Manufacturers of different products strive to find profitable ways of getting their products to their end users. They consider multiple channel of distribution including wholesaling, retailing, and direct selling. Catalogue marketing is one of the common channels that have been almost overlooked by Egyptian Organizations. There is a gap in literature on the adoption and determinants of acceptance of catalogue marketing as a direct marketing tool in the Egyptian market. The objective of this study was to understand the determinants of acceptance of catalogue shopping in the Egyptian market, using Safeer Catalogue for Child Development as a case study. A telesurvey with a stratified sample of 500 customers and prospects of Safeer Catalogue for Child Development was conducted. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-square and discriminant analysis were used for data analysis. Results demonstrated a significant difference between members and non-members on the benefits gained from membership demonstrating a clear lack of awareness and the need for communication among customers. In addition, using discriminant analysis, there was no significant difference in the way of thinking among those who bought once or more than once using Safeer Catalogue. The study has significant implications for managers and academics and constituted a major step forward in advancing our knowledge about acceptance and adoption in the catalogue shopping business.

Observing the global market, new smart phone products are constantly entering the market, and conveying diversified product information to consumers has thus become the focus of many enterprises. Among the vast number of marketing methods, spokespersons are most commonly used. Choi & Rifon (2007) pointed out that highly credible spokesperson can make information more convincing. When consumers gain trust in the spokesperson, it not only brings them closer together, but also affects their purchase intention. However, does this also cause them to identify with the company? This study examines the impact of smart phone spokesperson credibility on consumer-company identification (CCI), and uses age as a moderator. The purpose of this study is to examine: 1. If spokesperson credibility has a significant effect on CCI. 2. The moderating effect of age on the impact of spokesperson credibility on CCI.This study conducts a questionnaire survey on Taiwanese consumers in different age groups. A total of 225 questionnaires were issued using convenience sampling on 2014/08/01, and 215 questionnaires were collected by 2014/08/31. SPSS 22.0 was used for positive analysis, in which main data analysis methods include descriptive statistics and regression analysis. Conclusions are as follows: spokesperson credibility resulted in significantly different CCI; age had a moderating effect on the impact of spokesperson credibility on CCI. This study verifies that higher spokesperson credibility resulted in higher CCI. In other words, when more credible spokespersons recommended a product, consumers had higher CCI.

The aim of this research is to analyse the antecedents of consumer’s loyalty toward ISP user in Indonesia. Previous research was done by Chiou (2004) in Taiwan, while this research added two variables, named involvement and behavioural loyalty. Respondent were internet subscribers who pay for their internet connection. Primary data were collected using questionnaire as measurement instrument. Data collection comprises of two phases: the first phase was intended to measure loyalty intention and the second phase was intended to measure behavioural loyalty. The research period is in the year of 2008, and 267 data were analysed. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the proposed model and hypotheses. This research found that the new model of  loyalty antecedents of ISP user in Indonesia, has found the actual loyalty which is showed as behavioural loyalty variable, which it was not measured in previous research.

An effective training has been increasingly recognized as a critical factor in enhancing the skills and knowledge of employee or personnel in the organization. This paper presents the findings of an empirical research which examines the relationship between training in supply chain management (SCM), personnel differentiation and business performance of Malaysian manufacturing companies. The study measures perception of senior management regarding the incorporation of training in SCM and the level of personnel differentiation and business performance measurements in their companies. The associations between training in SCM, personnel differentiation and business performance dimensions are analyzed through methods such as Pearson’s correlations and Smart partial least squares (Smart PLS) utilizing 126 respondents’ data. Specifically, both personnel differentiation and business performance have high correlations with training in SCM, namely ‘Employee training in production skills’, ‘On the job production employee training’ and ‘Management training in supply chain effectiveness’ and ‘Employee training in supply chain technologies’. The smart PLS result also reveals that training in SCM exhibits significant impact on both personnel differentiation (directly) and business performance (indirectly mediated by personnel differentiation).

