Women's participation in housing delivery: the case of Ezilweleni,South Africa

As part of a study on housing delivery in post-apartheid South Africa, research was conducted to explore women's participation. The interest in women was based on the assumption that their involvement would contribute to greater equity in the residential construction sector. Focus group discussions and a household survey were conducted. Participants were asked about their income sources and their involvement in various phases of housing delivery such as securing tenure, planning, procuring materials and building. The findings indicate that women influenced decisions about the level of infrastructural services in Ezilweleni. They participated in housing delivery but reverted to informal sector activities despite training in building. Both formal and informal education are necessary if greater equity is to be achieved in the construction sector.     

Is More Information Always Better? An Experimental Study of Charitable Giving and Hurricane Katrina

We report results of an experiment designed to assess the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the pattern and level of charitable contributions of donors. The study includes an experimental measure of charitable giving and targets three charities: the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and Oxfam International. In the experiment subjects make allocation decisions from three endowments ($10, $20, and $50) and with four different matching subsidies (0%, 25%, 50%, and 100%), with the matching amount provided by the experimenter. Two locations (Texas and Minnesota) and two information conditions are used. Survey measures of sympathy, risk perceptions, and perceptions of Katrina victims are also collected. The probability and amount of giving are responsive to the experimental design parameters—the endowment and match. We find evidence of “Katrina overload” as those closest to the disaster respond negatively to Katrina-related priming information. Perceptions of the psychological attitudes of the victims of the disaster have a significant effect on the amount given.     

Mind the context gap: a critical review of engagement within the public sector and an agenda for future research

Abstract

In this review paper, we critically examine the evidence base relating to engagement within the public sector given a wide range of public services have faced acute human resource challenges over recent years. Our review of 188 empirical studies reveals that much of the evidence focuses attention on individual and job level factors, such that specific public sector contextual contingencies have rarely been considered. Through identifying significant ‘context gaps’, we present a future research agenda addressing the following key areas: i) clarifying the relationship between engagement and public service motivation, ii) further contextualizing general engagement models, iii) exploring cultural, socio-political, and institutional factors in more depth, iv) encouraging a more critical perspective on engagement, v) understanding the variation in the experience of engagement across different public services/delivery models, and vi) connecting more strongly with practical concerns and initiatives within public organizations. In presenting this agenda, we highlight how engagement and HRM scholars can more strongly embed their research within a sectoral context.     

Naivety and relationship marketing in nonprofit organisations

The widespread adoption of the language and concepts of marketing as a series of exchanges with customers continues to present problems to nonprofit organisations. Measured against marketing orthodoxy their approach to marketing might appear naive, but it is often effective. This paper discusses five differences between ‘orthodox’ and ‘naive’ marketing (nature of the exchange, focus of the encounter, attitude to technology, attitude to product and plans for the customer) to explore the nature of naive marketing. The role and importance of product or service in nonprofits is emphasised as a crucial difference. Finally, the emerging discipline of relationship marketing is argued to be a framework which vindicates many of the positions of naive marketers and to offer a valuable source of theory for nonprofit marketing.     

全尺度林地景观的创造性管理——基于 瑞典农业科学大学阿尔纳普风景实验室项目 研究

20世纪80年代，瑞典农业科学大学风景园林系教 授罗朗·古斯塔文森在阿尔纳普校区创建风景实验室，融汇三 脉斯堪的纳维亚风景园林的历史源流，即农林、早期自然保护 与城市公园，系统性、全尺度地探索一片幼林地风景的创造性 管理。风景实验室将林地规划为多林分组合，作为营林、风景 园林设计与教学，以及公共游览的同一场所，因循植物景观的 自然形态与活态结构，善用林室氛围景观，实践一种协同营 林、生态保育和风景审美效用的管理式设计，为发展多用途城 市林地提供创新实验场所。在风景实验室教研组发表的项目论 文与报告书等文献资料的基础上，说明主要实验原则与方法， 解析创造性管理的风景园林设计主线，简述由风景实验室延伸 出的设计概念与项目。     

The export effect of immigration into the USA

Much has been written on the connection between migration and international trade. Human history provides important examples of migrations leading to increased trade activity, with perhaps the most well-known example of the ‘Overseas Chinese’. This study investigates the trade-related importance of Chinese and other immigrants into the USA. Previous studies may have underestimated (or overestimated) the relationship between trade and migration with nations treated as featureless plains rather than as varied landscapes. This study contends that an understanding of the immigration–trade relationship can be improved upon by examining the specific pattern and destination of immigration into specific US states. Using state level export data to 28 immigrant source countries in 1993, a strong immigration–trade link is found, reinforcing conclusions made by previous research using country level data. The compelling connection between immigration and trade found in this study and others suggests that future changes to US immigration policies necessitate that their trade effects also be taken into account.     

Enterprise in orbit: The supply of communication satellites

This study develops a general understanding of the evolution of the Western World commercial communication sate-llite supply industry. Initial information classifies this industry as an oligopoly with the vendors as price setters. Over three generations, the technical attributes of communication satellites are advancing. Taking the hedonic regression approach, the customer’s willingness to pay for characteristics is calculated. Exploring the relationship between price and complexity, it is demonstrated that in the short run, the oligopoly structure of this industry is accompanied by a simple form of cost plus price setting, whereas in the long run, the engineering satellite pricing ‘rule of thumb’ applies.     

Marketing and organisational development in e-SMEs: understanding survival and sustainability in growth-oriented and comfort-zone pure-play enterprises in the fashion retail industry

Following calls to explore organisational development in a fashion retail marketing context this paper conceptualises and explains how 14 fashion retailers operating purely online have developed their enterprises via a six-stage approach, through which they moved at various speeds, either in a linear sequence or concurrently. Effective strategies to secure sustainability for comfort-zone and growth-oriented enterprises are identified, including the development of online portfolios which acknowledges the presence of habitual entrepreneurship in fashion electronic retailing. This paper represents the first in-depth multiple case study into independent, successful pure-players marketing clothing, footwear and accessories categories online. A qualitative case approach is employed from a social constructionist perspective. Rich data is generated via in-depth interviews with owner-managers. Results are developed through thematic qualitative analysis and theoretical contributions are based on data saturation across cases and fashion categories, thus offering strong horizontal and vertical credibility. Findings stress the role of developing internet-technology competencies, strategic marketing and service capabilities in the quest for successful e-retailing in pure-play enterprises, alongside overseas market development and demonstrate an emphasis on planning for the small firm. The current findings therefore differentiate this group of enterprises from the majority of small firms accused of poor technology utilisation/competency, lack of planning and weak marketing. The paper provides strong understanding of the complexities of organisational development in pure-play retailing. That these firms have navigated the recent recession and that many have survived online for over 10?years emphasises the importance of the strategic directions explained in this paper to the marketing/entrepreneurship interface.