Allocating a hybrid retailer's assortment across retail stores: Bricks-and-mortar vs online

This paper develops an IP model to determine item allocation for a hybrid retailer's store network, comprising bricks-and-mortar and online stores. Products with low carrying costs are distributed between the bricks-and-mortar stores and the online store. Products with high carrying costs can be withdrawn from the bricks-and-mortar stores and made available exclusively at the online store where the inventory carrying costs are comparatively lower. This strategy assists the hybrid retailer to not only improve the profitability of its bricks- and-mortar stores but also to retain the custom of the market segment that is loyal to the items withdrawn from the traditional stores. In this framework, the online channel complements rather than competes with traditional channels. This model is used to conduct an extensive simulation study to analyze the impact of important business factors on system profitability.     

Unbiased product estimators

Summary The paper presents a comparative study of product estimators proposed byRobson [1957] andMurthy [1964]. It is seen that the Robson's estimator gives a better performance.     

Customer Satisfaction with E-Retailers: The Role of Product Type in the Relative Importance of Attributes

It is of strategic importance for e-retailers to allocate their resources to various service attributes according to their relative importance. How does one determine the relative importance of different service attributes? Does the relative importance of different service attributes remain the same across different product categories? These questions must be addressed by researchers and e-retailers. Since customer ratings for service attributes are highly correlated, modeling methods other than traditional regression models should be used to analyze the relative importance of service attributes to overall customer satisfaction. As such, this article utilizes neural networks in order to study the relative importance of e-retailer service attributes. Importantly, this article shows that the relative importance of e-retailer service attributes varies across different product categories (i.e., convenience, shopping, and specialty goods).     

Regulatory fit effects of gender and marketing message content

Many US adults do not get enough daily physical activity. To change behavior, governments and other agencies design marketing messages encouraging more physical activity. A lab experiment draws on Regulatory Focus Theory to examine health communication's persuasive effects on physical activity. This study identifies gender differences in chronic regulatory focus and shows that congruence between message regulatory focus and the message recipient's gender is effective, particularly for males. Results also show that emotions mediate regulatory fit effects on intentions. Further, chronic regulatory focus mediates these effects on emotions. Results inform implications for theory as well as for practitioners who design health-marketing messages.     

中国与印度发展比较

中国和印度是目前世界上经济发展最快的两个国家,两国有许多共同之处,其中包括地域辽阔人口众多、面临相类似的挑战、拥有古老的文明以及经济的快速崛     

The efficacy of anti‐smoking advertisements: the role of source,message, and individual characteristics

• This research investigates the effects of direct and indirect sources of anti‐smoking messages. Specifically, it examines the direct influence of advertised messages and the indirect effect of the subsequent discussion.
• Two studies examine the role of: (i) Source characteristics (i.e., messages disseminated through mass media and subsequently via discussion by friends or strangers); (ii) Message characteristics (i.e., messages that induce either low or high fear); (iii) Individual characteristics (i.e., gender based differences within the target audience) in attitude formation towards smokers, the act of smoking, propensity to smoke, and the likelihood of being influenced.
• Message efficacy is found to vary by gender, type of ad appeal, as well as group membership of ad discussants. Implications for design of anti‐smoking campaigns are derived.

Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

THE TECHNO-ECONOMIC ECOLOGY OF CORPORATE STRATEGY

Abstract C orporate strategy is viewed as a set of guidelines or policy heuristics developed as a response to the contingencies faced by a firm. If the environment is rich in contingencies, as when it is dynamic, complex, and uncertain, the firm's corporate stratedgy is likely to be comprehensive or multi-faceted. If the environment is not rich in contingencies, as when the environment is stable or predictable, the strategy is likely to be quite limited in scope. Data from seventy-nine firms are consistent with this contingency view of corporate strategy. When the perceived importance of each of several activities is correlated with the perceived magnitudes of different forms of competition and technological change experienced by the firm, it is found that (i) the associations between these techno-economic environmental variables and the importance of these activities are generally positive; and (ii) there are striking differences, as between the techno-economic variables, in their relationships with the importance of four areas of stratedgic import that are secured by classifying these activities by function. The observed relationships are explained in terms of contingencies that the techno-economic variables may create for the firm. Plans for further research are briefly outlined.     

Coordination of planning and scheduling decisions in global supply chains with dual supply modes

We address the problem of coordinating aggregate planning decisions and short-term scheduling decisions in supply chains with dual supply modes. We consider long lead time, less expensive sea shipments that are based on demand forecast, and responsive but costly air shipments that are based on revised forecast closer to the demand period. The planning problem determines the sea shipment order quantity and inventory level, while the scheduling model determines the schedule and quantity of air shipments. Results from our numerical experiments suggest that our model leads to consistent cost improvements over a wide range of operating scenarios.