This research examined attitudes of marketing managers in the Dubai’s Architectural Engineering business, towards employing social media for brand awareness. To enhance, not replace, the conventional activities. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was implemented, modified, and validated, as perceived risks and benefits were hypothesized to influence (explain) managerial attitudes. Calculations of a proposed statistical model were based on a PLS-SEM reflective approach. The literature review brought together this business’s values, interests, and concerns that can associate social media usage. Perceived risks and benefits were summarized, categorized, and then mapped into the available extensions of the TAM model. Perceived Risks were categorized into; Operational and Business risks. The first represented the internal concerns such as human resources, time and cost. While the second covered reputational and security concerns that can influence manager’s attitudes directly. Results showed comparable influences from perceived operational risks and benefits on attitude. Firms’ mangers showed high concern regarding their firms’ reputation, while special appreciation was shown for audience’s opinions. The shortage of knowledge among managers regarding implementing social media in business alerted for urgent awareness training. Managers were advised to focus on certain success factors through which social media can be governed, especially staff delegation and training, as their role was deemed to be the most important.

In the Age of wearable devices, managing new technologies and data generation brings to bear information security and a privacy paradox.  The convergence of wearable sensor technology and personalized predictive analytics has the potential to help researchers with early detection and treatment of medical problems.  However, amidst the excitement for this new healthcare scenario, the amount of personal and sensitive data flowing from wearable devices to the cloud raises concerns about data security and customer privacy.  While cyber-security experts and lawmakers are already working on securing the infrastructure, privacy issues are emerging from individuals’ social habits.  Data from an exploratory study shows how user intent to avoid potential privacy issues disclosing sensitive personal information collides with the individual’s social propensity to share wearable information, generating a potentially regrettable behavior.

This study reports on the practices, plans, and viewpoints held by a segment of U.S. business school deans on business sustainability in the curriculum.  We had a 37% response to our 2014 online survey.  Our findings indicated continued support in academia for the growing global interest in business sustainability.  We also present responses on the challenges and opportunities for sustainability business programs.  As business schools move toward greater adoption of sustainability topics (now required by AACSB and EQUIS standards) we believe our study may provide constructive information for business programs working to further integrate sustainability within their curriculum.

This paper analyses the relationship between institutional distance and geographic distance in scientific collaborations, evaluating the possible changes when a long period (sixteen years: from 1990 to 2005) is taken into consideration. It also discusses the use of some alternative measurements of institutional distance. The main result, obtained by analysing the publications of the Italian biotech firms, is that international publications present a higher institutional distance than national papers, particularly in the early years, while there is no significant difference in institutional distance between regional and extra-regional papers, suggesting that opposite incentives are in action at different geographic scales and in different periods.

Scholars in green marketing expected the market for environmentally friendly products would mature and substantially expand after the year 2000. Today, although many people express their concern about the environment, environmentally friendly products are still not the first choice for most consumers. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour, this research investigates the factors which may influence consumers’ decision when buying energy-saving light bulbs. Descriptive norm, self-identity and past behaviour were hypothesised to influence consumers’ purchasing intention and behaviour. Survey data (N=313) were collected online from New Zealand residents between late 2011 to early 2012. Structural equation modelling was employed for testing the theoretical model. Given the study context and operational definitions of the constructs, all indicators in this study are specified as reflective. Results of the analysis confirm that people with positive attitudinal affections and beliefs, identify themselves as pro-environmental, and have purchased the environmentally friendly products before, tend to have stronger intention to purchase the products. Findings also suggest that most people hold a positive purchasing intention and attitude towards the behaviour (buying energy-saving light bulbs). Practitioners may emphasise these factors when developing marketing strategies to promote similar green products. However, the cross-sectional nature of this study does not allow any causal inference. Further research is needed to examine the causal relationships, as well as the intention-behaviour link.

The purpose of this study is to analyze if female presence in boards of directors affects firms’ corporate reputation, as a form of CSR. The under-representation of women on boardrooms is a heavy discussed topic, not only in Italy. Based on a critical mass theory and with 149 observations taken from a sample of Italian most reputable companies, from 2012 to 2014, we find that a higher percentage of female members in boardrooms tends to positively affect the level of corporate reputation (considered as a form of corporate social responsibility).

This paper examined the results of a needs analysis conducted by a hospital located in southeast Texas which focused on the potential benefits of a formal mentoring program for younger and female employees. Relying on the current literature regarding the Millennial generation (Gen Y) and the differences in career opportunities and mentoring needs between men and women, this study found that sex but not age may predict the mentoring needs of employees.