Perceived effect of a salesperson's stigmatized appearance on store image: an experimental study of student's perceptions

The Perception of a specific stigma, obesity, and its influence on store image was studied. Previous studies have acknowledged the role salespeople play in the perception of a store's image, but no previous studies have specifically focused on the influence of the physical appearance of sales personnel on store image. The results of an experiment that examined students' perceptions of salespersons' appearance showed that, if a salesperson was described as obese, then the store was perceived as having a poorer image and as being less successful, regardless of the sex of the salesperson or the type of store. The implications of these findings for retailers are discussed in light of the Americans with Disabilities Act and recent legal discussion concerned with protecting physically stigmatized workers.     

充分就业是全面建设小康社会的基础

就业是民生之本。扩大就业是我国当前和今后长时期重大而艰巨的任务,也是全面建设小康社会的基础。十四届三中全会以来,我国就业成就显著,但劳动年龄人口多,就业压力大,矛盾突出,应采取积极的措施。     

走出“中国制造”的困惑

全球制造业出现了由发达国家向发展中国家转移的趋势,中国制造业可以凭借劳动力资源丰富的优势加速发展。但是目前“中国制造”是以低价格、低成本优势进入了国际市场,参与国际分工,从长远的观点看,不利于中国经济的可持续发展。因此,“中国制造”要摆脱困境,在作好委托生产的同时,要打造自己的品牌,提升“中国制造”的档次。     

大学品牌经营战略源动力与策略研究

我国的高等教育规模与教育实力发展得益于我国经济实力的增强和社会对人才的大量需求,也必然面临新的挑战;实施高校品牌战略,强化品牌经营战略,提升高校实力,是一件刻不容缓的工作,是我国教育部门和政府一项长远战略;对品牌经营建设源动力调查数据分析表明汇聚全体师生员工意愿、审时度势、树立品牌意识一、制定品牌经营战略是十分必要的和符合时势的,并提出了对大学品牌经营策略和应注重的问题。     

Chinese and British consumers’ evaluation of Chinese and international brands and factors affecting their choice

This paper examines Chinese and British consumers’ evaluations of Chinese, and international brands, and factors affecting their brand choice. The results support recent findings of a decline in Western brands’ preference in China. But, these are attributed to several factors. The findings show country of origin does not affect Chinese brand choice, has a great effect on British choice between Chinese and other brands; brand value, and brand familiarity influence Chinese choice whereas brand reputation, and brand trust determine British choice. Implications for Chinese domestic and international expansion strategies, demographics’ influence, and cultural differences are discussed.     

The Relationship Among Customer-Retailer Affection, Mianzi Consciousness and Purchase Intention of Retailer＇s Store Brand

本文将消费者与商店之间的情感关系定义为消费者的商店情感,并将其引入到自有品牌感知价值和购买意愿的研究之中。在将自有品牌的感知价值分为金钱节省价值和质量价值后,本文探讨商店情感和自有品牌购买程度对感知价值的影响,以及消费者的面子意识对上述影响关系中的调节作用。通过实证研究发现,商店情感和自有品牌购买程度均对金钱节省价值和质量价值有正面作用,面子意识负向调节质量价值对自有品牌购买意愿的影响,但是面子意识在金钱节省价值对自有品牌购买意愿的影响关系中缺乏调节作用。     

品牌价值建设与区域经济增长差异的实证研究

随着品牌的发展,品牌在区域经济发展过程中发挥着越来越重要的作用。利用我国东中西部地区2004—2009年的省际面板数据,对三大区域的品牌与经济增长的关系进行比较研究。研究结果表明,品牌与区域经济增长之间存在着显著的相关关系,且对东中西部地区经济增长的影响有显著差异,各地区品牌发展的不同是导致中国区域经济发展不均衡的重要因素之一。因此,各地区应重视品牌价值建设,实施品牌发展战略,以品牌发展带动区域经济协调、快速发展。     

Store Manager–Store Performance Relationship: A Research Note

Despite the critical role that store managers play in linking top management teams and service/retail employees, as well as in fulfilling corporate strategy within chain store environments, service management research infrequently addresses the factors that may promote store managers’ effective exchange relationships within the firm and subsequent effects on store operations and profitability. This study focuses on how store managers’ performance orientation, trust of a regional manager’s capabilities, and organizational commitment affect a manager’s relationships relative to regional managers and frontline employees. The direct effect of store managers’ relationship capacity on store performance is also examined. The results, based on survey data from managers of stores of a retail and service chain and company financial reports, generally support the suggested hypotheses. Specifically, a store manager’s relationship with his/her supervisor has a strong influence on how the manager views the supervisor’s leadership support and leadership style, which ultimately influence store performance (primary goods/service sales and store profits).     

How digital platforms influence luxury purchase behavior in India?

In an emerging country such as India, consumers are tech savvy and connect easily with digital media platforms. They use these platforms even for luxury purchases. However, there have been only a few conceptual papers on this process. Therefore, this study aims to explain how digital platforms influence consumers’ decision for luxury brands in India. Two qualitative studies were conducted with young Indian consumers as they are the heaviest users of digital platforms and the most frequent purchasers of luxury brands. The first study consisted of 156 respondents in 15 focus groups in four major Indian cities. The second was made up of 95 on-site customer observations in 18 retail luxury stores and 45 consumers’ interviews. These data were further validated by 32 interviews with luxury brand managers and retail managers We found and developed a cyclical framework that projects digital media influences on Indian consumers at all the phases of purchase, i.e., pre-purchase is digital and hedonic, purchase is experiential and enjoyable while digital media is used and post-purchase is based on aspirations, lifestyles and virtual networks. More importantly, these consumers are always connected to reference groups digitally who significantly affect their purchase behavior and subsequent brand choices.     

Away from home: How young Chinese consumers travel with global brands?

This interpretive study investigates how a group of young Chinese students consume global brands of American origins, in China and in the UK. More specifically, this research examines how meanings attached to global food brands travel abroad with consumers and investigates the relationship between brand consistency and brand meanings across national boundaries. Findings from a thematic analysis of focus group interviews conducted over a nine-month period, reveal that some brand meanings are context and culture specific (contextual meanings) while other meanings travel with consumers across borders (core meanings). Theoretically, this study shows how global brands provide a platform of structural meanings, ideas and practices that are global and globalising in themselves, allowing a degree of fluidity and adaptation in relation to the local context of consumption.