in decision-making, tend to make affect-based decisions in the early stages of an interorganizational relationship. Finally, consistent with culture-based theories on in-group/out-group orientation, Peruvian export managers were more likely than US export managers to focus on a more instrumental, or cognitive, approach to building an initial export–import relationship.