The art of SME export marketing: a case study

In this paper, it is proposed that integrating arts and culture into international trade missions will stimulate arts and crafts, as well as SME exports. It can also help to package trade missions so that they appeal to a wider audience and build SMEs’ relationships with international partners. Arts and cultural organisations – as well as individual artists – share features and interests with other SMEs. A case study illustrates that by piggy-backing on each others’ unique skill sets, industry, tourism and the arts can together successfully contribute to trade missions that promote a region and the products produced there. Lessons that the primary author has learnt from organising and participating in numerous trade missions are used to develop a framework that could potentially be utilised to develop similar programmes. The results should be of value to policy-makers, export development organisations, arts and cultural development organisations, and individual SME managers and artists

New Applications for Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) in Higher Education: Understanding Student Satisfaction

Purpose - The constantly evolving higher education sector is creating a need for new business models and tools for evaluating performance. In this paper, an overview of the importanceperformance analysis (IPA) model and its applicability as a management tool for assessing student satisfaction in the HE sector is provided. The objective is to apply IPA in a new and novel manner, undertaking analysis at three levels; the individual student, for individual attributes and at a construct or factor level which combines individual attributes that are correlated. A practical application is illustrated, assessing the gap between the importance placed on specific student satisfaction attributes and corresponding levels of student-perceived performance realised. Design/methodology/approach - The “service product bundle” (Douglas et. al., 2006) is refined based on focus group evaluation. Survey responses from 823 students studying across four Malaysian private Universities are analysed using Factor Analysis and the IPA model utilised to identify importance-performance gaps and explore the implication of the iso-rating line as well as alternative cut off zones. Findings - Factor reduction of 33 original measurement items results in eight definable areas of service provision which provides a refined and extended management tool of statistically reliable and valid, constructs. Research limitations/implications - The research is undertaken in a business school context. Further research could focus on other faculties such as computing and engineering or explore other elements of education-based performance. Practical implications - The research method and study outcomes can support HE managers to allocate resources more effectively and develop strategies to improve quality and increase student satisfaction. Originality/value - Distinct from other IPA based-studies, analysis is undertaken at three levels; the individual participant, for individual items and at the factor level

Marketing management, strategic management and strategic groups in agriculture

Agricultural marketing is frequently distinguished from marketing as it is described in the business literature because agricultural marketing theory focuses on policy, distribution channel, and efficiency issues, and has not evolved with a marketing management orientation. Business marketers have developed an interdisciplinary and strategic approach to research while agricultural marketing researchers continue to rely on economic principles. In this thesis the extent of the apparent gap between the disciplines is reviewed. The role that marketing management and strategic management have in agriculture is investigated, first within a general theoretical context, than more specifically at the farm business level. It is suggested that the marketing strategies of farmers are not adequately described within either the business or agricultural marketing literature. Business marketing researchers focus attention on large businesses, and even in the small business marketing literature few studies investigate or describe the marketing management activities of farmers. In the agricultural marketing literature the farm business marketing process is not described as part of an integrated strategic operation with interfunctional relationships between many business activities. It is often implicitly assumed that farmers follow relatively homogenous patterns of strategic behaviour. In a similar way the farm management discipline tends not to include the marketing behaviour of farmers within it domain. This contrasts with the business management literature which suggests that marketing and strategic management are complex processes and that a business may utilise a variety of strategic approaches in its attempt to gain competitive advantage. Strategic group studies empirically identify groups of firms within an industry which follow similar strategies. Although the investigation of strategic groups within the agribusiness sector has been identified as an important area for future research, there appears to have been little research which has examined strategic groups at the farm business level. In the empirical component of this thesis farm business marketing and strategic management processes are investigated. The results show that strategic groups of Canterbury crop fanners exist, and describe the marketing, business and management characteristics associated with each strategic focus. The range and complexity of marketing activity identified in this study suggest that traditional agricultural marketing and farm management approaches to analysing fanners' management and marketing behaviour can benefit from insights gained from the business marketing and strategic management literature. Marketing behaviour may involve more than sales decisions, and an undue focus on this behaviour leads to the exclusion of other activities such as production planning and product differentiation. Similarly, a view of farm management which excludes marketing management and integrated strategic behaviour is restrictive. The disciplines of agricultural marketing and farm management will be enriched by viewing farm management with this strategic perspective

