1,444 research outputs found
âToo good to be true!â: The effectiveness of CSR history in countering negative publicity
Corporate crises call for effective communication to shelter or restore a companyâs reputation. The use of corporate social responsibility (CSR) claims may provide an effective tool to counter the negative impact of a crisis, but knowledge about its effectiveness is scarce and lacking in studies that consider CSR communication during crises. To help fill this gap, this study investigates whether the length of companyâs involvement in CSR matters when it uses CSR claims in its crisis communication as a means to counter negative publicity. The use of CSR claims in crisis communication is more effective for companies with a long CSR history than for those with a short CSR history, and consumer skepticism about claims lies at the heart of this phenomenon
Surprise... Surprise..., An Empirical Investigation on How Surprise is Connected to Customer Satisfaction
This research investigates the specific influence of the emotion ofsurprise on customer transaction-specific satisfaction. Four empiricalstudies-two field studies (a diary study and a cross section survey)and two experiments-were conducted. The results show that surprisepositively [negatively] influences satisfaction directly andindirectly (via the amplification of positive [negative] emotions),even when disconfirmation is taken into account in the model. Theamplification property of surprise and the How-do-I-feel-about-it?heuristic are believed to explain this influence. Some results alsoshow that surprised customers display higher levels of satisfactionand dissatisfaction than non surprised customers.satisfaction;experiment;delight;disconfirmation;surprise
ModĂšles vindicatoire et pĂ©nal en concurrence ? RĂ©flexions Ă partir de lâexpĂ©rience autochtone
Quâest-ce quâun trouble, un conflit ? Comment les dĂ©finit-on ? Comment y rĂ©agit-on ? Ces questions, qui composent la trame du prĂ©sent article, sâinsĂšrent dans nos travaux actuels qui explorent lâhypothĂšse de lâexistence dâun modĂšle de justice actif dans nos rapports sociaux, mais cachĂ© par le discours dominant de la justice pĂ©nale : le modĂšle vindicatoire. Nous y discuterons plus particuliĂšrement des questions soulevĂ©es par la rencontre entre les deux modĂšles de rĂ©gulation, pĂ©nal et vindicatoire, et sur la façon dont ces deux modĂšles de rĂ©gulation pourraient se cĂŽtoyer. Pour ce faire, nous nous intĂ©resserons aux modes de rĂ©gulation des troubles chez les Autochtones du QuĂ©bec. Tout en mettant dâabord en lumiĂšre les principes de leur dĂ©finition dâun trouble et de ses modes de rĂ©gulation, nous essayerons dâen montrer la facette vindicatoire pour ensuite dĂ©crire comment sâest effectuĂ©e la rencontre des modĂšles de rĂ©gulation autochtone avec le systĂšme de justice pĂ©nale. Nous dĂ©gageons enfin diffĂ©rentes pistes de rĂ©flexion quant Ă la survie et lâadaptation dâun tel modĂšle dans le contexte juridico-pĂ©nal occidental.Our research focuses on the following questions: what is a disorder, a conflict? How do we define them and react to them? Our main hypothesis is based on the existence of an active justice model which regulates our social exchanges but is hidden by the dominant discourse of the penal justice: the âvindicatoryâ model. In this article, we shall more particularly discuss issues raised by the meeting between penal and vindicatory models, and describe how these two regulation models could mix. In that purpose, we shall focus on the regulation modes used by the Aboriginal peoples living in Quebec. We shall first describe how they define and handle the different forms of confusion which emerge in their communities. By doing this, we shall then try to identify the vindicatory aspects of their regulation practices and discuss how these models survived when confronted to the western legal and penal model.ÂżQuĂ© es un trastorno, quĂ© un conflicto ? ÂżCĂłmo los definimos, cĂłmo reaccionamos ante ellos ? Estas preguntas, trama bĂĄsica del presente artĂculo, forman parte de los trabajos actuales que exploran la hipĂłtesis de la existencia de un modelo de justicia activo en nuestras relaciones sociales pero que se esconde en el discurso dominante de la justicia penal : el modelo vindicativo. Analizaremos, en particular, las cuestiones planteadas por el encuentro entre los dos modelos de regulaciĂłn, el penal y el vindicativo y la forma en que ambos modelos se tocan. Para ello, abordaremos los modos de regulaciĂłn de problemas entre la poblaciĂłn autĂłctona de Quebec. Luego de analizar su definiciĂłn de trastorno y las formas de regularlo, trataremos de mostrar la cara vindicatoria de este sistema para en seguida describir cĂłmo los modelos autĂłctonos de regulaciĂłn y el sistema de justicia penal se tocan. Planteamos, finalmente, diversos aspectos de reflexiĂłn respecto de la sobrevivencia y adaptaciĂłn de dicho modelo en el contexto jurĂdico-penal occidental
The paradox of surprise: empirical evidence about surprising gifts received and given by close relations
Purpose
This study aims to explore surprising gifts received and given by close relations to identify the variables involved in creating surprising gifts. The analysis of the viewpoints of the giver and the recipient, reflecting their profiles, leads to recommendations for retailers.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory, small-scale, open-ended questionnaire (48 respondents) produces 43 (38) accounts of surprising gifts given (received), informed further by in-depth interviews (eight informants, both givers and recipients of surprising gifts).
Findings
This study identifies and elaborates on the variables (why, when, what, where, who and how, and their combinations) that define surprising gift giving, from both giver and recipient perspectives. The findings indicate a paradox: even if givers or recipients prefer a surprising gift, they might give or wish for an unsurprising gift to avoid disappointment.
