Online consumer learning as a tool for improving product appropriation

Online tutorials make access to information easier, faster and more interactive. This research seeks to investigate the role of online knowledge acquisition on the relationship between Internet users and products. In particular, we seek to develop the concept of product appropriation. A survey (N = 810) was conducted using five settings (i.e., different products and online learning media). First, findings support the two-dimensionality of product appropriation (i.e., control and identification). Second, results show a positive relationship between online consumer learning and product appropriation for novices, and a negative relationship for experts. Improved appropriation increases product attitude, word-of-mouth and purchase intention.     

一种参量可调的多元LDPC译码算法及其能耗分析

在加权比特可靠度(Weighted Bit-reliability,wBRB)多元低密度奇偶校验(Low Density Parity Check,LDPC)译码基础上,提出了一种参量可调的译码算法。迭代过程中的比较参量不再使用固定的硬判决符号,而是基于大数逻辑准则选取最为可靠的外信息符号作为标准的比较参量,提高距离修正参数选取的准确性。在复杂度分析方面,提出了一种基于能耗的综合评判准则,将元素间的操作折算到相应的能量消耗指标上,可更加科学、直观地对不同算法的译码复杂度进行统一衡量。仿真结果显示,所提出算法的错误平层略低于原算法,其增加的能耗几乎可以忽略。     

Globalisation,economic growth and energy consumption in the BRICS region: The importance of asymmetries

This paper examines the asymmetric impact of globalisation and economic growth on energy consumption in BRICS countries, applying the NARDL bounds approach to explore the presence of asymmetric cointegration across variables. The empirical results reveal that energy consumption is positively and negatively affected by the positive and negative globalisation shocks, respectively. A positive shock in economic growth promotes energy consumption, while a negative shock reduces energy consumption.     

Situational price sensitivity: the role of consumption occasion, social context and income

Research on consumer reaction to price has been largely confined to examining consumers’ price information search, evaluation of price alternatives, and individual purchase behaviors without regard to situational influences. At the same time, consumption has often been dichotomized in terms of its functional-hedonic nature and has been examined with regard to social influence. Surprisingly, researchers have heretofore not examined the potential effect of the consumption occasion or social context on consumers’ price sensitivity. Further, research examining the effect of household resources on price sensitivity has produced mixed results. We argue that household income effects on price sensitivity are dependent upon the situation. This research addresses two key issues. First, we examine whether individuals are equally price-sensitive when purchasing products for functional (e.g., purchasing frozen vegetables or paper towels) versus hedonic (e.g., purchasing ice cream or cookies) consumption situations and whether social context (i.e., consuming the product alone or with others) influences price sensitivity. Second, we explore the interaction effects of household income and consumption context on price sensitivity. We examine these issues across a series of three studies, finding that consumers’ price sensitivity is in fact attenuated by both hedonic and social consumption situations and that income moderates these effects. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.     

绿色涂料助力节能减排——访中远佐敦船舶涂料有限公司总裁董兆鸣

作为为船东和造船企业提供高品质船舶涂料解决方案和相关服务的供应商．中远佐敦船舶涂料有限公司在近几年来航运市场的风云变换中．仍然保持了业务的较快速度增长。统计数据显示．2010年．中远佐敦实现销售额20多亿元．比上一年增长约11％。     

Demand systems for energy consumption by the manufacturing sector

This paper aims to test empirically a new approach for estimating derived demand equations for alternative energy sources in manufacturing. Our approach is based on the assumption of weak separability in production. The model used is the “Dynamic Generalized Linear Expenditure System” (DGLES). The major advantage of this model is that it allows the consistent estimation of energy demand functions and the implied price (compensated and uncompensated) and expenditure elasticities based on minimum information requirements. The model was estimated using pooled time-series manufacturing data for 1962–1980 for two Canadian provinces (Quebec and Ontario) and one region, the Prairies (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba). The complete system of energy demands involves six competitive uses of energy (electricity, fuel oil, natural gas, coal and coke, and liquified petroleum gas).     

