Information-sharing in health and social care: Lessons from a socio-technical initiative

Advances in information technology have led to new and innovative approaches in data-sharing, analysis, interpretation, and the potential for real-time responses to changes in health and social care status. However, health and social care information is not only complex but often socially and personally sensitive in ways that do not apply in other domains. This requires adoption of a tailored interdisciplinary (social, ethical, legal, technical and data science) and intersectoral (health and social care, academic and commercial institutions and citizens) approach to technology development. The authors present some important lessons to date from ongoing development of an innovative infrastructure for sharing health and social care data.     

Factor analysis: Key tool in consumer behavior research

Quantitative techniques are in frequent use by students of consumer behavior. Most of these techniques, such as correlation analysis and Chi-square tests for significant differences are treated in the various quantitative methods courses taught in or for schools of business across the country. Factor analysis, on the other hand, is rarely included in the content of these courses. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to find journal articles in which results of factor analytic studies are reported. This state of affairs must produce some frustration among marketing practitioners and even among some academicians, who find it difficult to interpret those results, much less understand how they were obtained. This article is designed to assist those who need to read and comprehend journal articles, who need to discuss such articles with others and who may find it desirable to use factor analysis in their own work.     

The assessment center technique: A validation study

It may be that an assessment center predicts potential for higher level management even better than performance at the first level of supervision.     

Transformative Leadership: Achieving Unparalleled Excellence

The ongoing cynicism about leaders and organizations calls for a new standard of ethical leadership that we have labeled ??transformative leadership.?? This new leadership model integrates ethically-based features of six other well-regarded leadership perspectives and combines key normative and instrumental elements of each of those six perspectives. Transformative leadership honors the governance obligations of leaders by demonstrating a commitment to the welfare of all stakeholders and by seeking to optimize long-term wealth creation. Citing the scholarly literature about leadership theory, we identify key elements of the six leadership perspectives that make up transformative leadership, suggest leaders who exemplify each perspective, describe the ethical foundations and message of each perspective, and offer ten propositions that scholars and practitioners can use to test the dimensions of this new transformative leadership model.     

Modeling the Relationship Among Perceived Corporate Citizenship,Firms’ Attractiveness,and Career Success Expectation

Drawing on propositions from the signaling theory and expectancy theory, this study hypothesizes that the perceived corporate citizenship of job seekers positively affects a firm’s attractiveness and career success expectation. This study’s proposed research hypotheses are empirically tested using a survey of graduating MBA students seeking a job. The empirical findings show that a firm’s corporate citizenship provides a competitive advantage in attracting job seekers and fostering optimistic career success expectation. Such findings substantially complement the growing literature arguing that corporate citizenship brings firms competitive advantages without solid evidence from the perspective of recruitment and human resources. Finally, managerial implications and limitations of this study are also discussed.     

Following Celebrities’ Tweets About Brands: The Impact of Twitter-Based Electronic Word-of-Mouth on Consumers’ Source Credibility Perception,Buying Intention,and Social Identification With Celebrities

Two experiments examined the impact of Twitter followers, electronic word-of-mouth (eWoM) valence, and celebrity type (prosocial versus antisocial) on consumer behavior in Twitter-based marketing communication, applying social capital theory, social identity theory, source credibility, and extant literature on eWoM. Experiment 1 demonstrated the main effect of number of followers on source credibility, and the interaction effect between eWoM valence and number of followers on product involvement, buying intention, and intention to pass along eWoM. Experiment 2 revealed the interaction effect of celebrity type and number of followers on social identification with the celebrity as well as the mediating effect of social identification.     

Factors affecting farmers market produce prices in Missouri

Produce marketers who participate as farmers market vendors or otherwise directly market their goods should understand not only the location-related characteristics that affect consumer selection of local, fresh produce but also the product attributes that consumers prefer to find in local products. Understanding attribute-price relationships will allow marketers to better plan for value-added marketing opportunities. Using a hedonic pricing model, this study analyzed the influence that product attribute levels have on prices for seven types of produce: sweet corn, tomatoes, cantaloupe, cucumbers, green beans, bell peppers, and zucchini. Based on data collected from Missouri farmers markets, multiple attributes affect produce price variation. In the dataset, one of the strongest effects was exerted by sale location. The importance of this finding is that prices can be collected in a single location and extrapolated to other farmers market locations, which implies reduced search and reporting costs in collecting representative farmers market produce prices. Additionally, a higher weight may increase prices for some types of produce but decrease prices of others after a certain point. Farmers market vendors, as well as other direct marketers, can use attribute pricing information to identify the quality attributes that consumers prefer.