Mere Measurement “Plus”: How Solicitation of Open-Ended Positive Feedback Influences Customer Purchase Behavior

In two studies (a longitudinal field experiment with an established B2C national chain, and a field experiment with a B2B software manufacturer), we demonstrate that starting a survey with an open-ended positive solicitation increases customer purchase behavior. Study 1, a longitudinal field experiment, showed that one-year following the completion of a survey that began by asking customers what went well during their purchase experience, customers spent 8.25% more than customers who completed a survey that did not include the positive solicitation. In Study 2, we utilized multiple treatment groups to assess the step-wise gains of solicitation, measurement, and solicitation frame. The results demonstrated (a) a mere solicitation effect, (b) a traditional mere measurement effect, and (c) an additional “mere measurement plus” effect of an open-ended positive solicitation; all effects increased customer spending. Specifically, starting a survey with an open-ended positive solicitation resulted in a 32.88% increase in customer spending relative to a survey with no open-ended positive solicitation. The findings suggest that firms can proactively influence the feedback process. Soliciting open-ended positive feedback can create positively biased memories of an experience; the subsequent expression of those memories in an open-ended feedback format further reinforces them, making them more salient and accessible in guiding future purchase behavior

Common genetic variants in the CLDN2 and PRSS1-PRSS2 loci alter risk for alcohol-related and sporadic pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a complex, progressively destructive inflammatory disorder. Alcohol was long thought to be the primary causative agent, but genetic contributions have been of interest since the discovery that rare PRSS1, CFTR, and SPINK1 variants were associated with pancreatitis risk. We now report two significant genome-wide associations identified and replicated at PRSS1-PRSS2 (1×10-12) and x-linked CLDN2 (p < 1×10-21) through a two-stage genome-wide study (Stage 1, 676 cases and 4507 controls; Stage 2, 910 cases and 4170 controls). The PRSS1 variant affects susceptibility by altering expression of the primary trypsinogen gene. The CLDN2 risk allele is associated with atypical localization of claudin-2 in pancreatic acinar cells. The homozygous (or hemizygous male) CLDN2 genotype confers the greatest risk, and its alleles interact with alcohol consumption to amplify risk. These results could partially explain the high frequency of alcohol-related pancreatitis in men – male hemizygous frequency is 0.26, female homozygote is 0.07

Multiple novel prostate cancer susceptibility signals identified by fine-mapping of known risk loci among Europeans

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified numerous common prostate cancer (PrCa) susceptibility loci. We have fine-mapped 64 GWAS regions known at the conclusion of the iCOGS study using large-scale genotyping and imputation in 25 723 PrCa cases and 26 274 controls of European ancestry. We detected evidence for multiple independent signals at 16 regions, 12 of which contained additional newly identified significant associations. A single signal comprising a spectrum of correlated variation was observed at 39 regions; 35 of which are now described by a novel more significantly associated lead SNP, while the originally reported variant remained as the lead SNP only in 4 regions. We also confirmed two association signals in Europeans that had been previously reported only in East-Asian GWAS. Based on statistical evidence and linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure, we have curated and narrowed down the list of the most likely candidate causal variants for each region. Functional annotation using data from ENCODE filtered for PrCa cell lines and eQTL analysis demonstrated significant enrichment for overlap with bio-features within this set. By incorporating the novel risk variants identified here alongside the refined data for existing association signals, we estimate that these loci now explain ∼38.9% of the familial relative risk of PrCa, an 8.9% improvement over the previously reported GWAS tag SNPs. This suggests that a significant fraction of the heritability of PrCa may have been hidden during the discovery phase of GWAS, in particular due to the presence of multiple independent signals within the same regio

International Multilateral Negotiations and Social Networks

Compared to their bilateral counterparts, multilateral negotiations in an international setting present an extremely complex set of negotiation phenomena. This paper proposes a model of negotiations that examines how national culture, organization specific factors, and individual characteristics of the negotiators impact the multilateral negotiation process in a cross-national context. Specifically, social network theory and tools are utilized to examine how coalitions form and roles emerge among participants. The model also posits the effect of social network activity on negotiation outcomes. Research propositions are forwarded in hopes of setting an agenda for the research stream implied by the model. Methods for testing the model and implications for academics and managers are also discussed.© 1998 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1998) 29, 695–710

Word-of-mouth referral sources for buyers of international corporate financial services

Managing word-of-mouth promotion for corporate or commercial services has received little research attention, even less in an international context--surprising given the growth and importance of services in the global economy. This study explores the issue of who does the referring of financial services in the world's two largest economies: the U.S. and Japan. Decision makers in both locations who made the initial financial services purchase for 48 Japanese and American companies were interviewed regarding whom they used as a referral source. A total of 13 different types of sources were identified and grouped into four categories. The dominant type of referral source used was the "insider" (headquarters, partner, investor) for both Japanese and American companies, especially in a foreign market. Otherwise, the Japanese buyers of services used more of a variety of sources than did the Americans in both foreign and domestic locations. General implications for marketers of financial services in the U.S. and Japan are discussed.

Salesperson Performance, Pay, and Job Satisfaction: Tests of a Model Using Data Collected in the United States and Japan

A causal model of salesperson performance and satisfaction is tested using data collected in Japan and the United States. The model seems to work well for both cultural groups, that is, comparable levels of variance are explained. However, the data appear to fit the model differently across samples; culture appears to moderate the relationships among constructs. Pay and valence for pay play a more central role for the Americans than the Japanese. Value congruence has a strong influence on job satisfaction for the Japanese, but not the American sales representatives. These findings confirm both the conventional wisdom that financial incentives are crucial in the United States, and the anecdotal evidence that closer supervision and corporate culture will be more useful sales management tools in Japan.© 1999 JIBS. Journal of International Business Studies (1999) 30, 149–172

Purchasing processes and characteristics of industrial service buyers in the U.S. and Japan

Despite the prominence of industrial services in the global economy, few studies have addressed the characteristics and purchasing processes of buyers in business-to-business markets or for services. Cross-national data is used to explore the extent to which national culture (based on the firms' national origin and its location of operation) and network relationships (organization buying experience, types of referral sources used) are related to the use of direct versus indirect purchasing processes for various types of industrial services. Our results show the presence of three unique market segments based on purchasing process--"networkers" who are heavy referral users, "opportunists" who purchase services both directly and indirectly, and "independents" who are heavy direct purchasers of certain types of services. Interestingly, the segments are comprised of companies that are both American and Japanese, located in both Japan and the U.S., with and without previous buying experience. Furthermore, we identify the types of referral sources consulted depending on who and where buyers are and what services are being purchased. Implications for targeting national and global commercial service customers are discussed.