Lead, follow, or get out of the way

The more we know about the individuals who work for us, the better understanding we will have of them and the better job we will do in motivating them. Regardless of whether you work in credit, production, accounting, sales, engineering, personnel, or purchasing, you will have one problem in common with all managers. The problem is people. They take up by far the greatest portion of our operating budget. People are difficult. They have their strengths and weaknesses, their ups and downs, their joys and sorrows; and you don't have to be managing people for long before you find out that people don't like change.     

Effects of violence and brand familiarity on responses to television commercials

An examination of two advertising campaigns from 1996/7 and their potential for breaching the English common law regarding obscenity and blasphemy, despite compliance with the rigorous Advertising Standards Authority's codes of conduct. The two campaigns analysed are illustrated below. One is for the film Larry Flynt and the other is the Church of England's Christmas advertising campaign ‘Bad Hair Day’. Much use is made of the application of existing case law to the problem, with some discussion of those areas of law still left open to interpretation. Because of the nature of the common law no absolute conclusions can be reached on such points, but the reader should have sufficient information to form his/her own judgment for the future.     

Mental Imagery and Sound Effects in Radio Commercials

Abstract

Advertising researchers have not investigated the impact of the imagery-evoking sound effects included in radio commercials on learning, feelings, and attitude formation. Results of the current study indicate that the inclusion of sound effects can increase imagery activity and that there is a relationship between degree of imaging and feelings. Further, it is found that imagery evoking sound effects can result in more favorable attitude toward the commercial and in improved recall and recognition of ad claims. Implications for theory and advertising practice are discussed.     

Using Video Surveys to Access Dispersed Backcountry Visitors' Norms

Image Capture Technology (ICT), or the capture and editing of photographic images using microcomputers, has been used in a variety of settings to assess social and ecological impacts. This study illustrates the application of this technology in a VHS videotape survey designed to assess visitors' norms for varying numbers of watercraft, sounds from aircraft and motorized boats, and the acceptability of floating outfitting camps. Acceptability ratings for three setting contexts (access areas, attraction sites, and wild places) within Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, British Columbia, were evaluated. Methodologically, use of the videotape survey proved to be a cost effective vehicle in evaluating both sight and sound impacts. More than 75% of the respondents indicated that the images served as useful reminders of their visit and helped them articulate their norms. These normative standards were consistent with other studies conducted in backcountry areas. The implications of this technology for addressing natural resource management issues are discussed.     

Distribution‐constrained optimal stopping

We solve the problem of optimal stopping of a Brownian motion subject to the constraint that the stopping time's distribution is a given measure consisting of finitely many atoms. In particular, we show that this problem can be converted to a finite sequence of state‐constrained optimal control problems with additional states corresponding to the conditional probability of stopping at each possible terminal time. The proof of this correspondence relies on a new variation of the dynamic programming principle for state‐constrained problems, which avoids measurable selections. We emphasize that distribution constraints lead to novel and interesting mathematical problems on their own, but also demonstrate an application in mathematical finance to model‐free superhedging with an outlook on volatility.     

A scale for measuring advertisement-evoked mental imagery

This study reports on the formulation and validation of a multidimensional scale designed to measure the properties of advertisement-evoked mental imagery. The scale was developed using (1) procedures suggested by psychometrics researchers, (2) three separate subject samples and (3) 55 advertisements drawn from print, radio and television media. The scale designed to measure imagery vividness, quantity, valence and sensory modality, exhibited reliability as well as discriminant, nomological and criterion validity. The analyses revealed that the dimensionality of the scale is stable whether the advertising medium is print, radio or television.     

A GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAIN PROFIT MAXIMIZATION AND TRANSFER PRICING MODEL

In environments where tax rates in local regions do not represent major decision factors, a cost minimization methodology, which represents the most common optimization modeling approach for integrated manufacturing and distribution planning, can help formulate an effective integrated plan. However, when planning flexibility or alternatives exist because of differing local country tax rates and types and intra‐company transfer pricing options, cost minimization methodologies may inaccurately identify profit‐maximizing global production and distribution plans. Instead, a profit maximization model that explicitly evaluates decisions such as where to incur tax liabilities and how to set intra‐company prices may be required to develop an integrated global manufacturing and distribution plan. In this paper, we discuss and formulate a model that yields profit maximizing global production and distribution plans. We discuss the managerial implications of our results, and the potential applications and benefits of the model.