Operational planning and competitive strategies of male and female retailers

Interest in the managerial practices of females in business has increased over the past decade due to women's increased representation in business. Anecdotal evidence has suggested that women approach decision making differently from men. The purpose of this study is to determine if gender differences regarding managerial strategies exist in the retail setting. Targeted managerial strategies focused on short-term planning processes (personnel, financial, inventory and market planning) and competitive strategies in operation (differentiation, cost leadership and focus). In a sample of 459 retailers from a twelve-state region, MANOVA was used to determine if significant differences in managerial strategies existed between genders. The data on retail competitive strategies suggest that men and women more likely than male business owners to recognize in the importance of differentiation and focus as retail competitive strategies in their business operations. Gender differences were also found in the operational planning areas of market and inventory planning.     

Y2K costs & compliance: A perspective from the United Kingdom

This paper examines the costs and risks associated with Year 2000 issues and compliance in a sample of footnote disclosures for companies listed on the UK Stock Exchange. Given news releases of significant underreporting for these issues and the reports that the United States is six to twelve months ahead of British firms, the UK Accounting Standards Board issued new guidance for these disclosures in the form of Urgent Issues Task Force Abstract 20. The paper discusses the new standard and examines disclosures before and after the effective date of the standard (March 23, 1998) to gain further insight into costs, risks, and other compliance issues unfolding in UK stock exchange companies. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Consent to direct marketing in the financial services sector

The development of communications technology in recent years has led to an expansion in ‘cold calling’, particularly as a means of selling financial services. While encouraging new entrants into the market and thereby increasing consumer choice and competitive prices, this is often viewed as an infringement of personal privacy. This paper attempts to reconcile the complex legal framework that has been put in place to restrict the use of unsolicited direct marketing and to show how, through the use of a carefully drafted data protection notice, the direct marketing of financial services may be conducted lawfully.