Jim McKechnie, Cathy Howieson, Sandy Hobbs and Sheila Semple
The aim of this paper is to investigate the type of activities carried out by young people in a range of jobs that are typically undertaken by school students. The research…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to investigate the type of activities carried out by young people in a range of jobs that are typically undertaken by school students. The research examines opportunities for skill development in these jobs.
Design/methodology/approach
The research consisted of a nationally representative survey of school students. Multivariate analysis was used to examine the variables which predict the likelihood that a school student will be employed in a job which has a higher “job activity score” as measured by the frequency and number of activities undertaken.
Findings
In total, 38 per cent of school students were working at the time of the survey. The survey demonstrates the diversity of the employment experiences and the opportunities it provides for skill development. The analysis supports the view that this first exposure to employment may offer opportunities for skill development. Unlike previous research in Britain the study is able to explore the extent of variations between jobs.
Practical implications
The data demonstrates the extent to which school students combine full-time education with part-time employment and the value of this experience. This raises questions about whether schools should engage with naturally occurring employment experiences.
Originality/value
The paper uses a unique British data set to investigate what school students do in their part-time jobs, extending the hitherto limited research in this area. By addressing this issue the paper contributes to the debate regarding the value of this early exposure to the world of work.
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Sandy Hobbs, Seonaid Anderson and Jim McKechnie
The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent of accidents amongst child workers and to test the hypothesis that the tendency to have an accident is related to low perception…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent of accidents amongst child workers and to test the hypothesis that the tendency to have an accident is related to low perception of risk.
Design/methodology/approach
Over 700 Year 10 school students answered questionnaires concerning their experience of employment. The school students completed another questionnaire in year 11; from these 55 working children were selected to be interviewed and respond to a new tool, the Job Risk Card Sort.
Findings
Whereas 45 per cent of the interviewees had reported having had an accident in the questionnaire, this rose to 80 per cent in the interview. Those who stated in the questionnaire that they had had an accident tended to have lower perception of risk on the card sort than those who did not, thus supporting the hypothesis.
Research limitations/implications
Previous questionnaire‐based research on accidents amongst young workers may have underestimated their extent. Further investigation of risk perception and accidents should be undertaken with a larger sample and more sophisticated techniques.
Practical implications
Procedures to safeguard young workers against accidents should be strengthened.
Originality/value
This is the most detailed study of accidents to child employees so far undertaken in Britain.
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Sandra Lindsay, Sandy Hobbs and Jim McKechnie
The “Open Campus” scheme piloted in the USA aims to combine employment andschooling to tackle the growing problem of alienated pupils with fewqualifications or skills. Recently it…
Abstract
The “Open Campus” scheme piloted in the USA aims to combine employment and schooling to tackle the growing problem of alienated pupils with few qualifications or skills. Recently it has been suggested that such schemes could tackle similar problems in Britain. Given that research findings indicate that children′s jobs are generally low paid, routine and unskilled and that working in excess of ten hours per week carries potential costs to educational performance and commitment, the reasoning behind this suggestion is questioned.
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Nadeem M. Firoz and Caren R. Ammaturo
This article reviews the overall issue of sweatshop labour practices, with a particular focus on the apparel industry. Although sweatshop labour exists in the United States, the…
Abstract
This article reviews the overall issue of sweatshop labour practices, with a particular focus on the apparel industry. Although sweatshop labour exists in the United States, the media focus in recent years has centred mainly on overseas manufacture. This article will review individual companies and the practices of which they have been accused. The issue of labour compensation will also be explored, as low wages is the target reason for many apparel manufacturers to source their production overseas. Appendices to this article include Foreign Labour Statistics, outlining foreign labour compensation as compared to that of the United States. This article will also review the focus of the White House Industry Partnership and United Students Against Sweatshops. Lastly, there is a detailed recommendation for suggested required information on all apparel products labelling, which would summarise the manufacturer's quality of labour practices on the garment label; thus providing the consumer with immediate information on the environment under which the item was manufactured.
