Cultural tendencies in negotiation: A comparison of Finland, India, Mexico, Turkey, and the United States

In this era of increased global cooperation, a growing number of negotiators conduct business in multiple countries and, therefore, need access to a systematic comparison of negotiating tendencies across a wide range of countries. Empirical work systematically comparing variations across a range of cultures is scarce. A comparative analysis of negotiating tendencies in five countries is presented. This study establishes the utility of the [Salacuse, J. (1998) Ten ways that culture affects negotiating style: Some survey results. Negotiation Journal, 14(3): 221–235] framework in identifying country differences across five countries, representing five cultural clusters. Significant differences in negotiation orientations both between and within cultures were revealed at a level of complexity not found in previous empirical studies.     

Determinants of successful environmental regimes in the context of the coastal wetlands of Goa

While community based resource management was practiced for centuries by many traditional societies of the world, these resources are continuously being eroded in the recent years. This paper uses a case study of the Khazans, the coastal wetlands of Goa, in order to study determinants of successful environmental regimes. Khazans are the low-lying coastal lands that have been reclaimed from marshy mangroves by the construction of embankments and sluice gates. Traditionally, khazans were managed by the organized groups of self-regulating tribal peasant communities called the gaunkari, who were renamed as the communidades, during the Portuguese regime in Goa. In 1961, with the merger of Goa and the Indian Union, as a measure of the agrarian reform, legislations were enacted and the responsibility for management of the khazans came to be statutorily imposed upon the tenants’ associations. This gradually weakened the control of the gaunkars, particularly as the state control over the functioning of the communidades increased. This paper describes the evolution of the land resource management system over a period of about two thousand years and also comments on the reasons for the success of traditional community based land resource management systems.     

Using Genetic Algorithms to Optimize the Selection of Cost Drivers in Activity-based Costing

In this paper, we address a cost-drivers optimization (CDO) problem in which two separate but interrelated decisions (i.e. the number of cost drivers needed and which cost drivers to use) are considered. It is desirable to have (1) an optimal selection of cost drivers in order to provide better indication of product costs and (2) an optimal number of cost drivers in order to avoid excessive control costs and to minimize information costs associated with data collection, storage and processing. The objective of the CDO problem is to balance savings in information costs with loss of accuracy. We propose an heuristic procedure based on genetic algorithms as an alternative with the potential to address more generalized objective functions. Genetic algorithms represent an innovative and promising heuristic approach which does produce results superior to published alternatives. The development and implementation of the algorithm is supported with the literature review and comparative analysis. We also comment on the complexity and experimental design issues for addressing large and practical problems.     

Timing of apology after service failure: the moderating role of future interaction expectation on customer satisfaction

Marketing Letters - When there is a service failure, it is often believed that employees should immediately apologize to customers before hearing their complaints. However, we argue that in certain...     

The viability of cotton-based organic farming systems in India

Cotton farmers in many developing countries are facing decreasing marginal returns due to stagnating yields and high input costs. Conversion to organic management could offer an alternative. In a two year comparative study in central India covering 170 cotton fields, organic farms achieved cotton yields that were on par with those in conventional farms, whereby nutrient inputs and input costs per crop unit were reduced by half. Due to 10–20% lower total production costs and a 20% organic price premium, average gross margins from organic cotton fields were 30–40% higher than in the conventional system. Although the crops grown in rotation with cotton were sold without premium, organic farms achieved 10–20% higher incomes from agriculture. In addition to these economic benefits, the organic farming system does not burden soil and groundwater with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. However, in this study only minor differences were detected in soil fertility parameters of organic and conventional fields. Altogether, the results suggest that conversion to organic farming can improve livelihoods of smallholders while protecting natural resources. Income loss due to reduced yields in initial years of transition, however, constitutes a major hurdle, especially for poorer farmers. It is thus important to support farmers in overcoming the obstacles of the conversion period.     

Four supply chain management systems: From supply chain strategies to human resource management

This article develops a conceptual model that supports and aligns supply chain strategies with organizational culture and leadership styles. We examine various supply chain theories and organizational behavior concepts to develop an integrated supply chain: the human factor model. Based on the underlying dimensions of environmental uncertainty and product complexity, we propose a 2x2 typology to identify four different supply chain systems that can be used by organization leaders to identify suitable supply chain strategies and compatible people management practices. We provide a useful and practical framework to analyze the alignment between the external environment and the internal organization of a supply chain system.     

Marketing ethics: a comparison of American and Middle-Eastern marketers

This study compares the moral philosophies, ethical perceptions and corporate ethical values of American and Middle-Eastern marketers. Hypotheses are developed on the basis of their respective national and organizational cultures. Using a sample of marketing practitioners from both countries, empirical support is found for the hypothesis that Middle-Eastern marketers are more likely to be idealistic than their American counterparts. However, no significant differences are found on the relativistic dimension of moral philosophy. Also, American marketers are found to have higher ethical perception than Middle-Eastern marketers. Finally, contrary to our hypothesized direction, some support is found to indicate that Middle-Eastern marketers are more likely to have higher corporate ethical values than American marketers. Implications of the findings are discussed.     

A framework for risk criteria for critical infrastructures: fundamentals and case studies in the Netherlands

Critical infrastructures are complex societal systems. For that reason, risk criteria for critical infrastructures are also ‘part’ of the risk criteria for complex societal systems. The questions to be resolved are: (1) are the societal risk criteria of complex systems defined and quantifiable; and (2) is it known how the risk criteria of critical infrastructures relate to the risk criteria of the complex system as a whole. In other words, what certainty is there that the risk criteria of critical infrastructures meet the risk criteria of complex systems as a whole. A complex system in this respect may be a society as a whole, e.g. a nation.