A Comparative Analysis of Managerial Adaptation to Privatization

ABSTRACT

Economic analysis on emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has shown a flourishing private sector coexisting with shrinking state enterprises fueling speculation that growth would come from the new private sector. In this view, it is important to (1) assess the private sector which continues to grow and is vital to the process of emerging new market economies; and (2) account for the current place of entrepreneurship and assign its role in the process of systemic transformation which takes place in the economies of the CEE. Based on interviews and models on en-trepreneurship, the paper analyzes how the entrepreneurs' behavior is influenced by government regulation, credit terms, taxation, long-term and short-term financing options, level of infrastructure, and preferences to small business, and how entrepreneurs' consequent behavior can in turn influence the working system itself. The goal is to show that the emerging small business sector of the post-Communist Hungarian economy fulfills important material and ideological functions. The paper concludes that the Hungarian entrepreneurship is an independent vehicle for economic growth and bringing about the emergence of capitalist forms of economic production in the post-Communist Hungarian economy.     

Comparative Managerial Values

The personal values of 162 Malaysian managers were studied, using data from the three major cultural-ethnic groups that compose Malaysia's population. Core managerial values were compared with similarly derived data from respondents in the USA and Australia. Multidimensional scaling was used for the comparison. Personal values are analyzed within the context of a discussion of heterogeneous cultural value systems within Malaysia and also within the parameters of the broader convergence-divergence debate. The evidence points to the impact of convergent forces, but there is recognition of the simultaneous play of opposing, divergent forces. Such a situation of cultural diversity and dynamic tension is not unique to Malaysia, but this particular multicultural environment provides a fascinating microcosmic laboratory in which to study it.     

A Comparative Analysis of Advertising Practices in Unlike Environments

After examining the structure and present characteristics of advertising industry practices, this paper looks at the functions of advertising in developed versus less-developed countries (LDCs) and critically compares the role and functions of advertising agency and client relationships in countries as diverse as Turkey, Sweden and Canada.     

Economic Sectors in Egypt and Their Managerial Implications

Abstract

This study uses ethnographic data collection methods to investigate entrepreneurial sectors and types in Egypt. First, three sectors-formal, informal, and state controlled-were identified. Their characteristics and business practices were discussed. In the formal sector relationships rely on a set of impersonally defined relationships and transactions maximize benefits based on rational decision making. The bazaar sector transactions are numerous and rely on personal relationships. The state controlled sector is bureaucratic and aims to minimize competition. Second, the role of Egypt's Small Enterprise Credit Program in assisting entrepreneurs in the informal sector was discussed. Last, the managerial implications were presented.     

Consumer Data Analysis and Its Managerial Application for the Grocery Industry

Consumer data is collected to understand the heterogeneity of consumer behavior and store competition in grocery shopping. Marketing research techniques are used to analyze consumers’ decision processes and their preference models. Initial modeling results are aggregated to search for substantial clustering patters. The demographic profiles are also examined for clustering interpretations. The derived research results can assist grocery industry to better understand its customers and the competition within the industry. Also, Consumers’ perceptions of competing stores are collected to create perceptual maps. Strategic analysis is conducted by studying the relative positions of competing stores.     

A Case for Comparative Advertising

Abstract

Comparative advertising was considered bad manners by most everyone in the past and still is by some today. But with the rise of consumerism. the Federal Trade Commission recognized this technique's potential to replace the traditional, non-specific “Brand X” with a more meaningful direct comparison. Realizing that comparative ads also had the potential to misinform. NBC. ABC. American Association of Advertising Agencies and National Association of Broadcasters issued their own individual guidelines. Some examples of acceptable and successful comparative advertising are discussed.     

The Role of Professional Advertising Associations in Russia

In four separate studies from May 1991 to July 1994, the author audiotaped interviews with business and industry advertising professionals, academicians and government in what is now Russia. Symbolic interactionism was the theoretical basis for analysis of the audiotapes. The analysis identified two key themes related to professional advertising associations: (1) lack of advertising industry regulation, and (2) a need for social responsibility in advertising. Findings suggest that the formation of advertising associations in Russia represents an interaction between social, economic and legislative realities in a semi-unregulated advertising industry.     

高校人才流动风险识别及管理对策探析

近年来我国高校发展迅速,高校中人才流动日益频繁,给高校的发展带来影响。分析了高校人才流动的风险成因及其后果,并从高校管理者的角度,就如何应对高校人才流动风险提出了管理策略。     

Consumers' Attitudes Towards Professional Advertising in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT

This research was designed to investigate consumers' attitudes towards professional advertising in Hong Kong. Three hundred consumers were surveyed on their attitudes towards professional advertising by accountants, doctors and lawyers practicing in Hong Kong. The results found that, in general, professionals in Hong Kong enjoyed a high image and consumers believed that advertising would not significantly affect the current favourable image enjoyed by professionals in Hong Kong. In addition, consumers believed that professional advertising could serve as a means to acquire information. However, they also believed that advertising would increase the cost of professional services.     

The Piecemeal Approach to Comparative Advertising

When attempting to portray the attractiveness of a brand vis-à-vis its competitors, an ad may make global claims about superiority or specific claims about one or more attributes. A special case of latter is the piecemeal ad in which the advertised brand is compared to a competitor on one attribute, a different competitor on a second attribute, another competitor on a third attribute, and so on. The present research demonstrates the effectiveness of this technique and explores the parameters of its influence. We find that piecemeal messages are persuasive because they make seemingly strong claims in a believable manner. Consumer skepticism appears to arise only when conditions for scrutiny are very favorable.     

