Showing papers on "Credibility published in 2001"

Validity in Qualitative Research

Abstract: Much contemporary dialogue has centered on the difficulty of establishing validity criteria in qualitative research. Developing validity standards in qualitative research is challenging because of the necessity to incorporate rigor and subjectivity as well as creativity into the scientific process. This article explores the extant issues related to the science and art of qualitative research and proposes a synthesis of contemporary viewpoints. A distinction between primary and secondary validity criteria in qualitative research is made with credibility, authenticity, criticality, and integrity identified as primary validity criteria and explicitness, vividness, creativity, thoroughness, congruence, and sensitivity identified as secondary validity criteria.

What makes Web sites credible?: a report on a large quantitative study

Abstract: The credibility of web sites is becoming an increasingly important area to understand. To expand knowledge in this domain, we conducted an online study that investigated how different elements of Web sites affect people's perception of credibility. Over 1400 people participated in this study, both from the U.S. and Europe, evaluating 51 different Web site elements. The data showed which elements boost and which elements hurt perceptions of Web credibility. Through analysis we found these elements fell into one of seven factors. In order of impact, the five types of elements that increased credibility perceptions were “real-world feel”, “ease of use”, “expertise”, “trustworthiness”, and “tailoring”. The two types of elements that hurt credibility were “commercial implicationsrand “amateurism”. This large-scale study lays the groundwork for further research into the elements that affect Web credibility. The results also suggest implications for designing credible Web sites.

Public Trust or Mistrust? Perceptions of Media Credibility in the Information Age

Abstract: This article explores perceptions of news credibility for television, newspapers, and online news. A survey was administered to a randomly selected sample of residents in Austin, Texas, to assess people's attitudes toward these 3 media channels. Contingent factors that might influence news credibility perceptions, such as media use and interpersonal discussion of news, were incorporated into the analysis. Findings suggest that people are generally skeptical of news emanating from all 3 media channels but do rate newspapers with the highest credibility, followed by online news and television news, respectively. Furthermore, opinions about news credibility seem to be correlated across media outlets. The data also show a moderate negative linkage between interpersonal discussion of news and perceptions of media credibility for television news but not for newspapers. When controlling for basic demographics, a positive correlation was found between interpersonal communication and online news credibility. Final...

Central Bank Independence : An Update of Theory and Evidence

Abstract: This paper reviews recent research on central bank independence (CBI) After we have distinguished between independence and conservativeness, research in which the inflationary bias is endogenised is reviewed Finally, the various challenges that have been raised against previous empirical findings on CBI are discussed We conclude that the negative relationship between CBI and inflation is quite robust

Fiscal Rules: Useful Policy Framework or Unnecessary Ornament?

Abstract: With the primary objective of conferring credibility on macroeconomic policies, an increasing number of advanced and emerging market economies have adopted various forms of fiscal rules (mainly balanced-budget requirements and debt limits). In contrast to previous fiscal rules, many of which lacked transparency, recently introduced rules have the potential of serving as a useful depoliticized policy framework, and over time, can contribute to stability and growth. To this end, they need to be well designed and supported by an appropriate institutional infrastructure.

The changing character of regulation: a comparison of Europe and the United States.

Abstract: European and U.S. regulatory policies have changed considerably over the past 30 years. In Europe, since the mid-1980s, consumer and environmental regulation has become more politically salient and regulations have by and large become stricter. On the other hand, in the United States consumer and environmental issues have become less salient and contentious, and regulations have not become (comparatively) stricter. This apparent “flip-flop” of regulatory systems has not been analyzed in much detail to date. This perspective is an attempt to analyze some examples in which it has occurred and identifies one possible cause—namely, credibility. Commentary Ortwin Renn, p.406 Commentary David Slater, p.410 Commentary Michael D. Rogers, p.412

Checks and Balances, Private Information, and the Credibility of Monetary Commitments

Abstract: In economically volatile conditions in which it is more difficult for the public to distinguish inflation deliberately generated by government from inflation created by unanticipated economic shocks, the anti-inflationary effect of central bank independence will be unchanged but the effectiveness of exchange rate pegs will be significantly improved. Keefer and Stasavage develop and test several new hypotheses about the anti-inflationary effect of central bank independence and exchange rate pegs in the context of different institutions and different degrees of citizen information about government policies. Theory provides strong reason to believe that while central bank independence will prove more effective as a commitment mechanism in countries where multiple players in government have veto power (checks and balances), the number of veto players will have no effect on the credibility of exchange rate pegs. Conversely, Keefer and Stasavage argue that central bank independence does not solve problems of commitment that arise when citizens are imperfectly informed about the contribution of government policy to inflation. Exchange rate pegs, however, mitigate these problems. The authors present extensive evidence from cross-country tests using newly developed data that provide strong support for their propositions. This paper - a product of Regulation and Competition Policy, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the institutional conditions for policy reform and success. The authors may be contacted at pkeefer@worldbank.org or d.stasavage@lse.ac.uk.

