Validating new product creativity in the eastern context of Malaysia

This paper examines the etic vs. emic nature of the new product creativity (NPC) construct often used in the strategic marketing and management literatures. The current study compares the NPC measure developed by Im and Workman (2004) in the West in an Eastern context by utilizing data from 172 Malaysian companies. The results show that NPC, which is the combination of new product (NP) novelty and NP meaningfulness, has a different connotation in Malaysia. The findings demonstrate that from the novelty perspective NPC is an emic phenomenon. After the construct validation process, the Western claim that NPC is a seed of firm performance is tested. The results verify NPC's relationship with NP performance as a source of competitive advantage for Malaysian firms and thus suggest that this relationship is etic in nature. These findings have significant implications for firms' global innovation strategies.     

Tax without Design: Recent Developments in UK Tax Policy

This paper considers the development of tax policy in the UK over the last decade or so and assesses policy change against a low bar – consistency and coherence. While this government has followed some consistent policies – notably, in some aspects of corporation tax and in increasing the income tax personal allowance – there are few signs of a wider coherent strategy. The same has been true of other recent governments. Many aspects of the system have become more complex. There have been numerous policy reversals. And few of those aspects of the system in most need of reform have been tackled. The need for reform, and a clear strategy for reform, remain as pressing as ever.     

The monetary approach to the balance of payments: A nontechnical guide

The monetary approach uses monetary rather than multiplier and market stability tools. It differs from the `elasticities,' `Keynesian multiplier,' `absorption,' and `economic policy' approaches in introducing stocks as well as current expenditure flows into the adjustment process so that payments disequilibria are transitory and conditional on domestic monetary policy. The development of the approach is sketched, and some policy implications briefly discussed.     

A Framework for Reconsidering the Lake Wobegon Effect

The Lake Wobegon Effect (LWE) describes the potential measurement-error bias introduced into survey-based analyses of education issues. Although this effect potentially applies to any student-report variable, the systematic overreporting of academic achievements such as grade point average is often of preeminent concern. This concern can be easily circumvented if official records data are available; however, many researchers can only access student-reported data. In this article, the authors examine whether using student-survey data in place of official records data meaningfully biases regression estimates. They motivate their contribution by noting a useful statistical feature of overreporting on bounded variables such as grade point average. Specifically, the misreports will be negatively correlated with the true grade point average, yielding a form of nonclassical measurement error that actually counteracts the bias. The authors connect this observation to reliability ratios used in labor economics, which are simple ways to adjust for attenuation bias, when needed. In two applications, we find that it is unnecessary to correct for the LWE bias because it is so small.     

The role of the U.S. medical complex and the media in value transformation: The case of viable organ transplant

This paper examines the unintended consequences of marketing a specific technology— viable organ transplantation. A content analysis of print media is conducted to compare accounts of the world's first heart transplant (1967) with accounts of subsequent local transplants in a southwestern city. Results of this analysis suggest that “objective” coverage of transplant incidents convey changes in the construction of the self the authors associate with the interdependence of culture, technology, and marketing practice.     

Exploring transport to arts and cultural activities as a facilitator of social inclusion

This paper explores the relationship between travel and social inclusion in relation to a relatively rarely examined group of travel destinations—arts and cultural activities. This paper examines travel behaviour to arts and cultural activities and how this relates to social inclusion. Research literature associated with these issues is examined and then an analysis of a household travel survey in Melbourne, Australia, is undertaken to explore how travel to arts and cultural activities varies by income, car ownership and location. The paper outlines a range of evidence linking participation in arts and cultural activities and positive outcomes for social inclusion. Arts and cultural activities do not fit well into traditional household travel survey definitions of trip purposes. There is also no definitional difference between travel to activities and ‘participation’ or ‘attendance’ in arts and cultural activities. This is unfortunate since social outcomes may vary by participation or attendance. Travel survey analysis shows that like other activities trip rates to arts and cultural activities increase with income. However higher participation is demonstrated for zero- and one-car households, which contrasts with previous research of work, education and social travel. Higher participation is also demonstrated for those living in inner parts of the city. The paper suggests that most travel to arts and cultural activity is quite localised and hence much travel may be led by the diversity and range of local opportunities provided. These are particularly high in inner parts of the city. A high share of travel is also demonstrated for older people, who are thought to have the time and desire for greater participation in arts and cultural activities.     

Autotelic need for touch,haptics, and persuasion: The role of involvement

Previous research has shown that a touch or haptic element attached to a persuasive appeal can increase persuasion, particularly for individuals who have a clear preference for touch to enjoy its sensory feedback (high autotelics). This research extends previous work by including involvement in the context of an appeal by a nonprofit. We find, in an experiment where we manipulate involvement, that when a haptic element is present, high autotelics are more persuaded regardless of their involvement with the message. However, for low autotelics, a haptic element increases persuasion under conditions of low versus high involvement with the message. A second experiment measures involvement and finds that again, under low involvement conditions, both high and low autotelics are persuaded by a touch element. Finally, a field study with a local symphony orchestra is conducted in which involvement with the message is low but involvement with the company is high. In this case, a touch element is only persuasive for high autotelics. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Customers of performing arts organisations: are subscribers different from nonsubscribers?

The subscribing customers of performing arts organisations are an indispensable, but frequently maligned source of patronage for the arts. This paper reviews some of these criticisms in the arts literature and assesses previous research on subscribers. Audience studies of the customers of cultural organisations have generally focused on usage differences (eg nonusers, frequent users) rather than subscriber/nonsubscriber differences. Based on theories of relationship marketing, the paper describes how relational subscribers may differ from nonsubscribing customers who frequent the arts but are more transactional in their exchanges with the cultural organisation. The results of a survey of subscribing and nonsubscribing customers of a repertory theatre company are presented to show differences between these two types of customer. Subscribers have higher levels of satisfaction, trust and commitment, and have more positive intentions of supporting and donating to the organisation. The arts patronage goals of subscribers are more congruent with the goals of the cultural organisation. Subscribers are more satisfied with familiar than with famous performers, and are comfortable with diversity in the choice of repertoire. Other factors examined include differences in overall involvement with the category of theatre, perceptions of risk and value, use of information sources, and reasons why some customers choose not to subscribe. The paper concludes with discussion of the importance of relationship marketing and subscribing customers for the performing arts organisation. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications