Research Propositions (research + proposition)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


A critical cross-cultural perspective for developing nonprofit international management capacity

NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP, Issue 4 2009
Terence Jackson
Issues of the effectiveness of international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are becoming critical among a claim that cultural sensitivity to people's needs and the appropriateness of interventions is a competitive advantage of the sector. Here, the cross-cultural management agenda is set out, particularly in terms of the transferability or appropriateness of management knowledge and development interventions. Research propositions are presented that, if supported through future empirical findings, suggest cultural hybridization is a process that can be managed through greater stakeholder involvement, leading to greater appropriateness as well as effectiveness of international NGOs. [source]


Organizational Challenges and Strategic Responses of Retail TNCs in Post-WTO-Entry China

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY, Issue 1 2009
Wance Tacconelli
abstract In the context of a market characterized by the enduring legacy of socialism through governmental ownership of retail businesses, the continued presence of domestic retailers, and increasing levels of competition, this article examines the organizational challenges faced by, and the strategic responses adopted by, a group of leading food and general merchandise retail transnational corporations (TNCs) in developing networks of stores in the post-WTO-entry Chinese market. On the basis of extensive interview-based fieldwork conducted in China from 2006 to 2008, the article details the attempts of these retail TNCs to embed their operations in Chinese logistics and supply networks, real estate markets, and consumer cultures,three dimensions that are fundamental to the achievement of market competitiveness by the retail TNCs. The article illustrates how this process of territorial embeddedness presents major challenges for the retail TNCs and how their strategic responses vary substantially, indicating different routes to the achievement of organizational legitimacy in China. The article concludes by offering an analysis of the various strategic responses of the retail TNCs and by suggesting some future research propositions on the globalization of the retail industry. [source]


Nostalgia and giving to charity: a conceptual framework for discussion and research

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 1 2008
Altaf Merchant
Academic work involving nostalgia has shown it to evoke a basket of emotions. This paper proposes a conceptual model that links nostalgia to charitable giving. We argue that the nostalgia evoked by certain NPOs (not-for-profit organizations) is likely to have a bearing on both emotional and familial utility derived by the donor. This in turn is likely to drive the donor commitment to the NPO. Thus by evoking nostalgia, certain NPOs are likely to emotionally engage their current and potential donors, which could facilitate the creation of long-term intimate relationships between them and their donors. However, the extent to which the NPO can evoke nostalgia is likely to depend upon the nostalgia proneness of the donor, the emotional importance of the past experiences evoked by the NPO, and the characteristics of the NPO such as the extent to which the NPO can alleviate the feelings of alienation, discontinuity, and the need for authenticity experienced by the donor. The paper provides a series of research propositions and proposes a research agenda. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Brand orientation in the charity sector: a framework for discussion and research

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 3 2001
Philippa Hankinson
Some charity organisations are turning to charity brand status, not only in terms of a name and logo but more importantly in terms of communicating value and meaning to their stakeholders. Brand orientation is described in this paper as the extent to which charity organisations regard themselves as brands, an indication of how much (or how little) organisations accept the theory and practice of branding. Through literature-based and field-based research, this paper examines the nature of brand orientation in the charity sector. A conceptual framework of brand orientation is proposed with antecedent factors which may augment or diminish levels of brand orientation and consequences which may follow its adoption. A number of research propositions are put forward which constitute both a framework for discussion and a research agenda for the charity sector. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications [source]


Large mergers and acquisitions of European brewing groups,event study evidence on value creation

AGRIBUSINESS : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007
Oliver Ebneth
Acquisitions have been the growing trend in recent years, giving brewers the opportunity to enhance their degree of internationalization and market share remarkably through diverse one-off deals. Larger brewers are faced with low prospects for volume growth in developed markets leading them to seek growth either via acquisition of other brewers or by aggressive participation in developing markets or both. This study employs event study analysis to examine 31 mergers and acquisitions among leading European brewing groups. Differences regarding the brewers' corporate success can be determined within the European peer group. The results are discussed by additionally comparing the performance of companies that experienced M&As and companies that did not. Managerial implications as well as future research propositions conclude this article. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Agribusiness 23: 377,406, 2007. [source]


