Do different marketing practices pre-suppose different frames of reference? An exploratory study

Purpose: The role of managerial assumptions in the formulation of organizational strategies has been well recognized by previous studies, yet in marketing literature, the effect of such imperative on marketing practice choice tends to be ignored. Therefore, this paper aims to empirically investigate how management assumptions fit with the choice of marketing practices, and how such fit affects performance. Design/methodology/approach: A model is developed and tested using survey methodology, and the data are analyzed using the partial least square (PLS) approach. Findings: The results show that different marketing practices were coupled with different frames of reference, resulting in viable matching profiles. Research limitations/implications: Given the novelty of the approach adopted in this study, conclusions about association and not causation are drawn. In addition, the study is restricted to Qatar which may reduce the generalizability of its findings and conclusions. Practical implications: The findings will help managers to examine carefully the internal logic of their marketing-related profiling, where coherent variables will enhance performance. Originality/value: To one’s knowledge, this paper reports a work in an area not previously researched. In addition, this study is one of the rare papers that examines unobserved heterogeneity using the PLS-structural equation modeling (SEM) in the field of marketing. © 2018, Allam Abu Farha and Said Elbanna.Scopu

Dynamics of Muslim consumers’ behavior toward Halal products: Exploration study using fMRI technology

Purpose Since Islamic markets are growing substantially, there is an urgent need to gain a better understanding of how Muslim consumers perceive products from a religious perspective. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the brain responses of Muslim consumers to Halal and non-Halal products using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology. Design/methodology/approach The research model is a simplified version of the theory of planned behavior. The initial experiment began by asking participants to divide a set of images into two groups: Halal and non-Halal products. The fMRI experiment uses a blocked design approach to capture brain activities resulting from presenting the two groups of images to participants, and to record the strength of their attitudes toward purchasing the products. Findings Across all participants, the level of brain activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex increased significantly when Halal images were presented to them. The same results emerged when the Halal images showed raw and cooked meat. The variations in the results may be due to the high emotional sensitivity of Muslim consumers to using religious products. Research limitations/implications This study uses a unique approach to monitor brain activity to confirm that consumers from specific market segments respond differently to market products based on their internal beliefs. Findings from this study provide evidence that marketing managers targeting Muslim markets should consider the sensitivity of presenting products in ways that reflect religious principles, in order to gain higher acceptance in this market segment. Originality/value Although the literature reports considerable research on Muslim consumers’ behavior, most of the previous studies utilize conventional data collection approaches to target broad segments of consumers by using traditional products. This paper is the first to track the reactions of the Muslim consumer segment to specific types of market products.Scopu

The effect of service failure severity on brand forgiveness: the moderating role of interpersonal attachment styles and thinking styles

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of service failure severity on brand forgiveness and to investigate the moderating effects of interpersonal attachment styles and thinking styles on the service failure severity–brand forgiveness relationship. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used retrospective experience sampling to collect the data and structural equation modeling (AMOS 24) to analyze 570 responses collected via an online survey. Findings: This study shows that the service failure severity–brand forgiveness relationship is not always negative, as different conditions may amplify or weaken it. Specifically, a secure attachment style and holistic thinking weaken the negative impact of service failure severity on brand forgiveness, whereas an anxious attachment style and analytic thinking negatively amplify the relationship. An avoidance attachment style did not appear to play a role. Practical implications: This study should help hotels fine-tune their segmentation, targeting and positioning efforts and may also help in implementing more focused recovery strategies. Originality/value: This study provides insights into the role of psychological traits in amplifying/reducing the negative impact of service failure severity on brand forgiveness, thus showing the importance of developing the psychological profiles of customers beyond demographic profiling. The emotional and cognitive typologies of consumers are key to understanding the dependence of forgiveness on service failure severity

Community Pharmacists Experience of Pregabalin Abuse and Misuse: A Quantitative Study from Jordan

Pregabalin is an anticonvulsant that has an abuse potential. The aim of this study was to investigate abuse/misuse of pregabalin in Jordan from the perspective of community pharmacists. A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire was delivered to a sample of community pharmacies. Self-reported method was used to fill the surveys. A total of 151/205 questionnaires were completed (response rate = 74.1%). A total of 132 respondents (87.4%) reported cases of pregabalin abuse in their pharmacies. Less than half of the respondents (n = 69; 45.7%) indicated that pregabalin requests were, in most of the cases, not accompanied by prescriptions. More than half of the sample (55.8%) noticed an increased pattern of pregabalin abuse/misuse during the last six months. The study underscored the need for regulatory efforts and pharmacovigilance to manage pregabalin abuse, along with a pharmacist and patient education at a community pharmacy level

Adherence to 6-Mercaptopurine in children and adolescents with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

