Showing papers on "Empirical research published in 1998"

Consumers and Their Brands: Developing Relationship Theory in Consumer Research

Abstract: Although the relationship metaphor dominates contemporary marketing thought and practice, surprisingly little empirical work has been conducted on relational phenomena in the consumer products domain, particularly at the level of the brand. In this article, the author: (1) argues for the validity of the relationship proposition in the consumer-brand context, including a debate as to the legitimacy of the brand as an active relationship partner and empirical support for the phenomenological significance of consumer-brand bonds; (2) provides a framework for characterizing and better understanding the types of relationships consumers form with brands; and (3) inducts from the data the concept of brand relationship quality, a diagnostic tool for conceptualizing and evaluating relationship strength. Three in-depth case studies inform this agenda, their interpretation guided by an integrative review of the literature on person-to-person relationships. Insights offered through application of inducted concepts to two relevant research domains — brand loyalty and brand personality — are advanced in closing. The exercise is intended to urge fellow researchers to refine, test, and augment the working hypotheses suggested herein and to progress toward these goals with confidence in the validity of the relationship premise at the level of consumers’ lived experiences with their brands.

Health nutrition and economic development.

Abstract: The relationship between health and economic development is explored focusing on nutrition-based health indicators. The spotlight is placed on the inter-related feedbacks between the influence of health on productivity on one hand and the influence of income on health status on the other. Disentangling causality in these relationships has preoccupied much of the literature; we evaluate different empirical strategies that have been adopted and assess the results. There is now a body of evidence based on careful empirical studies that demonstrates a causal relationship between health and labor productivity; there is also evidence that at least among the very poor additional income is spent on improved nutrition. There are two issues that have received little attention although we argue they are likely to be very important. First measurement of health is discussed in detail. Evidence is presented on how taking into account differences in the extent of measurement error is critical for interpreting the impact of health on wages. The same theme emerges in studies of the effect of income on health (specifically calorie intake). The key role of non-linearities in these relationships is highlighted and we demonstrate that a good deal of the variation in estimates of income elasticities of demand for calories can be ascribed to the role of measurement and functional form. (authors)

The Impact of Market Knowledge Competence on New Product Advantage: Conceptualization and Empirical Examination:

Abstract: Although the role of market knowledge competence in enhancing new product advantage is assumed widely in the literature, empirical studies are lacking because of an absence of the concept definitio...

Network Support and the Success of Newly Founded Businesses

Abstract: The "network approach to entrepreneurship" is a prominent theoretical perspective within the literature on entrepreneurship. This literature assumes that network resources, networking activities and network support are heavily used to establish new firms (network founding hypothesis). Further, those entrepreneurs, who can refer to a broad and diverse social network and who receive much support from their network are more successful (network success hypothesis). Based on a study of 1,700 new business ventures in Upper Bavaria (Germany), the article gives an empirical test of the network success hypothesis. It is argued that one reason, why previous studies did not consistently find positive network effects, may be that social capital (network support) is used to compensate shortfalls of other types of capital (human capital and financial capital). This compensation hypothesis, however, does not find empirical confirmation. On the other hand, however, the network success hypothesis proves to be valid in our analyses, i.e. network support increases the probability of survival and growth of newly founded businesses.

A Critical Analysis of the Research on Learning to Teach: Making the Case for an Ecological Perspective on Inquiry

Abstract: 93 empirical studies on learning to teach were reviewed in order to establish what is currently known about how people learn to teach and to critique the quality of the reporting of that research. Among other observations concerning teacher education, the review highlights the tensions between the hopes and expectations of teacher educators and the expectations and experiences of beginning teachers. While this review supports the findings of others that many traditional programs of teacher education have little effect upon the firmly held beliefs of the beginning teachers, it also provides examples of successful programs. Such programs typically build upon the beliefs of pre service teachers and feature systematic and consistent long-term support in a collaborative setting. It is concluded that this body of research has advanced the field in significant ways, offering new directions for research and program reform. The critique of the papers themselves reveals that authors need to pay more careful attenti...