基于深度学习的少样本研究综述

基于大数据的深度学习算法越来越完善,然而如何解决训练样本数非常少的情况,是目前神经网络研究领域中一个非常重要且极具挑战的问题。首先,介绍了少样本问题的定义;接着将现有的少样本学习方法分为数据增强、度量学习和元学习三类,分别从方法所用模型、数据集以及相应的实验结果进行分析;最后,总结了现有方法的不足,探讨了未来少样本研究的方向。     

Theory Development in Enterprise Systems and Organizational Learning

Despite the wide-spread attention focused on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems by both researchers and practitioners, there remain gaps in understanding their implementation and impacts. The majority of ERP research concerns either critical success factors or ERP effects. Very little has been done with regard to the relationship between ERP and organizational learning (OL). Much of the existing literature in this area focuses on learning during system implementation with a small amount of additional literature focusing on learning resulting from or connected to ERP use. The work of integrating research on ERP implementation and post-implementation effects is begun by identifying the use of OL as a lens for understanding these two phenomena. The paper makes two unique contributions to the existing literature. First, a case is built for ERP support of OL by emphasizing ERP decision-support capabilities. Second, a set of existing theoretical constructs is put forward as a possible basis for investigating the relationship between ERP implementation learning and post-implementation support of OL. Finally, the paper outlines areas for future investigation and provides a basic investigative framework to be pursued. Given that this research identifies connections between the two forms of learning, it is possible that what is represented is a lifecycle of OL within the ERP implementation/post-implementation chain of events.     

The relationship between Co2 emissions,energy consumption,economic growth and FDI: the case of Turkey

This study investigates the relevance of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in Turkey for the period 1974–2010 using carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, energy consumption, economic growth, and foreign direct investment (FDI) variables. The long-run equilibrium relationship among CO₂ emissions, energy consumption, economic growth, and FDI is revealed using the bounds test. The error correction model under autoregressive-distributed lag mechanism suggests that CO₂ emissions converge to their long-run equilibrium level by a 49.2% speed of adjustment every year by the contribution of energy consumption, economic growth, and FDI. The Toda–Yamamoto (1995 Toda, H.Y., and T. Yamamoto. 1995. “Statistical Inference in Vector Autoregressions with Possibly Integrated Processes.” Journal of Econometrics 66 (1): 225–250.[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) causality test results imply that carbon emissions and FDI, energy consumption, and CO₂ emissions have bidirectional causal relationships. On the other hand, there are unidirectional causal relationships running from economic growth and energy consumption to FDI and from economic growth to energy consumption. Our findings provide evidence of the validity of the pollution haven hypothesis, in addition to the scale effect, and the EKC in the case of Turkey.     

The crowding-out effect of elderly support expenditure on household consumption from the perspective of population aging: Evidence from China

The pace of aging in China is accelerating, from the introduction of family planning to the liberalization of the two-child policy, with a growing proportion of families in the 4–2-1 structure. With filial piety in mind, most adult children will live with their elderly parents and share income and expenditure. Concurrently, due to the inadequacy of the social security system, a heavy supplementary burden of supporting the elderly has been placed on adult children. Based on data from the 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 Chinese Social Survey (CSS) of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), this study analyzes the objective factors affecting household elderly support expenditure using the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimation method. It also examines the crowding-out effect of elderly support expenditure on the consumption of different types of households through a panel generalized method of moments (GMM) approach. Finally, the crowding-out effect of elderly support expenditure is discussed in a sub-sample according to the number of households needing to support the elderly aged 60 and above. The empirical results illustrate that there is a crowding-out effect of elderly support expenditure on household consumption, and the magnitude of the crowding-out effect varies for diverse consumption. Our study reveals that the crowding-out effect of elderly support expenditure on core consumption is the largest in a sample with different numbers of elderly persons in families. The empirical results for the sub-sample show that the larger the elderly population, the stronger the crowding-out effect of elderly support expenditure on core consumption and the less pronounced the effect on marginal consumption.     

Impact of Asynchronous Learning Networks in Large Lecture Classes

The evolution of the computer-assisted personalized approach (CAPA) system and its use in large lecture classes is described. Increased individual student contact in these large classes of over 400 students has been established by implementing an asynchronous learning network (ALN). The two systems complement each other and provide the means to monitor and promote individual student performance at any time during the semester. During one semester poorly performing students were individually contacted by personalized e-mail to inform them of their standing and to encourage better performance. Results of this combined technological approach are presented.     

中国家电市场营销渠道变革与家电制造企业的渠道关系选择

随着大型家电连锁零售业态的迅速成长,中国家电市场营销渠道正处于冲突多发、重组加剧的演变阶段.处于变革环境中的家电制造企业如何调整自己的渠道关系,取决于外部环境的不确定性、中间商对下游渠道创造增加值的能力和制造商的可替代性三个变量的不同组合.本文基于上述变量,在Kim&Frazier对渠道关系类型研究的基础上,构建了我国家电市场的渠道关系模型,据此阐述不同品牌影响力的家电制造企业在不同层级市场的渠道关系选择.     

Education Dashboards for Enhanced Learning: A Singapore Experience

Educators continue to utilize add-ons, extensions, or replacements to traditional Learning Management Systems (LMSs) to supplement capabilities and improve the classroom experience. This work resulted in the design and development of the Education Dashboards for Enhanced Learning (EDEL) template. The EDEL template enables faculty members to create dynamic web spaces called Knowledge Portals (KPortals). A semester-long introduction of KPortals proved to be positive and useful. Students tended to view the KPortal as a “go-to” webspace. The authors hope to refine the template in future studies and examine its usefulness in other countries.     

