When absorptive capacity meets institutions and (e)learners: adopting,diffusing and exploiting e‐learning in organizations

E‐learning was thought to be one of the fastest growing industries on both sides of the Atlantic and has been frequently heralded as a transforming influence on global corporate training and higher education. Despite such rhetoric, the adoption, diffusion and exploitation have been slower than anticipated. In this paper we attempt to explain why this might have been the case in Europe by drawing on an increasingly influential body of management literature on the absorptive capacity (ACAP) of organizations to acquire, assimilate and use new technologies and ideas. We supplement this work on absorptive capacity with two other streams of literature on learners and on the business systems or institutionalist perspective, which focuses on the embeddedness of unique organizational forms, ideas and human resource development approaches in particular national business systems. We develop a model of absorptive capacity for e‐learning in organizations (ACAP for eL), which we argue has important theoretical implications for business and management academics in developing a model of technology transfer and diffusion, key lessons for HRD practitioners and politicians associated with furthering e‐learning developments in their organizations, and also for policy makers at government level wishing to spread the e‐learning message.     

Stamps versus postal permits: A decisional guide for return postage in mail questionnaires

Considerable evidence indicates that stamped return envelopes prompt higher rates of response than business reply permits. The authors use a measure of margin efficiency gains between return postage types to develop optimum cost guidelines to aid mail survey researchers in their choices between return mailer types.     

The Indian Challenge: The Evolution of a Successful New Global Strategy in the Pharmaceutical Industry

UK and European public policy has sought to encourage young biotechnology firms adopt American-inspired strategies. The venture-backed start-up associated with Silicon Valley and Route 128 in Boston, has been the preferred model. These policies have had limited success thus far. Indian companies are evolving indigenous business models that are achieving success within the pharmaceutical industry. Some Indian pharmaceutical firms, established initially as low cost suppliers, are investing in building innovative capabilities. This paper analyses the strategies and trajectories of a number of Indian pharmaceutical companies that are expanding successfully in Western markets. It assesses the local and international contextual factors that have underpinned the strategies and discusses relevant conceptual frameworks.     

Brand portfolio options for the UK retail banks

Following deregulation in the late 1980s, many financial service companies rapidly grew their product portfolios. Developing these extensive portfolios has raised complex issues for financial service companies regarding how the new products and services should be marketed and, in particular, how they should be branded. This paper seeks to identify the relevant issues concerning the marketing and branding of large portfolios of financial service products. Using the brand portfolio model developed by Aaker and Joachimsthaler,¹ the paper analyses the brand portfolio strategies adopted by the UK's leading retail banks (Barclays, Lloyds TSB, NatWest/RBS and HSBC). The paper concludes that given the complexity of branding as a concept and in predicting how consumers will respond, ultimately all financial services need to experiment more both with how individual brands are positioned and advertised and what portfolios are optimal.     

The Dynamics of Institutional and Individual Trading

We study the daily and intradaily cross‐sectional relation between stock returns and the trading of institutional and individual investors in Nasdaq 100 securities. Based on the previous day's stock return, the top performing decile of securities is 23.9% more likely to be bought in net by institutions (and sold by individuals) than those in the bottom performance decile. Strong contemporaneous daily patterns can largely be explained by net institutional (individual) trading positively (negatively) following past intradaily excess stock returns (or the news associated therein). In comparison, evidence of return predictability and price pressure are economically small.     

The Organization of Marketing: A Study of Decentralized,Devolved and Dispersed Marketing Activity*

ABSTRACT Despite a priority research grading by the Marketing Science Institute, the issue of marketing organization is bewilderingly under explored. Whilst advances have been made in conceptualizing marketing organization in networks of large trans‐national corporations, recent research has highlighted the paucity of empirical work into the intra‐firm dispersion of marketing activities. This study is designed to examine just this issue. The aim is to develop data‐grounded insights into the organization and dispersion of marketing activities. A case study finds an unusual form of marketing organization. This form of marketing organization is characterized by the decentralization, devolution and dispersion of community‐oriented marketing management activities driven by empowered operational‐level part‐time‐marketers who either adopt a traditional mix‐management approach or more rarely a relational approach. These findings lead to a range of interesting implications for theorists and practitioners.     

Relationships among fashion consumer groups,locus of control,boredom proneness,boredom coping and intrinsic enjoyment

Fashion change agents and fashion followers differ in their need for mental stimulation. Within a context of fashion diffusion theory, this study examined the effects of locus of control and fashion consumer group on three attributes linked to mental stimulation – boredom proneness, intrinsic enjoyment, and boredom coping. For this US sample of young women, an internal locus of control orientation was associated with a higher level of fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership. Fashion change agents, with either an internal or external locus of control orientation, and fashion followers with an external locus of control orientation, were similar in their heightened ability to entertain themselves (internal stimulation). Fashion followers with an external locus of control orientation were less able to entertain themselves than the other three groups.     

2003年服装市场:波澜起伏

今年以来,我国服装市场起伏变化比较大,这在近几年来是比较少见的.由于″SARS″的影响,2003年4月份以后,国内各地商业服装的销售都有不同程度的下降,春季和初夏的服装销售影响较大,疫区服装产品的销售影响较大,疫区服装产品的销售下降60%以上,5月初销售达到谷底.随着疫情的消退,服装销售逐步回复.从全国重点大型百货商场服装的销售情况看,受″非典″影响所积压的购买力,在7月份得到进一步释放.为促进在″非典″过后服装销售的复苏,各地商业和企业专卖店也在大力开展一系列的促销活动,力争得到″非典″过后的商机. 　　……