The new empirics of economic growth

Abstract: We provide an overview of recent empirical research on patterns of cross-country growth. The new empirical regularities considered differ from earlier ones, e.g. the well-known Kaldor stylized facts. The new research no longer makes production function accounting a central part of the analysis. Instead, attention shifts more directly to questions like, Why do some countries grow faster than others? It is this changed focus that, in our view, has motivated going beyond the neoclassical growth model.

The public disclosure of environmental performance information—a dual test of media agenda setting theory and legitimacy theory

Abstract: This paper documents the results of an empirical study undertaken within Australia of the relationship between the print media coverage given to various industries' environmental effects, and the levels of annual report environmental disclosures made by a sample of firms within those industries. The paper draws upon previous studies in media agenda setting theory and legitimacy theory to develop two testable hypotheses. Nine industries are reviewed across the period from 1981–1994. Drawing upon two theories, it is argued that the media can be particularly effective in driving the community's concern about the environmental performance of particular organisations (from media agenda setting theory). Where such concern is raised, organisations will respond by increasing the extent of disclosure of environmental information within the annual report (from legitimacy theory). The results indicate that for the majority of the industries studied, higher levels of media attention (as determined by a revie...

Doing research in business and management: an introduction to process and method

Abstract: PART ONE: CONTEXT AND PROCESS Business and Management Research in Perspective Philosophical Background to Research Research Strategies and Tactics The Research Programme and Process PART TWO: APPROACH, METHOD AND DATA The Positivist Approach to Empirical Research Phenomenology: The Non-Positivist Approach The Research Process Collecting Empirical Data The Questionnaire The Case Study The Sample Statistical Analysis PART THREE: REPORTING RESEARCH Ethical Considerations Writing Up the Research Evaluation of Masters and Doctoral Degrees

Qualitative Methods in Social Work Research: Challenges and Rewards

Abstract: Introduction The Researcher as Instrument Getting Started Choosing a Topic and Designing the Study Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research Entering the Field and Sampling Strategies Data Collection Data Management and Analysis Rigor and Relevance in Qualitative Research Telling the Story Writing Up the Qualitative Study Multimethod Research The Synergy of Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods Epilogue Qualitative Methods in Social Work Education: Toward Developing an Infrastructure

The New Empirics of Economic Growth

Abstract: We provide an overview of recent empirical research on patterns of cross-country growth. The new empirical regularities considered differ from earlier ones, e.g., the well-known Kaldor stylized facts. The new research no longer makes production function accounting a central part of the analysis. Instead, attention shifts more directly to questions like, Why do some countries grow faster than others? It is this changed focus that, in our view, has motivated going beyond the neoclassical growth model.

Public Support for European Integration: An Empirical Test of Five Theories

Abstract: Public opinion, through its impact on mass behavior, shapes and constrains the process of European integration Why do citizens vary in their support for European integration? Previous research offers a variety of sometimes conflicting explanations, but the available evidence is insufficient to determine which explanations are valid. This article seeks to contribute to the resolution of this controversy by empirically examining five prominent theories of support for integration. Through regression analyses of Eurobarometer surveys from the period 1978-1992, the analysis shows that the partisan context of integrative reforms and the utilitarian consequences of integrative policy provide robust explanations for variation in support. In contrast, two other prominent theories-political values and cognitive mobilization-are only valid in a limited context, and in this context they exert a small substantive impact on support.

Are financial incentives related to performance? A meta-analytic review of empirical research.

Abstract: The relationship of financial incentives to performance quality and quantity is cumulated over 39 studies containing 47 relationships. Financial incentives were not related to performance quality but had a corrected correlation of.34 with performance quantity. Setting (laboratory, field, experimental simulation) and theoretical framework moderated the relationship, but task type did not.

