Romania is located in the southeastern part of Europe and has a population of 21.68 million, with 52% residing in urban areas. Ninety percent of the people identify themselves as…
Abstract
Romania is located in the southeastern part of Europe and has a population of 21.68 million, with 52% residing in urban areas. Ninety percent of the people identify themselves as Romanian, 7% Hungarian, and 3% belong to other ethnic groups (Census, 2002; Government White Book, 2001). In 100 AD., the Roman Empire conquered the local population, the Geto-Dacians, and established a province covering a large part of the current Romanian territory. Following hundreds of years of foreign influence and organization into smaller principates, present-day Romania took shape in two stages, through the union of Moldavia and Wallachia Provinces in 1859, and with the annexation of Transylvania in 1918. Following World War II, Romania fell under Soviet influence and a communist regime was established.
K. Balanaga Gurunathan, M. Krishnakumar and C. Suganya
Body dimensions differ from person to person as well as generation to generation. It is essential to periodically provide anthropometric surveys to revise the sizing system…
Abstract
Body dimensions differ from person to person as well as generation to generation. It is essential to periodically provide anthropometric surveys to revise the sizing system according to recent changes in the data, in order to allow apparel manufacturers to produce mass customized products. The sizing system has a vital role in apparel fit, which attracts customers to buy ready to wear garments. There will not be quality in apparel unless it satisfactorily fits the potential wearers. Current sizing standards rely on anthropometric data that are decades old. The current generation is apparently taller than its predecessors. People are growing into a race of giants and the future generations are likely to be even bigger. Increasing human sizes will have implications on future homes, clothes, cars and furniture. This study will help to prove this fact through figures obtained by taking the measurements of those above 18 years old and their parents. It will also be helpful to find out the impacts of changes in dimensional growth on clothing consumption.
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Kirstin Hubrich and Timo Teräsvirta
This survey focuses on two families of nonlinear vector time series models, the family of vector threshold regression (VTR) models and that of vector smooth transition regression…
Abstract
This survey focuses on two families of nonlinear vector time series models, the family of vector threshold regression (VTR) models and that of vector smooth transition regression (VSTR) models. These two model classes contain incomplete models in the sense that strongly exogeneous variables are allowed in the equations. The emphasis is on stationary models, but the considerations also include nonstationary VTR and VSTR models with cointegrated variables. Model specification, estimation and evaluation is considered, and the use of the models illustrated by macroeconomic examples from the literature.
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Joaquín Sanz Berrioategortua, Olga del Orden Olasagasti and Beatriz Palacios Florencio
Empirical evidence for the positive correlation between company size and competitiveness is widely supported in the literature and research. Of the many ways in which companies…
Abstract
Empirical evidence for the positive correlation between company size and competitiveness is widely supported in the literature and research. Of the many ways in which companies can increase in size, mergers and acquisitions (M&As) are the most common. M&As are now a strategic option for corporations to exploit emerging opportunities in order to expand. This paper reviewed the literature on how M&As impact company’s performance, comparing pre-merger and post-merger situations. We found that while scholars have explored this topic extensively, no minimum level of consensus has been reached, not only in conclusions but neither in methodologies nor in identifying independent and dependent variables. The evidence from the M&A literature is extremely inconsistent. Based on these mixed findings, we identified directions for future research, and suggested how to develop the scholarship to reach a consensus on the answer to the research question: does company performance improve after M&As?
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Lisa L. Brady, Marcus Credé, Lukas Sotola and Michael Tynan
Prior research has documented a generally positive relationship between employees’ standing on constructs that are commonly studied by positive psychologists and workplace…
Abstract
Prior research has documented a generally positive relationship between employees’ standing on constructs that are commonly studied by positive psychologists and workplace outcomes, such as job performance and retention. Constructs such as adaptability, empowerment, hope, optimism, and resilience are believed to reflect psychological resources that employees can draw upon when facing adversity and challenges in their work, while also reflecting a general tendency or disposition to experience positive emotions and engage with others in ways that reflect such positive emotions. As such, positive psychology constructs may be particularly important for performance in jobs characterized by high levels of social interaction, stress, and challenge. In order to explore the manner in which different positive psychology constructs are related to sales performance, this chapter presents findings from a meta-analytic investigation into the relationships between sales performance and a variety of positive psychology constructs. Findings based on data from 59 unique samples and 14,334 salespeople indicate that some positive psychology constructs exhibit moderate to even strong relationships with the performance of salespeople, although the strength of these relationships appears to have been substantially inflated by common-source bias. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for selection and training within sales occupations, and advance an agenda for future research.
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Sunildro L.S. Akoijam, Sultana B.A. Mazumder and L. Shashikumar Sharma
With the advent of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to analyse the scenario of panic buying (PB) behaviour of the customers which was evident in the first…
Abstract
Purpose
With the advent of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, there is a need to analyse the scenario of panic buying (PB) behaviour of the customers which was evident in the first wave. This paper aims to examine the PB scenario as well as the moderating effect of past buying experience (PBE) on PB in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on the theories of stimulus–organism–response model and the competitive arousal model. Based on these theories, this paper investigates how panic situation created by external stimuli such as perceived scarcity (PS), perceived risk (PR), news in media (NM) and social learning affect the perceived arousal (PA) among people which in turn influence the PB behaviour of customers. Data were collected from 253 customers from different parts of India. Structural equation modelling is used to analyse the moderating effect of PBE on the PB in the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
Findings
The results indicate that the PS, PR and NM continue to be strong predictors of a buyer for PA. However, the PB is not reinforced by the moderation effect of PBE.
