基于网络经济的顾客保留策略

通过网络营销的交互性和良好的顾客服务手段,增进顾客关系成为网络营销取得长期效果的必要条件。顾客保留对于开发顾客的长期价值具有至关重要的作用,以顾客保留为核心的营销方式成为企业创造和保持竞争优势的重要策略。     

Retaining and satisfying project managers – antecedents and outcomes of project managers’ perceived organizational support

Although theory and research from the domains of organizational behavior and human resource management suggest that individuals’ perceived organizational support (POS) plays a crucial role in enhancing job satisfaction and in reducing turnover intentions, there is a lack of research applying Organizational Support Theory to the realm of project management. Project-based organizations have an increasing demand for highly qualified project managers who feel supported by their employing organization and intend to remain in their positions. Therefore, the primary objective of the present study was to investigate predictors of project managers’ POS (both from a career management and from a project portfolio management perspective) and to examine how this variable related to their job satisfaction and intention to quit their project manager position. Using a sample of 541 project managers and 135 project portfolio coordinators nested in 135 firms, the analysis revealed that POS related positively to project managers’ job satisfaction and negatively to their turnover intention. A career path for project managers was positively associated with POS, especially when it was accompanied by adequate qualification opportunities. Results further stress the significance of top management involvement and the support of project management offices for project managers’ POS.     

How human resources management best practice influence employee satisfaction and job retention in the Thai hotel industry

Human resources management (HRM) practices are hotel management tools that contribute to organizational success. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how soft HRM practices in the Thai hotel industry affect job satisfaction and job retention. This study focuses on soft HRM practices, which draws on theories of commitment and motivation. Soft HRM refers to human relations between staff and the hotel organization. A quantitative approach was employed using multiple regression technique with a stepwise method for data analysis. It was found that employee satisfaction is not fostered by increasing remuneration, but is more related to the quality of working life, good leadership style, regular training, employment security, the hotel's brand image, and employees' personal traits, a most important aspect. The findings from this study provide a comprehensive framework for both academic and managerial responses to resolve the labor and skill shortage crises. Equally important is the extrinsic and intrinsic motivation and personal attitude theory that underpins employee job satisfaction in this study.     

Forecasting client retention — A machine-learning approach

In the age of big data, companies store practically all data on any client transaction. Making use of this data is commonly done with machine-learning techniques so as to turn it into information that can be used to drive business decisions. Our interest lies in using data on prepaid unitary services in a business-to-business setting to forecast client retention: whether a particular client is at risk of being lost before they cease being clients. The purpose of such a forecast is to provide the company with an opportunity to reach out to such clients as an effort to ensure their retention.We work with monthly records of client transactions: each client is represented as a series of purchases and consumptions. We vary (1) the length of the time period used to make the forecast, (2) the length of a period of inactivity after which a client is assumed to be lost, and (3) how far in advance the forecast is made. Our experimental work finds that current machine-learning techniques able to adequately predict, well in advance, which clients will be lost. This knowledge permits a company to focus marketing efforts on such clients as early as three months in advance.     

Integration of conservation agriculture in smallholder farming systems of southern Africa: identification of key entry points

A component-omission experiment based on the principle of conservation agriculture (CA) was established on smallholder farms for three seasons in Murehwa and Hwedza districts, Zimbabwe; Barue district in Mozambique; Balaka district and Chitedze Research Station in Malawi, and Monze district in Zambia to identify strategies for improving crop productivity and livelihoods for smallholder farmers. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the effect of tillage, residue retention, fertiliser application and weed control on maize yield. In addition, the study analysed possible combinations of these factors that could provide a sustainable entry point for intensification through CA. Results showed that fertilisation had the strongest effect on crop yield in both tillage systems; adequate fertilisation is therefore key to success in CA. Retention of crop harvest residues increased yield in no-tillage systems; no-tillage without residues depressed yield by 50% when compared with yields of conventional tillage. A step-wise integration of CA into the smallholder farming systems is proposed as a possible strategy to avoid new constraints on smallholder farms. If resources are limiting, farmers may apply all principles on small areas to overcome the initial demand in resources (labour, fertiliser and residues), and once productivity is raised, they can expand.     