Business Ethics Teaching for Effective Learning

This paper is concerned with answering thequestion: ``How can business ethics be taught tostudents so that effective learning takesplace?'' It is the contention of this paperthat the question is best answered by focusingon six areas important to teaching businessethics: goals, relevancy, experientialpedagogy, classroom climate, debriefing, andoutcomes assessment.     

Distributed Visual Language Environments for Cooperation and Learning: Applications and Intelligent Support

An increasing number of collaborative learning environments is based on shared workspace systems using two-dimensional graph-structured visual representations such as argumentation networks and concept maps. We propose an integrated framework that allows for flexibly specifying a wide range of visual languages and plugging in components for operational semantics, adequate feedback and intelligent support. The generic application CardBoard provides card-based user interaction and collaboration by means of different languages in shared workspaces. To enhance modifiability, the interfaces between the distributed heterogeneous system components, particularly between intelligent components and user interfaces, have been standardised.     

Exploring Research Potentials and Applications for Multi-stakeholder Learning Dialogues

Varying conceptions of and purposes for dialogue exist. Recent dialogic theorists and advocates urge exploration of forms of dialogue for learning and applying relational responsibilities within stakeholder networks. A related phenomenon has been the recent emergence of multi-stakeholder dialogues that involve parties significantly affected by major issues or concerns, such as environmental sustainability, that have complex and wide-spread implications. The extent to which these recent multi-stakeholder dialogues assume anything resembling the relationship or caring and the learning potentials of dialogic goals and processes suggested by recent advocates, however, can certainly be questioned. This article explores potential directions for research on enhanced forms of multi-stakeholder dialogues that emphasize goals of dialogic learning, relationship building, and business social responsiveness within a more reflective practice of corporate citizenship. Many issues and questions concerning appropriate antecedents, processes, and outcomes for these enhanced multi-stakeholder dialogues are raised and discussed.     

Learning Opportunities and Learning Behaviours of Small Business Starters: Relations with Goal Achievement,Skill Development and Satisfaction

Learning is a vital issue for small business starters, contributing to short- and long-term business performance, as well as to personal development. This study investigates when and how small business starters learn. It specifies the situations that offer learning opportunities, as well as the learning behaviours that small business starters can employ in order to learn from these opportunities. In a cross-sectional, quantitative study of recently started small business founders, learning opportunities and learning behaviours are related to three outcome measures: a performance outcome (goal achievement), a personal growth outcome (skill development), and an affective evaluation outcome (satisfaction). The results show the importance of learning opportunities and learning behaviours in influencing these outcome variables, albeit not always in the directions we hypothesized.     

Logistics Information System Evaluation: Assessing External Technology Integration and Supporting Organizational Learning

Firms often outsource the development and acquisition of logistics information systems (LIS) needed to improve logistics processes. Managers tasked with such outsourcing decisions often struggle to understand and balance the external technology's impact on existing logistics processes, individual stakeholders, firm strategies, and the financial and operational performance of the firm. Unfortunately, research is limited on (1) methods for evaluating the performance capabilities of systems from external sources prior to full implementation, and (2) the impact of external technology integration (ETI) on organizational behavior and learning related to a firm's logistics processes. Through the lens of organizational learning (OL) theory, this research uses a case study approach to examine the transportation division of a major U.S.‐based fuel retailer to gain insights on the management control of ETI efforts. The study builds theory to fill important literature gaps then develops a conceptual framework and supporting propositions to inform future research on logistics ETI. The findings highlight important OL implications for firms involved in ETI efforts and also provide a practically relevant management control tool that can be used by logistics practitioners.     

Digital consumption and the extended self

Abstract

There are numerous and substantial effects of the use of digital technologies on consumers. I focus here on the ways in which these technologies have brought changes to the extended self. This review builds on earlier work considering digital subjectivities. I find that the human–machine digital interface results in a series of challenging theoretical issues. In considering these issues at the broadest level I also address how the affordances of digital technologies may cause us to rethink the notion of extended self, the body and the relationship between objects and consumers in digital environments.     

战略联盟的学习过程及其管理

随着商业环境的变化,战略联盟已成为企业提高竞争优势的有效途径,学习是企业参加战略联盟的主要动机。通过战略联盟学习类似于一种实物期权投资,在获取新知识和新技术方面将使企业更具有灵活性并能有效地控制投资风险。然而,战略联盟的学习过程比组织内部的学习过程存在更多的障碍。