Something new under the sun. The role of new technologies in a growing economy.

This paper inquires into radical innovations and into their role to promote economic growth. Can an economic system grow only in quantitative terms, or the process of structural change, that underlines the emergence of new technologies, is an essential ingredient? To put it philosophically: is there something new under the sun of a growing economy or not? The paper attempts to deal with this quest both in terms of analysis and in terms of evidence. In terms of analysis, it conceptualizes the taxonomy of innovation, proposed by Chris Freeman (1994), in an input-output framework. It shows how the rate of growth will eventually peter out without the essential contribution of new sectors in the economy. In terms of evidence, it brings the case of electronics to study the impact of a new technology in changing the economic structure and the knowledge structure of the UK and US economy between the 1970s and 1990s. The changes are profound, and they may help to start explaining a sort of reverse of Solow’s paradox. Namely, computer are everywhere, now also in the statistics of the tertiary sector.radical innovations, structural change, productivity, economic growth, new sectors.

Are we talking the Same Language? Challenging Complexity in Country Brand Models

The purpose of this paper is to review recent research into country brand models and identify the most common and shared dimensions. Based on the literature review, this study establishes a conceptual framework to consider the complex interaction between the core constructs of country branding, country brand models and country image. This paper attempts to show that there is no acceptable, concrete and universally theoretical-recognised definition either in the academic literature or in the business and trade arena. The paper is divided into three parts with the first focusing on country branding constructs, branding strategies as well as the importance in the global economy and competitive arena worldwide of the country brand. The second part reviews the conceptual origin of the main country brand models in the last decades. The third part discusses the country image construct, and identifies this as the country brand reflection. The paper summary draws the analysis together to present the exploration of the country brand model dimensions. The purpose of the paper is to determine the most common dimensions in the main country brand models. The findings are that: tourism is the most supported by five models; followed by governance and investment by four models); and exports and immigration are supported by three models. Despite its exploratory nature, this study offers insight for researchers, country brand strategists and communications professionals to rethink the country brand being adopted to comprehend a country image and to invest in either public relation, promotion and advertising worldwide. The country brand models discussed in this paper may be applied to other future investigations regarding the need for a conventional and consistent country brand model, including new dimensions related to the multiple stakeholders and specific country variables

Reflections on the challenging mission of the country brand construct in the international business setting

The importance of a strategically promoted country brand is a key goal in international business. Each nation tries to convey its attributes internationally, not only its products and services, but also its overall image. In addition, research on the country brand construct is continuous within academic environments, government offices, and corporate settings. Nations need to promote themselves strategically if they wish to ensure they are noticeable. Based on this premise, the aim of this theoretical reflection is to discuss this construct in to order to trace the development of the field and propose a conceptual framework for future research. This paper also contributes to understanding the challenging mission of the country brand construct and its strategies, both in practice and theory of the field. Moreover, it adds to current knowledge on the complexities of the country brand construct by understanding the topic’s key philosophies after tracing its evolution. The combination of findings provides support for conveying a conceptual framework on the main complexities of the country brand construct, which are the following: multifaceted construct; numerous stakeholder-related; government involvement; interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary opportunities, and potential nation brand models. The present study advocates that dynamic nation branding strategies bring authenticity to countries in the international business setting and in doing so, this challenging mission of the country brand benefits international economy and trade; develops diplomatic relations; advances international marketing research; enhances academic and educational exchange programs and; improves both national and global sustainability

Different Lenses: Women's Feminist and Postfeminist Perspectives in Public Relations

