Negative effects of loyalty programs : An empirical investigation on the French Mobile Phone sector.

Loyalty programs have been the object of a growing interest in the area of marketing. However, it is quite surprising that there is no generally accepted theoretical or empirical research that study how these programs could elicit negative effects on consumer behavior. Using a two-step method, qualitative and quantitative, conducted in the mobile phone sector in 2007, the research explores the potential negative effects of loyalty programs. Results indicate that loyalty programs can generate negative emotions, resulting in extreme behaviors, such as shunning the operator a direct competitor. This demonstrated that loyalty programs are apt to encourage behaviors that oppose the ones they actually should.Loyalty programs; negative emotions; churn; mobile communications;

Globalization, Migration and Development: The Role of Mexican Migrant Remittances

This note starts from the premise that, in current debates on the impact of globalization on economic development, the role of international migration has been under-emphasized. In an effort to contribute toward filling that gap, it presents evidence suggesting that remittances sent by international migrants are associated with improved developmental outcomes. Using a cross-section of all Mexican municipalities (over 2400) in the year 2000, it shows that an increase in the fraction of households receiving international remittances is correlated with better schooling and health indicators, and with reductions in poverty. These results are confirmed when we look at migration propensity instead of remittance flows. The econometric exercises control for the likely endogeneity between remittances and migration variables, on the one hand, and developmental outcome variables, on the other.Remittances, migration, globalization, development, Mexico

The Spatial Distribution of Human Capital: Can It Really Be Explained by Regional Differences in Market Access?

This paper checks for the robustness of the estimate of the impact of market access on the regional variability of human capital, derived from the NEG literature. The hypothesis is that the estimate of the coefficient of the measure of market access is actually capturing the effect of regional differences in the industrial mix, and the spatial dependence in the distribution of human capital. Results for the Spanish provinces indicate that the estimated impact of market access vanishes and becomes non-significant once these two elements are included in the empirical analysis.

The regional distribution of unemployment. A microeconomic perspective

Regional disparities in unemployment rates are large and persistent, particularly in some economies such as Spain. Previous contributions to the literature have provided evidence on their magnitude and evolution, as well as on the role of some economic, demographic and environmental factors in explaining the gap between low and high unemployment regions. Most of these studies have used an aggregate approach. That is, they have not accounted for the individual characteristics of the unemployed and the employed in each region. This paper aim at filling this gap, as it addresses the analysis of regional differentials in unemployment rates by using the information from the Spanish wave of the Labour Force Survey. An appropriate decomposition of the regional gap in the average probability of being unemployed allows us to tell the contribution of differences in the regional distribution of individuals’ characteristics from that attributable to a different impact of these characteristics on the probability of unemployment. The results suggest that the well-known disparities in regional unemployment are not just the result of regional heterogeneity in the distribution of individual and job characteristics. Non-negligible differences in the probability of unemployment remain after controlling for that type of heterogeneity, as a result of differences across regions in the effect of the individual characteristics. Among the factors considered in the analysis, regional differences in the individuals’ endowment of human capital, and in its effect, play an outstanding role.

Comparison of Thematic Maps Using Symbolic Entropy

Comparison of thematic maps is an important task in a number of disciplines. Map comparison has traditionally been conducted using cell-by-cell agreement indicators, such as the Kappa measure. More recently, other methods have been proposed that take into account not only spatially coincident cells in two maps, but also their surroundings or the spatial structure of their differences. The objective of this paper is to propose a framework for map comparison that considers 1) the patterns of spatial association in two maps, in other words, the map elements in their surroundings; 2) the equivalence of those patterns; and 3) the independence of patterns between maps. Two new statistics for the spatial analysis of qualitative data are introduced. These statistics are based on the symbolic entropy of the maps, and function as measures of map compositional equivalence and independence. As well, all inferential elements to conduct hypothesis testing are developed. The framework is illustrated using real and synthetic maps. Key word: Thematic maps, map comparison, qualitative variables, spatial association, symbolic entropy, hypothesis tests

Bidirectional link mock-up for avionics applications

Copper-based networks have been extensively employed on aircraft to ensure the avionics data-communications. Since the Airbus A380 development, Avionic Data Communication Network (ADCN) has been implemented to ensure transmissions between avionic equipment. This system is based on the Avionic Full Duplex Ethernet (AFDX), and transfers data at rates up to 100 Mb/s. The need of faster communications systems, up to 1Gb/s, has led to great interest in fiber optic based networks. Beyond higher data rates capabilities, the fiber optics have additional benefits, compared to electrical cables, in terms of weight saving and electromagnetic interference immunity which is strongly needed at gigahertz bandwidths. Multimode fibers (MMF) are becoming increasingly attractive for short-haul (<300m) high-speed interconnections. Besides, Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) present interesting performances in comparison to edge-emitting lasers, cost effective and are widely chosen in this type of applications. We aim at achieving an entirely optical fiber Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) link based on 850nm VCSELs to interconnect avionic equipments. To meet IEEE 802.3 standards [1] and ADCN requirements [2], the fiber optic link must be full-duplex, bi-directional, on a single wavelength, and on the same fiber on up to 100m-distance. We have used, at each side of the link, a transceiver module developed for harsh environment applications. Also, there are multiple connections due to production breaks. These connections give birth to return loss (RL) and consequently crosstalk. One might pay attention to the impact of the RL on the link. We present the characterization of a mock-up and the comparison of experimental results with the GbE requirements

The distribution of the economic activity in the Mediterranean axis. Identification of cluster by sectors of economic activity.