Evaluating business student satisfaction in the Malaysian private educational environment

The educational environment is very dynamic and challenging with intensifying competition, as well as an increase use of public comparisons between institutions. Therefore, understanding and attempting to improve student satisfaction is becoming critical to educational institutions. In Malaysia, education is a leading industry and plays a vital role in national development. As the private education sector is growing rapidly, there is a mounting interest to use service quality improvement measures to enhance competitiveness. The main aim of this study is to identify and evaluate the drivers that influence business student satisfaction in the Malaysian private educational environment. Specifically, this study seeks to measure the influence that each driver has on business student satisfaction and the importance of each driver to students; identify the underlying dimensions of the satisfaction drivers that influence business student satisfaction; evaluate the influence of factors such as gender, year of study, programme of study, semester grade and nationality on the results; identify areas of service priority towards better allocation of resources; and to discuss the practical implications of the results. A positivist approach is adopted in this study, whereby 1,200 questionnaires have been distributed to undergraduate business students at four private educational institutions in Malaysia. A total of 823 responses were found to be usable for analysis giving a response rate of 69%. This study adopted and extended a “service-product bundle” model to evaluate the satisfaction level and the importance of the specific service attributes at the educational institutions. Results were analysed using SPSS and quadrant analysis. The results revealed that students are satisfied and placed more importance on the physical facilities of an institution, followed by the teaching and learning drivers. Analysis of the underlying dimensions of the satisfaction drivers resulted in the adoption of a 12-factor solution after conducting several trial rotations. Significant differences exist between the demographic factors and six factors. Quadrant analysis conducted showed eight out of the 12 factors require attention by the educational institutions towards better allocation of their resources. This study contributes to the marketing literature by providing an examination of several marketing constructs. This is an important contribution as it provides an improved understanding of student satisfaction and perceptions of the factors linking to the physical facilities and facilitating goods as well as the teaching and learning issues. From the professional practice contributions, this study will benefit the business schools and educational institutions in general as it provides practical information about what and how students of different levels of study; programme of study; gender; nationality; and level of academic performance consider important in their level of satisfaction and perceptions.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Replaced by a Robot:Service Implications in the Age of the Machine

Service organizations, emboldened by the imperative to innovate, are increasingly introducing robots to frontline service encounters. However, as they augment or substitute human employees with robots, they may struggle to convince a distrusting public of their brand’s ethical credentials. Consequently, this article develops and tests a holistic framework to ascertain a deeper understanding of customer perceptions of frontline service robots (FLSRs) than has previously been attempted. Our experimental studies investigate the effects of the (1) role (augmentation or substitution of human employees or no involvement) and (2) type (humanoid FLSR vs. self-service machine) of FLSRs under the following service contexts: (a) value creation model (asset-builder, service provider) and (b) service type (experience, credence). By empirically establishing our framework, we highlight how customers’ personal characteristics (openness-to-change and preference for ethical/responsible service provider) and cognitive evaluations (perceived innovativeness, perceived ethical/societal reputation, and perceived innovativeness-responsibility fit) influence the impact that FLSRs have on service experience and brand usage intent. Our findings operationalize and empirically support seminal frameworks from extant literature, as well as elaborate on the positive and negative implications of using robots to complement or replace service employees. Further, we consider managerial and policy implications for service in the age of machines