The Student Retention Puzzle Revisited: The Role of Institutional Image

This study aims to develop and test a student retention model that includes system and institutional dropout as outcome variables, examining differences in factors that affect them. We also model the image of the institution as influencing institutional commitment and drop/stay intentions. Using structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses, we found that both initial personal and institutional characteristics (such as students' goal commitment and the higher education institutional image), as well as the institutional experience and integration of the student into the academic environment, will have an effect on the level of student performance and institutional commitment, which in turn influence stay/drop decisions. Higher education administrators need to manage not only conventional factors—such as instructional effectiveness, peer interaction, and academic integration—in order to reduce attrition. They also need to manage brand associations with regard to the positioning of their institution in prospects' minds.     

The relationship between employees' perceptions of human resource management and their retention: from the viewpoint of attitudes toward job-specialties

The purpose of this study is threefold. The first one is to investigate the relationship between employees' perceptions of human resource management (HRM) based on the commitment model and their turnover intentions (retention). The second one examines the relationship between employees' attitudes toward job-specialties and retention. The third one analyzes the impact of attitudes toward job-specialties on the relationship between employees' perceptions of HRM and retention. The facts and conclusions presented in this paper were obtained from a study of 400 employees. For the first one, the results of a multiple regression analysis showed that perceptions of rewards based on fair appraisal and job security have an effect on retention and moreover, overall perceptions of HRM increased retention. For the second one, results of a multiple regression analysis showed that inter-organizational career self-efficacy has a negative effect on retention. On the other hand, no relationship was observed between specialty commitment and retention. For the third one, inter-organizational career self-efficacy did not have an effect on the relationship between perceptions of HRM and retention but specialty commitment improved the relationship. As a whole, the importance of employees' attitudes toward job-specialties on the multi-step process model of retention and its diverse impacts and relationships were clarified.     

How German employees of different ages conserve resources: perceived age discrimination and affective organizational commitment

The literature claims that perceived age discrimination functions as a stressor. Using conservation of resources theory, this paper examines the moderating effect of employees' age on the relationship between employees' perceived age discrimination and affective organizational commitment. We collected survey data from 1255 German employees. Results show a negative relationship between perceived age discrimination and affective organizational commitment. This relationship was stronger for older employees than for younger employees. Older employees appear to be more vulnerable to the stressor of perceived age discrimination and more motivated to conserve resources by reducing their affective organizational commitment than their younger colleagues. These findings have important implications for organizations' retention management in times of demographic change.     

To have and to hold: modelling the drivers of employee turnover and skill retention in Australian organisations

This paper examines the determinants of employee turnover and long-term skill retention in Australian organisations. Three new perspectives are examined: the difference between short-run turnover and long-term retention; the role of different high performance work systems philosophies and human resource practices; and an examination of turnover for various groups of employees based on skill level. The results suggest that the role of learning within organisations is of fundamental importance in reducing short-run turnover and improving long-term skills retention. A series of training and human resource practices have also been found to be important for individual-specific skill categories, but general conclusions for all skill categories cannot be readily made. Finally, different drivers to short-term turnover maybe at play when retention is considered from a long-term strategic perspective.     

Employee embeddedness as a moderator of the relationship between work and family conflict and leaving intention

Abstract

This paper examines whether on-the-job embeddedness moderates the impact of work and family conflict on leaving intention. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, the paper investigates the buffering effect of the three on-the-job embeddedness components (fit, links and sacrifice). Contrary to predictions, in this sample of white-collar manufacturing employees on-the-job fit embeddedness had no effect on the relationship between work and family conflict and leaving intention. As predicted, on-the-job link embeddedness weakened the effect and on-the-job sacrifice embeddedness strengthened the effect of work and life conflict on leaving intention. The results suggest that organisations can reduce turnover intention during times of work and life conflict by developing employee on-the-job link embeddedness.