A Comparison of Traditional and Web-Based Tutorials in Marketing Education: An Exploratory Study:

Abstract: Crucial to achieving educational effectiveness and academic credibility is the systematic evaluation of innovative practices. Despite the rapid advance of cutting-edge technologies such as the Inte...

Web credibility research: a method for online experiments and early study results

Abstract: Through iterative design and testing, we developed a procedure for conducting online experiments. Using this research method, we conducted two recent studies on Web credibility. The data from the first study suggest that Web banner ads reduce the perceived credibility of a Web page's content. The data from the second study show that attribution elements--in this case, author photographs--can also affect the credibility of Web content. This research method and our early results have implications for both HCI researchers and Web site designers.

Source Credibility in Environmental Health – Risk Controversies: Application of Meyer's Credibility Index

Abstract: This article applies an existing five-item index for measuring source credibility in the context of environmental health – risk controversy. Survey data were gathered in five upstate New York communities facing environmental health – risk issues. Analysis of the five case studies and a combined dataset (N= 870) show that the credibility index was consistently reliable across all applications. Use of the resulting index is demonstrated through a comparison of the credibility of the New York State Department of Health (active in each case), the industries associated with each case, and the newspaper providing coverage of each case. The credibility index was used to predict risk judgments in a structural equation model. Overall, the analysis demonstrated that the credibility index performed consistently well across the five cases and illuminated important differences in each. As such, the index should be a useful addition to many environmental health and risk communication studies.

Leadership Credibility, Board Relations, and Administrative Innovation at the Local Government Level

Abstract: This article explores the association between administrative leadership, elected board behavior, and administrative innovation at the municipal level. It is hypothesized that city administrators

Qualitative research and marketing management

Abstract: In reviewing the management literature, especially marketing management, it is evident that little attention has been paid to qualitative research in the discipline. This is perhaps due to the propensity to apply quantitative approaches in an attempt to establish the credibility of a relatively young subject. However, to neglect qualitative research methods in marketing can stifle innovation, creativity and new ways of thinking that are the very essence of successful marketing. In order to appreciate fully the value of qualitative research it is necessary to consider its historical development.

Accountability, Credibility, Transparency and Stabilization Policy in the Eurosystem

Abstract: This paper surveys and evaluates alternative views regarding the desirable combination of accountability, credibility and trasnparency in the newly created ECB (European Central Bank), including recent controversies regarding publication of minutes, Council member votes and ECB forecasts.

Managing employee expectations during acquisitions

Abstract: There is a wide body of evidence that suggests that the management of 'human factors' in post-acquisition implementation is important and, where it is badly managed, helps to explain why up to half of acquisitions are not deemed to be successful. A central feature in this process is the management of employee expectations. Using research insights drawn from the management and formation of expectations in recruitment and from breaches of the psychological contract, this article reports on research in organisations subject to a takeover within two years of the field work. Detailed findings on two of these cases are used to explore the dimensions of dual expectations in such circumstances. It is suggested that employees in acquired companies have concerns that become expectations concerning both themselves ('me') and their work group ('us'), ranging from immediate job and employment worries on transfer to longer-term status and behavioural and cultural concerns in the 'new' organisation. These expectations will vary over time and have different facets according to the seniority of the employee, the degree of integration sought by the acquirer and the extent to which expectations formed are proven to be realistic and realisable. The two cases analysed reveal different aspects of unmet expectations in acquisitions. Seven factors were identified as influential in shaping employees' expectations in acquisitions: quality of communication, believability of information, trust in management action, credibility of leadership, fairness of action, consistency of action and communication and logic of management action or behaviour.

Paradoxes of the Web: The Ethical Dimensions of Credibility.

Abstract: This essay review the issues surrounding determinations of the credibility of online materials. The author argues, first, that the World Wide Web, and the larger Internet, comprise some very difficult and distinctive features that make conventional ways of assessing credibility adequate only within a fairly bounded frame; second, that beyond this bounded frame, standard credibility measures encounter some paradoxical and self-undermining consequences; third, that this picture is complicated further by the fact that credibility actually covers several very different sorts of factors, not all of them matters of judging truth and falsity per se; and therefore, fourth, that the assessment of credibility needs to address the social and normative factors that actually shape the character and quality of online information. These considerations combine to reveal an ethical dimension to many credibility assessments.