Gender inequalities in public relations (PR) persist. Industry research within the UK reveals a gender pay-gap, which shows significant disparities in pay between men and women (CIPR, 2015; PRCA, 2016). Feminist research, mostly undertaken in the US over the past twenty years and adopting a liberal feminist perspective, has identified some of the factors that influence inequality for women, such as balancing career and family; while other studies examine the social processes that perpetuate inequalities, such as gender stereotyping, the ‘glass ceiling’ effect and the ‘friendliness trap’. Liberal feminism is critiqued for not recognizing gender regimes. This has led to calls for critical research to examine the underlying social processes in the PR field that influence position opportunities, roles, the pay-gap and discrimination. Three theoretical positions – liberal feminist, radical feminist and postfeminist - were selected to address the following research questions, ‘How does gender influence everyday practice in public relations?’ ‘Which feminist perspective(s) are suggested by practitioner narratives?’ Postfeminism, used as a critical lens, potentially enables ‘multiple feminisms and femininities’ (Lewis, 2014) to be expressed. For this paper, an exploratory, qualitative pilot study involved semi-structured interviews with four female PR practitioners in northern England. Transcripts were analyzed using narrative analysis and reflexivity. The narratives revealed complex and sometimes contradictory interpretations. Therefore while three out of the four narratives showed strong liberal feminist inclinations, including a belief that women are able to compete alongside men, two also expressed radical feminist orientations;although in line with previous research, not a desire to change the system, except on an individual level. A fourth narrative expressed ideas consistent with postfeminism, demonstrating an apparent acceptance of gender role segregation in PR, and therefore no inclination to change the status quo. Finally, we offer further ways of advancing critical feminist studies in public relations, through research and education

Magical Touch of Marketing: Matching Promotion with the 4 R’s of Place Branding

Place marketing has been an object of study since the 1960s; however, even though in the last two decades there has been an increase in research, there is a lack of studies about ‘magic’ in promoting a place because it is a critical topic and an under theorised construct in academia, in general. Debate continues about the marketing strategies and campaigns because of not only the outcomes of continued use of promotional activities of place marketing but also because of the influential aspect of such activities towards emergent countries or cities. The purpose of this paper is to match the P for Promotion from the Marketing Mix model (McCarthy, 1964) with the 4 R’s of the Place Branding model (Aitken & Campelo, 2011) - in order to convey a suggested guideline for the creation of activities in a national park setting. This qualitative research is exploratory in nature, undertaking secondary data collection and content analysis for data interpretation. This paper provides not only awareness of the inappropriate promotion of particular places but also contributes to existing knowledge of place branding literature by providing an understanding of promotion as a potential communication and marketing force – if using appropriate channels and messages – perhaps with a ‘magical’ touch

Does promotion have the magic touch? Matching the 4 P’s with the 4 R’s of place branding

Place marketing has been an object of study since the 1960s; however, even though in the last two decades there has been an increase in research, there is a lack of studies about ‘magic’ in promoting a place because it is a critical topic and an under theorised construct in academia, in general. Debate continues about the marketing strategies and campaigns because of not only the outcomes of continued use of promotional activities of place marketing but also because of the influential aspect of such activities towards emergent countries or cities. The purpose of this paper is to match the P for Promotion from the Marketing Mix model (McCarthy, 1964) with the 4 R’s of the Place Branding model (Aitken & Campelo, 2011) - in order to convey a suggested guideline for the creation of activities in a national park setting. This qualitative research is exploratory in nature, undertaking secondary data collection and content analysis for data interpretation. This paper provides not only awareness of the inappropriate promotion of particular places but also contributes to existing knowledge of place branding literature by providing an understanding of promotion as a potential communication and marketing force – if using appropriate channels and messages – perhaps with a ‘magical’ touch

Political Preferences and Individual Choice: A Latin American’s Countries Perspective

Analyzing the “left” and “right” political positions of individuals is challenging because personal attributes may influence political decisions without directly causing them. This issue may be even more pronounced in Latin America, where young democracies encounter the challenge of stabilizing political choices over time. This study contributes to the literature by analyzing the influence of personal attributes on political choices, focusing on the early 2000s, when the “left” turn occurred. The present study relies on the World Values Survey’s fifth wave (2005-2008) to fulfil this objective. This dataset is composed of data that have been collected globally, and the questions are related to diverse subjects associated with the quality of life of individuals. From the available sample, we included all of the Latin American countries that participated in this wave: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay. In this study, the aim is to directly understand the impact of these individuals own attributes on their declared self-positioning about the political leaning. To this aim, an ordered logit model was used to analyse how each variable exerts influence on the political leaning of the respondents. Our results found that political cleavages depend on demographic factors, economic factors, and individual opinions in agreement with previous studies. Increased age, religious service attendance, and satisfaction with one’s financial life increase the tendency of individuals for self-positioning to the right of the political spectrum. The possession of a university degree and residence in a large city increases the likelihood of individuals of self-identifying with a leftist political position. This study contributes to the literature by analysing the influence of personal attributes on political choices. Although this research represents an important step toward understanding political leanings in Latin American countries, a significant amount of future research remains. The definitions of “left” and “right” continue to be unclear as they relate to dimensions that include democracy, autocracy, and political reform. Understanding the ways individuals set up their choices would increase the responsibility of political parties and authorities for the hidden claim the population has about their deliverables. At the same time, studies like ours may enhance the awareness of the general impression over political party choices of candidates. Finally, even with so many confounding aspects in this antagonist position, the left and the right continue to be a simple way to characterize veiled assumptions. Therefore, it may be an ambiguous form of defining choices, but this seemingly binary choice is still very significant for voters in Latin America.

