Brand Personality and Emotional Attitudes: The Case of Mobile Telephone Operators

ABSTRACT

As part of a brand image, brand personality has aroused for years the interest of scholars and marketers. This article examines this concept in the case of two mobile telephone operators in Tunisia (North Africa). An empirical investigation, based on a sample of 272 students, has shown that brand personality influences and above all is influenced by emotional attitudes within consumers. At a managerial level, this study sheds light on the main brand personality traits (agreeableness, conscientiousness, sophistication, and youth) that make successful product differentiation and communication strategies. An emotion-oriented approach is also indicated as a salient branding management key of success.     

Strategic Implications of Alliances and Other Linkages of Leading Telecom Operators in Brazil: Network and International Perspectives

In response to competitive pressures created by privatization, telecom firms in developing countries are establishing alliances and other types of linkages—mergers and acquisitions—with foreign partners to ensure customer competitive advantages in global markets. However, there have been very few studies on the alliances of telecom operators in Brazil, an increasingly important BRIC. This article presents the results of research that aimed to fill this gap by identifying, from a network/international perspective, the opportunities/threats created by the relevant linkages of leading telecom operators in Brazil. The results suggest that acquisitions—and especially alliance-type linkages with foreign partners—have created opportunities for boosting performance, in keeping with their new strategic profile.     

外部非局部自相似先验的图像去噪

针对在噪声水平比较高的情况下难以从噪声图像本身提取准确先验信息的问题,提出一种从外部干净图像数据集学习非局部自相似先验信息的图像去噪方法。首先用高斯混合模型学习外部干净图像的非局部自相似先验信息,其次利用最大后验概率估计的方法找到与噪声图像块最匹配的外部先验信息,最后利用外部先验对噪声图像块进行稀疏表示。实验对比表明,所提算法在去除噪声的同时可以较好地保留图像的细节信息,使图像数据集的平均峰值信噪比提高0.18 dB以上。     

The activation of local service suppliers by incoming tour operators in a “developing” destination – the case of Madagascar

This article elucidates how organised tourism initiated by the international tour operator system can involve local actors in a developing country with a young tourism industry. The empirical basis is incoming tour operators in Madagascar with the focus on their policies and practices in getting involved with local tour operators and individual providers of service by the realisation of their programs for international markets. The study adopts a qualitative approach based on personal interviews with incoming tour operators located in the capital city of Madagascar. The central theoretical frameworks applied are primarily from the research literature on partner selection and cooperation in exchange relationships (channels of distribution) and contract theory and the results are discussed within in the wider perspective of local competence development and sustainable tourism. The findings demonstrate that incoming tour operators have a quite limited involvement in the cooperation with local actors and uncover the problems linked to partner-specific, local attraction-specific and context-specific factors. The study offers an insight into a field that has been scarcely illuminated empirically by research and it is believed that the results have relevance beyond the geographical context of the research.     

专家意见的模糊集成方法

德尔菲法是评价工作中常用的方法,其中核心的问题是把不同专家的意见集成为一个综合的评价结果。不同的专家由于其对评价对象认知等方面的差异可能会给出不同的判断,这些判断值的差异有时可能非常明显,集成方法的科学性,对专家意见集成结果的可靠性具有很大影响。本文在分析现有集成方法不足的基础上,提出了对现有方法改进的新方法。数例分析表明,这样的改进对专家意见集成结果有明显的影响。     

The UK air inclusive‐tour industry: a reassessment of the competitive positioning of the ‘independent’ sector

This paper investigates the increasing concentration in the UK air inclusive‐tour (AIT) market and the behaviour of the dominant companies (Thomson, Airtours, First Choice and Thomas Cook) operating in the sector. Arguments relating to the theoretical organisational structure of the industry are explored and regulatory investigations that have taken place are discussed. Research evidence as to the competitive position of independent tour operators in the overall UK AIT market is provided. The research indicates that a key area of difficulty for the independent sector relates to the provision of charter airline capacity although access to distribution channels and the ability to contract accommodation are viewed as further concerns. The paper concludes that regulatory authorities are faced with trying to ensure that diversity is maintained while at the same time ensuring any economies of scale derived from consolidation of the sector are passed on to consumers. In order to properly understand the true effects of industrial concentration the assembled package must be dissembled into its component parts and an increasingly a pan‐European perspective is necessary. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

携号转网政策对电信运营商合谋的影响研究

电信业是一个典型的寡头垄断产业,在运营过程中,电信运营商容易达成合谋,同时电信市场较高的转移成本为电信运营商合谋提供一定的基础。本文通过构建博弈模型,研究携号转网政策对电信运营商合谋的影响效应。研究得出：实施携号转网政策,通过有效降低消费者的转移成本,使得电信运营商坚持合谋的临界贴现因子提高,电信运营商将更难坚持合谋。该政策的实施效果随转移成本降低率的提高而增强,随电信运营商产品差异性的不断扩大而减弱。因此,携号转网政策的实施将在一定程度上降低电信运营商的合谋行为。     

农业上市公司绩效与经营者激励研究

运用主成分分析法,选择多指标对我国农业上市公司绩效进行综合评价。通过经营者激励与公司绩效等指标的回归分析发现:经营者现金报酬与公司绩效、规模存在显著的正相关关系;经营者持股比例与公司绩效、规模虽存在相关关系,但并不显著。     

垂直差异化与电信运营商合谋分析

电信产业是典型的寡头垄断产业,有足够的市场事实可以证明电信运营商之间易出现合谋行为。本文引入垂直产品差异化变量,研究垂直差异化下电信运营商间合谋行为的机理。当电信运营商之间产品的垂直差异化水平达到一定程度时,运营商间维持合谋所需的贴现因子水平小于产品同质时的贴现因子水平,并且随着差异化程度的增加,维持合谋所需贴现因子水平逐渐降低,说明垂直产品差异化有利于合谋的实现和维持。但是,对于提供不同质量产品的运营商,维持合谋的激励程度不同,提供高质量产品的运营商更容易背叛合谋。     

乡村民宿外来经营者投资风险感知对效益期待的影响及其代际差异

目的 探讨外来经营者投资乡村民宿时的风险认知如何影响心理预期和后续行为决策以及这一关系是否存在代际差异对于乡村民宿产业高质量、可持续发展具有重要作用。方法 文章以现代民宿发源地莫干山地区为例,首先基于社会认知理论识别外来经营者投资乡村民宿的特殊性风险要素,其次运用Logistic回归模型分析个体风险要素识别能力与投资效益期待的影响关系及其代际差异。结果 （1）外来经营者投资乡村民宿的风险结构包括系统性经营风险、乡村环境风险及其个体身份特征风险等;（2）外来经营者对不同风险的认知差异化影响了其投资效益期待程度;（3）投资风险认知对效益期待的影响在新生代群体与亲代群体中存在代际差异,其中新生代群体风险认知较强但对投资乡村民宿的效益期待呈悲观倾向,亲代群体则相反。结论 未来需引导我国乡村民宿投资市场回归理性,通过政策细化使新生代外来经营者重拾投资信心,并通过民宿经营者互动平台建设增强亲代外来经营者风险预警意识,以减少投资失败情境、推动民宿产业高质量发展。