Research limitations/implications
Further research should confirm the findings using representative samples. Moreover, gender differences in surprising gift giving should be investigated further. Finally, the exact characteristics and properties that make common objects potential candidates for successful surprising gifts should be studied further.
Practical implications
The discussion has relevant implications for manufacturers and retailers. For example, if recipients are surprised, happy and satisfied, they likely exhibit higher brand recall. The recipientâs (happy versus not happy) emotions also have spillover effects on the giverâs. Thus, retailers should provide assistance in the store and advertise their salespeople as experts who can offer advice about selecting appropriate gifts. The exact characteristics and properties that make common objects potential candidates for successful surprising gifts should be studied further.
Originality/value
The systematic account of all six variables, not previously analyzed in the literature, provides rich insights into surprising gift giving. The discussion of the study of givers and recipients supplements these insights
âSurprise Giftâ Purchases of Small Electric Appliances: A Pilot Study
Understanding decision-making processes for gifts is of strategic importance for companies selling small electrical appliances as gifts account for a large part of their sales. Among all gifts, the ones that are surprising are the most valued by recipients. However, research about decision-making processes involved in surprise gift purchases is lacking. This article shows, for example, that design and money back guarantees are more important for the purchase of surprise gifts than other gifts. The brand name, however, appears to be less important. Also, surprise gifts are more often bought on the spot, without extended information search (similar to impulse purchases)
Human high density lipoproteins are platforms for the assembly of multi-component innate immune complexes
Author Posting. © American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Biological Chemistry 280 (2005): 32578-3258, doi:10.1074/jbc.M503510200.Human innate immunity to non-pathogenic species of African trypanosomes is provided by human high density lipoprotein (HDL) particles. Here we show that native human HDLs containing haptoglobin-related protein (Hpr), apolipoprotein L-I (apoL-I) and apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) are the principle antimicrobial molecules providing protection from trypanosome infection. Other HDL subclasses containing either apoA-I and apoL-I or apoA-I and Hpr have reduced trypanolytic activity, whereas HDL subclasses lacking apoL-I and Hpr are non-toxic to trypanosomes. Highly purified, lipid-free Hpr and apoL-I were both toxic to Trypanosoma brucei brucei but with specific activities at least 500-fold less than those of native HDLs, suggesting that association of these apolipoproteins within the HDL particle was necessary for optimal cytotoxicity. These studies show that HDLs can serve as platforms for the assembly of multiple synergistic proteins and that these assemblies may play a critical role in the evolution of primate-specific innate immunity to trypanosome infection.These studies were supported by National Institutes of Health Grants AI39033 and
AI054496 and a grant from the Ellison Medical Foundation. Mass spectrometry was
carried out at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Mass Spectrometry Shared
Facility and was supported in part by NCI, National Institutes of Health Core Research
Support Grant P30 CA 1314 to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive
Cancer Center
Building theory at the intersection of ecological sustainability and strategic management
This article builds theory at the intersection of ecological sustainability and strategic management literatureâspecifically, in relation to dynamic capabilities literature. By combining industrial organization economicsâbased, resource-based, and dynamic capabilityâbased views, it is possible to develop a better understanding of the strategies that businesses may follow, depending on their managersâ assumptions about ecological sustainability. To develop innovative strategies for ecological sustainability, the dynamic capabilities framework needs to be extended. In particular, the sensingâseizingâmaintaining competitiveness framework should operate not only within the boundaries of a business ecosystem but in relation to global biophysical ecosystems; in addition, two more dynamic capabilities should be added, namely, remapping and reaping. This framework can explicate core managerial beliefs about ecological sustainability. Finally, this approach offers opportunities for managers and academics to identify, categorize, and exploit business strategies for ecological sustainability
Strategic ambiguity in minority targeting
Ambiguous cues in advertising offer companies the chance to
reach multiple consumer segments with the one economical
campaign. âPurposeful polysemyâ can indeed be an effective
strategy â but it may not always deliver what it promises
To do well by doing good: improving corporate image through cause-related marketing
As part of their corporate social responsibility, many organizations practice cause-related marketing, in which organizations donate to a chosen cause with every consumer purchase. The extant literature has identified the importance of the fit between the organization and the nature of the cause in influencing corporate image, as well as the influence of a connection between the cause and consumer preferences on brand attitudes and brand choice. However, prior research has not addressed which cause composition most appeals to consumers or the impact of cause choice on corporate image. A between-subjects field experiment in the Netherlands examines the influence of three core cause attributesâcause type, cause scope, and cause acutenessâon consumersâ perceptions of corporate image. Furthermore, this experiment examines the extent to which consumer identification with the cause mediates the influence of the cause attributes on corporate image. The findings indicate that identification with the cause leads to more positive evaluations of marketing campaigns for cause type and cause scope. Also, however, our results uncover a negative direct relationship between cause scope and corporate image. Cause acuteness is only marginally influential in corporate image perceptions. By proposing and testing a comprehensive model of the influence of cause attributes on corporate image in cause-related marketing, this article provides important implications and suggests avenues for further research
Surprise... Surprise..., An Empirical Investigation on How Surprise is Connected to Customer Satisfaction
This research investigates the specific influence of the emotion of
surprise on customer transaction-specific satisfaction. Four empirical
studies-two field studies (a diary study and a cross section survey)
and two experiments-were conducted. The results show that surprise
positively [negatively] influences satisfaction directly and
indirectly (via the amplification of positive [negative] emotions),
even when disconfirmation is taken into account in the model. The
amplification property of surprise and the How-do-I-feel-about-it?
heuristic are believed to explain this influence. Some results also
show that surprised customers display higher levels of satisfaction
and dissatisfaction than non surprised customers
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