The effects of information sharing and interactivity on the intention to use social networking websites

Social networking sites (SNSs), which satisfy the primary demands of making friends, learning, and shopping, and are inseparable from human life, have been booming in recent years that domestic or international websites have endeavored to have users access to their websites. This study proposed relational model to examine the intention to use SNSs, and also applied a questionnaire survey to examine differences in this intention among various user groups. The findings indicated that that, in order to promote the intention to use social networking sites, managers should work to enhance interactivity and information sharing, and should also consider the feelings and attitudes of users. Different user groups lead to different outcomes with regard to the intention to use model developed in this work. However, the intention to use of most users in the sample groups was enhanced by the SNSs characteristics of information sharing and perceived playfulness.     

An empirical test of stakeholder influence strategy models: evidence from business downsizing in Taiwan

Frooman's model of stakeholder influence strategies uses levels of resource dependence to determine the power of stakeholder influence. Our study provides initial empirical tests of his model applied in business downsizing. Data from 18 recently downsized firms in Taiwan, including nine multinational corporations (MNCs), were plotted against the Frooman model. We found that resource-dependence alone as Frooman theorized could not explain the influence strategies that stakeholders (in this case the employees) took in response to firms' downsizing decisions. Further investigation revealed that the institutional factors had a significant effect on how firms structured their downsizing initiatives and hence changed the way the employees reacted to firm decisions. We proposed a new model using both resource-dependence and institutional legitimacy as determinants of stakeholder influence strategy and suggested relationships between these determinants and stakeholder actions. This proposed model has profound research implications for the strategic stakeholder theory, as well as practical implications for human resource management.     

Personal Bias in Automobile Claims Settlement

Despite the importance of claims handling practices to consumers and insurers, relatively little research has been done in this area. Our purpose here is to consider one aspect of automobile bodily injury liability claims management: the assignment of fault across parties as judged by the insured defendant's claims adjuster. Because legal fault assessment directly affects whether a defendant is held liable, and if so, for how much, this aspect of claims management is significant. We use accident data from the 1997 Insurance Research Council Closed Claim Survey to test for relationships between fault assessment and gender, age, and state comparative negligence rules. Controlling for actual fault, we find a greater assessment of fault against female, young, and elderly drivers. The results of the study are of interest to insurers seeking to provide better customer service, to consumer advocacy groups interested in claims settlement practices, and to insurance regulators.     

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.     

Comparing Society’s Awareness of Women: Media-Portrayed Idealized Images and Physical Attractiveness

An advertiser develops visual associations of signs and symbols to create a product image that motivates consumers. Today is characterized by a solid consumer culture based on visual identity consumption that articulates and interacts with each consumer’s daily actions, words, and visual perceptions. The frequent use of female role portrayals and physical attractiveness in advertising contributes to an increase in society’s awareness of women. Some scholars have developed an ethical discussion out of the phenomenon of female role portrayals not matching the public expectations because the portrayals are too narrowly defined and women are unfavorably depicted. But another group has studied the product-type match-up hypothesis, which emphasizes effectively employing attractive female endorsers that closely match the product type. The shift in female social status in Taiwan contributes to the importation of foreign ideas such as feminine values, rituals, and esthetics. Women in Taiwan have been introduced to a new feminism, a modified perception of appropriate personal appearance and behavior. This current research utilizes content analysis and in-depth interviews to explore contemporary female role portrayals in advertising. In addition, this article examines the relationship between the formation of contemporary physical attractiveness and visual consumption in advertising. The results reveal that most endorsers were celebrities, with fit bodies and pleasant␣expressions, portrayed as product users who offer personal experiences to deliver product knowledge. Conservation classical beauty was the most common depiction, while sexual expression was the least common. Finally, this article recommends that different types of beauty, posture, and appeal should be carefully selected to match domestic and foreign magazines’ readers.     

Measuring Monetary Policy in a Small Open Economy with Managed Exchange Rates: The Case of Taiwan

We use sign restrictions to identify monetary policy for a small open economy with heavily managed exchange rates. We apply the proposed sign restrictions to the Taiwanese case, where existing studies tend to find no clear effect of monetary policy shocks on the output and price level. Our principal findings are that a contractionary monetary policy shock causes a permanent and significant decline in real gross domestic product, broad money, and price level. Our identification scheme is able to avoid the puzzling impulse responses from which other identification schemes more or less suffer. The fact that monetary policy has not been correctly identified may have led existing studies to conclude that monetary policy is ineffective.     

Fuzzy Group Decision-Making for Service Innovations in Quality Function Deployment

Since little effort has been devoted to measuring service management from epistemology perspectives, this study develops a scientific framework for its evaluation. Service management is defined as what is perceived by the tourists and decision makers during the process of service generation and delivery processes. This in turn depends on the service conditions experienced during the process and at the accommodation. The study uses fuzzy group decision-making and a Quality Function Deployment method to analyze various service evaluation criteria. It further considers the possibility of “Fuzzy Sets” in making subjective judgments, and applies a Fuzzy-based decision-making method to evaluate service management.     

Voice behavior and performance ratings: The role of political skill

Making changes work in organizations requires that employees voice their suggestions. However, previous research has found inconsistent results regarding the relationship between voice and performance ratings. Using a sample of employees from a hotel, this study confirms the negative perspective of the relationship. In further exploring the role of political skill between such employees, it is found that this skill not only has a strong effect on performance ratings but also moderates the relationship between voice and performance ratings. Finally, the implications and limitations of the findings as well as some methodological issues are discussed and elaborated.     

Bank loan loss provision decisions: Empirical analysis of Taiwanese banks

By adopting the stochastic frontier model, this study follows Anandarajan, Hasan, and Lozano-Vivas (2005) and examines the efficiency frontier of the Loan Loss Provision (LLP) model in the Taiwanese banking industry during the period 1997–2004. The determinants of the inefficiency LLP are also analyzed. The main results are as follows. (i) The overall efficiency LLP index was 0.3282, indicating 67.18 per cent inefficiency of LLP decision making, similar to one major finding of the study by Anandarajan et al (2005), which suggests that inefficiency does exist for the LLP decision making. (ii) The LLP estimator is significantly and positively correlated with default loan loss. (iii) Large firms are generally subject to an especially close scrutiny by financial analysts and are thus highly motivated to maintain their credibility. In addition, they are more financially transparent relative to small firms and are more efficient in LLP decision making. (iv) Banks with higher non-interest expenses are inclined to manage LLP inefficiently.