Stakeholder Theory and Managerial Decision-Making: Constraints and Implications of Balancing Stakeholder Interests

Stakeholder theory is widely recognized as a management theory, yet very little research has considered its implications for individual managerial decision-making. In the two studies reported here, we used stakeholder theory to examine managerial decisions about balancing stakeholder interests. Results of Study 1 suggest that indivisible resources and unequal levels of stakeholder saliency constrain managers’ efforts to balance stakeholder interests. Resource divisibility also influenced whether managers used a within-decision or an across-decision approach to balance stakeholder interests. In Study 2 we examined instrumental and normative implications of these two approaches. We conclude by considering the contributions of this research.     

Smart Generation System of Personalized Advertising Copy and Its Application to Advertising Practice and Research

Artificial intelligence in programmatic advertising constitutes fertile grounds for marketing communication with tremendous opportunities. Yet, despite its touted benefits, contemporary implementations of programmatic advertising do not harness self-generative technologies so much so that different consumers are exposed to identical content. Consequently, we advance a smart generation system of personalized advertising copy (SGS-PAC) that can automatically personalize advertising content to align with the needs of individual consumers. Analytical results from a user experiment involving about 80 subjects underscore that personalized advertising copies generated by SGS-PAC can bolster click rate in online advertising platforms. Findings from this study bear significant implications for the application of artificial intelligence in online advertising.     

A Three Country Comparative Analysis of Managerial CSR Perspectives: Insights From Lebanon,Syria and Jordan

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a concept that has acquired a new resonance in the global economy. With the advent of globalization, managers in different contexts have been exposed to the notion of CSR and are being pressured to adopt CSR initiatives. Yet, in view of vastly differing national cultures and institutional realities, mixed orientations to CSR continue to be salient in different contexts, oscillating between the classical perspective which considers CSR as a burden on competitiveness and the modern perspective that views CSR as instrumental for business success. Capitalizing on the two-dimensional CSR model developed by Quazi and O’Brien (Journal of Business Ethics 25, 33–51, 2000), this article assesses managerial perspectives towards CSR in three neighboring Middle Eastern countries (Lebanon, Syria and Jordan) through an empirical study involving 333 managers. The findings lend support to the Quazi and O’Brien model (2000), suggesting some commonalities in CSR orientations as well as minor divergences. The findings are discussed and cross-cultural implications drawn accordingly.     

Comparative Television Advertising: Examining its Nature and Frequency

Despite the frequent discussion and usage of comparative advertising, very few studies have empirically examined the phenomenon. This article reports the findings of a content analysis of 896 nationally televised advertisements. Results on the types of products compared, the competitive advantages stressed, the extent to which competition is noted, and the frequency of comparative advertising are reported. The study showed that strictly defined comparative advertisements are a relatively small percentage of total national television advertisements. Results also suggest that certain product types are more likely to utilize comparisons. Furthermore, quality is clearly the most common attribute stressed in comparative advertisements.     

The Typicality and Accessibility of Consumer Attitudes Toward Television Advertising: Implications for the Measurement of Attitudes Toward Advertising in General

Despite the wide array of contemporary advertising formats and media, television advertising remains the most dominant form to which typical consumers are exposed. Research on attitudes toward advertising in general (Att-AiG) implicitly assumes that the Att-AiG measure represents advertising as a whole. A major finding of the current research is that consumers tend to have a mental representation, or exemplar, of the most typical type of advertising—television advertising—when they report their Att-AiG. Therefore, in reality, Att-AiG primarily reflects attitudes toward television advertising. In addition, the results of our experiments indicate that television ad exemplars generate temporal changes in consumers’ reported Att-AiG and attitudes toward television advertising. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

A Dual-Step and Dual-Process Model of Advertising Effects: Implications for Reducing the Negative Impact of Advertising on Children's Consumption Behaviour

Children are important targets of advertising campaigns from companies. However, children have been found to be particularly vulnerable to negative effects of advertising, and protecting children from these effects is an important task of consumer policy. Two important aspects have to be considered in this task. First, advertising affects judgements and behaviour not only during ad exposure but also in delayed consumption and purchase contexts. Second, advertising operates largely at an implicit level—during ad exposure as well as in consumption decisions. The current article introduces a dual-step (ad exposure vs. purchase/consumption) and dual-process (implicit vs. explicit) model of advertising effects on children. The model is based on a review of implicit advertising effects and implicit mechanisms of self-control. It implies that consumer policies intending to prevent undesired advertising effects should support interventions that strengthen advertising and purchasing literacy and, in addition, implicit self-control mechanisms in children. As self-control in consumption decisions is largely relevant for, and learned during, shopping and consumption, such interventions should focus on educating parents or other primary caregivers because they are the most likely persons to accompany children in such situations and have a great influence on children's implicit learning.     

A Cross-Country Investigation of Recall of and Attitude toward Comparative Advertising

Abstract

The author reports the results of an exploratory study of cross-country differences in recall of and attitude toward comparative advertising. As American companies are increasingly advertising their products in other countries, the issue of cross-country differences in comparative advertising effectiveness is very important. The study found that although recall of comparative ads was high, consumer attitudes toward comparative ads was not very positive, especially in countries where comparative ads are not widely used or are used rarely. Therefore, comparative ads should be targeted at other countries with caution.