Collaborative consumption in China: An empirical investigation of its antecedents and consequences

The aim is to clarify the impact of values on the general attitude towards collaborative consumption in a Chinese context, and the impact of the general attitude towards collaborative consumption on the intention to use and actual use of various specific collaborative consumption services. A total of 600 responses were collected in 2019. The results showed that non-ownership orientation, guanxi networking orientation, materialism, novelty orientation, and frugality orientation significantly influenced positively collaborative consumption attitude. It was also found that the impact of guanxi networking orientation on collaborative consumption attitude was mediated by non-ownership orientation. The results also showed that general collaborative consumption attitudes positively influence the intention to use all specific collaborative consumption, such as shared bicycles, shared cars, shared goods, carpooling services, and peer-to-peer accommodation. Moreover, the predictive power of the intention to use collaborative consumption on actual use is only strong in shared bicycle and carpooling services.     

Promote or Perish? A brief note on academic social networking sites and academic reputation

ABSTRACT

This commentary explores some of the reputational issues of using academic social networking sites (ASNS) such as ResearchGate, ResearcherID, ORCID, Academia.edu, Google Scholar, and Mendeley for academic self-promotion and considers whether the adage of ‘Publish or Perish’ has been recently overshadowed by the new imperative of ‘Promote or Perish’?     

Creativity and social alienation: the costs of being creative

Although creativity is a widely praised merit, the psychological costs that an employee may pay for being creative are less examined. The present study advances the research paradigm on the dark side of creativity by focusing on the negative psychological state (social alienation) of creative employees. By building on the studies on the homophily principle and on the cultural perspective of creativity, we investigated why creative employees are more likely to experience social alienation. Drawing on the social capital theory, we point out that social alienation of creative employees depends on their networking ability and harmony enhancement motive. A two-wave survey among 311 employees from 59 Chinese organizations supported the hypotheses. Implications of the findings are discussed for creativity and alienation literature as well as management practice.     

大学生网络虚拟社交及其影响的调查研究

本课题通过运用多种方式对不同层次院校、不同专业、不同年级的大学生网络虚拟社交现状展开调查、分析其特点和利弊,并对大学生个人、学校、社会提出合理建议。使大学生认识到,只有将现实交往和虚拟社交结合起来,才能在良好的人际社交中实现自身理想和价值。     

Electronic Word-of-Mouth in Social Networking Sites: A Cross-Cultural Study of the United States and China

ABSTRACT

Understanding electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (SNSs) is crucial as consumers have potential to reach global audiences quickly and easily. This article presents the first cross-cultural study on eWOM in SNSs by examining social relationship variables between the United States and China. Specifically, social capital, tie strength, trust, and interpersonal influence were examined as potential predictors of eWOM communication in the emerging online social channels. The results suggest that national culture plays a significant factor that affects consumers’ engagement in eWOM in SNSs in the two countries. Theoretical and managerial implications for global Internet marketers were presented and discussed.     

Knowledge networking and growth in service firms

This paper empirically assesses whether knowledge networking affects the growth of small service firms. More specifically, using a large, unbalanced panel data set for the period 1992–2009, it investigates whether participation in a knowledge network called PLATO is positively related to service firm growth. The results show that knowledge networking has a highly significant positive effect on the net asset and added value growth of service firms. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the positive effect of knowledge networking on firm growth is significantly larger for service firms than for manufacturing firms, indicating that industry drives networking success.     

优化城镇体系 加快广西城镇化发展进程

城镇化水平是衡量一个国家或地区经济社会发展水平的重要标志,广西的城镇化水平总体略低于国家平均水平。文章就这一问题对广西城镇化发展现状进行了阐述,指出在广西城镇化发展过程中存在的问题,明确发展的目标和导向,并提出广西城镇化发展的对策。     

地方新升格本科院校图书馆可持续发展探究

文章论述加强地方高校图书馆建设的重要性,分析广西地方新升格本科院校图书馆建设方面的不足,提出了地方高校图书馆实现可持续发展的方法。     

Love my selfie: selfies in managing impressions on social networks

This study aims to provide insights on personal branding and impression management practices in the context of selfie production and sharing on online social networking sites (oSNSs). The theoretical framework of the study was constructed according to Goffman’s ‘Dramaturgy Theory’ and Belk’s ‘Digital Extended Self’ theory. Four constructs; de-materialization of photography, co-construction of the self, sharing economy of digital media and online social networks, and distributed memory were included in the study. The results of the literature review were further explained according to the production and consumption of selfies. This study provides detailed information about how selfies can be used as a mediator for purposes of self-extension and personal branding. Even though selfies are seen as an everyday activity and a raw presentation of the subject, they also include extra contextual information about the subject. The results of the study exert that selfies shared online can be used as a tool for impression management in oSNSs.     

Small & Medium Gold & Fashion Enterprises (SMEs) in Arezzo,Italy: Competitive Challenges and Strategic Implications

ABSTRACT

This paper provides some empirical evidence on organizational characteristics and strategies of firms in the Italian gold and fashion industries. The analysis is based on a data set of three SME clusters in Arezzo (a city and province in Tuscany, Italy, southeast of Florence) which led us to the identification of two main alternative strategies which can be implemented when facing the new global competition: a firm-centered brand strategy and an outsourcing strategy (a supply alliance with co-branding possibilities with one or more large Italian firms). We analyzed the resources and competencies of firms that adopted different export marketing strategies and further explored the relationship between strategic choices and performance of participating firms (measured in terms of growth, innovation, and export capabilities). The results show that the choice of a strategy is strongly influenced by the ability of SMEs to respond to changes in consumer behavior and competition, and that some variables significantly affect performance. Both strategies can be effective, and in some cases it is suggested to follow the middle of the road competitive approach: combining the two strategies, exporting own brand directly to the end markets and collaborating with a large firm in order to achieve a sustainable and significant competitive advantage.