Replaced by a robot: Service implications in the age of the machine

Service organizations, emboldened by the imperative to innovate, are increasingly introducing robots to frontline service encounters. However, as they augment or substitute human employees with robots, they may struggle to convince a distrusting public of their brand’s ethical credentials. Consequently, this article develops and tests a holistic framework to ascertain a deeper understanding of customer perceptions of frontline service robots (FLSRs) than has previously been attempted. Our experimental studies investigate the effects of the (1) role (augmentation or substitution of human employees or no involvement) and (2) type (humanoid FLSR vs. self-service machine) of FLSRs under the following service contexts: (a) value creation model (asset-builder, service-provider) and (b) service type (experience, credence). By empirically establishing our framework, we highlight how customers’ personal characteristics (openness-to-change and preference for ethical/responsible service provider)  and cognitive evaluations (perceived innovativeness, perceived ethical/societal reputation, and perceived innovativeness-responsibility fit) influence the impact that FLSRs have on service experience and brand usage intent. Our findings operationalize and empirically support seminal frameworks from extant literature, as well as elaborate on the positive and negative implications of using robots to complement or replace service employees. Further, we consider managerial and policy implications for service in the age of machines

Perfect weddings abroad

Approximately 16% of UK couples are currently married abroad. However, academic or practitioner focused research that explores the complex nature of a couple’s buying preferences or the development of innovative marketing strategies by businesses operating within the weddings abroad niche sector, is almost non-existent. This exploratory paper examines the role and relevance of marketing within the weddings abroad sector. The complex nature of customer needs in this high emotional and involvement experience, are identified and explored. A case study of Perfect Weddings Abroad Ltd highlights distinctive features and characteristics. Social networking and the use of home-workers, with a focus on reassurance and handholding are important tools used to develop relationships with customers. These tools and techniques help increase the tangibility of a weddings abroad package. Clusters of complementary services that are synergistic and provide sources of competitive advantage are identified and an agenda for future research is developed

Risks and drivers of hybrid car adoption: A cross-cultural segmentation analysis

Throughout the developed world, consumers are increasingly being encouraged to adopt cleaner, more eco-friendly behaviours. However, hybrid car adoption remains low, which impedes the move towards a lower carbon economy. In this paper, we examine the risks and drivers of hybrid car purchases, drawing on consumer behaviour and cultural dimensions theory to account for the heterogeneous, segmented nature of the market. As risk perceptions differ across cultures, and in order to address the lack of cross cultural research on eco-friendly cars, we focus on Australian, South Korean, and Japanese consumers. Based on a survey of 817 respondents we examine how five types of risk (social, psychological, time, financial, and network externalities) and three factors that drive purchasing behaviour (product advantages, product attractiveness, and product superiority) influence consumers perceptions of hybrid cars. Four segments of consumers are identified (pessimists, realists, optimists, and casualists) that also vary according to their environmental selfimage, and underlying cultural values. Our results extend theory by incorporating self-image and cultural dimension theories into a multi-country analysis of the risks and drivers of hybrid car adoption. Our findings have practical implications in terms of marketing strategies and potential policy interventions aimed at mitigating risk perceptions and promoting the factors that drive hybrid car adoption

The Core Value Compass: visually evaluating the goodness of brands that do good

yesBrands that do good for the society as well as for themselves are motivated by the core values they espouse, which necessitates a better understanding of what qualities a true core value must possess. The inherent tension within brands that do good, between commercial interests to increase competitiveness, and societal interests that are closely linked to the brand’s authenticity, has largely been overlooked. Hence, we develop and demonstrate a relatively easy-to-apply visual tool for evaluating core values based on a set of ‘goodness’ criteria derived from extant theory. The Core Value Compass adopts a paradox-based, evolutionary perspective by incorporating the inherent tensions within true core values, and classifying them according to their temporal orientation. Thus, we contribute towards a better understanding of underlying tensions of core values and provide a practical tool that paves the way for improved, and indeed ethical, corporate branding strategies. Furthermore, we demonstrate the Compass’ application using the case of a public sector brand, which is a quintessential brand that does good. Therefore, we also contribute to the nascent theoretical discourse on public sector branding. This paper therefore adds to the notable attempts to bridge the gap between theory and practice in core values-based corporate branding