Direct Selling: From Door To Door To E-Commerce

Direct selling is exhibiting substantial growth in sales revenues and number of salespeople involved. Also the acceptation of consumers is growing. During the last decade direct selling organizations (DSOs) are using the Internet more and more, either to communicate with the salespersons, either to promote the products and the business to the consumers. This research is aiming to contribute to a better understanding of how DSOs are using the Internet, for that we have interview 11 managers of DSOs operating in Portugal. Results show that DSOs use the Internet as a support to their main business. We then discuss aspects of importance for further extensions

In-Home Shopping Through Internet: Consumer Satisfaction And Perceived Risk

The Internet/World Wide Web (Web) is an important way for the sharing of business information between retail firms and their customers. Although electronic commerce (e-commerce) has received considerable research attention, the literature reveals that the relationship between customer satisfaction and e-commerce has not yet been sufficiently studied. This research contributes to a better understanding of perceived risk and customer satisfaction arising from in-home shopping experience by using e-commerce in comparison with using other non store purchasing methods. This paper considers the role of perceived risk in consumer’s satisfaction and acceptance of e-commerce, and applies a quantitative approach attempts to provide some data on this relation. We then discuss aspects of importance for further extensions

Press Consumption in the Digital Age: Habits and Needs Regarding Online Press

This paper addresses the topic of Online Press and the challenge that the press faces to maintain its predominance as a communication media, before a public with new aptitudes, access to new technologies and, above all, to a wider and more dynamic range of alternative communication sources. This study is based on the principle that the solution for a sustainable and attractive marketing strategy for the press, starts with the comprehension of the way its public perceives the products made available by the publishers, of its needs as for the information consumption, as well as of the familiarity it has with the information technologies. Resorting to an online questionnaire inquiry to 330 individuals, we gathered information about their newspaper and magazine reading habits, their consumption of press products and technological aptitudes

Social networking as a marketing tool: study of participation in cultural events promoted by Facebook

This paper addresses the topic of Social Networking as a Marketing tool studying the participation in cultural events disseminated through social networks, specifically by Facebook. After a theoretical framework, we propose a conceptual model that identifies and analyses the assumptions of this research. It is argued that “the reading of an invitation to a an event received through Facebook is positively influenced by being sent by a friend”, “users who regularly read invitations to cultural events received through Facebook, are the ones that more often accept and participate in the same events”, the main reasons that lead users to accept invitations to cultural events through Facebook are: “receive invitations by someone known”, “interest in the event and comments from friends about that event” and “comments from friends positively influence the acceptance and participation in cultural events for which they received invitation”. The results are relevant to cultural institutions and professionals in organizing events. These should pay particular attention to studies in order to work more effectively the advantages of the disclosure of events and marketing campaigns through social networks. We conclude that Facebook is considered a good way to promote cultural events

The Rise of Mp3: Exploratory Study and Research Agenda

The Internet/World Wide Web (Web) is an important way for the sharing and selling of products and services, including music, in crescent virtual communities. The MP3 standard is the world’s most popular file format and allows many on-line individuals to access to music which they would otherwise be denied. Although electronic commerce (e-commerce) has received considerable research attention, the literature reveals that the relationship between the music industry and the consumers trough the Internet has not yet been sufficiently studied. This research contributes to a better understanding of the use of MP3 files as legal products and also as digital piracy. This paper considers the nowadays and the future use of MP3 and attempts to provide a research agenda

Internal marketing and the quality of service provided by the back-office to the front-office as key factor for customer satisfaction

The increase of competitiveness amongst Mozambican financial institutions has led them to dedicate a considerable degree of attention to the quality of the services provided to the client. However, the focus of the Administration in defining strategic objectives and realizing bold commercial plans, often delegates the quality of internal services, between departments, namely the client-internal provider relations to the background. This article discusses an emerging subject in the organizational context, Internal Marketing and the adoption of this concept aims to improve the quality of the service offered by the Back-Office to the Front-Office of Millennium bim’s prime commercial network, by considering this relationship as a determining factor in the satisfaction of the external client. Hence, two questionnaires were conducted; one to 331 clients with accounts in the prime branches of the city of Maputo and the other to the 91 personnel at those branches, and the collected data was analyzed. Although the literature confirms that the satisfaction of the internal clients positively influences the satisfaction of the external clients, the results show an inverse relation between the satisfaction of the internal clients and the satisfaction of the external clients

Models of Acceptance and Use of Technology: research trends in the 21st century

The Models of Acceptance and Use of Technology suggest that a set of independent variables predict the behavioral intention for the acceptance and use of the technology. For this reason, these models, almost all created in the late twentieth century, are increasingly used by researchers around the world. The objective of this study is to analyze the publications of the 21st century and in particular of the last five years on Models of Acceptance and Use of Technology. A bibliometric study was carried out using the Proquest platform to find out which models are most used by researchers at the beginning of the 21st century. The results reveal that the number of articles in major journals has increased, and that there is a wide range of journals publishing articles on this topic. In addition, the study revealed that the most cited models were TPB and TAM

Direct Selling: The Role of Risk In Consumer’s Acceptance and Satisfaction

This paper considers the role of perceived risk in consumer’s satisfaction and acceptance of direct selling. Direct selling has been exhibiting in the last decade substantial growth in sales revenues and number of salespeople involved. Also the acceptance on the part of the consumers has been increasing; in spite of they show more and more demanding and informed. The literature reveals that the relationship between customer satisfaction and direct selling has not been sufficiently studied, yet. This paper, applying a quantitative approach attempts to provide some data on this relation. Results indicate that there is a negative correlation between perceived risk and direct selling acceptance and also a positive correlation between direct selling acceptance and satisfaction

Determinantes do nível de satisfação com a implementação do governo eletrónico em Cabo Verde

O Governo Eletrónico é uma dimensão importante do processo de modernização da governação baseado na utilização das tecnologias de informação e comunicação, influenciando o crescimento da economia digital e da sociedade da informação, promovendo o desenvolvimento sustentado, contribuindo para reduzir os níveis de pobreza e as desigualdades ao proporcionar maior acessibilidade aos serviços do Estado e às oportunidades socioeconómicas. A introdução de novas aplicações e capacidade tecnológicas tem um elevado impacto inovador ao nível do funcionamento da administração pública. O trabalho aqui apresentado é o resultado de um estudo sobre a implementação do Governo Eletrónico em Cabo Verde, respondendo a questões relativas à adoção e utilização do e-government, assim como seus impactos, nomeadamente ao nível dos determinantes da satisfação. Com esse objectivo foi realizado um estudo quantitativo baseado na aplicação de um questionário, tendo-se concluído que o e-government em Cabo Verde tem um impacto positivo na população

Critérios para a Avaliação da Qualidade dos Recursos e da Informação Disponível na Internet

Sendo a Web considerada um dos maiores repositórios de informação do mundo contemporâneo e dada a facilidade de publicar neste ambiente, torna-se necessário dotar os utilizadores desta informação de conhecimentos que lhes permitam avaliar a sua qualidade. As competências para avaliar a qualidade dos recursos e da informação disponíveis na Internet assumem um papel relevante na literacia da informação, definida enquanto capacidade dos indivíduos para localizar, avaliar e utilizar a informação de forma efectiva. Com vista a facilitar a aquisição de conhecimentos que permitam proceder a esta avaliação tem sido divulgado um número significativo de listas de critérios e de estratégias, em diversos serviços de acesso à informação e por diversas entidades e autores. Nesta comunicação, pretende-se apresentar e discutir, com base numa revisão da literatura, os principais critérios e estratégias para avaliar a qualidade dos recursos e da informação disponível na Internet