Consumption of politics: It's not always a rational choice : the electoral decision-making of young voters.

The aim of this thesis was to explore the efficacy of the rational choice model in the electoral decision making of young people. The initial view was that this was too narrow a concept to apply to a real world situation. Therefore, consumer behaviour theory was reviewed in order to find out how marketers understand consumer decision making and explore if this could add anything to electoral decision making. Using an ideographic approach, this research revealed a number of different groups that did not conform to the rational choice model. Moreover, it was interesting to discover that many voter and non-voter groups exhibit what can be described as irrational behaviour. Using education as a key variable and the Elaboration Likelihood Model as an analytical framework, it was possible to identify the different ways in which the groups built up their political knowledge and what effect this had upon the extent of their engagement with the electoral process. Two models were developed that described the various groups and their electoral behaviour. The thesis concludes by suggesting that engagement is limited to a small number of groups and the level of engagement is determined by a complex mix of education, life stage and the notion of risk

Intergenerational spaces: Citizens, political marketing and conceptualising trust in a transitional democracy

© 2015, Westburn Publishers Ltd. As the third largest democracy in the world, Indonesia’s relatively peaceful transition from authoritarian rule to democracy deserves academic attention. This study explored the notion of trust and how it could influence electoral behaviour. An intergenerational perspective was used to compare the differences between parents who were familiar with the previous political system and their children who have only been exposed to a new democratic system. Through the extension of the Dermody and Hanmer-Lloyd model of electoral behaviour, this study identifies the antecedents of trust/distrust in a transitional democracy and shows how these are different when citizens’ consider the political system and the political candidate. The work can benefit policy makers and political candidates who can develop political marketing strategies to engage citizens in the electoral process

The transition of the self through the Arab Spring in Egypt and Libya

This paper builds on Belk's notions of the extended, social, family and dialogic selves in an attempt to explore the transformation of the self during the Arab Spring phenomena. From the perspective of the respondents in Egypt and Libya, this paper provides a reading of how images of self are related to artifacts of consumption, rituals, and symbols and how consumer values are navigated through this difficult landscape. The paper uses a three phase history, happening, and hopes narratives to show that the self in a liminal period of flux is referent to history and hopes and proposes a notion of a transitional self that incorporates this observation of reference to past and future. In particular, the findings suggest that consumption, especially Western consumption can be transcendental during a liminal period of flux and that such revelatory incidents offer an opportunity to access the candid thoughts of consumers

Stakeholder exclusion practices of responsible leaders: an investigation into the application of responsible leader values in stakeholder inclusion and exclusion

Purpose The aim of this paper is to explore the stakeholder exclusion practices of responsible leaders. Design/methodology/approach An interpretive multiple case analyses of seven responsibly led organisations was employed. Twenty-two qualitative interviews were undertaken to investigate and understand perceptions and practice of responsible leaders and their approach to stakeholder inclusion and exclusion. Findings The findings revealed new and surprising insights where responsible leaders compromised their espoused values of inclusivity through the application of a personal bias, resulting in the exclusion of certain stakeholders. This exclusivity practice focused on the informal evaluation of potential stakeholders’ values, and where they did not align with those of the responsible leader, these stakeholders were excluded from participation with the organisation. This resulted in the creation and continuity of a culture of shared moral purpose across the organisation. Research limitations/implications This study focussed on responsible leader-led organisations, so the next stage of the research will include mainstream organisations (i.e. without explicit responsible leadership) to examine how personal values bias affects stakeholder selection in a wider setting. Practical implications The findings suggest that reflexive practice and critically appraising management methods in normative leadership approaches may lead to improvements in diversity management. Originality/value This paper presents original empirical data challenging current perceptions of responsible leader inclusivity practices and indicates areas of leadership development that may need to be addressed

Consumption of politics : it's not always a rational choice : the electoral decision-making of young voters

The aim of this thesis was to explore the efficacy of the rational choice model in the electoral decision making of young people. The initial view was that this was too narrow a concept to apply to a real world situation. Therefore, consumer behaviour theory was reviewed in order to find out how marketers understand consumer decision making and explore if this could add anything to electoral decision making. Using an ideographic approach, this research revealed a number of different groups that did not conform to the rational choice model. Moreover, it was interesting to discover that many voter and non-voter groups exhibit what can be described as irrational behaviour. Using education as a key variable and the Elaboration Likelihood Model as an analytical framework, it was possible to identify the different ways in which the groups built up their political knowledge and what effect this had upon the extent of their engagement with the electoral process. Two models were developed that described the various groups and their electoral behaviour. The thesis concludes by suggesting that engagement is limited to a small number of groups and the level of engagement is determined by a complex mix of education, life stage and the notion of risk.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A multidimensional practice-based framework of interactive value formation

