Retail in my pocket– replicating and extending the construct of service quality into the mobile commerce context

Nowadays, retailers are interested in how customer preferences regarding service quality are changing due to the adoption of different devices for shopping purposes in both the desktop and mobile contexts. To answer this question, this paper first replicates, in the mobile commerce (m-commerce) context, the results from Blut et al. (2015), who conducted a meta-analytic review of electronic service quality. Replication results question the robustness and generalizability of the conceptualization in the mobile service quality context. Thereby, practitioners and academics are encouraged to adapt a customer-centric approach in organizing marketing practices. The replication extends the conceptualization of electronic service quality by considering a unique dimension named ubiquity of services, defined as the retailer's ability to provide offers based on location and time. To reveal psychological mechanisms explaining the results of the replication study, a follow-up study draws on these contextual factors. In this context, this study uses a quasi-experimental approach by utilizing propensity score matching to account for self-selection effects to examine differences between desktop and mobile device users. As a result, this research contributes to the literature by identifying contextual boundary conditions regarding the shopping trip intentions and risk perceptions of mobile device users and desktop device users. Based on the results, major implications for retailers and further research are given.     

Where does business research go from here? Food-for-thought on academic papers in business research

This essay focuses on some of the adverse practices in business research publications. First, business researchers seem to have lost touch with business practice and to narrow the target group to fellow academics only, reducing the production of useful knowledge. Second, the objectives of business research publications narrow to impact and citations. This view leads to a strict focus on path-breaking theories and a denigration of replication and qualitative studies. Third, an obsession with the .05 significance level and corroborating findings leaves researchers with full file drawers of unpublished papers and could leave journals with a high rate of type I error papers. Fourth, complex, lengthy articles, the importance of carefully crafting a story around the research and a variety of style guidelines make business researchers less productive than they could be. Finally, a blind reliance on ISI's impact and citation scores may not do justice to a researcher's real contribution.     

Alternative beta applied—an introduction to hedge fund replication

Motivated by the surge in popularity of passive hedge fund investments, the present article discusses the concept of “alternative beta” and its implications for the hedge fund industry. The article covers a variety of topics, ranging from the basic rationale for hedge fund replication to replication methodologies and products to the academic and financial market environment. We find that with their radical departure from the hedge fund hallmark of alpha delivery, passive replication products represent the next generation of hedge fund investing, and offer the catalyst for further development of the matured hedge fund industry. Further, we show how the alternative beta concept contributes to a proper separation of alpha, and thus enhances the overall efficiency and quality of hedge fund returns. The article also demonstrates that hedge fund replication can take several different forms. In conclusion, we believe that passive hedge fund products have the potential to consistently outperform mediocre (funds of) hedge funds on an after-fee basis.

基于知识经济性角度的连锁经营知识复制研究

连锁经营之所以具有生命力与活力,在当今知识经济时代应该作时代性的本质解读。本文认为,知识经济环境下连锁经营的根本在于知识的经济性,连锁经营效益是基于知识的经济性,通过知识复制来实现的;同时,知识还存在非经济性,阻碍着有效知识的复制和连锁经营效益的实现。为此,本文提出整合提炼正确有效的知识并确保可简单复制、构建知识有效传导体系、连锁经营单元遵照规律学习know-how知识等措施,实行制度性约束,采取分级分类保护措施,以保障知识资产避免贬值与零值,确保连锁经营效益实现。     

Transfer mechanisms and knowledge transfer: The cooperative competency perspective

This study examines the role of transfer mechanisms, including replication and adaptation, in knowledge transfer from the cooperative competency perspective. This study tests the hypotheses in a sample of 120 knowledge transfer cases. The results indicate that transfer mechanisms relate positively to cooperative competency with partnering firms, which then improves knowledge transfer performance. The results provide evidence that cooperative competency plays a mediating role between transfer mechanisms and knowledge transfer performance. The findings of this study contribute to the theoretical development of a conceptual model for explaining the interrelationships among transfer mechanisms, cooperative competency, and knowledge transfer performance. The empirical evidence of the Sobel test in line with Baron and Kenny's procedure and bootstrap analysis supports the process-oriented view and indicates that cooperative competency mediates the effects of transfer mechanisms on knowledge transfer performance. Finally, this study discusses the managerial implications and highlights future research directions.     

A socio-cultural approach to exploring consumer boycott intelligence: A commentary essay

The paper, “A socio-cognitive approach to exploring consumer boycott intelligence,” effectively explores issues surrounding the boycott behavior of Muslim and Christian consumers in Lebanon. This commentary is to promote further development of the research domain, both the specific topic of this paper as well as wider issues of boycott behavior, by considering the limitations and discourse of the adopted methodology, the positioning of the paper within the extant literature, and future development of methodology. This commentary considers several frameworks and research traditions identifying a need for a longitudinal research strategy of which Farah and Newman [Farah, MF, Newman, AJ. A socio-cognitive approach to exploring consumer boycott intelligence. J Bus Res 2009-this issue.] is only one part within a particular situation and context. The commentary suggests potential prospective research strategies for further development of the topic.     

Convenience samples of college students and research reproducibility

Tests of theory in marketing and consumer behavior research are frequently based on convenience samples of undergraduate college students. In a study of business-related ethicality, analysis of data from four dozen convenience samples of undergraduate business students revealed significant differences in means, variances, intercorrelations, and path parameters across the samples. Depending on the particular convenience sample used, relationships between variables and constructs were positive or negative and statistically significant or insignificant. The present research empirically documents, for the first time, the uncertainty created by using convenience samples of college students as research subjects. Only through empirical replications can researchers pragmatically assess the reliability, validity, and generalizability of research findings.     

Information systems outsourcing: Replicating an existing framework in a different cultural context

In order for any field of study to refine the promising concepts and weed out the weaker concepts it is necessary that researchers revisit earlier studies from time to time and evaluate their general applicability to new contexts. Replication is an important technique for researchers to embrace in order to achieve this goal. In this study, we test one of the frameworks of technology outsourcing developed in the West, by changing the cultural context. Following Kodak's historic outsourcing decision, technology outsourcing has assumed significant importance among researchers and practitioners. Most of the research in relation to technology outsourcing has been conducted in the Western culture (including the USA and the UK), so our goal in this study is to extend the understanding of technology outsourcing research conducted in the West to another culture-that of Korea, through replication.We focused on information systems (IS) outsourcing decision making as a case in point and found both similarities and dissimilarities in relation to the current understanding of the same. These similarities and differences in turn, reveal the distinctions between the Western and the Korean approaches toward achieving outsourcing success. The similarities are the partial preference for short-term contracts and contracting out to external vendors. However, the two cultures differed in their decision making in the way they pursue contractual completeness, whether in-house departments competes or not, design of contract to include partnership measures, criticality of tasks outsourced, familiarity with the outsourced task, postponing a few outsourcing decisions, and withholding a piece of a contract as bait. We also found “trust” and “task partitioning to gain advantage of varied expertise” to be important for achieving outsourcing success in the Korean organization. In addition, we observed that outsourcing success is achieved by maximizing reliability and relationship in the Korean context rather than by maximizing flexibility and control, as was observed in the Western context. We argue that this difference is a function of cultural diversity.