A Survey of Location Prediction on Twitter

Locations, e.g., countries, states, cities, and point-of-interests, are central to news, emergency events, and people's daily lives. Automatic identification of locations associated with or mentioned in documents has been explored for decades. As one of the most popular online social network platforms, Twitter has attracted a large number of users who send millions of tweets on daily basis. Due to the world-wide coverage of its users and real-time freshness of tweets, location prediction on Twitter has gained significant attention in recent years. Research efforts are spent on dealing with new challenges and opportunities brought by the noisy, short, and context-rich nature of tweets. In this survey, we aim at offering an overall picture of location prediction on Twitter. Specifically, we concentrate on the prediction of user home locations, tweet locations, and mentioned locations. We first define the three tasks and review the evaluation metrics. By summarizing Twitter network, tweet content, and tweet context as potential inputs, we then structurally highlight how the problems depend on these inputs. Each dependency is illustrated by a comprehensive review of the corresponding strategies adopted in state-of-the-art approaches. In addition, we also briefly review two related problems, i.e., semantic location prediction and point-of-interest recommendation. Finally, we list future research directions.Comment: Accepted to TKDE. 30 pages, 1 figur

The use of product scarcity in marketing

Purpose: as a frequently observed business phenomenon, the use of product scarcity to improve a product’s market performance has received increasing attention from both academics and practitioners. The resulting literature has covered a wide variety of issues based on various theories, using different research methods, in a diverse range of settings. However, this diversity also makes it difficult to grasp the core themes and findings, and to see the outstanding knowledge gaps. This paper reviews previous studies on the use of product scarcity in marketing, and identifies new directions for future research. Design/methodology/approach: a systematic review was conducted to identify and analyse 66 research papers published in business and management journals between 1970 and 2017. Findings: we examined the underlying theories of scarcity-based marketing, and developed a conceptual framework that describes the key factors of product scarcity and how they influence both consumers and the market. We also highlighted some key achievements in modelling the processes involved in using product scarcity in marketing. Originality/value: our analysis of the identified papers suggests that there are substantial gaps in our knowledge of this field, which opens up new paths for future research. For future research, we identified three directions aimed at: addressing the practical needs of firms in understanding product scarcity; guiding the implementation of scarcity-based strategies; and measuring, monitoring, and predicting the level of product scarcity and its impacts during implementation

e-Commerce fulfillment strategy for luxury brands in South Korea

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2012.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-84).Introduction and motivation: From a traditional paradigm, the term "luxury e-commerce" is an oxymoron. The high-volume, hands-off approach of online sales is a direct contradiction to that of the high touch, human relationship-based luxury retail industry. It is for this reason that, until recently, many luxury brands have avoided e-retail - the belief is that it cheapens their image (Okonkwo, 2010). However, the successful experiences of certain companies in specific regions are gradually giving many luxury retailers a reason to reconsider e-commerce. For example, the luxury retailer Ralph Lauren has experienced huge success in e-commerce (see Figure 1), and is on a mission to proliferate their multi-channel sales model across the globe. South Korea is one of the most recent locations in which Ralph Lauren has chosen to roll out an e-retail initiative. Explosive economic growth across Asia has rapidly expanded the market for luxury goods and services. In South Korea, this growth has been particularly strong and consistent, as has South Korean consumers' appetite for luxury. This strong market growth, confluent with the reputation as the world's most wired country, makes South Korea an attractive target for e-commerce implementation. The Ralph Lauren team came to us with a rather broad request: to help them investigate the potential challenges of their e-retail initiative in South Korea. Through our research, we found several interesting and pertinent optimization models that could be modified to plan for Ralph Lauren's e-retail operation in South Korea, but as we delved into these models we realized that they didn't address Ralph Lauren's paramount mission in Korea, which is to "elevate the brand". We took a step back and zeroed in on our focus question: how could Ralph Lauren elevate its brand while simultaneously launching an e-commerce initiative in South Korea? We believe the insights gained from our study will help Ralph Lauren utilize "systems-thinking" to make strategic and operational decisions in South Korea that can elevate their brand image. These insights might also apply to other luxury retailers considering an e-commerce initiative in South Korea or other countries. This thesis presents several thought models that incorporate factors like inventory policy, brand strength, mediation, customization and online sales mix - which may make this research of interest to sales, marketing, operations and supply chain professionals.by Mark F. Vanderbilt and Daniel G. Yunes.M.Eng.in Logistic

Older people, social networks and information behaviour

The study aim was to explore the information behaviour of older people living in a rural location in order to understand how they exchanged information through their social networks and social activities. The study provides a unique contribution to research with its emphasis on information exchange in a remote rural context based on the perspectives of older people. The approach was interpretative, using a phenomenological, interactionist methodological framework, taking account of social constructionist and critical realist philosophical perspectives and grounded in information behaviour theories and models. The ethnographic methodology, combining qualitative data collection methods, emphasized the lifestyle, the participants, the information and the contexts. Data were summarized thematically within the four global headings, "Lifestyle", "People", "Information" and "Place" and further themes and sub-themes reflected both the common and individual viewpoints of the participants. The key findings were that older people relied on family and close friends (strong ties) for support, advice and personal information. They preferred to exchange practical, local information about regular activities and local services interpersonally within their close social network groups and during social activity. This information was often available through more casual contacts (weak ties) facilitating information flow through social networks and social activities in both formal and informal information grounds. Informal information grounds, such as the Age Concern coffee morning, proved to be the most successful, where all the positive elements, including an informal atmosphere, the presence of close friends, casual contacts and a variety of information resources were present in one place. The „Model of Information Behaviour amongst Older People in a Rural Setting?, highlights the contextual and social influences affecting information behaviour, the means by which information is exchanged, the types of information exchanged, and the way in which social information grounds are successful for older people

