Virtual companies reconsidered

An important recent report recommends the creation of 'rirtual companies'-companies formed from electronically linked workers who rfmain employees o f their regular firms . This paper criticizes that model, instead suggesting that uirtual companies have their o m employees. The assessment of the implications of both ppes of virtual compay points to the need for majar national poliy changes with respect to employment practices and mechanisms to conty wealth to people.     

Managing frustration in the sales force

In the day-to-day operations, a sales manager must solve a multitude of problems. One such problem is dealing with behavior resulting from employees' frustration. Frustration-instigated behavior is different in kind from motivated or goal-directed behavior. Failure to recognize frustration-instigated behavior in a salesperson and to respond appropriately can have serious consequences. Because a salesperson often has little control over factors affecting his performance, he is particularly susceptible to frustration. This article tells how to recognize frustrated behavior and then describes six of the most common frustrating sales situations and how to deal with them.     

The frequency of monetary compensation for salesmen

Sales managers have recognized that money is the primary means for motivating salespeople. Although much has been written about compensation plans, the focus of these efforts has been on objectives, type of plan, and size of reward. Little emphasis, however, has been directed to the frequency with which salespeople actually receive compensation. Research from nonmanagerial disciplines suggests the use of different schedules of compensation may positively affect sales-force motivation. The article outlines alternative compensation schedules and discusses the potential implications on sales-force productivity.     

Consumer Willingness to Pay Price Premiums for Credence Attributes of Livestock Products – A Meta‐Analysis

Livestock products, such as dairy and beef, are increasingly regarded as resource intensive and concerns are raised about animal welfare and environmental sustainability. As a result, consumer awareness of these issues has led to an increasing demand for products with high quality credence attributes (CAs) that cannot be directly experienced or identified. A number of empirical studies have attempted to estimate consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for CAs, which represents the additional value placed on the benefits that they derive from those products. However, there are significant differences in these WTP estimates, mainly because both consumers' perceptions of CAs and the conditions of the studies vary. We conduct a meta‐analysis to examine consumers' WTP for different CAs of livestock products based on a systematic review of relevant studies. Meta‐regression models are used to control for the heterogeneity of WTP estimates and investigate factors that affect the estimation of WTP. Overall 555 estimates derived from 94 papers reporting WTP are included in this study. Meta‐regression results establish the presence of systematic WTP variation associated with types of products, CAs, and locations, though also indicate that WTP is subject to systematic variation associated with study methodology.     

An individual level analysis of the mutual fund investment decision

This study investigates the manner in which consumers make investment decisions for mutual funds. Investors report that they consider many nonperformance related variables. When investors are grouped by similarity of investment decision process, a single small group appears to be highly knowledgeable about its investments. However, most investors appear to be naive, having little knowledge of the investment strategies or financial details of their investments. Implications for mutual fund companies are discussed.     

Spatial–historical landscapes of telecommunication network survivability

Network security and survivability are critical components of the global telecommunication infrastructure. However, due to a string of recent events, including the attacks on the World Trade Center, the ability of this infrastructure to provide a robust platform for the movement of critical financial, political and cultural information is in doubt. In the United States, both law enforcement and national security agencies are questioning the fundamentals of network security and survivability. This resurgence of interest in telecommunication network performance (particularly the Internet) by the US government is not only cyclical in nature, but has a decidedly geographic component. The purpose of this paper is to trace the evolution of telecommunication network survivability from the Cold War era to the present day, paying particular attention to its spatial manifestations. This includes an extended examination of network topology and survivability. In addition, this paper utilizes basic statistical analysis and a geographic information system to empirically examine a series of legacy communication bunkers scattered throughout the US. Results suggest that their locations were not only strategic during the 1960s, but remain geographically strategic today.