The Roles of Sex, Empathy, and Credibility in Out-of-Class Communication Between Faculty and Students

Abstract: As the process of education extends beyond the formal classroom, this article focuses on out-of-class (OOC) communication between faculty and students. A study exploring the roles of student sex and instructor sex, as well as student perceptions of instructor empathy and credibility in OOC was conducted. The results of the study indicate that empathy, credibility and sex of student and instructor all influence the amount and kinds of OOC communication that occur. As ratings of instructor empathy and credibility rise, students are more likely to engage in OOC communication, and this pattern is particularly pronounced for female students. Also, a same-sex preference for OOC communication was found. Implications and directions for further research are included.

Perceived instructor credibility and verbal aggressiveness in the college classroom

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among perceived instructor credibility (i.e., competence, character, caring), perceived instructor verbal aggressiveness, and perceived instructor use of 10 primary types of verbally aggressive messages (i.e., character attacks, competence attacks, background attacks, physical appearance attacks, malediction, teasing, ridicule, threats, swearing, nonverbal emblems). Participants were 273 students enrolled in a variety of courses at a small midwestern university. Results indicated that (a) perceived instructor competence, character, and caring are all negatively correlated with perceived instructor verbal aggressiveness and (b) significant negative relationships exist between perceived instructor competence, character, and caring and perceived instructor use of the 10 types of verbally aggressive messages, with the exception of a nonsignificant relationship between perceived instructor competence and perceived instructor use of the teasing verbally...

A History of the Churches in Australasia

Abstract: 1. From Missions to Churches 2. Organizing Christian Churches from the 1830s to the 1870s 3. The Making of Christian Societies 4. New Opportunities for Mission and Service 5. Wars and Depression 6. Creating New Societies 7. Searching for Credibility Conclusion Bibliography Glossary Index

Do PR Practitioners Have a PR Problem?: The Effect of Associating a Source With Public Relations and Client-Negative News on Audience Perception of Credibility

Abstract: Through a 2 × 2 factorial experiment (N = 141), information source type (public relations spokesperson or generic spokesperson) and message topic (client-neutral and client-negative) were varied to determine whether they affect audience perception of source credibility. Results suggest public relations professionals and the organizations they represent are perceived as less credible than unidentified sources and their employers. Also, sources and their sponsors communicating organization-negative news are perceived as less credible than those communicating client-neutral information.

The Sources of Threat Credibility in Extended Deterrence

Abstract: For deterrence to work, a potential attacker needs to perceive the deterrer's threats as capable and credible for retaliation. The issue of relative capabilities has been extensively analyzed, yet ...

Credibility rating platform

Abstract: A system for associating a credibility rating with a document located in an online search. The system comprises an information gathering device adapted to retrieve the document from an information source, an information analysis device adapted to determine an online id associated with the document, and a credibility rating system adapted to provide the credibility rating associated with the online id to the information analysis device. The system is adapted to allow a user to retrieve the credibility rating associated with the document.

Enforcement of Implicit Employment Contracts through Unionization

Abstract: In a world in which employment contracts are incomplete, it is costly for a firm to establish credibility for honoring implicit terms of employment agreements. By monitoring the employment relationships between the firm and its workers, the labor union may provide the workforce with valuable information regarding the firm's adherence to these implicit agreements. Thus, the union provides a signaling mechanism that allows workers to coordinate their actions in order to discipline the firm for a breach of the implicit contract. This mechanism enhances the firm's credibility when forming employment contracts and facilitates increased employment levels.

The Perils of N = 1

Abstract: Research projects have three phases: (1) design, (2) execution, and (3) systematic exploration of range and limits. To achieve external credibility, positivistic and interpretive consumer researchers must pay close attention to phase 3.

Managing knowledge for personal and organisational benefit

Abstract: The authors build on a recent article which highlighted the difficulty that many managers have in understanding why knowledge management (KM) is important for them personally and their organisation. It argued that the issue can be addressed by ensuring that KM is understood in ways that illustrate its managerial currency, actionability and relevance and described how to achieve currency and actionability of the KM idea. This second paper addresses “personal relevance”, the other essential characteristic of usable ideas. The authors illustrate how different managerial roles can appreciate this personal relevance by focusing their activity selectively on different domains of managerial knowledge and specific, targeted knowledge management activities. KM is revealed as a usable idea which enhances their personal effectiveness, organisational influence and credibility as well as long‐term organisational interest. A personal KM audit is presented.