Donelda S. McKechnie, Jim Grant and Marios Katsioloudes
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the four strategy tools of positions and positioning: leader, challenger, follower and niche. It suggests that it is important for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on the four strategy tools of positions and positioning: leader, challenger, follower and niche. It suggests that it is important for managers to understand where their business fits in the market, vis‐à‐vis the competition. Without this knowledge, it is difficult to identify a differential advantage that will give the necessary competitive edge to attract the target customer.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews positioning using a back to basics explanation. A simply constructed matrix – represented by variables: company‐focused or competition‐focused and pushes the boundaries or stays within boundaries – illustrates business philosophy in the marketplace.
Findings
Airlines positioned in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) aviation industry exemplify a market environment with companies holding distinctive positions. Emirates Airline is the leader, Etihad Airways is the challenger, Gulf Air is the follower and Air Arabia is successfully established in the niche position. A summary explanation of business operations for each airline supports the discussion.
Practical implications
Marketing practice aligned with textbook theory is identified in the growth‐oriented UAE aviation industry. In real‐world terms, four airlines distinctively hold each of the four positions while a fifth airline is making inroads into the regional market and appears to be challenging the current challenger.
Originality/value
The strategy simply stated in this paper suggests that the market environment is dynamic and constant assessment is necessary. Managers seeking to maximize differential advantage vis‐à‐vis the competition should consider using more than one strategy tool particularly if it contributes to a manager's ability to understand the market environment.
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Donelda S. McKechnie, Jim Grant and Fatema Shabbir Golawala
This paper aims to discuss partitioning an air travel service encounter into touchpoints according to elements and phases, which are depth and breadth, respectively, using the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss partitioning an air travel service encounter into touchpoints according to elements and phases, which are depth and breadth, respectively, using the conceptual framework of Le Bel. The empirical findings further the dialogue about the service encounter construct.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 12 distinctive touchpoints within the joining and intensive phases of any air travel service encounter are reviewed for importance using travel purpose and nationality as segmentation variables. Respondents participated through an online questionnaire and face‐to‐face approach from a fieldworker; they were not engaged in an air travel service encounter at the time of the study. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics, independent sample t‐tests and paired sample t‐tests where the latter considered a named airline from the region.
Findings
The findings indicate touchpoints to be sufficiently distinctive that partitioning a service encounter provides opportunities for quality improvements directed at customer satisfaction outcomes. Notably, greater importance is typically given to the intensive phase touchpoints than those in the joining phases thus placing more emphasis on activities within service encounters' simultaneous production/consumption. Touchpoint preference is evident for travel purpose and passenger nationality segmentation criteria. When an airline is named, respondents appear more discriminating about touchpoint quality compared to those in generic service encounters.
Originality/value
Academically, partitioning strengthens the links between the service encounter construct and service quality and provides additional information beyond expectations‐perceptions results. Industry value is derived for practitioner marketers when distinctive touchpoints are taken from a partitioned service encounter providing opportunities for segmenting and targeting consumers accordingly.
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Donelda S. McKechnie, Jim Grant and Vishal Bagaria
This research aims to present observations of the listening actions displayed by service providers when interacting with customers in retail establishments. A composite of kinetic…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to present observations of the listening actions displayed by service providers when interacting with customers in retail establishments. A composite of kinetic actions, verbal discourse, and behavior is observed and assessed as “listening actions”.
Design/methodology/approach
Service providers in 50 retail stores (personal apparel and specialty) in Dubai were engaged in mystery shopper interactions, each involving two fieldworkers – one of whom acted as a mystery shopper and the other as a secret observer. The typical norms of engagement in an interaction were quantified according to: whether the action took place (verbal actions and behavioral actions); and the frequency of the occurrence (kinetic actions).