An empirical study on consumer acceptance of products in electronic markets: a transaction cost model

Abstract: Electronic commerce is gaining much attention from researchers and practitioners. Although increasing numbers of products are being marketed on the web, little effort has been spent on studying what product is more suitable for marketing electronically and why. In this research, a model based on the transaction cost theory is developed to tackle the problem. It is assumed that customers will go with a channel that has lower transactional costs. In other words, whether a customer would buy a product electronically is determined by the transaction cost of the channel. The transaction cost of a product on the web is determined by the uncertainty and asset specificity. An empirical study involving eight-six Internet users was conducted to test the model. Five products with different characteristics (book, shoes, toothpaste, microwave oven, and flower) were used in the study. The results indicate that (1) different products do have different customer acceptance on the electronic market, (2) the customer acceptance is determined by the transaction cost, which is in turn determined by the uncertainty and asset specificity, and (3) experienced shoppers are concerned more about the uncertainty in electronic shopping, whereas inexperienced shoppers are concerned with both.

Assessing Spatial Equity: An Evaluation of Measures of Accessibility to Public Playgrounds:

Abstract: Geographical and political research on urban service delivery—who benefits and why—has proliferated during the past two decades. Overall, this literature is not characterized by a particular attention to the importance of method in drawing conclusions about spatial equity based on empirical studies. Specifically, there has been scant interest in the effect of geographic methodology on assessing the relationship between access and socioeconomic characteristics that are spatially defined. In this paper we take a spatial analytical perspective to evaluate the importance of methodology in assessing whether or not, or to what degree the distribution of urban public services is equitable. We approach this issue by means of an empirical case study of the spatial distribution of playgrounds in Tulsa, Oklahoma, relative to that of the targeted constituencies (children) and other socioeconomic indicators. In addition to the ‘traditional’ measure (count of facilities in an areal unit), we consider a potential measur...

Theories and Empirical Studies of International Institutions

Abstract: Studies of international institutions, organizations, and regimes have consistently appeared in the pages of International Organization. We review the theoretical and empirical work on international institutions and identify promising directions for the institutionalist research program. Early studies of international institutions were rich with empirical insights and often influenced by theoretical developments in other fields of political science, but lacking an overarching analytical framework they failed to produce a coherent body of scholarship. Current efforts to reinvigorate the study of international institutions draw on a new body of theory about domestic institutions. We argue that the assumptions of this new approach to institutions are more appropriate to international studies than those of earlier attempts to transfer theories across levels of analysis. We suggest that the most productive questions for future research will focus on specifying alternative mechanisms by which institutions can influence outcomes and identify particular sets of questions within this agenda that are especially promising.

Ten commandments for motivating language learners: results of an empirical study:

Abstract: The question of how to motivate language learners has been a neglected area in L2 motivation research, and even the few available analyses lack an adequate research base. This article presents the results of an empirical survey aimed at obtaining classroom data on motivational strategies. Two hundred Hungarian teachers of English from various language teaching institutions were asked how important they considered a selection of 51 strategies and how frequently they used them in their teaching practice. Based on their responses we have compiled a concise set of ten motivational macrostrategies, which we have called the ‘Ten commandments for motivating language learners’. On the basis of the frequency data, we also discuss which of the commandments tend to be particularly underutilized in the language classroom.

Cognitive diversity among upper-echelon executives: implications for strategic decision processes

Abstract: Diversity among executives is widely assumed to influence a firm's strategic decision processes, but empirical research on this linkage has been virtually nonexistent. To partially fill the void, we drew upon three separate studies to examine the impact of executive diversity on comprehensiveness of strategic decision-making and extensiveness of strategic planning. Contrary to common assumptions of researchers and executives, our results suggest that executive diversity inhibits rather than promotes comprehensive examinations of current opportunities and threats, and inhibits rather than promotes extensive long-range planning. In light of the cumulative research showing that firm performance is related to both comprehensiveness and extensiveness, our results provide evidence for an indirect connection between executive diversity and firm performance. ? 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Uncertainty, trust, and commitment formation in the United States and Japan

Abstract: A theory of trust proposed by Yamagishi and Yamagishi provides the basis for the prediction that (1) social uncertainty promotes commitment formation between particular partners and (2) high trusters tend to form committed relations less frequently than would low trusters when facing social uncertainty. These predictions receive support in two experiments conducted in the United States and Japan. The findings provide empirical support for the theory of trust that emhasizes the role of general trust (trust in others in general) in emancipating people fromt the confines of safe, but closed relationships. The results also offer a theoretical explanation for what have been viewed in the past as cultural differences.

