Are consumer perceptions of a brand effected by materialism, gender and nationality?

This study attempts to establish a linkage between materialism, gender and nationality with the consumer perception of a high priced brand of apparel. The work focuses on the differences in perception of a high priced brand. It indicates that young undergraduates hold different perceptions of a brand depending on their sex and nationality. The study also examines materialistic tendencies and whether, materialism was influenced by gender and nationality. The results indicated that there is a difference in perception between customers of different nationality and sexes and that materialism does effect the perception of high priced fashion clothing.Rajeev Kamineni, Aron O’Cas

Web based shopping: The evolution and global implications: An exploratory analysis from a consumer behavioural view point

The World Wide Web can change human behaviour and human interactions to a very large extent. Web based shopping behaviour is one major example to point out the trends in this direction. This study is of a very exploratory nature and it intends to establish the differences between several web-based shoppers from different parts of the world. Several critical factors associated with online shopping behaviour will be explored. A cross cultural data set will be collected and an illustrative description of the shoppers will be provided. As a final step the cross cultural differences between several shoppers will be explored. One question which will run as a theme through out the course of this paper is, Will the traditional consumer behaviour theory and research be altered by the advent of web based shopping?Rajeev Kaminen

The effect of materialism, gender and nationality on consumer perception of a high priced brand

This study examines the link between materialism, gender and nationality with consumers’ perception of a high priced brand of apparel. The work focuses on the differences in perception of a high priced brand. It indicates that young people hold different perceptions of a brand depending on their sex and nationality. The study also examines the materialistic tendencies of customers, focussing on gender and nationality differences. Five research questions were put forward and the results indicated that there is a difference in perception of a high priced brand between domestic and international customers and between customers of different sex.. However, materialism was found to have little effect on brand perceptions.Rajeev Kamineni, Aron O’ Cas

Multinational corporations and corporate social responsibility in transition economies

Many multinational enterprises have had tough experiences in learning the importance of being socially responsible. Multinational enterprises are now finally, regarding high standards of corporate behaviour as the key to success in the international market. For example, Oil company Shell lost business and declined in value due to two high profile corporate incidents in 1995. Since then, Shell has been dedicated to managing its social responsibilities as a strategic priority, aiming to build up the company’s reputation, to protect its market share and to operate in a way which satisfies all of its stakeholders (McIntosh et al, 1998). There are two major objectives of this paper: (1) to answer two critical questions in relation to corporate social responsibility: (a) what is the external dimension of corporate social responsibility for multi-national enterprises in transition economies? (b) What are the consequences for multinational enterprises if they ignore the interests of their stakeholders in the transition economies? And (2) to point out the marketing paradigms with a social responsibility focus for transition economies.Rajeev Kamineni, Ka Chun Tsan

Using the enneagram for market segmentation

Session 6.4 New Products IISegmentation and positioning constitute the crux of marketing strategy. Over the past two decades, lifestyle and psychographics have been increasingly used as a basis for market segmentation. This paper illustrates how the ancient and mystical technique of the Enneagram can be effectively used as a base for psychographic segmentation. With the Enneagram finding ever-increasing applications in strategic management and human resource development, it is only fitting that scholars in marketing harness the diagnostic and predictive power of the Enneagram. However, adoption of the Enneagram for marketing purposes will require further conceptual development and empirical analysis.Rajeev Kamineni and Sudhir Kal

Posterior interosseous nerve localization within the proximal forearm - a patient normalized parameter

AIM To provide a “patient-normalized” parameter in the proximal forearm. METHODS Sixty-three cadaveric upper extremities from thirty-five cadavers were studied. A muscle splitting approach was utilized to locate the posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) at the point where it emerges from beneath the supinator. The supinator was carefully incised to expose the midpoint length of the nerve as it passes into the forearm while preserving the associated fascial connections, thereby preserving the relationship of the nerve with the muscle. We measured the transepicondylar distance (TED), PIN distance in the forearm’s neutral rotation position, pronation position, supination position, and the nerve width. Two individuals performed measurements using a digital caliper with inter-observer and intra-observer blinding. The results were analyzed with the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for paired samples. RESULTS In pronation, the PIN was within two confidence intervals of 1.0 TED in 95% of cases (range 0.7-1.3 TED); in neutral, within two confidence intervals of 0.84 TED in 95% of cases (range 0.5-1.1 TED); in supination, within two confidence intervals of 0.72 TED in 95% of cases (range 0.5-0.9 TED). The mean PIN distance from the lateral epicondyle was 100% of TED in a pronated forearm, 84% in neutral, and 72% in supination. Predictive accuracy was highest in supination; in all cases the majority of specimens (90.47%-95.23%) are within 2 cm of the forearm position-specific percentage of TED. When comparing right to left sides for TEDs with the signed Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for paired samples as well as a significance test (with normal distribution), the P-value was 0.0357 (significance - 0.05) indicating a significant difference between the two sides. CONCLUSION This “patient normalized” parameter localizes the PIN crossing a line drawn between the lateral epicondyle and the radial styloid. Accurate PIN localization will aid in diagnosis, injections, and surgical approaches

