Turbulence in growing and declining industries

Turbulence over the industry life cycle is examined for the case of Portugal using the lowest possible level of industry aggregation, thus allowing for the use of panel data to study the evolution of product markets. Replacement of exiting firms by subsequent entrants plays a primary role in generating turbulence in high growth markets, while displacement of incumbents by recent entrants is the main selection force in declining markets. As the industry life cycle progresses, trial-and-error entry and entry mistakes decrease, and turbulence subsides.     

Customer Centric Company

Literaturhinweise

Customer centric company     

Zur Qualität der Medienkontrolle: Ergebnisse einer Befragung deutscher Rundfunk- und Medienräte

This article presents the results of a survey among German media supervisors (members of supervising boards in public broadcasting stations and state media institutions). Given the increasing commercialization and internationalization of television, the supervising boards play a crucial part in assessing the quality of programs. From among 940 German supervisors, 364 took part in the survey, which covered the individual role conceptions of respondents as well as their attitudes towards quality criteria for television. Results suggest that both the supervisors’ amount of television use and the types of programs they prefer is clearly different from patterns in the population. This, along with the observation that supervisors often criticize what they saw privately, suggests (given the diversity of programs) that too much might be expected of them. Media supervisors do heed quality criteria in their work, but these probably do not correspond to other groups’ criteria, and especially not to the general population’s. To conclude, suggestions are discussed to improve the system of supervising programs by important social groups.     

Robert W. McChesney: Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Wissensvermittlung durch ProduktplatzierungenProduct Placement and Knowledge Transfer

Although product placement research differentiates between specific placement effects, the placement of Brands and Brand information, which goes far beyond the mere presence of brands in media entertainment, are simply not taken into account. We assume that this form of product placement can generate knowledge and produce a learn effect. Actual insights on the cognitive effect of product placements, brand knowledge and Neurobiology, working theories and a Hypothesis on the growing knowledge gap, only go to reinforce this assumption and confirm that the learn effect through factors such as brand know-how, relevance, education and attractiveness of the media protagonist can be influenced. The results of an experiment in which audio-visual stimulus material was presented with or without placement showed the the information placed was recognized, remembered and therefore learned. While brand know-how and relevance have no influence on the intensity of this learn effect, attractive and well educated protagonists contributed to strengthen memory performance.     

Differences and similarities between female students and male students that succeed within higher technical education: profiles emerge through the use of cluster analysis

This study focuses on female and male students who succeed in engineering programmes in Sweden, and why they have success. Data were collected through a questionnaire sent to all engineering students in Sweden registered for their seventh semester during year 2012 and about 30 % of the students in the cohort responded on several questions. The answers were then analysed and interpreted using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory and the concept of capital. The female-students as well as the male-students emerged as homogeneous groups, but SPSS-clustering shows differences and similarities between four female student-profiles and five male students-profiles. The female students who come to graduate as engineers have experiences and resources that seem to be fruitful: well-educated parents, positive attitudes to the engineer students’ traditions, and a positive view of the engineering profession. In addition, they value the traditional teaching with lectures and self-studies. They seem not to have been inspired by compulsory school teaching or teachers there. The male students have the same experiences and resources but there are differences. Among female students, a profile emerges which is absent among the male students and which emphasises the importance of doing good for society, people, and the environment in their future professional roles. Among male students, the student profiles which emerge include one with a primarily practical and technical capital despite the lack of a high degree of educational or scientific capital.