Agglomeration economies play an important role in the explanation of the development and regional growth. For this reason, there exists a growing interest in the analysis of standards of co-localisation of the economic activities. This topic has been dealt with from different approaches using a good number of technical statistics. Our proposal is to present some of the more well-known statistics usually used in epidemiology, with the objective of identifying spatial clusters of companies dedicated to the same economic activity. As such, this paper analyses the geographic distribution of economic activity throughout the Mediterranean to the smallest possible level of spatial integration (post code level). Firstly, by using exploratory analysis tools of spatial data we identify patterns of localisation of economic activity including both industrial and service areas. Secondly, by using the statistics of T. Tango (1995) and M. Kulldorff (1997) we identify clusters of businesses in distinct subsectors of activity. The information is obtained from the 'Sistema Anual de Balances Ibéricos' (SABI) database and using the National Classification of Economic Activities NCEA code to a 2 digit level. Our results highlight that great differences exist in the production geographic concentration in all sectors. Additionally, the results from our analysis also reveal that well defined groups exist within the economic sectors.

Programmes de fidélité et réactance psychologique du consommateur : Une étude qualitative exploratoire.

Si de nombreuses recherches traitent des effets des programmes de fidélité ou de leurs bénéfices perçus pour le client, la littérature existante ne fait pas référence, ou très peu, au fait que ces programmes puissent donner lieu à des phénomènes de réactance psychologique et être rejetés par les consommateurs. Cet article propose donc d’explorer les phénomènes de réactance associés aux programmes de fidélité dans une approche qualitative. Les résultats mettent en évidence que les programmes de fidélité peuvent être perçus par certains consommateurs comme des tentatives de manipulation de leur comportement ou donner lieu à des sensations de perte de contrôle, pouvant se traduire par un abandon ou un rejet des programmes. Cette recherche illustre à sa mesure la résistance et la défiance croissante des consommateurs face aux actions de marketing, et souligne la perte de pouvoir de l’entreprise sur sa cible via ce type d’outils.Effects of loyalty programs and their perceived benefits for consumers have been the object of a growing interest in the area of marketing. However, existing literature do not really mention that some consumers could show reactance against loyalty programs. Thanks to a qualitative study, this article proposes to explore reactance phenomena associated to loyalty programs. Results reveal that loyalty programs are likely to be rejected by some consumers on the basis that they are perceived as manipulation attempts from the company, or that they lead to a feeling of loss of control. This research contributes to the illustration of the growing mistrust of consumers towards tactical instruments of relationship marketing.Résistance du consommateur; Réactance psychologique; Programmes de fidélité;

Rhetorical Ductus in Chaucerian Ekphrasis

My thesis investigates how the rhetorical device of ekphrasis functions in Geoffrey Chaucer’s poetry, specifically The Book of the Duchess, The Parliament of Fowls, The House of Fame, and The Knight’s Tale. I argue that Chaucer’s ekphrases incorporate medieval memory techniques, which connect the ekphrases integrally to their respective texts. Chaucer’s early uses of ekphrasis in The Book of the Duchess and The Parliament of Fowls guide the audience’s interpretation and therefore contribute to the ductus, defined by Mary Carruthers as the text’s “overall direction” (“Concept of Ductus . . .” 196). In the case of The House of Fame, the ekphrases not only guide interpretation but also alter the text’s ductus by directing the narrative through a more fully developed use of architectural memory structures. In The Knight’s Tale, the latest of the four texts, the ekphrases alter the ductus through their participation in a narrative sequence that especially enforces mutual recollections among the parts that share the same location. Chaucer’s ekphrases also engage with medieval aesthetic ideals of variety as a source of harmony and therefore differ from classical examples of ekphrasis. I last consider Chaucer’s developing use of ekphrasis in relation to John Lydgate’s Temple of Glas. Lydgate’s integral connection of his ekphrasis to his narrative through memory techniques reveals his understanding of later developments in Chaucer’s rhetoric. My findings challenge theories of ekphrasis as a static disengagement from the world of the text and advocate its more active involvement in the text

The Olson - Putnam Controversy: Some Empirical Evidence

This paper explores the causal link between associationism and general trust. First we study the principal components that constitute social capital. Then we contrast a structural model identifying the relations between the relevant variables in the so-called Olson-Putnam aporia. The results of the empirical test on the determinants of social capital allow us to conclude that the extension of horizontal networks maintains a direct relation with this form of capital, but not those of vertical type.Associationism Olson-Putnam controversy Social Capital Trust.