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Article
Publication date: 1 April 1996

Adrian Sargeant

It would be difficult to find a college or university business school that is not currently offering a training programme for small business. Yet despite the enthusiasm with which…

748

Abstract

It would be difficult to find a college or university business school that is not currently offering a training programme for small business. Yet despite the enthusiasm with which providers have entered the market, the take‐up rates remain low. Examines the underlying reasons why this might be so and discusses the findings of a detailed survey of 400 small businesses residing in the county of Devon. Shows that education providers are out of touch with the market and, moreover, have a very negative image which must be overcome before small business training can be utilized to its full potential. Calls for greater co‐operation between institutional providers and local Training and EnterpriseCouncils to ensure that this situation is rectified.

Details

Industrial and Commercial Training, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0019-7858

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 May 2011

Zoe Lee and Adrian Sargeant

This paper aims to address the issue of survey distortion caused by one of the most common and pervasive sources of bias, namely social desirability bias (SDB). Despite 50 years…

4187

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to address the issue of survey distortion caused by one of the most common and pervasive sources of bias, namely social desirability bias (SDB). Despite 50 years of research, there are still many unanswered questions about its conceptualisation and operationalisation. The authors argue that traditional measures of SDB are inadequate and that the context in which the research is being conducted should be reflected in the measures employed. Hence, the authors develop and validate a multi‐dimensional scale that may be used to measure the degree of SDB present in responses to giving surveys.

Design/methodology/approach

Following initial scale development procedures a convenience sample of 820 donors to a national charity was employed to refine the resultant scale items. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability tests were conducted to establish the dimensionality of the new scale and its reliability. Using a separate sample of 1,500 active donors, the scale was then subject to confirmatory procedures to test its predictive validity.

Findings

The findings support the assertion that SDB is a multi‐dimensional construct consisting of six dimensions. However, in the context of postal surveys it is found that self‐deception and the degree of intrinsic benefit accruing to a donor are the primary determinants of the level of SDB an individual will exhibit. The authors also highlight the significance of the SDB issue since in the survey reported here, 65 per cent of respondents were found to over‐report their giving.

Originality/value

This is one of the first published studies that has been able to explore the predictive validity of a SDB scale. The work has expanded our understanding of the determinants of SDB and provided an instrument that may now be employed to reduce a significant proportion of this error in giving surveys.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 45 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1998

Adrian Sargeant and Saadia Asif

It is the purpose of this article to explore the relevance of the concept of internal marketing to the financial service arena and the extent to which it may be possible to…

2614

Abstract

It is the purpose of this article to explore the relevance of the concept of internal marketing to the financial service arena and the extent to which it may be possible to utilise internal marketing as a means of reducing the service gaps postulated by Parasuraman et al. The study is based on an analysis of 33 depth interviews with managers from two major UK clearing banks. In general, the research found no evidence that internal marketing as a concept is as yet fully understood by management, either at the junior, or more senior levels, within each organisation. There is at present little understanding of the needs of employees, and internal market research is noticeably absent. The results reveal a clear need for both institutions to adopt a more strategic perspective on their internal marketing activity. It will be argued that a failure to do so is likely to result in a widening of the service gaps and failure to compete effectively in a market increasingly driven by the quality of the service demanded.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2000

Saadia Asif and Adrian Sargeant

The increasingly competitive financial service environment has recently forced organizations to consider the role that their employees might play in the attainment of a genuinely…

5506

Abstract

The increasingly competitive financial service environment has recently forced organizations to consider the role that their employees might play in the attainment of a genuinely sustainable source of competitive advantage. The role of internal communication has thus acquired particular significance as organizations strive to communicate customer needs, organizational values etc. to staff working at every level and, moreover, to encourage staff to maintain a two‐way dialogue with management. It is the purpose of this article to model this communications process, examining the nature of the process, the outcomes thereof and those variables that have the capacity to moderate outcomes, in the context of two UK Clearing Banks. A qualitative approach based on grounded theory has been adopted.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 34 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1996

Adrian Sargeant and Robin Angus Matheson

Describes how business schools are currently facing a recruitment crisis. Increased competition and smaller numbers of students have placed many business programmes in jeopardy…

512

Abstract

Describes how business schools are currently facing a recruitment crisis. Increased competition and smaller numbers of students have placed many business programmes in jeopardy. Clearly business schools need to get closer to industry and structure their programmes to match the needs of employers if they are to be able to survive into the long term. Reports the findings of research carried out to ascertain the needs of employers in Exeter. A postal survey was undertaken of 400 employers employing over 50 employees on a given site to ascertain in detail the scope and nature of the management training they were currently supporting. Data were also gathered in respect of the attitudes of employers to business schools and the criteria they apply to assist in their selection. Shows that Devonian employers are spending well under half the national average on training and a greater percentage of that training is now undertaken in‐house. Management education continues to be a priority for most businesses although there are mixed perceptions in respect of the most appropriate mode of delivery. Finds that a greater participation with local enterprise is called for, together with the possible adoption of a consortia‐based management programme which would incorporate a greater degree of flexibility to allow employers to “pick and mix” the training they require.

Details

Journal of European Industrial Training, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0590

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2000

Lizar Alfansi and Adrian Sargeant

The recent economic turmoil in Indonesia has hit the financial service sector hard. Consumer confidence in banks is low and institutions are having to work harder than ever to…

4986

Abstract

The recent economic turmoil in Indonesia has hit the financial service sector hard. Consumer confidence in banks is low and institutions are having to work harder than ever to recruit and retain their customers. In this article the potential for banks to utilize benefit segmentation to assist them in this context is explored. It will be argued that for benefit segmentation to offer any real utility in this context, a link must be found between benefits and general observable characteristics, such as demographics. To ascertain whether such a link exists, a primary study of 1,000 individuals was conducted in the city of Bengkulu, Southwest Sumatra. As the results will show, while discrete bundles of benefits were identified, they would appear generally unrelated to consumer demographics.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2001

Pumela Msweli and Adrian Sargeant

This paper proposes a model of distributor retention in network marketing (NWM) organisations based on a review of the existing literature from salesforce management, turnover and…

2578

Abstract

This paper proposes a model of distributor retention in network marketing (NWM) organisations based on a review of the existing literature from salesforce management, turnover and marketing perspectives. It is hypothesised that a number of the characteristics of NWM organisations, and those of the individual distributors themselves, could offer considerable utility in allowing NWM organisations to predict the duration of the relationship that they might expect to develop with a particular distributor.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 19 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 31 May 2011

Roger Bennett, Finola Kerrigan and Daragh O'Reilly

2219

Abstract

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 45 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 December 2000

Anne Broderick

316

Abstract

Details

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 3 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-2752

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 2000

Adrian Payne, Sue Holt and Pennie Frow

The concept of value in relationship marketing is a theme of increasing interest. This paper examines the concepts of employee value, customer value and shareholder value and the…

6878

Abstract

The concept of value in relationship marketing is a theme of increasing interest. This paper examines the concepts of employee value, customer value and shareholder value and the linkages between them. It reviews research on the service‐profit chain framework and other related models and then discusses the extent to which linkage models or enterprise performance models, which integrate these components of value, have been adopted by organisations. An example is used to illustrate the adoption and use of an enterprise performance model. Implications for the retail financial services sector are considered.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 18 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

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