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The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the gender of the celebrity and the gender of the consumer who is exposed to an ad featuring a celebrity on consumer response to celebrity endorsements. The hypotheses were tested in an experimental study. The results indicated support for four hypotheses regarding differential response by women to ads featuring celebrity endorsers, differential responses to ads featuring female celebrity endorsers, as well as differential response to female celebrity endorsers. Partial support was found for an interaction effect of gender on response to the gender of celebrity endorsers. The implications of the study results as well as limitations and possible future research avenues are discussed.

Little attention has been paid to restructuring existing massive amounts of literature data such that evidence-based meaningful inferences and networks be drawn therefrom. This paper aims to structure extant literature data into a network and demonstrate by graph visualization and manipulation tool “Gephi” how to obtain an evidence-based literature review.

The main objective of this paper is to propose a methodology to structure existing literature data into a network. This network is examined through certain graph theory metrics to uncover evidence-based research insights arising from existing huge amounts of literature data. From the list metrics, this study considers degree centrality, closeness centrality and betweenness centrality to comprehend the information available in the literature pool.

There is a significant amount of literature on any given research problem. Approaching this massive volume of literature data to find an appropriate research problem is a complicated process. The proposed methodology and metrics enable the extraction of appropriate and relevant information from huge quantities of literature data. The methodology is validated by three different scenarios of review questions, and results are reported.

The proposed methodology comprises of more manual hours to structure literature data.

This paper enables researchers in any domain to systematically extract and visualize meaningful and evidence-based insights from existing literature.

The procedure for converting literature data into a network representation is not documented in the existing literature. The paper lays down the procedure to structure literature data into a network.

The peer-assisted study sessions program (PASS) – variously known as supplemental instruction, peer mentoring and peer-assisted learning – is regarded as a global phenomenon in academic support interventions and has well established presence in higher education. The purpose of this study was to add to the body of knowledge of how PASS may add value to the employability of the student leaders, in relation to the CareerEDGE model.

This qualitative research was based on interviews from a sample of 18 former PASS leaders who have since obtained employment.

Findings demonstrate that being a PASS leader enhanced many of their competencies as defined by CareerEDGE model, for example subject related knowledge, interpersonal skills and some generic skills. However, many of the reported competency enhancements led to unexpected future career advancement.

This study contributes to the body of knowledge relating to how PASS may add value to the employability of student leaders in relation to the CareerEDGE model using a sample of leaders who have already graduated and have obtained employment. Limitations of this study include: lack of generalisability of small geographically isolated sample; coding and analsysis not comparing findings from different demographic groups; only explores individual perceptions and relies on self-reported data.

The results of this study have implications for the development of future PASS programs and other similar academic support interventions. Given the global prevalence of such programs in higher education institutions, this research may have wide-scale transferability. Insights from this paper will allow future PASS leaders to proactively reflect and evaluate their experience and increase their confidence in pursuing their employment opportunities.

While there is much understanding on the role that PASS has in improving students grades and in improving retention rates, less is known about the value of this experience on improving student employability, and little attempt has been made in examining this within relevant employability models post-employment.

The paper structures the life cycle of issues, thus allowing a systematic discussion of their practical aspects. It is designed to help public relations professionals handle issues by providing them with parameters that can be influenced systematically. The authors differentiate between four different phases in the life cycle of an issue: emergence, dissemination, establishment and erosion. These phases reflect the different degrees to which an issue penetrates society. An issue emerges when a ‘crystallisation’ and certain interpretation of a specific social reality comes out. Dissemination comes up when protagonists pick up the issue and disseminate it. The issue is established when it becomes known to a large part of society. And it undergoes erosion when public interest in the issue stagnates. In each of the four phases intermediary groups and media are involved in different ways and to different degrees. The issue's factual structure, ie the degree of complexity, is also different in each phase. Public relations professionals can systematically influence the different parameters in each phase of the issue: by doing this they gain improved control of the issues.