IMC antecedents and the consequences of planned brand identity in higher education

Purpose – This study identifies IMC antecedents and the consequences of planned brand identity in the context of higher education, and empirically tests a number of hypotheses related to the constructs of these antecedents and consequences. Design/methodology/approach – A model of the IMC antecedents and consequences of planned brand identity was tested in a survey conducted among stakeholders in two London-based Universities. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to gain insight into the various influences and relationships. Findings – The study identifies and confirms key constructs in planned brand identity. IMC antecedents of planned brand identity, such as brand elements, service attributes, public relations, and place/country-of-origin were found to positively influence the planned brand identity consequences of awareness, image, and reputation. However, websites, social media, advertising and direct marketing were not found to have significant influence. Research limitations/implications – The focus on two UK universities limits the generalisability of the findings. Future research should be conducted in other country settings in order to test the relationships identified in the present study. Also, future research may build on the study’s findings by investigating the attitudinal and behavioural consequences of brand identification in the higher education context. Practical implications – Professionals responsible for universities’ promotional and branding activities need to evaluate the relative contributions of the IMC antecedents of planned brand identity. Brand elements such as design, color and name, for example, should be reviewed to determine whether modifications are required in different international markets. The increasing prevalence of social media, one of the key antecedents of brand awareness, offers opportunities for universities to engage in brand co-creation by interacting with past, present and future students on relevant digital platforms. Finally, the place/country-of-origin cue is of particular relevance to institutions of higher education given the increasing numbers of students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels who are choosing to study abroad (Melewar and Akel, 2005). The attraction of the United Kingdom as a country to study in, or the appeal of individual cities such as London, should be fully integrated into universities’ IMC strategies. Originality/value – The study makes two main contributions. First, we make a theoretical contribution by identifying the core IMC antecedents and consequences of planned brand identity for universities and from this extrapolate key directions for future research. Second, we indicate a number of managerial implications designed to assist in the formulation of improved professional practice

An exploratory-descriptive study of social work students\u27 ratings on scales testing for fear of AIDS and homophobia (immune deficiency).

A non-probability sampling of undergraduate and graduate social work students (n = 89) enrolled at the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, utilizing the Fear of AIDS Scale and Homophobia Scale (Bouton et al., 1987) was carried out in the Winter Session of 1990. The intent was to examine the social work students\u27 fear of AIDS and homophobia ratings as measured by these scales. Results indicate that the students have a moderate fear of AIDS and a low-moderate level of homophobia. There is a strong positive correlation between the Fear of AIDS Scale\u27s and Homophobia Scale\u27s scoring, but the two scales measure separate factors. Those students who know someone lesbian or gay have lower homophobia scores. Those students who report an understanding of the gay (and lesbian) lifestyle have lower homophobia ratings. Age, gender and educational level had no impact on either fear of AIDS or homophobia. Discussions and recommendations are offered for the profession of social work, social work education, and individual social workers. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1992 .K557. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 31-04, page: 1590. Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1992

The Prognostic Value of Brain Extracellular Fluid Nitric Oxide Metabolites After Traumatic Brain Injury.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide (NO) is a compound with both protective and damaging effects on neurons. Quantification of NO metabolites in humans is limited by sample contamination with blood. In vivo cerebral microdialysis may offer an alternative approach as sampling of extracellular fluid (ECF) adjacent to neurons becomes possible. We investigate the prognostic value of brain ECF NO metabolites in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). METHODS: A prospective case cohort of 195 ECF samples collected from 11 cases over 4 days following TBI was collected. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations ([NO( x )]) were quantified using a vanadium-based colorimetric assay. RESULTS: Early ECF [NO( x )] (<48 h post TBI) were significantly higher in non-survivors (median 59.2 μmol/l, n = 7) compared to survivors (23.3 μmol/l, n = 4) (P = 0.04). Late (48-96 h) ECF [NO( x )] remained higher in non-survivors (47.9 μmol/l) compared to survivors (23.0 μmol/l) but this was not significant (P = 0.29). Receiver operator characteristic analysis shows an optimized cutoff level for ECF [NO( x )] of 26.5 μmol/l measured <48 h post TBI for predicting non-survival (sensitivity 100%, specificity 75%). CONCLUSION: Early ECF NO( x ) concentrations are of prognostic value after TBI. ECF NO( x ) may be a useful biomarker for treatment trials targeted at nitric oxide metabolism

Co-Creating Brand Image and Reputation through higher Education Internal-Stakeholder's Social Network

By drawing on social identity and stakeholders’ theories, this paper seeks to examine how universities co-create and manage their brand image and brand reputation through tapping into internal-stakeholders’ social network. This research utilises explanatory research design at the preliminary stage, and the subsequent model is examined via a positivist survey carried out among higher education internal stakeholders in the UK. The results show that the relationship between navigation design of the website, usability of the website and customization of the website are not significant from students’ perspective, whereas all those are significant from employees’ perspective. Furthermore, the relationship between logo and co-creation behaviour is not significant from employees’ perspective while it is significant from students’ perspective. University website is the most important marketing tool to attract students and other stakeholders. Therefore, these findings have significant implications for higher education branding and marketing managers aiming to design appropriate communication tools with a view to actively engage students and employees in a co-creation process to improve their products, services and brand image

Multicentury Fire and Forest Histories at 19 Sites in Utah and Eastern Nevada

Our objective is to provide site-specific fire and forest histories from Utah and eastern Nevada that can be used for land management or additional research. We systematically sampled fire scars and tree-recruitment dates across broad gradients in elevation and forest type at 13 sites in Utah and 1 in eastern Nevada to characterize spatial and temporal variation in historical fire regimes as well as forest structure and composition. We collected similar data non-systematically at five additional sites in Utah. These 19 sites include a broad range of forest types (from pinyon-juniper woodlands to spruce-fir forests) and fire regime types. In this report, we summarize local-scale spatial and temporal variation with site-specific details of historical fire regimes and forests that will be useful for local natural resource and fire management of the individual sites. For each site, we report topography, chronologies of fire and tree recruitment, and properties derived from those chronologies such as time-averaged fire regime parameters (mean fire interval and fire severity) and changes in forest composition and structure that have occurred since the late 1800s

Dynamics of direct inter-pack encounters in endangered African wild dogs

Aggressive encounters may have important life history consequences due to the potential for injury and death, disease transmission, dispersal opportunities or exclusion from key areas of the home range. Despite this, little is known of their detailed dynamics, mainly due to the difficulties of directly observing encounters in detail. Here, we describe detailed spatial dynamics of inter-pack encounters in African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus), using data from custom-built high-resolution GPS collars in 11 free-ranging packs. On average, each pack encountered another pack approximately every 7 weeks and met each neighbour twice each year. Surprisingly, intruders were more likely to win encounters (winning 78.6% of encounters by remaining closer to the site in the short term). However, intruders did tend to move farther than residents toward their own range core in the short-term (1 h) post-encounter, and if this were used to indicate losing an encounter, then the majority (73.3%) of encounters were won by residents. Surprisingly, relative pack size had little effect on encounter outcome, and injuries were rare (<15% of encounters). These results highlight the difficulty of remotely scoring encounters involving mobile participants away from static defendable food resources. Although inter-pack range overlap was reduced following an encounter, encounter outcome did not seem to drive this, as both packs shifted their ranges post-encounter. Our results indicate that inter-pack encounters may be lower risk than previously suggested and do not appear to influence long-term movement and ranging