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1 – 10 of 539
Article
Publication date: 1 March 1991

Patriya Tansuhaj, James W. Gentry, Joby John, L. Lee Manzer and Bong Jin Cho

Do consumers in countries that differ widely in cultural values andin economic development also differ in their resistance to innovations?And, if so, why? Addressing these…

Abstract

Do consumers in countries that differ widely in cultural values and in economic development also differ in their resistance to innovations? And, if so, why? Addressing these questions will help international marketing managers formulate an appropriate strategy for a successful product introduction in diverse foreign markets. In this five‐country study, the cultural values of fatalism, traditionalism, and religious commitment were found to explain cross‐cultural variation in innovation resistance in Senegal and in the United States, but not in India, South Korea, or Thailand. Even though the results were different for every country, fatalism was generally associated with less willingness to try new non‐technical products and with higher levels of perceived product risk. Differences were found to be related to entertainment and media innovations as opposed to technical or fashion‐oriented innovations. The results do not support the contention that a global, standardised marketing strategy may be appropriate for the introduction of new products in foreign markets.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2004

Peter Raven and Dianne H.B. Welsh

The Middle East is a growing and lucrative marketplace. This exploratory study examines retail service in Kuwait and Lebanon, regions with long histories of trade. Retail service…

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Abstract

The Middle East is a growing and lucrative marketplace. This exploratory study examines retail service in Kuwait and Lebanon, regions with long histories of trade. Retail service, however, has not been well documented in this region. As far as is known, this is the first study that examines customer and salespeople perceptions of service encounters in these countries in light of their culture, religion, and nationalities. As retailers expand into new markets worldwide, such information is vital to their success. Future research directions are discussed.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

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Article
Publication date: 11 March 2019

Laura Guerrero and Luciana Turchick Hakak

A dark side of global mobility is that many immigrants have negative work outcomes. Studies have analyzed the antecedents to poor work outcomes from the immigrants’ point of view…

Abstract

Purpose

A dark side of global mobility is that many immigrants have negative work outcomes. Studies have analyzed the antecedents to poor work outcomes from the immigrants’ point of view or from that of host country nationals. The purpose of this paper is to propose a relational model, which applies terror management theory to address how the economic mobility beliefs of immigrants and host country nationals interact and how these different combinations of beliefs affect the self-esteem of immigrants.

Design/methodology/approach

This theoretical model considers the impact of the social interactions between immigrants and host country nationals when immigrants’ mortality is salient.

Findings

In hostile environments that make immigrants’ mortality salient, lack of confirmation of immigrants’ beliefs about economic mobility from host country nationals can lead to a decrease in immigrants’ self-esteem and therefore to negative work outcomes.

Practical implications

As the number of immigrants grows, so do concerns about their ability to contribute to the economy. Lack of confirmation of their beliefs in a context in which their mortality is salient, is likely to lead to lower self-esteem and perhaps other negative outcomes.

Originality/value

This paper is the first, to the authors’ knowledge, to use terror management theory to advance our understanding of the outcome of a lack of confirmation from host country nationals of immigrants’ beliefs on economic mobility under conditions of mortality salience.

Details

Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-8799

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Article
Publication date: 29 July 2014

Hoda Baytiyeh and Mohamad K. Naja

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the unique and necessary role that Middle Eastern educational institutions must play to reduce the negative influence of fatalism regarding…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the unique and necessary role that Middle Eastern educational institutions must play to reduce the negative influence of fatalism regarding risk perception and disasters.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on conceptual analysis and real situational cases to confirm the existing fatalistic attitudes in the Middle Eastern communities and shows how education can be used to reduce and limit the negative effects of such fatalism on earthquake risk mitigation.

Findings

The paper calls for the integration of critical thinking along with disaster risk education throughout the schools’ system to reduce the dominating culture of fatalism and to facilitate the implementation of disaster risk reduction strategies in the Middle Eastern communities. In addition, the assistance of the religion instructors and clergy, in reducing fatalistic attitudes has positive implications.

