AN OFFER THEY CANNOT REFUSE: A Behavioural Approach to Stimulating Consumer Demand for Innovations in the Telecommunications Sector

Mobile advertising (m-advertising) is one of the most exciting new research areas in the marketing field. The personal, always-on and always-at-hand nature of a mobile phone, its interactive features, combined with its near universal ubiquity give the mobile device unrivalled potential as an advertising platform. In addition, mobile phone operators are uniquely positioned to further enhance its potential- their real-time access to customers’ demographic, geographic and historical data enables them not only to help retailers establish a strong electronic presence but also to allow them to customise advertising content to target specific people in specific situations. With the growing awareness of these advantages, retailers are increasingly looking to integrate m-advertising into their marketing communications. However, turning a mobile phone into an effective advertising medium poses a formidable challenge as prior consumer permission is a legal prerequisite for m-advertising practices. It is apparent that to fully embrace the potential of m-advertising, retailers need to identify the precise factors that influence consumer opt-in choice. This thesis is unique in investigating factors influencing consumer opt-in choice with the ultimate purpose of developing an effective solution to reliably stimulate opt-ins. To this end, it adopts a radical behaviourist perspective, applying a Behavioural Perspective Model (BPM) in order to explore the influence of both contextual and consumer-related factors, account for their interactive effects and, most importantly, focus on the actual opt-in choice rather than the pre-behavioural variables of “willingness” and “intention” commonly used in previous m-advertising studies. Additionally, accounting for the fact that m-advertising is a relatively new service, this thesis integrates consumer innovativeness variable into the BPM and explores its respective influence on the opt-in choice. The thesis builds upon three consecutive empirical projects, each having its own objective: Project One conducts a preliminary exploratory investigation of the opt-in phenomenon; Project Two measures the factors identified systematically; and Project Three experimentally tests the instrument developed. Overall, the results of this investigation suggest that consumer opt-in choice is largely contingency-shaped and is affected by numerous contextual variables. In particular, among the BPM components, consumers’ past experience with m-advertising and/or m-advertisers, utilitarian benefits associated with m-advertising and its content characteristics are the three most important opt-in choice determinants. Of particular significance is the consumer situation, which has been proven to greatly affect opt-in likelihood. The importance of the newly incorporated innovativeness factor is two-fold. First, it functions as one of the strongest direct predictors of the opt-in choice. Second, it serves in a moderating capacity, further amplifying the positive effects of other choice antecedents in the BPM. On this basis, it is concluded that the opt-in choice is amenable to the behaviourist explanation and that in new service contexts the innovativeness factor further contributes to the BPM’s predictive capacity

Effects of interactive learning module technology on Kazakh as a second language learners’ achievement and communication skills

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of interactive learning module technology (ILMT) in teaching Kazakh as a second language in secondary schools in the Republic of Kazakhstan. This research was carried out at Russian-medium secondary schools during the academic year 2021-2022. There were two groups in the sample: the experimental (n=63) and control (n=61). The experimental group received an education based on the ILMT while the control group received an education based on the curriculum's traditional technique. The study used a mixed research design and was divided into two sections: quantitative and qualitative. A semi-experimental pre- and post-test control group design was adopted in the quantitative section. The qualitative section employed phenomenology. The quantitative data were acquired using the students' knowledge assessment test and analyzed using comparative analysis. An interview questionnaire and observations were used to obtain qualitative data which was then evaluated using content analysis. The experimental group outperformed the control group in terms of mean post-test knowledge assessment test scores. The ILMT in teaching Kazakh as a second language is efficient in improving the quality of mastering Kazakh language by Russian-speaking students. Content analysis showed that the ILMT helps to reduce students' anxiety and increase independence which is necessary for the development of students' communication skills

A simple mathematical model of mosquito’s dynamics at stationary environmental conditions

Mathematical model of population dynamics with two types of individuals (mosquitoes which are malaria transmission vectors, and mosquitoes which are not transmission vectors) is under consideration. Some of basic properties of model were determined. Numerical analysis allowed obtaining typical dynamic regime

Antioxidant properties of grape polyphenol concentrate from Kazakhstan region

It is believed that the antioxidant effects are widespread among plant polyphenols. Antioxidant effect is associated with main biological activities of polyphenols. Objective. To describe the antioxidant effect of grape polyphenol concentrate from Kazakhstan selection in vivo on models of pathologies with overproduction of free radicals

PSORIASIS IS ASSOCIATED WITH ELEVATED GUT IL-1Α AND INTESTINAL MICROBIOME ALTERATIONS

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition that predominantly affects the skin and is associated with extracutaneous disorders, such as inflammatory bowel disease and arthritis. Changes in gut immunology and microbiota are important drivers of proinflammatory disorders and could play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Therefore, we explored whether psoriasis in a Central Asian cohort is associated with alterations in select immunological markers and/or microbiota of the gut

Obtaining coke of improved quality by hydro-gentrification of coal tar

The catalytic properties of non-applied nickel-sulfide catalysts in the reactions of hydrogenation and hydrodesulphurization of coal tar from the coal semi-coking of the Shubarkul field (Republic of Kazakhstan) were studied to obtain data necessary for the intensification of the resin processing technology, increasing the yield and improving the quality of the resulting needle coke. As a feedstock, the resin was used without preliminary dehydration (water content 3.4 %) and distillation in a mixture with the prepared catalyst and the residue of distillation with boiling point above 320°C of oil from the Kumkol field (Republic of Kazakhstan), taken in a mass ratio of 1:1

Евразийский экономический союз как новый центр силы в мировой экономике XXI века

В этой статье рассматриваются основные центры силы в мировом сообществе, которые имеют огромное влияние на мировую экономику, приводится экономическая статистика различных интеграционных образований. На современном этапе регионы, неразрывно соединенные политическими, культурными, экономическими и социальными связями и интегрированные в ЕврАзЭС, могут рассматриваться как ядро будущего общего Евразийского пространства, материальной и геополитической основой кристаллизации Евразийского мегапроекта. Современные экономические интеграционные структуры – ЕврАзЭС, Таможенный союз и формирующееся Единое экономическое пространство – это, по сути, и есть ключевые инструменты воплощения «евразийского проекта». Таким образом, закономерным завершением формирования евразийского интеграционного объединения – ЕврАзЭС – рассматривается как геополитический мегапроект – Евразийский союз. Особое внимание уделяется проекту Евразийского экономического союза, как новому центру силы в мировой экономике

Regulations of Employment Agencies

Author has retained copyright on article. Article was deposited after permission was granted by CPLEA 03/27/201