Consumer Responses to Product Placement in Television Sitcoms: Genre,Sex, and Consumption

The paper presents a study of consumer responses to products placed in a sitcom, “Ads R’ Us,” created as a stimulus to ascertain the influence of a television program’s genre and male/female respondents’ sex on responses. Textual analysis is used to analyze sitcoms, a category of programs created in accordance with genre conventions, the structural framework that influences responses to media vehicles. First‐generation feminist reading theory, which challenged the patriarchal assumptions mostly unquestioned in the US until the early 1960s, is used to analyze responses produced by second‐generation respondents, who came of age a generation later, after the women’s liberation movement led to socio‐cultural changes. The study draws from multidisciplinary theory and integrates stimulus‐side/response‐side research to enhance understanding of the text‐context‐consumer relationship. Findings indicate that second‐generation responses to placed products are problematized by the coexistence of patriarchal and feminist perspectives that color male/female readings of sitcoms.     

An examination of gender influences in career mentoring

This study draws on the Theory of Planned Behaviour to examine the role of gender in the decision to be mentored. Contrary to expectations, men and women employ similar decision criteria in the decision to seek a mentor. The primary driver for seeking a mentor was to obtain psychosocial support, including personal support, acceptance, having a confidant, being trusted and friendship. Men were more likely than women to seek a mentor when they valued increased autonomy. The implications of the findings for protégés, mentors and career development professionals are noted. Copyright © 2009 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selecting the right cause partners for the right reasons: The role of importance and fit in cause‐brand alliances

Cause‐brand alliances (CBAs) are becoming a routine strategy to enhance the image of the brand and the cause and to encourage brand sales. This research conducted two studies to evaluate importance and fit as selection criteria for the cause partner. Study 1 evaluated the relative importance of a cause on attitudes and purchase intent for a familiar versus an unfamiliar brand. Results suggested that importance of the cause had an effect on attitudes and purchase intent for an unfamiliar brand but not for a familiar brand. Based on an unexpected finding in Study 1, a second study was conducted that addressed the issue of cause–brand fit. Results show that perceptions of logical fit between the cause and the brand does not have an effect for either the familiar or unfamiliar brand. These findings suggest that the importance of the cause may be a more relevant criterion for optimizing a CBA for an unfamiliar brand but, unlike other forms of alliances and contrary to popular anecdotal belief, perceptions of fit may not be relevant for either familiar or unfamiliar brand. ©2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Differences between older and younger Poles in functional food consumption,awareness of metabolic syndrome risk and perceived barriers to health improvement

The aim of the study was to analyze the differences between older and younger Poles in functional food consumption, awareness of metabolic syndrome risk and perceived barriers to health improvement. A national representative sample of 1005 adults aged 15+ was selected for the study. The eldest age group (65+ years) more often than the youngest age group (15–24 years) reported having high blood cholesterol (OR = 12.30), high blood pressure (OR = 10.61), central obesity (OR = 7.94), high blood sugar (OR = 4.33), high stress level (OR = 2.12). A smaller number of the older in comparison to the younger consumed probiotic yoghurt drinks (OR = 0.48), foods with added vitamins and/or minerals (OR = 0.31), energy drinks (OR = 0.05) at least once a week. Younger people were more likely to report that they were ready to increase physical activity (OR = 0.21), cut down on or stop smoking (OR = 0.48) or drink less alcohol (OR = 0.46), but more of them would prefer to take medicines than food-related intervention (OR = 3.05). Older people rarely complained about a lack of time (OR = 0.26) to improve their health. In conclusion, intervention to promote a healthy lifestyle to prevent and treat metabolic syndrome would need to target older Poles.     

Congregate meal sites participants: Can they manage their diets?

Many individuals attending congregate meal sites have chronic conditions that can be impacted by their diet. This study found that congregate meal site participants visit meal sites primarily for social purposes but consume meals while they satisfy their social agenda. Also, individuals that suffer from diabetes, cancer, and heart disease were not aware of what foods were beneficial in prevention and/or maintenance. Specifically, individuals with diabetes, cancer, and heart disease were not able to determine any better than those without those conditions which food types were recommended by nutrition experts, nor which food types were more beneficial in the maintenance or prevention of their conditions.     

Strategic human resource management at Praxair

This article describes the human resource management system in place at Praxair. Key emphases of Praxair's HRM infrastructure include (1) competency development and performance‐management processes and (2) team‐based performance systems, which include four levels of measurement: company‐wide, business‐unit, cross‐functional teams within business units, and special‐initiative project teams. Key challenges for the future include (1) prioritization of choices in support of the firm's global growth initiatives, (2) employee development and new talent acquisition, (3) designing more effective methods to anticipate business needs and provide strong, proactive leadership, (4) accelerating leadership development and influencing adequate investment in education and development programs, and (5) designing and implementing effective methods to acquire new talent to support business strategies. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Innovation strategy and sanctioned conflict: a new edge in innovation?

Teamwork and harmony are worthy objectives, but a healthy dose of conflict also plays an important role in fostering innovation. In their pursuit of teamwork and harmony, companies run the risk of suppressing the creative tension that brings vitality to new-product development (NPD) efforts. Furthermore, a firm's choice of innovation strategy may have a significant effect on the organization's capability for managing conflict. Using results from a survey of 290 marketing and R&D managers from U.S. firms in the electronics industries, Barbara Dyer and X. Michael Song explore the link between strategy and conflict, and the effect this link has on NPD success. Their study examines the following issues: the influence of business strategy on specific conflict-handling behaviors; the relationship between those conflict-handling behaviors and positive conflict outcomes; and the relationship between constructive conflict and new-product success. The study classifies firms predominantly pursuing a more aggressive NPD strategy as prospectors and less aggressive firms as defenders. Three conflict-handling mechanisms are identified: integrating behaviors, forcing behaviors, and avoiding behaviors. Compared to the prospector firms, the defender firms in this study perceived significantly higher levels of conflict in their organizations. In handling conflict, the prospector firms perceived a higher level of integrative behavior than the defender firms. The defenders perceived higher levels of forcing and avoiding conflict behaviors. The study identifies a strong, positive relationship between integrative behaviors and constructive conflict. Positive relationships are also identified between constructive conflict and the success of cross-functional relationships, as well as between constructive conflict and NPD business success. For the firms in this study, the results indicate that strategy is associated with the conflict-handling mechanisms the firm uses. For example, the results suggest that an NPD manager in a prospector firm will encounter high use of integrative behaviors, a high number of complex conflicts, a relatively low level of perceived conflict, a high level of formalization, and frequent exchanges of written and verbal communication among the firm's personnel. The results suggest that managers may help to create an environment conducive to NPD success by assessing their firms' strategies, emphasizing integrative conflict-handling behaviors, and employing formalization of organizational procedures.     

An exploration of factors influencing the choice of commodity price risk mitigation strategies

Most firms are exposed to price volatility associated with commodities, which can significantly affect the price paid for raw materials, energy, packaging, shipping, and component purchases. Commodity price risk represents the financial, operational and informational effects of commodity price volatility (CPV). The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the supply chain risk management literature by providing a taxonomy of commodity price risk mitigation strategies and factors that may influence the adoption of these strategies. A qualitative study was conducted using a grounded theory approach, based on case studies of companies with home operations in Italy, Germany, and the US. The paper provides some initial evidence for theory and practice as to: 1) how firms can mitigate the risk from CPV by implementing various sourcing, contracting, and financing strategies; and 2) the influence of commodity/product factors, buying organization factors, supply chain factors, and external environment factors on strategy capability and choice.