Localisation as a product strategy for transition economies in Asia: cases from China and India

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) coined the phrases “emerging markets” and “transition economies” in the early 1980’s. IFC used economic indicators like per capita income and the ratio of market capitalization to the GNP and based on these, it developed certain benchmarks to classify the transition economies. This paper specifies the common attributes of the transition economies and details the emerging opportunities and challenges in the transition economies. This paper also examines how products are localised as a competitive strategy, keeping in mind the unique characteristics and trends that are common to transition economies. Two short cases from China and India are presented to develop an argument for the product strategy that needs to be employed to succeed in the transition economies.Rajeev Kaminen

Marketing of religion in cyberspace

The Internet has begun to play a significant role in people’s lives, albeit in the lives of people living on the ‘right’ side of the digital divide. Yet, the nexus between religion and the Internet has seldom been discussed in the marketing context. This paper investigates the effect of the Internet on how people use the new technology to fulfill their spiritual and religious needs. The marketing implications of this nascent but widely spreading phenomenon are discussed since this trend has a significant impact on the providers of spiritual and religious services.Sudhir Kale, Rajeev Kaminen

Assimilation of IRS-P4 (MSMR) meteorological data in the NCMRWF global data assimilation system

Oceansat-1 was successfully launched by India in 1999, with two payloads, namely Multi-frequency Scanning Microwave Radiometer (MSMR) and Ocean Color Monitor (OCM) to study the biological and physical parameters of the ocean. The MSMR sensor is configured as an eight-channel radiometer using four frequencies with dual polarization. The MSMR data at 75 km resolution from the Oceansat-I have been assimilated in the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) data assimilation forecast system. The operational analysis and forecast system at NCMRWF is based on a T80L18 global spectral model and Spectral Statistical Interpolation (SSI) scheme for data analysis. The impact of the MSMR data is seen globally, however it is significant over the oceanic region where conventional data are rare. The dry-nature of the control analyses have been removed by utilizing the MSMR data. Therefore, the total precipitable water data from MSMR has been identified as a very crucial parameter in this study. The impact of surface wind speed from MSMR is to increase easterlies over the tropical Indian Ocean. Shifting of the positions of westerly troughs and ridges in the south Indian Ocean has contributed to reduction of temperature to around 30‡S

Reproductive outcomes in male childhood cancer survivors: a linked cancer-birth registry analysis

OBJECTIVE: Compare the risk of reproductive and infant outcomes between male childhood cancer survivors and a population-based comparison group. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: 4 U.S. regions. PARTICIPANTS: Cancer registries identified males <20 years old diagnosed with cancer 1973-2000. Linked birth certificates identified first subsequent live offspring (n=470). Comparison subjects were identified from remaining birth certificates, frequency-matched on year and age at fatherhood, and race/ethnicity (n=4150). MAIN EXPOSURE: Cancer diagnosis prior to age 20. OUTCOME MEASURES: Pregnancy and infant outcomes identified from birth certificates. RESULTS: Compared with infants born to unaffected males, offspring of cancer survivors had a borderline risk of birth weight <2500 g (RR 1.43, 95% CI 0.99-2.05), with risk associated most strongly with younger age of cancer diagnosis and exposure to any chemotherapy (RR 1.96, 95% CI 1.22-3.17) or radiotherapy (RR 1.95, 95% CI 1.14-3.35). However, they were not at risk of being born prematurely, small for gestational age, having malformations or an altered male:female sex ratio. Overall, female partners of male survivors were not more likely to have maternal complications recorded on birth records versus the comparison group. However, preeclampsia was associated with some cancers, especially central nervous system tumors (RR 3.36, 95% CI 1.63-6.90). CONCLUSIONS: Most pregnancies resulting in live births among partners of male childhood cancer survivors were not at significantly greater risk of complications versus comparison subjects. The possibility of a paternal component affected by prior cancer history influencing predisposition towards some adverse perinatal outcomes merits further investigation