Paradox,performance and food: managing difference in the construction of femininity

This paper explores the personal and interpersonal complexities of women's food-related behaviours. Drawing from the postmodern concept of paradoxical juxtapositions, the authors examine women's discourses around food, cooking and eating to discuss the embedded negotiations of tensions arising from maintaining hetero-normative femininities while accounting for their own personal and social subjectivities. Data were collected through a series of semi-structured interviews with 45 women. Moving across the analyses, identity complexity plays out for women through the simultaneous presence of strain and gratification in their performance as “caregivers” and an ongoing dialectic of ascetism/discipline and hedonism/transgression in their food-lives. We argue women work to construct desirable experiences and self-identifications from balancing an assemblage of constituent food behaviours across different settings. Our analysis highlights the continuing presence of postmodern paradox as an important theoretical consideration and contributes to our understanding of how femininity is skilfully performed through the management of difference.     

Conflicts and value co-creation in project networks

The present study aims to (i) extend knowledge of the nature of conflicts and of their influence on value co-creation in project networks and (ii) contribute to the management of conflicts to enable value co-creation.This work is based on an action research methodology conducted during a five-year case study of a firm operating in the Information and Communication (IT) industry. Three dimensions of conflicts are identified: (i) types, (ii) timing and (iii) effects. An understanding of these dimensions facilitates the management of conflicts. Two levels of intervention are isolated: (i) the strategic level and (ii) the operational level. The paper offers a new understanding of conflicts that should precede their management, which is crucial to enabling project network value.     

The influence of remittances on education and health outcomes: a cross country study

We study the effect of international remittances on aggregate educational and health outcomes using a sample of 69 low- and middle-income countries. We find that remittances play an important role in improving primary and secondary school attainment, increasing life expectancy and reducing infant mortality. Our results suggest that as migration laws continue to support greater emigration and remittances, policies should be enacted to facilitate the flow of remittances as they represent a significant source for economic development.     

Does innovativeness of knowledge-intensive business services differ from other industries?

This article seeks to determine whether the innovative capabilities of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) do actually differ from other industries through comparing the innovation capacities and financial performance of KIBS with firms operating in other sectors (non-KIBS). Based upon a 1000-firm sample, the results of our estimated econometric model demonstrate that non-KIBS firms are in possession of significantly greater innovation capacities than KIBS firms. These differences were observed across factors such as organisational process innovation, the launch of already existing products in new markets, branding and new product designs. Nevertheless, as regards the actual importance attributed to product/service innovation, KIBS firms place a greater comparative importance on innovation in comparison with their non-KIBS peers. In addition, the empirical evidences display a significantly different range of effects of innovation capacities on financial performance and concludes that non-KIBS firms turn in better comparative performances than specialist KIBS firms.     

Services specialization (a possible index) and its connection with competitiveness: the case of Romania

In the authors' opinion, specialization stands for both an expression of competitiveness, and a continuity and attention paid to some activities, thus reflecting the positive evolution of a national economy. By increasing the specialization of service functions, qualitative changes occur in the evolution of an economy. In this study, the authors emphasize the importance of specialization implications by reference to services development in Romania, since the Romanian economy requires an increase in services activities. Finally, a formula is proposed to determine the specialization degree, which is exemplified by calculating a specialization index in tourism.     

Measuring Consumer Sensitivity to Corporate Social Performance Across Cultures

ABSTRACT

In the context of a severe economic crisis, the objective of this research is to examine to what extent the economic crisis and austerity's measures have generated new marketing strategies in food companies. We develop a comparative analysis though multivariate analysis of variance, consisting of 10 food product categories across eight European countries, distinguishing between countries that needed financial support—the so-called rescued countries—and the countries with better economic development. Our findings show an increasingly trend toward increasing product prices and price per quantity in the rescued countries, along with an increase in the package content. Our findings suggest that food companies have been raising prices through the recession, as consumers continue to pare their spending and demand.     

Do Store Image and Price Perception Matter to Store Brand Equity?

Store brands account for 41% of the Spanish market share in 2011, and a further increase is expected in the next year due to the economic crisis, which makes up an increasingly competitive market. Previous literature suggests that price and store image are antecedents with a relevant influence on store brand equity. Our study aims to analyze if the store image and price perception matter to store brand equity. A quantitative study was carried out obtaining a total of 362 valid responses. Results show that both variables have a positive influence on store brand equity, store image being the more relevant factor. The study is of great interest for retailers who wish to increase the value proposition.     

The quality of volatility traded on the over‐the‐counter currency market: A multiple horizons study

Previous studies of the quality of market‐forecasted volatility have used the volatility that is implied by exchange‐traded option prices. The use of implied volatility in estimating the market view of future volatility has suffered from variable measurement errors, such as the non‐synchronization of option and underlying asset prices, the expiration‐day effect, and the volatility smile effect. This study circumvents these problems by using the quoted implied volatility from the over‐the‐counter (OTC) currency option market, in which traders quote prices in terms of volatility. Furthermore, the OTC currency options have daily quotes for standard maturities, which allows the study to look at the market's ability to forecast future volatility for different horizons. The study finds that quoted implied volatility subsumes the information content of historically based forecasts at shorter horizons, and the former is as good as the latter at longer horizons. These results are consistent with the argument that measurement errors have a substantial effect on the implied volatility estimator and the quality of the inferences that are based on it. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 23:261–285, 2003     

Domestic or Imported Beer Brands? Analysis and Assessment of Brand Equity in the Spanish Market

The Spanish brewing industry is a main economic sector and a major activity in the agrifood area; however, there are few studies regarding the analysis of brand equity in this product. This study aims to analyze brand equity for both a domestic beer brand—Estrella Galicia—and an imported beer brand—Carlsberg. For this purpose a quantitative study is carried out among consumers in order to assess the sources or dimensions of brand equity and its consequences, comparing the 2 brands present in the Spanish market. Results obtained suggest a better evaluation of the domestic brand and reveal that brand loyalty and perceived quality are the dimensions with a higher relevance in beer brand equity.