Frank Alpert, Beth Wilson and Michael T. Elliott
Examines the phenomenon of price signalling whereby consumer goodsmanufacturers attempt to signal higher quality via a higher price whenobjective product quality is, in fact, not…
Abstract
Examines the phenomenon of price signalling whereby consumer goods manufacturers attempt to signal higher quality via a higher price when objective product quality is, in fact, not demonstrably higher. Shows that higher price alone does not succeed in signalling higher quality, but that higher price accompanied by premium‐quality signals in the other elements of the marketing mix does succeed. Concludes that a premium pricing strategy cannot be successful if price is the only marketing variable emphasised and brand managers should think in terms of premium quality positioning that requires the right marketing mix.
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Frank Alpert, Beth Wilson and Michael T. Elliott
Examines the phenomenon of “price signalling”, wherebyconsumer goods manufacturers attempt to signal higher quality via ahigher price when objective product quality is, in fact…
Abstract
Examines the phenomenon of “price signalling”, whereby consumer goods manufacturers attempt to signal higher quality via a higher price when objective product quality is, in fact, not demonstrably superior. A study of two similar facial moisturizers showed that higher price alone did not succeed in signalling higher quality, but that higher price accompanied by premium‐quality signals in the other elements of the marketing mix (advertising, packaging, in‐store location) does succeed. To put it more generally, a “premium pricing strategy” cannot be successful if price is the only marketing variable emphasized. Brand managers should therefore think in terms of a “premium quality positioning” that requires the application of quality cues across the marketing mix.
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Michael Alpert, Jeffrey A. Wickersham, Mariana Vázquez and Frederick L. Altice
While Argentina has significantly improved access to HIV care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) for both the general population and prisoners, the prevalence of alcohol use…
Abstract
Purpose
While Argentina has significantly improved access to HIV care and antiretroviral therapy (ART) for both the general population and prisoners, the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) among HIV‐infected prisoners and their relationship to accessing ART in Argentina is currently unknown. This study aims to characterize the substance abuse patterns of HIV‐infected prisoners in Argentina and to assess the independent correlates of receipt of pre‐incarceration ART.
Design/methodology/approach
An anonymous, cross‐sectional survey of 100 HIV‐infected federal prisoners was conducted in the Buenos Aires municipality from July‐December 2010. AUDs were assessed using the AUDIT scale.
Findings
A majority (63 per cent) of participants met criteria for AUDs, 45 per cent of subjects were diagnosed with HIV in prison and one‐quarter had initiated ART during the current incarceration. In addition, over one‐third (35 per cent) of participants did not receive ART during the pre‐incarceration period despite receiving it upon incarceration. This correlated significantly with the presence of having an AUD (AOR 0.20, 95 per cent CI 0.06‐0.74, p=0.016).
Practical implications
AUDs are prevalent among HIV‐infected prisoners in Argentina and are significantly related to negative secondary HIV prevention and treatment outcomes. While Argentina has provided an exemplary model of HIV‐related health care reform within its prisons, future efforts to provide screening and treatment for AUDs are needed to improve the health of the nation's incarcerated population.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to describe pre‐incarceration drug and alcohol use disorders and issues related to access to ART among prisoners in Argentina.
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Michael Oshiro and Pamela Valera
This article examines how contact with the police led to the death of Michael Brown (an unarmed 18-year-old Black teenager from Ferguson, Missouri, who was shot and killed during…
Abstract
This article examines how contact with the police led to the death of Michael Brown (an unarmed 18-year-old Black teenager from Ferguson, Missouri, who was shot and killed during an altercation with a police officer). And, how Darren Wilson (the White police officer from the Ferguson Police Department who shot and killed Michael Brown) was portrayed in mainstream newspaper articles covering the story of Brown’s death.
Using both frame analysis and Hall’s framework of discursive domains for organizing and making sense of events in social life, we analyzed news coverage of Brown in three of the top circulating daily newspapers in the US: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post. The Lexis Nexis database was used to retrieve a set of newspapers using the search term “Michael Brown.” Articles from the three leading newspapers were collected from the day the event occurred, August 9, 2014, through the end of the year, December 31, 2014.
The news articles used in this study were mostly written with an episodic frame. The articles presenting the socioeconomic background of Brown and Wilson were described as profiles on each individual and the neighborhood they came from, rather than a discussion about where they fell on the economic structure of this country and the larger, upstream forces that might influence those positions. The feelings and attitudes of the reader are also likely to be influenced by details included in the articles and how they were presented.
The findings contribute to the broader literature looking at the relationships between police and Black communities. Public health can play a role in advocating and facilitating programs that build better linkages between police and community. The public health field can take a leadership role in holding the news media accountable when they are engaging in frenetic inaction. Only by having difficult and challenging conversations that examines the upstream causes of violence and deaths like Brown’s, can we make progress in preventing them.