OBJECTIVE: Studies on children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) reported non-adherence in 2–54% of cases. The primary objective of this study was to assess rates of adherence to 6-MP using two different methods in children and adolescents with ALL. Secondary aim was to identify factors that influence adherence to 6-MP in children with ALL. METHODS: All eligible children with ALL who are (≤ 19) years old and receive 6-MP therapy for at least 1 month were approached to participate in the study. A total of 52 children with ALL and their primary caregivers were recruited. Adherence measures included an objective method (measuring 6-MP metabolites in packed Red Blood Cells (RBCs)) and a subjective method (using parent and child self-report via the Medication Adherence Report Scale; MARS; Adherence was defined as 90% or greater). RESULTS: Rates of adherence varied across the measurement methods. Packed RBCs sample analysis indicated forty-four patients (84.6%) to be adherent. Using the MARS questionnaires, a total of 49 children (94.2%) were classified as being adherent according to the parental MARS questionnaire scores, while all the 15 children (100%) who answered the MARS (child) questionnaire were classified as adherent. Overall adherence rate was 80.8% within the studied population. CONCLUSION: MARS scale was shown to overestimate adherence compared to measurement of 6-MP metabolites in the blood. A combination of both methods led to increased detection of non-adherence to thiopurine in children with ALL

Evaluating the correlation of sclerostin levels with obesity and type 2 diabetes in a multiethnic population living in Kuwait

Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are intricate metabolic disorders with a multifactorial etiology, often leading to a spectrum of complications. Recent research has highlighted the impact of these conditions on bone health, with a particular focus on the role of sclerostin (SOST), a protein molecule integral to bone metabolism. Elevated circulating levels of SOST have been observed in patients with T2DM compared to healthy individuals. This study aims to examine the circulating levels of SOST in a multiethnic population living in Kuwait and to elucidate the relationship between SOST levels, obesity, T2DM, and ethnic background. The study is a cross-sectional analysis of a large cohort of 2083 individuals living in Kuwait. The plasma level of SOST was measured using a bone panel multiplex assay. The study found a significant increase in SOST levels in individuals with T2DM (1008.3 pg/mL, IQR-648) compared to non-diabetic individuals (710.6 pg/mL, IQR-479). There was a significant gender difference in median SOST levels, with males exhibiting higher levels than females across various covariates (diabetes, IR, age, weight, and ethnicity). Notably, SOST levels varied significantly with ethnicity: Arabs (677.4 pg/mL, IQR-481.7), South Asians (914.6 pg/mL, IQR-515), and Southeast Asians (695.2 pg/mL, IQR-436.8). Furthermore, SOST levels showed a significant positive correlation with gender, age, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, insulin, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, ALT, and AST (p-Value ≥0.05). South Asian participants, who exhibited the highest SOST levels, demonstrated the most pronounced associations, even after adjusting for age, gender, BMI, and diabetes status (p-Value ≥0.05). The observed correlations of SOST with various clinical parameters suggest its significant role in the diabetic milieu, particularly pronounced in the South Asian population compared to other ethnic groups

Increased Level of Angiopoietin Like Proteins 4 and 8 in People With Sleep Apnea

Objective: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder caused by the complete or partial obstruction of the upper airways. The worldwide prevalence of OSA is increasing due to its close association with obesity epidemic and multiple health complications, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes. Angiopoietin-like protein (ANGPTL)-4 and ANGPTL8 (betatrophin) have been suggested to play a role in the development of these diseases through their role in regulating the metabolism of plasma lipid molecules. This study was designed to evaluate ANGPTL4 and 8 levels in an OSA group and a control group to clarify the effect of OSA on ANGPTL4 and 8 levels.Methods: In total, 74 subjects were enrolled in this study, including 22 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls with the Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) score of <5 events/h and 52 subjects with an AHI score of >5 events/h. Sleep apnea was assessed using a portable sleep test. ANGPTL4 and 8 levels were measured in plasma samples using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: Mean AHI score (2.5 ± 1.6) in the control group was significantly lower than that in the OSA group (22.9 ± 17.9; p < 0.0001). Leptin, interleukin-(IL) 6, insulin, and HOMA-IR values were higher in the OSA group than in the control group. ANGPTL8 level was higher in the OSA group (1130.0 ± 108.61 pg/mL) than in the control group (809.39 ± 108.78 pg/mL; p = 0.041). Similarly, ANGPTL4 was higher in the OSA group (179.26 ± 12.89 ng/mL) than in the control group (142.63 ±7.99 ng/mL; p = 0.018).Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that ANGPTL4 and 8 levels were increased in subjects with OSA, suggesting that the upregulation of these lipid metabolism regulators might play a role in lipid dysregulation observed in people with OSA

The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical (In)Activity Behavior in 10 Arab Countries.

Insufficient physical activity is considered a strong risk factor associated with non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on physical (in)activity behavior in 10 Arab countries before and during the lockdown. A cross-sectional study using a validated online survey was launched originally in 38 different countries. The Eastern Mediterranean regional data related to the 10 Arabic countries that participated in the survey were selected for analysis in this study. A total of 12,433 participants were included in this analysis. The mean age of the participants was 30.3 (SD, 11.7) years. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to examine the associations between physical activity levels and the participants\u27 sociodemographic characteristics, watching TV, screen time, and computer usage. Physical activity levels decreased significantly during the lockdown. Participants\u27 country of origin, gender, and education were associated with physical activity before and during the lockdown (p \u3c 0.050). Older age, watching TV, and using computers had a negative effect on physical activity before and during the lockdown (p \u3c 0.050). Strategies to improve physical activity and minimize sedentary behavior should be implemented, as well as to reduce unhealthy levels of inactive time, especially during times of crisis. Further research on the influence of a lack of physical activity on overall health status, as well as on the COVID-19 disease effect is recommended