The end of stigma? Understanding the dynamics of legitimisation in the context of TV series consumption

This research contributes to prior work on stigmatisation by looking at stigmatisation and legitimisation as social processes in the context of TV series consumption. Using in-depth interviews, we show that the dynamics of legitimisation are complex and accompanied by the reproduction of existing stigmas and creation of new stigmas

Antitrust in Digital Markets

Antitrust law has largely failed to address the challenges posed by digital markets. At the turn of the millennium, the antitrust enterprise engaged in intense debate over whether antitrust doctrine, much of it developed during a bygone era of smokestack industries, could or should evolve to address digital markets. Eventually, a consensus emerged: although the basic doctrine is supple enough to apply to new technologies, courts and enforcers should adopt a defendant-friendly, hands-off approach. But this pro-defendant position is deeply-and dangerously-flawed. Economic theory, empirical research, and extant judicial and regulatory authority all contradict the prevailing views regarding power, conduct, and efficiencies in digital markets. Far from being self-correcting, digital markets facilitate the creation and maintenance of uniquely durable market power. Digital markets are conducive to complex anticompetitive strategies that have largely escaped regulatory scrutiny. Perhaps most importantly, digital-market conduct tends to lack significant offsetting efficiencies. As a result, the consensus view is ripe for rejection. Digital markets do require a different approach, but it must be uniquely interventionist, not unusually laissez-faire. This Article concludes by offering a set of doctrinal and policy proposals aimed at creating a more robust, vigilant, and welfare- enhancing digital antitrust enterprise

Antitrust in Digital Markets

Antitrust law has largely failed to address the challenges posed by digital markets. At the turn of the millennium, the antitrust enterprise engaged in intense debate over whether antitrust doctrine, much of it developed during a bygone era of smokestack industries, could or should evolve to address digital markets. Eventually, a consensus emerged: although the basic doctrine is supple enough to apply to new technologies, courts and enforcers should adopt a defendant-friendly, hands-off approach. But this pro-defendant position is deeply- and dangerously- flawed. Economic theory, empirical research, and extant judicial and regulatory authority all contradict the prevailing views regarding power, conduct, and efficiencies in digital markets. Far from being self-correcting, digital markets facilitate the creation and maintenance of uniquely durable market power. Digital markets are conducive to complex anticompetitive strategies that have largely escaped regulatory scrutiny. Perhaps most importantly, digital-market conduct tends to lack significant offsetting efficiencies

Consuming Victory: American Women and the Politics of Food Rationing During World War II

Life on the home front formed the most ubiquitous American experience during World War II. Americans in the early 1940s found themselves caught in a rapidly evolving world, which wrought changes both great and small on their daily lives. This project explores women’s responses to some of that change. The federal government created wartime agencies to control and direct most elements of daily life from public opinion, to factory production, to employment practices, to family food procurement. The Office of Price Administration was charged with creating a food rationing program to insure steady availability of foodstuffs at home while suppling the allies and military with the surplus. American women encountered this agency most frequently. Therefore, women’s responses to the wartime government and its programs are best seen by examining this relationship. American women used food as a method of expressing deeply held beliefs and through food worked to preserve their own versions of American culture. The Office of Price Administration struggled to force compliance with food-rationing programs largely due to their inability to understand and exploit women’s sentiments. As a result, black market activities proliferated throughout the war years. Women viewed these occasional illegal purchases and household hoarding as somewhat acceptable and necessary in their quest to guard the cornerstones of American culture. The Office of Price Administration’s refusal to energetically seek out female black marketers and sternly punish those found guilty only helped to create a general tone of acceptance. In short, women cheated food rationing programs because they didn’t fear detection and they saw these actions as serving their greater goal of maintaining the home in the face of the changes created by World War II. Women’s magazines and cookbooks supported these actions in a myriad of articles, menus, and recipes which encouraged women to cook without regards to the limits set by the OPA. Women on the home front forged a path that neither strictly followed government food dictates nor completely ignored rationing. For women the discussion never was about rationing anyway: it was about the home and maintaining stability in a world beset by change

Pastoral Leadership for the Small, Rural Church: the Second Career Pastor

Due to financial and demographic factors plus a shortage of qualified candidates, small, rural churches often struggle to secure and retain pastoral leadership. An examination of these problems from the perspective of the church and that of pastoral candidates reveals the remoteness of location among small, rural churches creates an inability to attract candidates. Faced with college loan indebtedness, young growing families, and the need for full employment for spouses, candidates feel unable to accept a call from a small, rural church. The dissertation reviews the origins of the church, the historical prevalence of the small, rural church, and the experience of the American church. The characteristics of small, rural churches are outlined and contrasted with those of large, urban churches. Then, the expectations small, rural churches have for pastoral leadership are considered. To illustrate the components of the problem, the pastoral leadership challenges of the fictitious Augusta Freedom Church are described throughout the paper. This church is a composite of several churches the author has known and observed. The contention expressed in the dissertation is that second career candidates, retired early from previous work, inspired and able to serve, can provide stable full-time pastoral leadership for small, rural churches. The paper examines other options used by small, rural churches, especially the bi-vocational pastor. What becomes clear is that small, rural churches can choose some form of part-time pastoral leadership or call a young Bible college or seminary graduate and pay these recent graduates what is actually a part-time wage. Both approaches tend to exacerbate the short tenure many small, rural churches currently face. xii How can small, rural churches recruit and retain strong pastoral leadership? The intention of the paper addresses this question and offers a solution to reduce the number of unfilled pastoral leadership vacancies among small, rural churches