Brain drain in declining organizations: toward a research agenda

JOURNAL OF ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR, Issue 4 2001
Zehava Rosenblatt
Brain drain (BD) is one of the more detrimental implications of organizational decline and crisis, yet it has only been fleetingly addressed in organization studies. In light of this lacuna, the current paper introduces a conceptual framework of BD during decline. A model featuring both BD antecedents (predictors) and consequences is presented, including an analysis of leavers' behavioral characteristics. The paper offers a set of research propositions and concludes with directions for future study. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The effects of structural and grammatical variables on persuasion: An elaboration likelihood model perspective

PSYCHOLOGY & MARKETING, Issue 4 2003
Charles S. Areni
In research examining the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), argument quality has generally been treated as an expedient methodological tool rather than a conceptually meaningful construct. Differences between strong and weak arguments have typically been cast in terms of pretest results and/or the ad hoc interpretations of researchers. Given the importance of creating effective verbal arguments in marketing communications, a stronger theoretical rationale is needed to establish why, exactly, some verbal arguments are more persuasive than others. Drawing on the literature in logic, social psychology, jurisprudence, and sociolinguistics, this research examines various structural and grammatical elements of verbal arguments in order to develop conceptually meaningful definitions of argument quality and more rigorous theoretical accounts of argument-driven persuasion within the ELM. Several research propositions are derived in order to suggest directions for future research on argument-driven persuasion. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]


The scope, motivation and dynamic of Guest Engineering

R & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2001
Michael Lewis
The exchange of technical personnel between organizational actors in a supply network has become known as Guest Engineering (GE). Despite increasing popularity as an inter-organisational arrangement (especially in the automotive sector) it has generated relatively little academic research and therefore this paper seeks to extend our understanding of GE by exploring how its scope is determined, what motivates the participants and how the relationships evolve. The paper draws on extant GE, supply networks and Resource-Based View (RBV) literature to derive research propositions that are used to analyse empirical work carried out with four automotive suppliers and four automotive OEMs. A number of preliminary conclusions are drawn. At a micro-project level, the criticality of the individual ,playing the GE role' is highlighted, as are related concerns that collaborative team structures often fail to address broader social/cultural characteristics. At a macro-project level, the study argues that difficulties and mistrust will often characterise integrated and competitively successful GE relationships. Finally, at a strategic level, GE needs to be understood as a process of resource transfer and transformation, and therefore the management of interdependency and power asymmetry are core considerations in effective adoption. The paper concludes with recommendations for further critical and practical work. [source]


Exploring the Appeal of Product Design: A Grounded, Value-Based Model of Key Design Elements and Relationships,

THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2010
Charles H. Noble
Product design is increasingly being recognized as an important source of sustainable competitive advantage. Until recently, the domain of design has been loosely categorized as "form and function" issues. However, as this paper will explore, product design deals with a much richer range of issues, many of which have not been considered in the marketing literature. To explore the domain and elements of design, the paper begins with two major goals: (1) to elicit the key dimensions of design and to develop an enriched language for the understanding and study of design; and (2) to integrate the design dimensions within a broader model that ties initial design goals to eventual psychological and behavioral responses from consumers. To achieve these ends, grounded theory development is used by conducting an extensive literature review, in-depth interviews, and an interactive object elicitation technique. Drawing from this rich source of qualitative information as well as diverse literature fields, a framework is proposed for the creation of design value in consumer products. This framework not only explores the domain of design but also highlights the important elements of design that go well beyond the clichéd form and function issues. The resulting model reflects specific marketplace and organizational constraints that may help or impede the conversion of designer goals to so-called design levers. These levers are used to convey three types of values to consumers: rational, kinesthetic, and emotional. The framework then explains how and when these different values may be perceived by the consumer. Within this framework, testable research propositions and specific directions for future design-based research are also offered. Beyond its potential to spur marketing and new product development (NPD) management thought, the framework offered here represents a significant contribution to the field of design, which has historically been represented as a highly fragmented body of knowledge. Formalizing this framework should help overcome perhaps the largest obstacle to date to marketing-related and NPD-related research in this area,the lack of a detailed and consistent nomological view of the scope of design dimensions including testable linkages. Design has become an important tool that can be used by managers to develop dominant brands with lasting advantages. This research lends the NPD manager and the marketing manager better insights in into how this increasingly popular focus can be used to influence consumer behavior and firm success. "Design may be our top unexploited competitive edge." Tom Peters, 2004 (cover review of Norman, 2004) "We don't have a good language to talk about [design]. In most people's vocabularies, design means veneer., But to me, nothing could be further from the meaning of design. Design is the fundamental soul of a man-made creation." Steve Jobs, Apple Computers [source]