This study seeks to deconstruct the multidimensionality of the Interactive Value Formation (IVF) process within complex and prolonged Technology-Based Self-Services (TBSSs). Building on practice theory and Service Dominant logic, this framework sheds light on the complexity of practice-based resource integration processes within the IVF process. The findings demonstrate firstly, how IVF can result in both value co-creation and co-destruction and secondly, how these outcomes are influenced by the enactment of practices within the service experience. Finally, this study demonstrates the mediating role of consumer intensity as a function of consumer effort and time during this enactment. The suggested framework emphasizes the role of engagement, as intersecting between resource-based practices and outcomes, and the nested nature of the IVF process. In doing so, the relationship between the multiple outcomes of engagement and variations in loyalty are revealed. The study has implications for service managers responsible for user experience of complex and prolonged TBSSs. Directions for future research can focus on further deconstructing the multi-dimensionality of the IVF process

Freedom through marketing is not double speak

The articles comprising this thematic symposium suggest options for exploring the nexus between freedom and unfreedom, as exemplified by the British abolitionists’ anti-slavery campaign and the paradox of freedom. Each article has implications for how these abolitionists achieved their goals, social activists’ efforts to secure reparations for slave ancestors, and modern slavery (e.g., human trafficking). We present the abolitionists’ undertaking as a marketing campaign, highlighting the role of instilling moral agency and indignation through rehumanizing the dehumanized. Despite this campaign’s eventual success, its post-emancipation phase illustrates a paradox of freedom. After introducing mystification as an explanation for the obscuring rhetoric used to conceal post-emancipation violations of freedom during the West’s colonial phase, we briefly discuss the appropriateness of reparations. Finally, we discuss the contributions made by the articles in this thematic symposium

Monitoring riverine fish communities through eDNA metabarcoding:Determining optimal sampling strategies along an altitudinal and biodiversity gradient

Monitoring aquatic biodiversity through DNA extracted from environmental samples (eDNA) combined with high-throughput sequencing, commonly referred to as eDNA metabarcoding, is increasing in popularity within the scientific community. However, sampling strategies, laboratory protocols and analytical pipelines can influence the results of eDNA metabarcoding surveys. While the impact of laboratory protocols and analytical pipelines have been extensively studied, the importance of sampling strategies on eDNA metabarcoding surveys has not received the same attention. To avoid underestimating local biodiversity, adequate sampling strategies (i.e. sampling intensity and spatial sampling replication) need to be implemented. This study evaluated the impact of sampling strategies along an altitudinal and biodiversity gradient in the upper section of the Murrumbidgee River (Murray-Darling Basin, Australia). An eDNA metabarcoding survey was used to determine the local fish biodiversity and evaluate the influence of sampling intensity and spatial sampling replication on the biodiversity estimates. The results show that optimal eDNA sampling strategies varied between sites and indicate that river morphology, species richness and species abundance affect the optimal sampling intensity and spatial sampling replication needed to accurately assess the fish biodiversity. While the generality of the patterns will need to be confirmed through future studies, these findings provide a basis to guide future eDNA metabarcoding surveys in river systems

Political brand identity: an examination of the complexities of Conservative brand and internal market engagement during the 2010 UK General Election campaign

This paper seeks to build an understanding of the importance of internal communications when building a strong political brand. Using Kapferer’s brand prism as a conceptual framework, the paper explores UK Conservative Party members’ attitudes towards the development of the Conservative brand as personified by David Cameron. There are clear implications for political strategists as the findings suggest that it is crucial to engage the internal market in the co-creation of the marketing communications strategy for as brand evangelists they interpret the brand promise at the local level

Meeting Funders’ Data Policies: Blueprint for a Research Data Management Service Group (RDMSG)

This report summarizes the elements that we expect to be required in data management plans, describes Cornell’s current capabilities and needs in meeting such requirements, and proposes a structure for a virtual organization that builds on the collaboration between the DRSG, CAC, CUL and CISER. The proposed organization also includes Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) and Weill Cornell Medical College Information Technologies and Services (WCMC-ITS) to further develop and provide this support