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Frank Alpert, Michael Kamins, Tomoaki Sakano, Naoto Onzo and John Graham
One potential source of pioneer brand advantage is retail buyers’ preference for pioneer brands. A model of pioneer brand advantage with retailers developed in the USA was tested…
Abstract
One potential source of pioneer brand advantage is retail buyers’ preference for pioneer brands. A model of pioneer brand advantage with retailers developed in the USA was tested in Japan, as a replication and cross‐cultural extension. This provides the first empirical study of Japanese retail buyer beliefs, attitude, and behavior toward new offerings, and the first direct statistical comparison of US and Japanese retail buying behavior in the marketing literature. Similarities and differences in pioneer brand advantage with retailers between Japan and the USA are discussed. Results from a survey of buyers from Japan’s largest supermarket chains suggest that pioneer brand advantage is about as strong for them as for their US counterparts, though for somewhat different reasons. The survey’s results were analyzed in two ways (through a multi‐attribute attitude model and a PLS causal model), with results that complement and corroborate one another. Data were standardized to deal with potential extreme response style bias.
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Molly Miranda McCarthy, Louise E. Porter, Michael Townsley and Geoffrey P. Alpert
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether community-oriented policing (COP) influences rates of police use of force across communities, and whether the impact of COP varies…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether community-oriented policing (COP) influences rates of police use of force across communities, and whether the impact of COP varies according to the level of violent crime in communities.
Design/methodology/approach
A range of data sources including police use of force reports, online surveys of Officers-in-Charge and recorded crime data was used to examine the association between formal and informal community consultation and the frequency of police use of force, across 64 socially challenged communities in Australia.
Findings
Poisson multilevel modelling indicated no overall association between informal or formal community engagement and rates of police use of force. However, significant interaction terms for both informal and formal community consultation with violent crime rates indicated that higher levels of informal and formal community consultation were associated with lower rates of police use of force in communities with higher levels of violent crime. This relationship was not evident in low violent crime areas.
Research limitations/implications
Communities were purposively sampled to have a high propensity for police use of force, on the basis that they had high rates of violent crime, or high levels of socio-economic disadvantage, or both. This research should be replicated with a representative sample of communities.
Practical implications
The findings extend the potential benefits of COP to reducing the use of coercive policing tactics in high violent crime communities.
Originality/value
This study finds that COP can reduce the frequency of violent encounters between police and community members in high violent crime communities.
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Michael R. Smith, Robert J. Kaminski, Jeffrey Rojek, Geoffrey P. Alpert and Jason Mathis
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of police use of conducted energy devices (CEDs) on officer and suspect injuries while controlling for other types of force and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of police use of conducted energy devices (CEDs) on officer and suspect injuries while controlling for other types of force and resistance and other factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Data on 1,645 use‐of‐force incidents occurring between January 1, 2002 and July 2006 were obtained from two different law enforcement agencies. Logistic and generalized ordered logistic regressions are used to model the odds of injury and severity of injury.
Findings
The use of CEDs was associated with reduced odds of officer and suspect injury and the severity of suspect injury in one agency. In the other agency CED use was unrelated to the odds of injury; however, the use of pepper spray was associated with reduced odds of suspect injury. Among other findings, in both agencies the use of hands‐on tactics by police was associated with increased odds of officer and suspect injury, while the use of canines was associated with increased odds of suspect injury.
Research limitations/implications
Although this research was carried out in two distinctly different law enforcement agencies with different histories of CED adoption, the fact that CED use was associated with reductions in injuries in one agency but not the other indicates the need for additional research on the impact of CED use in other settings
Practical implications
The analysis suggests that relative to other forms of force, the use of CEDs and pepper spray can reduce the risk of injury to both suspects and law enforcement officers. This information should prove useful to law enforcement agencies considering adopting CEDs and suggests that agencies should consider the use of these less lethal alternatives in place of hands‐on tactics against actively resistant suspects.
Originality/value
At the time of this writing there was no published independent research on the risks of injury associated with CED use in field settings. The findings reported herein will help inform the public debate on the utility of CEDs for law enforcement.
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Sarah Kelly, Michael Ireland, Frank Alpert and John Mangan
Two studies were undertaken with the aim of determining the nature and prevalence of exposure to alcohol sponsorship communications associated with sport. Study 1 reports a…
Abstract
Two studies were undertaken with the aim of determining the nature and prevalence of exposure to alcohol sponsorship communications associated with sport. Study 1 reports a content analysis of alcohol sponsors' leveraging across popular sporting events. Study 2 examines alcohol sponsors' activation in social media. A high proportion of alcohol sponsorship messages containing content appealing to young adult drinkers are revealed across multiple media. Events and policy implications are addressed.