Originality/value

The paper represents an effort to accelerate the implementation of earthquake disaster risk reduction strategies in the Middle Eastern vulnerable communities. It uncovers the mask on one of the most critical social issues that has for long time hindered social progress in the Middle East region.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management, vol. 23 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2016

Hoda Baytiyeh and Mohamad Naja

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of awareness and beliefs on college students’ preparedness for earthquake risks in Lebanon.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of awareness and beliefs on college students’ preparedness for earthquake risks in Lebanon.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was used to investigate Lebanese college students’ (n=901) perceptions and preparedness for earthquake hazards. Three factors were assessed to determine students’ disaster preparedness (DP): hazard and vulnerability awareness (HVA), fatalistic beliefs (FB) and denial beliefs (DB).

Findings

The findings indicate an above average level of earthquake HVA among college students. Although the results do not reflect a high tendency towards DB, participants showed some inclinations to FB. Multiple regression showed that earthquake HVA plays the most important role in determining earthquake preparedness while denial and FB have a negative effect on DP. Fatalism is embedded in Middle Eastern societies, so higher education institutions are urged to increase the preparation knowledge of college students.

Originality/value

This study offers a discussion of the interaction of awareness and belief factors and their effects on vulnerable communities.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2020

Seyed Ali Alavi and Mahdi Azizi

This paper aims to enumerate the factors influencing the process of decision-making, those which are mostly related to personality affected by cultures and sub-cultures dominating…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to enumerate the factors influencing the process of decision-making, those which are mostly related to personality affected by cultures and sub-cultures dominating the individual’s life, such as possessing internal and external control agents, tolerating or avoiding ambiguities and its comparison with a belief in fatalism or free will and the effect of these beliefs and traits on the personality.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper demonstrates that these beliefs would result in the formation of different personal characteristics; for instance, active and passive individuals and those who are keen to discover problems to solve them and change the existing state of affairs to the desired ones. Some individuals can make decisions and some cannot.

Findings

The researcher has tried to make a comparative study and address the genuine Islamic culture as manifested in the Quran, Prophet’s Tradition and Shiite way of life. In this relation, the case studies are the Battle of Uhud and the Quranic verses related to the research to demonstrate that a Muslim manager, by dismissing fatalism while trusting in God’s blessing, could be distinguished from others.

Originality/value

This study adds to our knowledge that managers can make sound decisions by relying on their Shiite culture, self-confidence, rational thinking, consulting the wise people and above all trusting in God.

Details

Journal of Islamic Marketing, vol. 12 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0833

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 October 2019

Yusuf Sidani

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between Islam and economic underdevelopment that characterizes many Muslim societies. It examines the Weberian thesis regarding…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between Islam and economic underdevelopment that characterizes many Muslim societies. It examines the Weberian thesis regarding Islam and development, assessing the role of Islamic law, in addition to the concepts of rationality and fatalism.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the major theses regarding the link between Islam and development and makes an attempt at explaining economic underdevelopment by engaging the most prominent arguments in this regard.

Findings

Lack of development in most Muslim societies is a multidimensional problem, and it would not help to rely on explanations that are culturally deterministic or sociologically reductionist.

Practical implications

Development requires improvements at various regulatory, economic, educational, and social levels. It also requires a significant transformation in people’s value systems that guide their actions. This requires a process of self-examination, not only looking at exogenous factors to explain failures, but also to focus on one’s own responsibility to alleviate crisis situations.

Originality/value

This paper challenges many of the for-granted theses regarding the purported link between Islam and development. While not dispelling the need for internal reflection for Muslim societies, it puts some of the popular arguments regarding this link in proper perspective.