Findings
The paper finds that listening behavior did take place; however, the frequency of occurrence of various actions was inconsistent across encounters. In addition, results differed according to the gender of the service provider and that of the customer, and service providers of retail clothing outlets which carried medium‐priced merchandise exhibited better listening behaviors than those in establishments that sold high‐priced goods.
Research limitations/implications
Future research could include an examination of actual dialogue between the provider and customer.
Originality/value
This study contributes to knowledge about non‐verbal communication within service encounters. Implications for management include: determining the optimum frequency and occurrence of listening activities; and training service providers accordingly.
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Marios Katsioloudes, Jim Grant and Donelda S. McKechnie
This article discusses optimizing customer retention using customer relationship management (CRM) linked with social cause‐related marketing (SCRM). Establishing a socially…
Abstract
Purpose
This article discusses optimizing customer retention using customer relationship management (CRM) linked with social cause‐related marketing (SCRM). Establishing a socially responsible synergy between company and customer is targeted to managers seeking creative and innovative approaches that strengthen the value equation.
Design/methodology/approach
The discussion focuses on the progression of CRM from early links to basic database information to its current complex form whereby customers may be outsourced if they do not meet loyalty and mutual value parameters. A ten‐question test for testing CRM strategy is included, along with the steps required for adding SCRM to the company‐customer relationship.
Findings
CRM maximizes customer satisfaction while SCRM maximizes customer loyalty. Together, CRM and SCRM can optimize customer retention by sharing socially responsible activities. Tremendous goodwill with customers and in the marketplace can be generated from the synergy of CRM and SCRM.
Originality/value
Increasingly, it is the customer that is “setting the pace” in the company‐customer relationship. Implementing a SCRM strategy strengthens the business bond while facilitating the transition from the company being dominant to the customer driving the relationship process. The successful integration strategy includes: identify; integrate; switch; shift; choose; and measure.
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Donelda S. McKechnie, Jim Grant, Victoria Korepina and Naila Sadykova
The purpose of this research is to question whether increased interest in exercise has truly generated a market for home fitness equipment in which women are a viable consumer…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to question whether increased interest in exercise has truly generated a market for home fitness equipment in which women are a viable consumer segment. It is guided by two objectives: to what extent are female consumers a viable target market segment for home fitness equipment; and to what extent do women believe/disbelieve the advertising claims that are made about such products.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collection included in‐depth interviews with salespeople at two retail sporting goods establishments. Following questionnaire development, 400 self‐administered surveys were distributed to women, only, at various locations including malls and standalone locations such as coffee shops. Respondents were qualified with a question about frequency of exercise.
Findings
Results identify that women are a viable market. Cross tabulations and chi square significance note the associations between respondents' age, occupation, nationality and religion and the various equipment purchased including treadmills, workout equipment, stationary cycles and abdominal machines. Belief in advertising claims was higher for cardio equipment and least for abdominal machines. Post purchase satisfaction was greater for products that favoured noticeable physical changes and by businesswomen who arguably, may be more discerning shoppers.
Originality/value
Undertaking this research in a country known for its extensive expatriate population enabled an international cross‐sectional view of women's consumer behavior using the various demographics information collected. Academically, it considers constraint theory while practically, it provides a gender specific profile for the home‐use sport and fitness equipment market. Limitations include the narrow scope of four demographic variables and four product groups.
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Jim Aukett, Jennifer Bennett and Geoff Stevens
A quality assurance programme was introduced to the Community Dentistry Department in 1985 as part of a district‐wide quality assurance initiative. The planning and introduction…
Abstract
A quality assurance programme was introduced to the Community Dentistry Department in 1985 as part of a district‐wide quality assurance initiative. The planning and introduction of the programme are described, as well as the development of appropriate standards and the mechanism of voluntary peer review which have evolved, the amount of time which has been needed to establish these programmes is indicated. Several figures, checklists and tables are presented which may be helpful to managers as a starting point, to enable their staff to consider the issues involved in introducing, implementing and monitoring a quality assurance programme in community dentistry services.