A sales force recently achieved extraordinary results – first doubling then quadrupling their sales figures after a training initiative that generated personal and commercial…
Abstract
A sales force recently achieved extraordinary results – first doubling then quadrupling their sales figures after a training initiative that generated personal and commercial breakthroughs. The participants all work for the international waste management company, SITA. The company decided to revitalize the skills of sales staff with further training and were astonished by unfolding events and the impact on business. This article highlights the training initiative that made such a difference to the company and looks at the methodology that released the potential of the sales teams.
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The purpose of this study is to construct and validate a generalizable scale to measure service induced perceived stress for customers of personal services with a high level of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to construct and validate a generalizable scale to measure service induced perceived stress for customers of personal services with a high level of intangibles having both online and offline components.
Design/methodology/approach
Five studies were conducted to this end. The first was qualitative and the rest were quantitative (survey) with a total sample size of 1,300. The last study was conducted in a different country than the first four.
Findings
The studies resulted in a five-dimensional SERVSTRESS scale to measure service induced stress for customers with the following dimensions, namely, psychological stress; information stress; complexity stress; personnel stress and outcome stress. The scale was tested in a nomological network.
Research limitations/implications
The present study addresses a hitherto unaddressed gap in marketing literature with the construction and validation of a scale to measure service stress of a customer (named SERVSTRESS) using data from five studies spanning two countries.
Practical implications
The SERVSTRESS scale is relevant for the practitioners as it adds more value beyond the traditional service quality measures and allows the marketer to understand the nature of the stressors (with a specific focus on which is going right and which is going wrong) in the service delivery and allow him/her to take remedial actions.
Originality/value
The originality of the study is in the creation of a new scale to measure personal service stress and uncovering its underlying dimensions.
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The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of 1977 and its amendment – the Trade and Competitive Act of 1988 – are unique not only in the history of the accounting and auditing…
Abstract
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) of 1977 and its amendment – the Trade and Competitive Act of 1988 – are unique not only in the history of the accounting and auditing profession, but also in international law. The Acts raised awareness of the need for efficient and adequate internal control systems to prevent illegal acts such as the bribery of foreign officials, political parties and governments to secure or maintain contracts overseas. Its uniqueness is also due to the fact that the USA is the first country to pioneer such a legislation that impacted foreign trade, international law and codes of ethics. The research traces the history of the FCPA before and after its enactment, the role played by the various branches of the United States Government – Congress, Department of Justice, Securities Exchange commission (SEC), Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); the contributions made by professional associations such as the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICFA), the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), the American Bar Association (ABA); and, finally, the role played by various international organizations such as the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). A cultural, ethical and legalistic background will give a better understanding of the FCPA as wll as the rationale for its controversy.
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The Bureau of Economics in the Federal Trade Commission has a three-part role in the Agency and the strength of its functions changed over time depending on the preferences and…
Abstract
The Bureau of Economics in the Federal Trade Commission has a three-part role in the Agency and the strength of its functions changed over time depending on the preferences and ideology of the FTC’s leaders, developments in the field of economics, and the tenor of the times. The over-riding current role is to provide well considered, unbiased economic advice regarding antitrust and consumer protection law enforcement cases to the legal staff and the Commission. The second role, which long ago was primary, is to provide reports on investigations of various industries to the public and public officials. This role was more recently called research or “policy R&D”. A third role is to advocate for competition and markets both domestically and internationally. As a practical matter, the provision of economic advice to the FTC and to the legal staff has required that the economists wear “two hats,” helping the legal staff investigate cases and provide evidence to support law enforcement cases while also providing advice to the legal bureaus and to the Commission on which cases to pursue (thus providing “a second set of eyes” to evaluate cases). There is sometimes a tension in those functions because building a case is not the same as evaluating a case. Economists and the Bureau of Economics have provided such services to the FTC for over 100 years proving that a sub-organization can survive while playing roles that sometimes conflict. Such a life is not, however, always easy or fun.
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This chapter takes inspiration from Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s artistic work and academic writing to attend to some of the under-utilised dimensions of her work to date, that of…
Abstract
This chapter takes inspiration from Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s artistic work and academic writing to attend to some of the under-utilised dimensions of her work to date, that of making. Using unconventional methodologies from Sedgewick, I present my own unconventional methodologies to queer CMS. In this way through theory and making, we can queer CMS anew.
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THE increase in aeroplane speed, brought about by improved aerodynamic design and higher engine powers, together with the design restriction on airscrew tip speed resulting from…
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THE increase in aeroplane speed, brought about by improved aerodynamic design and higher engine powers, together with the design restriction on airscrew tip speed resulting from efficiency considerations, has reacted on the airscrew performance during take‐off, and has made the take‐off more difficult.
Rigid multilayer polyimide printed wiring boards exhibit unusually large dimensional change during the lamination process. Therefore, the use of large polyimide multilayer panels…
Abstract
Rigid multilayer polyimide printed wiring boards exhibit unusually large dimensional change during the lamination process. Therefore, the use of large polyimide multilayer panels for high density circuitry is often limited. This study examined ten probable causes for dimensional instability and how each affected the shrinkage/growth in the laminated panel. The report shows that a combination of methods and materials can reduce the resultant dimensional change experienced during lamination from 0·001 inch/inch to less than 0·0002 inch/inch in planar directions.
Under this heading arc published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Council, Reports and Technical Memoranda of the United States…
Abstract
Under this heading arc published regularly abstracts of all Reports and Memoranda of the Aeronautical Research Council, Reports and Technical Memoranda of the United States National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and publications of other similar Research Bodies as issued