Disposal-based scarcity: How overstock reduction methods influence consumer brand perceptions and evaluations

Overstock reduction methods offer important marketing signals that may affect consumer brand perceptions. In particular, some overstock reduction methods create disposal-based scarcity, that is, product scarcity resulting from reductions of unsold stock. Three experimental studies reveal distinct effects of incineration, which completely destroys the product, compared with methods that are less destructive, such as recycling, donating, or discounting through factory outlets. Achieving disposal scarcity through destruction ultimately damages consumer brand evaluations. In contrast, recycling, donating, and discounting methods, along with indicating a lack of brand overstock, can enhance brand evaluations. Communicating sold-out stock does not translate into such beneficial effects. These varied effects of different overstock reduction methods are mediated by perceptions of exclusivity, popularity, and wastefulness. Furthermore, the mediating effect of perceived wastefulness in the link between overstock reduction methods and brand evaluations is moderated by self–brand connection but not by perceived brand luxuriousness. This article thus integrates literature on scarcity, branding, wastefulness, and disposal behavior to identify a distinct type of scarcity and the conditions in which it has more positive or negative effects on brand perceptions and evaluations

Nearly-linear monotone paths in edge-ordered graphs

How long a monotone path can one always find in any edge-ordering of the complete graph Kn? This appealing question was first asked by Chv´atal and Koml´os in 1971, and has since attracted the attention of many researchers, inspiring a variety of related problems. The prevailing conjecture is that one can always find a monotone path of linear length, but until now the best known lower bound was n 2/3−o(1). In this paper we almost close this gap, proving that any edge-ordering of the complete graph contains a monotone path of length n 1−o(1

Nearly-linear monotone paths in edge-ordered graphs

How long a monotone path can one always find in any edge-ordering of the complete graph Kn? This appealing question was first asked by Chvátal and Komlós in 1971, and has since attracted the attention of many researchers, inspiring a variety of related problems. The prevailing conjecture is that one can always find a monotone path of linear length, but until now the best known lower bound was n^2/3−o(1). In this paper we almost close this gap, proving that any edge-ordering of the complete graph contains a monotone path of length n^1−o(1)

Team efficacy: Why goal orientation matters

With the performance benefits of team-based structures well established, a key challenge now faced by service organisations is to identify the factors affecting variability in team efficacy among similar teams. In this paper, we identify that a team's motivation to develop or demonstrate ability, that is the team goal orientation, is influential to team efficacy. Addressing prior research that has shown conflicting results regarding the ability of team goal orientation to predict team behaviours and outcomes, this paper develops a conceptual model illustrating the role of team goal orientation as a moderating variable on team efficacy

Teams for performance

Performance of study project teams is an important issue to both educators and students. While much of the literature centres on the processes and outcomes of teamwork and team behaviours, more insight is needed into the factors contributing to the motivation of student teams to achieve high performance. This study integrates the concept of goal orientation and empirically examines the role of individual and climate goal orientations as influencing team goal orientation. Specifically, data from 51 student project teams in a simulated work setting are used to examine the three-dimensional goal orientation model for identifying dominant goals in the complex team situation where there are at least three levels of goals at play