Details

Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, vol. 10 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-0817

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 January 2021

Nadia Agha and Rahim Dad Rind

Globally, women suffer from a lack of knowledge about breast cancer (BC), its symptoms and treatment. The purpose of this paper is to examine how people living in rural and less…

Abstract

Purpose

Globally, women suffer from a lack of knowledge about breast cancer (BC), its symptoms and treatment. The purpose of this paper is to examine how people living in rural and less developed areas in Pakistan perceive BC. The study investigates the level of knowledge about BC in rural communities and analyses how the prevalent perceptions and beliefs impact women's lives and delay the diagnosis.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on 42 in-depth interviews with the women who have undergone BC treatment during the past five years. The participants were interviewed were the residents of the northern Sindh, southern Pakistan.

Findings

Findings show that BC was perceived as a contagious disease transmitted through touching or being physically close to the patient. Some women were abandoned by their husbands because of this perception. Faith in fatalism and the perception that BC is an incurable disease were common in communities with low socio-economic status. This is likely to affect the prevention and early detection of BC.

Originality/value

The study shows a strong co-relation of awareness with the prevalent perceptions regarding BC. Therefore, we recommend promoting health literacy and introducing culturally specific interventions in remote communities to enhance their understanding of the available treatment and help remove misconceptions about BC.

Details

Health Education, vol. 121 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Kristel Wouters and Jeroen Maesschalck

– The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable measurement instrument for organizational culture on the basis of grid-group cultural theory (GGCT).

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to develop a valid and reliable measurement instrument for organizational culture on the basis of grid-group cultural theory (GGCT).

Design/methodology/approach

The study consisted of three phases. In a first phase, the literature was reviewed and experts on GGCT were consulted in order to design an item pool for the typology. In a second phase, a pilot study was done in two organizations of the Belgian federal government to evaluate this original item pool. The third phase consisted of the actual data gathering in seven organizations within the Belgian federal government.

Findings

The study showed that it is possible to measure organizational culture based on GGCT. The authors used confirmatory factor analysis to examine the underlying structure of the data and found support for the existence of four culture scales. Scale reliabilities in the third phase of the study were satisfactory and ranged between 0.703 and 0.848.

Research limitations/implications

The current research was not specifically designed to evaluate content validity. Further research is needed to explore this issue. It would also be interesting to develop a GGCT-based measurement instrument for the team level.

Practical implications

The measurement instrument can be used by practitioners to describe and assess their organizational culture.

Originality/value

This study introduces a novel way to measure organizational culture, using a promising theoretical framework.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 August 2021

Bernd Werse

This paper aims to research people who sell cannabis in public spaces known as “drug places” in Frankfurt, Germany. A particular focus is set to the relations of identity…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to research people who sell cannabis in public spaces known as “drug places” in Frankfurt, Germany. A particular focus is set to the relations of identity formation, relations to other dealers and law enforcement, taking into account the concept of “street capital” as social and cultural capital accumulated in the practice of drug dealing in public.

Design/methodology/approach

Nine biographically oriented qualitative interviews were conducted directly within the respective “drug places” in the inner city and the margins of the local open drug scene with exclusively male subjects. Interviews were conducted in German, audio-recorded and transcribed. Data was analysed with structured qualitative content analysis.

Findings

All respondents had some degree of migration background, ranging from German citizens up to refugees with illegal residence permit status. Social deprivation, socio-cultural conflicts with parents, combined with often early own drug use (mainly cannabis and cocaine) and stigma had contributed to a precarious existence. Experiences of criminalisation did not discourage the respondents from the continuation of their selling activity. Violence in these settings was likely but assessed in highly different ways depending on attitudes and experiences. The same is true for diverging experiences with police, however, the threat of being criminalised is always present.

Originality/value

As mostly independent and solitary dealers, this study researched a rarely investigated group. While these respondents have developed skills or street capital to survive in the respective setting, they are caught between unfavourable social conditions, social exclusion, violence, law enforcement and own drug use, leading to a desperate and fatalistic mindset. Somewhat paradoxically, this fatalism may be regarded as a result of keeping control over their own actions.

Details

Drugs and Alcohol Today, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1745-9265

Keywords

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