The relationship between cultural values and learning preference: the impact of acculturation experiences upon East Asians

Globalization and technology advancement are creating more biculturalism at workplaces and learning settings. However, little is known about acculturation experience and its influence on a person's cultural values and learning preference. The research reported in this study investigates the impact of acculturation experiences upon the relationship between cultural values and learning preference of 292 Far East Asians (from Confucian‐influenced societies) and Asian Americans. Different preferences for learning methods and different levels of traditional cultural values were found between these two groups of adult learners. Acculturation experience was identified as the influential factor for the differences. However, they all still retain their traditional cultural values in various degrees regardless of the length of time the individual had been exposed to the acculturation experience. The impact of cultural values on an adult's learning preference is an area of concern in cross‐cultural training and development.     

Adolescents' body‐tanning behaviours: influences of gender,body mass index,sociocultural attitudes towards appearance and body satisfaction

The goal of this study was to identify and examine the various factors affecting adolescents' body‐tanning behaviours. Gender, body mass index (BMI), sociocultural attitudes towards appearance (SATA) and body satisfaction were examined in order to determine how these variables influence both outdoor sun‐tanning and indoor tanning‐bed use. Self‐administered survey data were collected from 155 adolescent boys and 202 adolescent girls with an average age of 14.3. Multivariate analysis of variance and multiple regression methods were used to analyse the data. Adolescent girls tended to engage in both outdoor and indoor tanning. Overall, adolescents' SATA significantly affected their body‐tanning behaviours. However, BMI and body satisfaction revealed a significant effect only on indoor tanning behaviour. Implications for the design of interventions and overall health promotion towards adolescents are discussed with suggestions for future research.     

The individual dual needs for assimilation and distinctiveness as a segmentation mechanism: developing the concept among students

The present study proposes that the individual's needs for assimilation and distinctiveness serve as a valuable mechanism for consumer segmentation and suggests that augmenting the List of Values with these dual needs enriches the understanding of consumer responses to marketing strategies. Results of a study using a sample of 536 students in an Israeli university identified five segments with significantly different needs for assimilation and differentiation. These segments showed different preferences for marketing communications and distribution channels in their purchasing decision of a cell phone. Mass media and website usage influenced segments marked by high assimilation, while word of mouth influenced segments characterized by high distinctiveness. Augmenting the List of Values with dual needs based segmentation moderated students’ tendencies to favour/dislike marketing communications and distribution channels.     

An overview of Asian equity markets

This study overviews the development of 11 Asian equity markets, namely, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Prior to the onset of the global financial crisis, the Asian stock exchanges were generally bullish, underpinned particularly by China's robust economic performance. Innovations in financial products and services have been growing in importance, as stock exchanges in these countries have been making a concerted effort to introduce new features and best practices, with the objectives of raising market efficiency, enhancing service quality, and generally bringing operations up to par with international standards. But the potential to realize or support market efficiency can only be possible within an adequate legal framework, a sound market infrastructure, and appropriate corporate governance mechanisms. Thus, many challenges are still to be overcome in the region.     

When Do Analysts Adjust for Biases in Management Guidance? Effects of Guidance Track Record and Analysts’ Incentives

Prior research indicates that analysts do not fully adjust for the general downward bias in earnings guidance issued by management. We report the results of two experiments designed to investigate how guidance track record and analysts’ incentives jointly explain the extent to which analysts adjust for guidance bias. Our results suggest that analysts with accuracy incentives adjust for management’s track record of downwardly biased guidance when the bias is relatively small (one cent), but those with relationship incentives do not. Furthermore, the difference in adjustment is larger when the bias track record is inconsistent than when it is consistent. Also, when guidance bias is larger (two cents) relative to smaller (one cent), analysts with relationship incentives partially adjust, as they appear to strike a balance between accuracy and their desire to please management. These findings hold implications for investors, regulators, and the interpretation of prior research.     

Consumers as researchers – innovative experiences in UK National Health Service Research

Consumer involvement is an established priority in UK health‐ and social‐care service development and research. To date, little has been published describing the process of consumer involvement and assessing ‘consumers’ contributions to research. This paper provides a practical account of the effective incorporation of consumers into a research team, and outlines the extent to which they can enhance the research cycle; from project development and conduct, through data analysis and interpretation, to dissemination. Salient points are illustrated using the example of their collaboration in a research project. Of particular note were consumers' contributions to the development of an ethically enhanced, more robust project design, and enriched data interpretation, which may not have resulted had consumers not been an integral part of the research team.