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Article
Publication date: 4 March 2025

Shlomit Flint Ashery and Nurit Stadler

While the praxeological turn in social research has resulted in many empirical studies, there are few works utilizing this concept as a framework to analyze complex…

Abstract

Purpose

While the praxeological turn in social research has resulted in many empirical studies, there are few works utilizing this concept as a framework to analyze complex architectural–anthropological phenomena, in particular in sacred geographies. This study addresses this gap by integrating architectural and anthropological approaches to explore interactions between humans, non-humans and what are considered sacred environments.

Design/methodology/approach

It presents case studies of the womb–tomb archetypes of Rabbi Zechariah and Rabbi Avdimi in northern Israel to demonstrate how ritualistic practices shape and are shaped by these structures that are deeply connected to human anatomy, lifecycles and territoriality.

Findings

Our analysis uses isovist analysis to examine the spatial dynamics of sacred architectures, which is then applied to Navisworks Roamer 3D Viewer to estimate the materials from a sacred architectural–anthropological perspective that better reflects body movements and ritualistic performances.

Research limitations/implications

Based on our findings from interviews, observations and architectural measures, we reveal how these practices simultaneously articulate land as property—an exclusive, territorial claim rooted in religious and political narratives—and as connectivity, emphasizing relational ties that foster a sense of belonging and interdependence with the land.

Practical implications

This duality is represented by the embodied gestures of bending, crawling and touching in these spaces, which establish both symbolic ownership and deep relationships with the environment.

Social implications

The findings emphasize the importance of bodily engagements and narrative constructions in reimagining human–environment relationships and contribute to the broader discourse on practice-based boundary making approaches in architectural studies.

Originality/value

They also demonstrate how body-environment practices shape ongoing negotiations of land, belonging and totemic relationships within complex cultural landscapes.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2024

Pradeep Kumar Ponnamma Divakaran

This paper investigates how stockist brand equity is created in the unorganized pharma retail sector in emerging markets despite the absence of any proactive brand-building…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper investigates how stockist brand equity is created in the unorganized pharma retail sector in emerging markets despite the absence of any proactive brand-building efforts by distribution firms (stockists). In addition, this study also aims to unravel the sources of stockist brand equity.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing from grounded theory, a qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews was conducted, and a theoretical saturation approach was used for this purpose. The retailer–stockist (business-to-business [B2B]) relationship in the Indian pharmaceutical market context was used as the study context.

Findings

The findings show that in the absence of any brand-building activities, stockists’ sales representatives play an important role in creating stockist brand awareness. In addition, word of mouth from other retailers also plays a minor role. Rational and emotional brand associations which are strong, favorable and unique are created 1) directly by the services provided by stockists, which includes product availability, deliverability, accuracy in billing and batch numbers, credit facilities and discounts, handling issues such as product expiry, and 2) indirectly by the services provided by stockists’ sales representatives which includes their frequency of visits, proactive customer orientation rather than sales orientation, fulfilling commitments and relationship with retailers. The strength of the retailer–stockist (B2B) relationship also depends on retailer-driven factors and other external factors discussed in this study.

Social implications

Strong stockist brand equity helps build trust and loyalty with pharmacies, ensuring a consistent and timely supply of medicinal products, which will benefit their end consumers or society.

Originality/value

This study identifies the antecedents determining the strength of the retailer–stockist (B2B) relationship, a precursor for establishing retailer-based stockist brand equity in the unorganized sector. This study also highlights the consequences of establishing strong retailer-based stockist brand equity.

Details

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6123

Keywords

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