Differentiated pricing for every customer is a nifty strategy, but will it fly? Airlines divide the business folks from the tourists (the criteria being a reservation with a…
Abstract
Differentiated pricing for every customer is a nifty strategy, but will it fly? Airlines divide the business folks from the tourists (the criteria being a reservation with a weekend day stay), and then price each seat accordingly.
All pricing strategies are composed of two elements: price structures and price levels. Price levels are the actual dollar prices that are set within the structure. But managers…
Abstract
All pricing strategies are composed of two elements: price structures and price levels. Price levels are the actual dollar prices that are set within the structure. But managers who merely set price levels rather than explicit price structures for their products deprive themselves of a valuable strategic tool.
During the past decade few areas of marketing strategy have received more attention than the establishment and implementation of pricing strategies. This emphasis has been due in…
Abstract
During the past decade few areas of marketing strategy have received more attention than the establishment and implementation of pricing strategies. This emphasis has been due in part to the erosion of purchasing power during the past ten years. Both individual household income and real company profits (profits discounted for the impact of inflation) suffered declines which have only recently been turned around.
Andrew C Worthington and Tracey West
With increasing pressure on firms to deliver shareholder value, there has been a renewed emphasis on devising measures of corporate financial performance and incentive…
Abstract
With increasing pressure on firms to deliver shareholder value, there has been a renewed emphasis on devising measures of corporate financial performance and incentive compensation plans that encourage managers to increase shareholder wealth. One professedly recent innovation in the field of internal and external performance measurement is a trade‐marked variant of residual income known as economic value‐added (EVA). This paper attempts to provide a synoptic survey of EVA's conceptual underpinnings and the comparatively few empirical analyses of value‐added performance measures. Special attention is given to the GAAP‐related accounting adjustments involved in EVA‐type calculations.
A. JOHN RENTOUL and BARRY J. FRASER
The School‐Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ) is a new instrument measuring teachers' perceptions of the following eight psychosocial dimensions of the environment of primary…
Abstract
The School‐Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ) is a new instrument measuring teachers' perceptions of the following eight psychosocial dimensions of the environment of primary or secondary schools: Affiliation, Student Supportiveness, Professional Interest, Achievement Orientation, Formalisation, Centralisation, Innovativeness and Resource Adequacy. Noteworthy features of the SLEQ are its consistence with the literature, coverage of Moos's three general categories for conceptualising all human environments, salience to practising teachers, specific relevance to schools, minimal overlap with classroom environment instruments, and economy. Administration of the SLEQ to two samples of 83 and 34 teachers, respectively, revealed that each seven‐item scale possessed satisfactory internal consistency and discriminant validity. Preliminary use of the SLEQ provided evidence of its usefulness in research into the effects of school‐level environment on classroom‐level environment and on teachers' pedagogical attitudes.
To review Peter Plantec's book Virtual Humans: A Build it Yourself Kit.
Abstract
Purpose
To review Peter Plantec's book Virtual Humans: A Build it Yourself Kit.
Design/methodology/approach
This book is meant to be read by one willing to actively engage with the technologies that Plantec introduces. While the technology that enables virtual agents is stable, many agents are annoyingly non‐humanlike in their interactions. Plantec encourages his readers to enter the world of virtual humans by providing the resources and coaching necessary to create a digital agent. He challenges the reader to throw off the notion that she is creating a technical implementation, a piece of software, and instead persuades her to approach the task as a scriptwriter would in creating a character.
Findings
Only through the application of artifice can developers hope to create deeply engaging virtual humans with recognizable, engaging personalities. But once people start to believe in their virtual companions, where might it lead them as a society?
Originality/value
Provides information about virtual humans.
Details
Keywords
Unions representing 40 percent of union membership broke away from the AFL-CIO in 2005 to form a rival federation, Change to Win (CTW). CTW leaders argued that the AFL-CIO placed…
Abstract
Unions representing 40 percent of union membership broke away from the AFL-CIO in 2005 to form a rival federation, Change to Win (CTW). CTW leaders argued that the AFL-CIO placed too much emphasis on politics and too little on organizing new workers. This study looks at the potential impact of the split on laborʼs political action in lobbying and electoral mobilization. It examines differences between Change to Win and AFL-CIO affiliates in their political action committee spending, their support of Democrats, and their overall political spending on lobbying and electoral mobilization and concludes that CTW unions are no less reliant on political action than AFL-CIO unions and are likely to continue their involvement in politics.
Abid Hasan, Abbas Elmualim, Raufdeen Rameezdeen, Bassam Baroudi and Andrew Marshall
The issue of low productivity has remained a very stern and chronic problem in construction projects. Previous studies have found poor communication as one of the leading causes…
Abstract
Purpose
The issue of low productivity has remained a very stern and chronic problem in construction projects. Previous studies have found poor communication as one of the leading causes of low-construction productivity. Recent advances in the field of information and communication technologies (ICT) have the potential to enhance communication and access to information in construction projects. However, the implications of the use of mobile ICT on construction productivity have not been investigated in sufficient depth, especially from the perspectives of its users, i.e. construction management (CM) professionals. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A focus group session involving ten experienced CM professionals from different organisations of the South Australian construction industry was moderated by a group of four researchers to gather data on mobile ICT usage and its implications for construction productivity.
Findings
Lack of training and guidelines on effective applications of these technologies to construction projects is a major bottleneck. Results indicate that despite noticeable advances in mobile ICT, differences in usage style and user attitude have limited their overall impact on productivity.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is based on data gathered from CM professionals working in the South Australian construction industry.
Practical implications
The study highlights the importance of strategising the use of mobile ICT to achieve the desired productivity rates through policy, training, work-life balance, and deeper and wider understanding of these technologies.
Originality/value
The study examines the perceptions of CM professionals on the usefulness of mobile ICT in construction projects and its implications for construction productivity.
Details
Keywords
Clare D'Souza, Vanessa Apaolaza, Patrick Hartmann and Andrew Gilmore
The purpose of this study is to develop and test a theoretical model of Fairtrade buying behavior that supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing the nexus…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop and test a theoretical model of Fairtrade buying behavior that supports Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing the nexus between just-world beliefs, along with the normative influences, self-identity and altruistic values.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual framework on the influence of just-world beliefs for Fairtrade purchase intentions is proposed to analyze the role of just-world beliefs on the effects of normative influences and altruistic values for the intention to purchase Fairtrade products that support SDGs. These conceptualizations are empirically tested on a representative sample of 217 consumers.
Findings
Just-world beliefs play a central role in the purchase intention by having a direct effect on purchase intention and an indirect effect mediated by personal norms and self-identity. They partially mediate the effects of altruistic values and social norms on the purchase intention of Fairtrade products that support SDGs.
Originality/value
The research provides a better understanding of the influences of these contextual variables on ethical consumption and contributes to both the theory and practice of how businesses can achieve SDGs. The psychological rationale of just-world beliefs provides a new approach to marketing strategy and communication aimed at increasing purchase intention of Fairtrade products that support the fundamental goals of the UN sustainable development.