Social Commerce: A Contingency Framework for Assessing Marketing Potential

A key issue for marketers resulting from the dramatic rise of social media is how it can be leveraged to generate value for firms. Whereas the importance of social media for brand management and customer relationship management is widely recognized, it is unclear whether social media can also help companies market and sell products. Extant discussions of social commerce present a variety of perspectives, but the core issue remains unresolved. This paper aims to make two contributions. First, to address the lack of clarity in the literature regarding the meaning and domain of social commerce, the paper offers a definition stemming from important research streams in marketing. This definition allows for both a broad (covering all steps of the consumer decision process) and a narrow (focusing on the purchase act itself) construal of social commerce. Second, we build on this definition and develop a contingency framework for assessing the marketing potential that social commerce has to offer to firms. Implications for researchers and managers, based on the proposed definition and framework, are also discussed.     

Best value,partnerships and relationship marketing in local government

This paper contends that relationship marketing can enhance the nature of partnerships in local government. It considers first the development of best value, with particular emphasis on partnerships and collaborative working. The development of relationship marketing and its definitions are acknowledged along with a selection of related issues. Two taxonomies of relationship marketing are then considered which appear to have particular relevance to local government. The notion of trust is singled out for attention and possible applications of relationship marketing are then offered. The conclusion presents a synthesis of collaborative working and relationship marketing and a nascent model showing the possible facilitating role of relationship marketing. Copyright © 2003 Henry Stewart Publications     

Late Payments and Leery Applicants: Credit Checks as a Selection Test

The use of pre-employment credit checks has grown dramatically in the U.S. in recent years, but there has been almost no research on their validity from a selection standpoint and none on how applicants respond to them. We examine the use of credit checks as a selection test, reviewing evidence for their validity and legal considerations. The theoretical part of the article highlights how credit checks are distinct in key respects from more commonly studied selection tests and how they are likely to violate many applicants’ expectations of privacy and procedural justice. The empirical section presents the results of a study of business undergraduates. Consistent with hypotheses, results indicate negative reactions to the use of credit reports in hiring, moderated by job and individual characteristics, and substantial misunderstanding of what credit reports contain. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Cash flows and leverage adjustments

Recent research has emphasized the impact of transaction costs on firm leverage adjustments. We recognize that cashflow realizations can provide opportunities to adjust leverage at relatively low marginal cost. We find that a firm's cashflow features affect not only the leverage target, but also the speed of adjustment toward that target. Heterogeneity in adjustment speeds is driven by an economically meaningful concept: adjustment costs. Accounting for this fact produces adjustment speeds that are significantly faster than previously estimated in the literature. We also analyze how both financial constraints and market timing variables affect adjustments toward a leverage target.     

Engaging patients to improve the healthcare experience

Spectrum Health suggests five considerations for engaging patients and their family members in process improvement initiatives effectively to create a better patient experience: Recruit patients who will provide the type of feedback required to warrant inclusion on a patient advisory council. Create a strong infrastructure for the councils. Ensure the councils always enjoy fresh input from new patient participants. Set clearly defined goals and implementation plans for the councils. Measure the impact.     

The Role of Alternative Methodology on the Relation Between Portfolio Size and Diversification

An important concern in portfolio management is the number of securities needed to create a well-diversified portfolio. The number of securities that constitute a welldiversified portfolio, however, varies widely among studies. It is demonstrated that past conclusions are highly sensitive to the methodology used in quantifying diversification. This finding motivates the development of alternative methods that reduce the effect of repeated replications on test results. The first approach exploits the power curves of statistical tests, whereas the second approach suggests the use of more robust statistics. Both approaches provide researchers with guidance in the design of future diversification studies.