Hamida Skandrani

Bio: Hamida Skandrani is an academic researcher from Tunis University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Hospitality & Interactivity. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 16 publications receiving 183 citations. Previous affiliations of Hamida Skandrani include Institut Supérieur de Gestion.

Effect of store atmospherics on employees' reactions

Abstract: – This paper aims to better understand the effect of store atmospherics on the employees' cognitive, affective and physiological responses. It tries to build on store atmospherics literature to gain more insights on how these store atmospherics – often handled to produce positive outcomes among consumers – affect employees' attitudinal and behavioural reactions., – This study adopted an explanatory approach. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 13 employees working in internationally reputed clothing stores. A content analysis was carried out., – The study reveals that employees could adopt avoidance behaviours because of the environmental factors. Specifically, it suggests that the lack of variation in the musical program, incongruence of music genre – salespersons musical preferences, long exposure to the same rhythms, task complexity, crowding, might affect the employees' attitudinal and behavioural responses. In addition, the relationships between the sales force team are found to influence employees' reactions., – Because of the complexity of the subject matter and the research approach adopted, the study findings may lack generalisability. Further studies are required to test the suggested framework in different service settings., – The study finding stresses the need that in an attempt to produce positive reactions from consumer, clothing stores managers should also devote attention to employees' responses to store atmospherics as they might inhibit the quality of the service delivery process., – This paper fulfils a recognized call to thoroughly understand the impact of store atmospherics on employees' reactions in services marketing. The study enlarges the scope of store atmospherics research in marketing to encompass not only the consumer's reactions but also the employee's ones.

Trust in supply chains, meanings, determinants and demonstrations: A qualitative study in an emerging market context

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to understand trust meanings, determinants and manifestations in supply chains (SCs) operating in an emerging market context. It also aims to improve our knowledge about the role of trust and the mechanisms by which it operates in establishing and maintaining relationships between firms in SCs.Design/methodology/approach – This study adopts an explanatory approach. In‐depth interviews with 30 key informants were conducted. Informants were chief executive officers or marketing managers in firms operating in different economic sectors. Firms varied in size and ranged from small businesses to large companies.Findings – The study results showed that trust could evolve through four building processes: calculative‐based process, predictive‐based process, intention‐based process, and identification‐based process and that trust meanings and determinants vary with the trust form. Moreover, the study revealed that determinants related to the trustor also have an influence on the trust form...

The Use and Impact of Social Media during the 2011 Tunisian Revolution

Abstract: Citizen participation is a key factor in open government and a fundamental form of collective problem solving in democratic societies. Citizens need reliable information to support collective sense making and decision-making. During crises, such as political uprisings, reliable information sources are essential for citizens to stay informed and make sense of rapidly changing developments. In countries that exert control over media, citizens try to access alternative information sources, such as unfiltered Internet and social media. Using two rounds of online surveys with young adults in Tunisia, we examined the use of diverse media during the 2011 revolution. Our survey results show that higher perceptions of information reliability, along with the sharing of online information, lead to greater political information efficacy (PIE). Prior studies show higher PIE associated with greater democratic participation, which bodes well for collaborative decision-making in the nascent democracy in this North African state.

The differential impact of trust types on inter-firm relationships: Some empirical evidences from the Japanese eyeglass industry

Abstract: By considering the business context of Japanese firms, this study aims at investigating two forms of trust (that is rational and relational) and how they are affected by the nature of the relationship between business partners. It also examines the impact of trust, directly on cooperation and indirectly on performance. A survey of a sample of 68 Japanese eyeglasses manufacturers was conducted and analysed by Structural Equation Modelling. Relational-specific adaptation was found to impact strongly on a partner's relation-based trust. On the other hand, coercive power was found to have a negative effect on relational and rational trust. From the study, two important facets of Japanese inter-firm trust were revealed. First, that the generation paths of trust forms are different; and second, that relational trust has a stronger explanatory power in cooperation and performance than rational trust.

Democracy and Its Critics

Abstract: The course is focused on historical texts, most of them philosophical. Context for understanding the texts and the course of democratic development will be provided in lecture and discussions, and by some background readings (Dunn). We begin with the remarkable Athenian democracy, and its frequent enemy the Spartan oligarchy. In Athens legislation was passed directly by an assembly of all citizens, and executive officials were selected by lot rather than by competitive election. Athenian oligarchs such as Plato more admired Sparta, and their disdain for the democracy became the judgment of the ages, until well after the modern democratic revolutions. Marsilius of Padua in the early Middle Ages argued for popular sovereignty. The Italian citystates of the Middle Ages did without kings, and looked back to Rome and Greece for republican models. During the English Civil War republicans debated whether the few or the many should be full citizens of the regime. The English, French, and American revolutions struggled with justifying and establishing a representative democracy suitable for a large state, and relied on election rather than lot to select officials. The English established a constitutional monarchy, admired in Europe, and adapted by the Americans in their republican constitution. The American Revolution helped inspire the French, and the French inspired republican and democratic revolution throughout Europe during the 19 century.

Perceived retail crowding and shopping satisfaction: The role of shopping values

Abstract: Two studies were conducted to examine whether shopping values are affected by perceived retail crowding, and whether shopping values mediate the relationship between perceived retail crowding and shopping satisfaction. Results of the first study show that perceived retail crowding affects shopping values, albeit not very strongly. However, the effects appear to be moderated by factors such as personal tolerance for crowding, time spent shopping, shopping intention, and whether a purchase was made. Study 2 indicates that the impact of perceived crowding on shopping value is mediated by emotions experienced by the shopper. The emotions and shopping value reactions, in turn, mediate the effect of spatial crowding on shopping satisfaction. Interestingly, the results show that when these mediating variables are accounted for, human crowding positively affects shopping satisfaction. These findings provide support for the inverted U explanation in the general crowding literature, and suggest new avenues of future research in the context of retail crowding.