Research limitations/implications
This paper investigates the consumers’ PB behaviours in the wake of third wave of COVID-19 pandemic which add to the existing literature of COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, this study also examines how previous buying experience can moderate the PB behaviour of the customers in subsequent phases of COVID-19 pandemic. This supports the potential effectiveness of self-regulation as an intervention strategy for reducing PB behaviours during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Practical implications
This study emphasises the impact of external stimuli like PS, PR and media coverage on PB behaviour, marketers and policymakers should manage to avoid triggers. Although PBE may not moderate PB during a pandemic, it can play a significant role in future buying behaviour. Anticipating potential triggers and designing effective marketing strategies that cater to customers' needs can help manage PB behaviour during disasters or pandemics. In addition, promoting conscious consumption awareness and self-regulation practices among customers can help manage PB behaviour, benefit the environment and society and make customers more responsible buyers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study examines the PB behaviour of customers during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic for the first time. This study also investigates the moderating effect of PBE on the PB behaviour of customers during a pandemic which is new and significant that extends the literature on PB behaviour during a pandemic.
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Josip Obradović and Mira Čudina
Purpose – This chapter presents research on determinants of economic hardship and the effect of economic hardship on marital quality in two social contexts in Croatia: postwar…
Abstract
Purpose – This chapter presents research on determinants of economic hardship and the effect of economic hardship on marital quality in two social contexts in Croatia: postwar recovery period (Study 1) and economic recession starting in 2009 to present (Study 2).
Methodology/approach – In Study 1 the sample consisted of 505 married couples (quota sample of Zagreb and neighboring villages). In Study 2 the sample consisted of 850 married couples (quota sample of Zagreb and 14 regions in Croatia). We have used the SPSS 18 Mixed Linear Model approach for data analysis. A number of variables representing individual characteristics of marital partners were entered as level 1. A number of variables representing marital dyad (duration of marriage, size of the family) were entered as level 2.
Findings – The variables of education, employment status, and size of the family turned out to be most predictive for economic hardship in both studies. Also, in both studies economic hardship turned out to be a very important predictor of marital quality.
Research limitations – The limitations of the studies are the absence of longitudinal approach and a probability sample.
Social implications – The studies carry important social implications showing that in the absence of government or community social support, partners’ social support could moderate negative effect of economic hardship on marital quality. We assume that this conclusion could be generalized to other social contexts as well.
Originality/value of chapter – The strength and originality of the studies was in multilevel approach in data analysis and treating marital partners as a dyad.
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Eastern Europe has been recognized as a region that has experienced major socio-political and economic changes in the last decades. The impact of these transitions on families and…
Abstract
Eastern Europe has been recognized as a region that has experienced major socio-political and economic changes in the last decades. The impact of these transitions on families and their functioning has also been significant. Although understanding of families in different cultures in the last years has considerably increased, little has been written on Eastern European families. This book fills the void in literature and provides a timely and comprehensive analysis of family issues in Eastern Europe. It brings together scholars from fourteen Eastern European countries. The authors explain family processes in that particular country focusing on the historic, social and economic contexts and the impact they have on families. The scholars also provide demographic information about families and discuss cultural traditions, marital and gender roles, parenting processes, family policy and programs within the society, and the state of research on family issues. The first chapter provides both an overview of family changes in Eastern Europe and an introduction to the subsequent chapters.
Yoowha Jeon, Mi Sook Cho and Jieun Oh
The study selected five small-scale food operations as visual stimuli and eye-tracking experiment was conducted with 36 female participants in a laboratory setting. Heat maps were…
Abstract
Purpose
The study selected five small-scale food operations as visual stimuli and eye-tracking experiment was conducted with 36 female participants in a laboratory setting. Heat maps were used to visualize viewers' visual attention on the storefronts. The eye-movement data were analyzed using one-way repeated ANOVA to identify a significant difference between stimuli in terms of average fixation duration, fixation counts and revisits. An independent t-test was also used to examine statistical difference among text and image in menu board. The significance cut-off of p-value was set to <0.05.
Design/methodology/approach
The exteriors of food-service establishments are major business representation. However, few studies have been conducted to examine customers' visual processing toward small-scale restaurants. The present study accordingly aims to discover customers' different levels of attention to the frontage in food stands through eye tracking, which would be practical for future owners to plan their exterior shop design.
Findings
The findings can be summarized as follows: First, upper board shows the highest level of attention, suggesting an optimal location of menu board for grasping customers' attention. Second, customers also gaze the inside of a store along with the food on display, which are related with food hygiene and the perception. Third, textual information on menu boards tends to attract more visual attention than those of images. Overall, the current study indicates various customers' attention toward the location of menu boards as well as the type of visual information on menu board.
Originality/value
The results of this study make a new insight into customers' viewing behavior toward exteriors of food-service establishments. This study is one of the first attempts to explore how customers distribute visual attention to the exterior images of food stand by using eye-tracking technology. The findings of this research thus enrich the food-service literature and offer meaningful discoveries on customers' visual behaviors. For example, this study suggests that customers tend to be attracted to textual information on menu boards rather than graphical ones.