Factores protectores y de riesgo para la depresión de mujeres después del aborto

Objetivou-se identificar fatores de risco e proteção para depressão em decorrência do abortamento. Metodologia qualitativa com depoimentos de 13 mulheres. Os discursos foram analisados e possibilitaram a construção de duas categorias temáticas: fatores de risco e protetores. Os fatores de risco estão associados à precárias condições sócio-econômicas e afetivas; drogas; prostituição; falta de apoio social e familiar; violência. Nos fatores protetores observam-se presença de condições sócio-econômicas favoráveis à criação dos filhos; apoio familiar (especialmente do companheiro) e social; profissão e trabalho. O reconhecimento desses aspectos abre caminhos para dar melhores cuidados às mulheres em abortamento.This qualitative study aimed to identify risk and protection factors for depression caused by abortion; statements of 13 women were analyzed. Their reports were analyzed and enabled the construction of two thematic categories: risk and protection factors. The risk factors are associated to the precarious socio-economic and affective conditions; drugs; prostitution; lack of family and social support; violence. Socio-economic conditions favorable to raising children; social and family support (especially from partner); profession and work were observed as protection factors. The recognition of these aspects open ways for improving care to women who had abortion.Estudio cualitativo que tuvo como objetivo identificar factores de riesgo y protección para depresión causada por el abortamiento. Declaraciones de 13 mujeres fueron analizadas y posibilitaron la construcción de dos categorías temáticas: factores de riesgo y protectores. Los factores de riesgo están asociados a las precarias condiciones socio-económicas y afectivas; drogas; prostitución; falta de apoyo social y familiar; violencia. En los factores protectores se observó la presencia de condiciones socio-económicas favorables a la creación de los hijos; apoyo social y familiar (especialmente del compañero); profesión y trabajo. El reconocimiento de esos aspectos abre caminos para dar mejor atención a las mujeres en abortamiento

Branding cities, regions and countries: the roadmap of place brand equity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is two-fold: to expand the understanding of brand equity for places (e.g. countries, regions or cities) and propose two frameworks to increase its value. Design/methodology/approach – By interviewing international participants, this study was exploratory and interpretative; thematic analysis was performed for a broader understanding about place brand equity. Findings – The Roadmap of Brand Equity is provided by proposing three “pathways” founded on core value drivers as “road signs” (potential influences or main variables of the value of a place brand), which are required to be strategically monitored and aligned to place branding activities to enhance the value of a city, region or country. Value drivers of place brand equity and the roadmap of place brand equity are proposed through the figures. Research limitations/implications – A natural progression of this study is the investigation of place brand equity by applying statistical procedures for measuring places. Due to specific locations’ (often) unfavorable and threatening reputations worldwide, the key value-drivers (government initiatives, stakeholders’ perceptions, residents’ engagement, news media, social media and real data indexes) are noted as influential partakers – either separated or combined – when analyzing their brand equity. Practical implications – Both proposed archetypes suggest applications for several co-creators involved in public or private places, which can be beneficial for both emerging and non-emerging countries, regions or cities. Furthermore, both may be applied to the analysis of other places (e.g. universities, schools, museums, public squares, airports, hospitals, etc.). Social implications – This study may inspire planning and actions for public policies, including private partnerships, government initiatives and practical endeavors. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to perform an analysis of brand equity of places under a qualitative approach and to propose strategical frameworks for both research and practice