Current and Desired Employee Communication Patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa: Empirical Evidence on Four Ghanaian Organizations

In this study, the author explores employees' expectations of organizational communication patterns including internal communication behavior in organizations. In-depth interviews of employees and managers were used as data from four Ghanaian organizations. Results show that employees want a change from the current pattern of overcentralized communication system in organizations to a more horizontal interpersonal communication. Findings also show the importance of effective and interpersonal communication as processes that can affect employees' attitude to work. Additionally, results show that aspects of national culture, structures and systems, and management practices influence the pattern of communication in organizations. The results suggest that work organizations would thrive only if both managers and employees work collectively as a team and understand each other through effective communication media institutionalized in the various organizations.     

Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Value of Multinational Companies: Lessons from a Sub-Saharan African Environment

ABSTRACT

The issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as an approach for businesses to independently take actions that lead to better levels of societal development as well as higher value creation for the business, particularly in developing countries has gained much advocacy. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between CSR and business value of multinational companies (MNCs) in sub-Saharan Africa. The study adopted quantitative research methodology and using multiple regression analysis, findings show that CSR can positively and significantly predict business values in the multinational subsidiaries. These values include direct (economic value) and indirect (human capital value and reputational business value). This paper therefore contributes to a novel CSR index from the perspective of business value and sustainability of MNCs in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) environment. Thus, the paper recommends MNCs operating in Africa to enhance their social investment through their CSR strategy with the aim that CSR must not be regarded as a cost center, but an investment instrument that can accrue various dividends.     

Efficiency Considerations in Online Auction Markets

The main contention of this article is that online auction markets are amenable to efficiency considerations akin to traditional financial markets. While the underlying assets traded are dissimilar between the financial and online auction markets, the fundamental principles that drive these markets are consanguineous in that similar efficiency notions are applicable. Based on the principles of arbitrage, we develop a set of efficiency criteria to evaluate the auction activity of new and identically described items. Two arbitrage principles, seller arbitrage and buyer arbitrage, are developed. These principles can be employed to evaluate the price behavior of temporally proximate auctions and to generate a useful benchmark to make efficiency evaluations. We find evidence of inefficiency for each of the items we empirically tested based on the data from eBay, currently the largest online auction house.     

Adventures,auctions and aspirations: Illuminating shifts,tensions and contradictions in consumers' leisure shopping experiences

Drawing upon the work of Simmel ([1907–1911] 1971) and other socioculturally oriented theoreticians (e.g. Campbell 1987; Thompson et al. 1994), this paper illuminates the composite and dynamic character of leisure shopping. Using three overarching themes – the adventure, the auction and the aspiration – the paper illustrates that leisure shopping experiences comprise a synthesis of opposites, involving dynamic shifts between for example spontaneity and control, delight and disappointment, dreams and fantasies as well as rational calculations and purposive planning. Leisure shopping is thus described as a form of rational recreation (Lash and Urry 2002), where consumers seek pleasure in highly rationalized ways.     

Town centre management in the UK: A review,synthesis and research agenda

Despite rapid growth in the number of town centre management schemes in the UK there have been few attempts to consider this topic from an academic perspective. This article develops a typology of town centre management schemes, based upon a comprehensive review of existing literature. The criteria of organizational structure and resource origin are identified as primary influences in the initiation and development of such schemes. The article concludes by outlining a research agenda which considers both local governance and spatial and temporal themes in the initiation and development of town centre management. The analysis of such factors is vital to a fuller understanding of this area.     

Perceptions of facilitators of a keypad‐based group support system

Organizations are using Group Support Systems (GSSs) to improve the quality of group meetings. Keypad‐based GSSs are a widely used form of this technology, yet there has been little research on their use and effects. This paper reports the findings of a survey of facilitators of a particular keypad GSS. Facilitators indicate that keypad technology improves the quality of meetings for a variety of tasks in a range of group settings and cultures. The findings are in general agreement with field studies of workstation‐based systems.     

Factors Influencing Young Consumers’ Acceptance of Genetically Modified Food in India

We analyzed the determinants of acceptance of genetically modified food (GMF) by using the probit model. In this study, we found that around 41% of the students are willing to buy GMF, and acceptance of GMF is less in female respondents than male respondents. The findings indicate that in India, benefit perception of GMF outweighed the risk perception. We also found that respondents’ trust in international organizations for truthful information has a positive and significant influence on acceptance of GMF.     

Wine choice and drivers of consumption explored in relation to generational cohorts and methodology

The objectives of the present study were to: (1) assess the relative importance of driver and choice factors in wine consumption behaviour, (2) assess the impact of generational cohorts upon drivers of wine consumption and wine choice factors, and (3) compare the present study's survey results relating to wine choice to those obtained by means of Discrete Choice Analysis (DCA). A geographically balanced sample of 1,229 Australian wine consumers was obtained via means of telephone survey. The results of the present study indicate that taste is the primary choice and driver factor. The present findings failed to support the empirical literature's predications relating to generational cohorts and wine consumption behaviour. Further research is required in order to assess the suitability of making and marketing wine based on generational cohort characteristics. Finally, the findings of the present study suggest that, when it comes to wine choice, a simple, cost and time effective questionnaire that utilises indirect questioning may be equally as effective as DCA. If further research continues to show congruence between results collected using both methodologies, the research community may be behoved to continue the use of traditional survey methodology.     

Evaluating the Effect of Affinity Card Programs on Customer Profitability Using Propensity Score Matching

Affinity card programs have become popular in recent times and account for one fifth of all credit card accounts. There is no research that links affinity card programs to customer profitability. Moreover, little is known about what type of affinity card programs would lead to higher profit. Using a large proprietary dataset we answer the above questions. We also apply propensity score matching, a relatively new technique, to control for selection bias in addressing the above issues. Contrary to previous research and common belief, we show that affinity card customers are no more profitable than non-affinity card holders. We also show that sports-based affinity programs are the least profitable and surprisingly, alumni-based affinity programs also do poorly relative to other types of affinity. On the positive side, affinity card customers are lower risk and help to lower the average risk of the portfolio of customers.