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Presents a method for analysing statements (e.g. theories) about service quality. Uses a method, the Pentad, based on the work of the American literary and social critic Kenneth Burke′s work A Grammar of Motives. The Pentad′s five key terms Act, Agent, Scene, Agency and Purpose – which corresponds to five questions: What? Who? When and Where? How? Why? – are strategic spots at which ambiguities necessarily arise, when one makes statements about what people do and why they are doing it. A central thesis of Burke′s is that the meaning of an act or event is based on the five key terms (on the answers to the five questions) in toto. If some of the key terms remain unspecified (i.e. the corresponding questions unanswered) the meaning of the event or action in question is correspondingly ambiguous. The method operates to assist (half‐formed) theories to become self‐conscious and articulate.

This paper provides a further investigation into the application of Correspondence Analysis (CA) as outlined by Greenacre (1984, 1993), which is one technique for “quantifying qualitative data” in research on learning and teaching. It also builds on the utilisation of CA in the development of the emerging discipline of English as an International Language provided by Hassall and Ganesh (1996, 1999). This is accomplished by considering its application to the analysis of attitudinal data that positions the developing pedagogy of Teaching English as an International Language (TEIL) (see Hassall, 1996a & ff.) within the more established discipline of World Englishes (cf. Kachru, 1985, 1990). The multidimensional statistical technique Correspondence Analysis is used to provide an assessment of the interdependence of the rows and columns of a data matrix (primarily, a two-way contingency table). In this case, attitudinal data, produced at a number of international workshops which focused on the development of a justifiable pedagogy for Teaching English as an International Language (TEIL), are examined to provide a more complete picture of how these venues differed from each other with respect to the collective responses of the respondents. CA facilitates dimensionality reduction and provides graphical displays in low-dimensional spaces. In other words, it converts the rows and columns of a data matrix or contingency table into a series of points on a graph. The current study presents analyses of two different interpretations of this data.

The purpose of this study is to analyze and describe the drivers in the physical environment that help to form customers' service experiences at restaurants, as described by customers in their own words.

A critical incident study was conducted through 122 interviews resulting in a total of 195 favourable and unfavourable customer service experiences in restaurants. Data were analysed inductively in accordance with the principles of constant comparison and the results were interpreted by regarding customers as creators of their own meaning.

The physical environment has both a functional and a social dimension and it is an important driver of customer service experiences in restaurants. Customers interact with these drivers individually and create their own meanings and value expressed as feelings, thoughts, imagination and behaviour.

The results develop the tenets of service‐dominant logic by offering some insight into customers' own logic in value creation and the design of the physical restaurant environment.

Customers actively construct their own individual meanings from the physical environment, throughout the whole service process, indicating that the customer service experience is not controlled solely by restaurant management. As some drivers are only experienced in their absence or when they are noticeably disturbing or pleasing, it is important for managers to understand these dimensions in order to treat them appropriately. Both favourable and unfavourable service experiences need to be considered.

The physical environment can be described as a dynamic driver which includes a social dimension and customers are regarded as active creators of their own experience.

Uses experiences in Bulgaria to exemplify market entry and control strategies employed by franchisors in a business environment that is geographically and culturally remote from the West. Carries out interviews in 1996 with Bulgarian franchisors and franchisees to test a number of hypotheses relating to issues including the type of franchisor, system densities, market entry strategies and monitoring tactics. Identifies 17 environmental factors ‐ cultural, organisational, political and legal ‐ which represent possible areas of conflict between the franchisor and franchisee. Establishes that franchisors adapt to a remote business environment in a variety of ways in respect of both market entry and monitoring strategies ; establishes some significant correlations between different types of franchisors and their strategies. Finds that western franchisors and Bulgarian owned firms often place different emphasis on the relative importance of environmental factors. Observes a broad variation in market entry tactics. Recommends that franchisors need to establish criteria to establish risks in remote business environments and devise appropriate strategies prior to entry.

This study examines consumer brand associations, focusing on the differences between association held for western brands and eastern brands by young Singaporeans under the country‐of‐origin umbrella. The study also examines consumer ethnocentric tendencies (CET), finding very low levels of ethnocentrism among respondents, and results indicate CET had no effect on brand preference or purchase intention.

This paper synthesizes existing experimental research in the area of investor perceptions and offers directions for future research. Investor-related experimental research has grown substantially, especially in the last decade, as it has made valuable contributions in establishing causal links, examining underlying process measures, and examining areas with little available data. Within this review, I examine 121 papers and identify three broad categories that affect investor perceptions: information format, investor features, and disclosure credibility. Information format describes how investors are influenced by information salience, information labeling, reporting and accounting complexity, financial statement recognition, explanatory disclosures, and proposed disclosure changes. Investor features describes investors’ use of heuristics, investor preferences, and the effect of investor experience. Disclosure credibility is influenced by external and internal assurance, management credibility, disclosure characteristics, and management incentives. Using this framework, I summarize the existing research and identify areas that would benefit from additional research.

This study aims to develop a theoretical framework of the impact of clan and hierarchy cultures and knowledge technological capabilities on organizational learning.

A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from 693 employees working in knowledge management centers in various law and enforcement units in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationships between the variables.

The findings show that the clan culture had a significant negative effect on organizational learning. However, hierarchy culture and knowledge technological capabilities had a significant positive impact in predicting organizational learning behavior.

The study focuses on a specific type of public organization only, which somewhat limits the generalizability of the research results. Second, as the study was cross-sectional, the causal relationships could not be inferred directly. The study results will help policymakers create a learning organization by examining the impact of organizational culture and knowledge of technological capabilities.

This paper has added knowledge about the relationship between culture types, knowledge technological capabilities and organizational learning, particularly in the UAE. This study helps to bridge the gap in research on culture and knowledge technological capabilities and organizational learning.

The present study aims to investigate the role of brand store image in the context of private and national fashion brands. The study examines two issues: do private brand consumers differ from national brand consumers in their perception of the attributes they value in their store image? And, do fashion consumers in general differ in their perception of the attributes they value in a store image?

Data were collected through a field survey comprising 395 respondents: 195 private brand consumers and 200 national brand consumers.

Findings indicate that the two groups of consumers do not differ in their perception of store image. Cluster analysis reveals two groups of consumers: “Brand Store Image Enthusiasts” who are high in their perception of their brand store image attributes, and “Brand Store Image Indifferent” consumers who are low in their perception of their brand store image attributes. The first group was also found to have greater brand loyalty.

Different marketing strategies are offered to each fashion sector. In addition, distributors in the fashion industry should build a strategy for Brand Store Image Enthusiasts who are high in their perception of all three brand store attributes. It is essential to point out the psychological meaning of the brand when appealing them.

The study contributes to the consumer behavior literature by tying the well-established construct of brand store image to the fashion sector in the context of private and national labels.