Networking Network Studies: An Analysis of Conceptual Configurations in the Study of Inter-organizational Relationships

Abstract: Given the recent accumulation of research on inter-organizational relations and networks and the current fragmentation of the field, it is time to take stock and explore the achievements of, and future challenges for, this field of study. On the basis of a network analysis of the 158 articles on inter-organizational relations and networks that were published in four leading journals from 1980 to 1996, this paper empirically explores the linkages among, and configurations of, core theories and concepts underlying earlier empirical research on inter-organizational relations and networks. We identify core, as well as peripheral, areas of research interest in the field and point out areas of overlap and consolidation. Moreover, our empirical analysis shows that the field segments into four substantive research perspectives, namely social network, power and control, institutional, and institutional economics and strategy clusters. In sum, we suggest an innovative, empirically grounded approach towards a litera...

Uncertainty in the transaction environment: An empirical test

Abstract: Previous studies examining the relationship between uncertainty and vertical integration have produced a conflicting set of results. To clarify this puzzle we drew on the literature to conceptualize three distinct forms of uncertainty—primary, competitive, and supplier—and hypothesized that each had a different effect on vertical integration. The hypotheses were tested using experimental data collected from 308 managers. Consistent with our prediction of differential effects, we found that primary and competitive uncertainty were negatively associated with the decision to vertically integrate, but supplier uncertainty was positively related to the vertical integration decision. No interaction effects were found. Implications for theory and research are suggested. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The design and analysis of longitudinal studies of development and psychopathology in context: Statistical models and methodological recommendations

Abstract: The utility and flexibility of recent advances in statistical methods for the quantitative analysis of developmental data--in particular, the methods of individual growth modeling and survival analysis--are unquestioned by methodologists, but have yet to have a major impact on empirical research within the field of developmental psychopathology and elsewhere. In this paper, we show how these new methods provide developmental psychopathologists with powerful ways of answering their research questions about systematic changes over time in individual behavior and about the occurrence and timing of life events. In the first section, we present a descriptive overview of each method by illustrating the types of research questions that each method can address, introducing the statistical models, and commenting on methods of model fitting, estimation, and interpretation. In the following three sections, we offer six concrete recommendations for developmental psychopathologists hoping to use these methods. First, we recommend that when designing studies, investigators should increase the number of waves of data they collect and consider the use of accelerated longitudinal designs. Second, we recommend that when selecting measurement strategies, investigators should strive to collect equatable data prospectively on all time-varying measures and should never standardize their measures before analysis. Third, we recommend that when specifying statistical models, researchers should consider a variety of alternative specifications for the time predictor and should test for interactions among predictors, particularly interactions between substantive predictors and time. Our goal throughout is to show that these methods are essential tools for answering questions about life-span developmental processes in both normal and atypical populations and that their proper use will help developmental psychopathologists and others illuminate how important contextual variables contribute to various pathways of development.

Stress and Job Performance: Theory, Research, and Implications for Managerial Practice

Abstract: An Introduction to Occupational Stress Stressors in the Workplace Job Performance as an Outcome Variable The Evidence Empirical Research on Stressors and Job Performance Individual Differences Impacting Stressor-Performance Relationships Future Issues in the Study of Occupational Stress and Job Performance

Business students and ethics: A meta-analysis

Abstract: Given the proliferation of research regarding the ethical development of students in general, and business students in particular, it is difficult to draw conclusions from the contradictory results of many studies. In this meta-analysis of empirical studies from 1985 through 1994, the relationships of gender, age and undergraduate major to the ethical attitudes and behavior of business students are analyzed. The results indicate that female students exhibit stronger ethical attitudes than males. The same is also true for older versus younger students. However, the relationship with undergraduate major is still difficult to interpret.