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1 – 10 of over 3000This paper aims to discuss the roles of social protection in reducing and facilitating climate-induced migration. Social protection gained attention in the international climate…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the roles of social protection in reducing and facilitating climate-induced migration. Social protection gained attention in the international climate negotiations with the establishment of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. Yet, its potential to address migration, considered as a key issue in the loss and damage debate, has not been sufficiently explored. This paper aims at identifying key characteristics of social protection schemes which could effectively address climate-induced migration and attempts to derive recommendations for policy design.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the existing literature, the paper links empirical evidence on the effects of social protection to climate-related drivers of migration and the needs of vulnerable populations. This approach allows conceptually identifying characteristics of effective social protection policies.
Findings
Findings indicate that social protection can be part of a proactive approach to managing climate-induced migration both in rural and urban areas. In particular, public work programmes offer solutions to different migration outcomes, from no to permanent migration. Benefits are achieved when programmes explicitly integrate climate change impacts into their design. Social protection can provide temporary support to facilitate migration, in situ adaptation or integration and adaptation in destination areas. It is no substitution for but can help trigger sustainable adaptation solutions.
Originality/value
The paper helps close research gaps regarding the potential roles and channels of social protection for addressing and facilitating climate-induced migration and providing public support in destination, mostly in urban areas.
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Keith Walley, Paul Custance, Gaynor Orton, Stephen Parsons, Adam Lindgreen and Martin Hingley
The aim of this article is to consolidate the theory relating to longitudinal attitude surveys, and supplement it with knowledge gained from the execution of an annual attitude…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this article is to consolidate the theory relating to longitudinal attitude surveys, and supplement it with knowledge gained from the execution of an annual attitude survey of consumers.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the article presents a distillation of current knowledge concerning longitudinal research; attitudes and behaviour; measurement of attitudes; and conduct of attitude surveys. Following that, a case study is carried out to survey consumer attitudes. This survey, which is intended to predict future behaviour and monitor changes in consumers' attitudes in response to socio‐political and economic changes in the food and agricultural market environment, is then discussed.
Findings
The findings of a series of annual surveys of consumers' attitudes first conducted in 1997 and continued annually to 2004 include: British farmers are viewed as “good food producers”; farms are businesses, which whilst forming the financial backbone of the rural community are at present members of a struggling industry; and there is agreement that the Government does not care for the countryside.
Research limitations/implications
The survey on which the findings and the best practices are based upon relates to the consumers' attitudes in response to changes in the food and agricultural market environment. Further research would be required to verify the findings in respect of other market sections.
Practical implications
The article presents a checklist of eight good practices relating to the conduct of longitudinal attitude survey work.
Originality/value
Attitude surveys are a popular means of gathering market research data. Much has been written about attitudes and the conduct of ad hoc attitude surveys. However, much less has been published concerning longitudinal attitude surveys. The study reports empirical findings in an important context, that is: changes in consumers' attitudes in response to changes in the food and agricultural market environment.
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Abstract
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Keith Walley, Paul Custance, Sam Taylor, Adam Lindgreen and Martin Hingley
With brands being an important source of competitive advantage, knowledge of branding is needed to inform their management. After reviewing the literature, the article aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
With brands being an important source of competitive advantage, knowledge of branding is needed to inform their management. After reviewing the literature, the article aims to report the findings of a case study that investigated the role of branding in the industrial purchase of agricultural tractors in the UK. The study's overall conclusion is that branding can play an important role in industrial purchase decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
Various attributes, together with levels of these attributes, were identified from the literature and a series of semi‐structured interviews with three farmers and farm contractors. Subsequently, conjoint analysis was employed to reveal how purchasers made their purchase decision. A total of 428 farmers and farm contractors (a 28.7 per cent response rate) ranked 25 cards that had been constructed to profile various hypothetical tractor designs.
Findings
Five attributes appeared from the literature review and interviews – brand name, price, dealer proximity, quality of dealer's service, and buyer's experience of the dealer. The conjoint analysis revealed that brand accounts for 38.95 per cent of the purchase decision, ahead of price (25.98 per cent) and service (14.90 per cent). The importance of brand varies according to the tractor brand. Also, the overall utility varies, with John Deere and New Holland brand names appearing as marketing assets and Valtra, Massey Ferguson, and Case IH as marketing liabilities. Among the study's other findings are that UK tractor buyers are brand loyal.
Research limitations/implications
The study focuses on tractors in the UK, so while it provides an insight into the role of branding in an industrial purchase situation, further research is required in other product categories before the findings can be generalised.
Practical implications
Manufacturers and distributors need to maintain a strong image. Also, they may charge higher prices for tractors, using the extra revenue to reinforce their brand image. On‐farm demonstration of new tractors is suggested as an experiential marketing strategy. Special attention should be given to the location of dealers and the service they provide.
Originality/value
Research concerning branding in an industrial purchase context is limited, dated, or contradictory. This article contributes with empirical findings on industrial brand management in an important and relevant context.
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Donelda S. McKechnie, Jim Grant and Vishal Bagaria
This research aims to present observations of the listening actions displayed by service providers when interacting with customers in retail establishments. A composite of kinetic…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to present observations of the listening actions displayed by service providers when interacting with customers in retail establishments. A composite of kinetic actions, verbal discourse, and behavior is observed and assessed as “listening actions”.
Design/methodology/approach
Service providers in 50 retail stores (personal apparel and specialty) in Dubai were engaged in mystery shopper interactions, each involving two fieldworkers – one of whom acted as a mystery shopper and the other as a secret observer. The typical norms of engagement in an interaction were quantified according to: whether the action took place (verbal actions and behavioral actions); and the frequency of the occurrence (kinetic actions).
Findings
The paper finds that listening behavior did take place; however, the frequency of occurrence of various actions was inconsistent across encounters. In addition, results differed according to the gender of the service provider and that of the customer, and service providers of retail clothing outlets which carried medium‐priced merchandise exhibited better listening behaviors than those in establishments that sold high‐priced goods.
Research limitations/implications
Future research could include an examination of actual dialogue between the provider and customer.
Originality/value
This study contributes to knowledge about non‐verbal communication within service encounters. Implications for management include: determining the optimum frequency and occurrence of listening activities; and training service providers accordingly.
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In this paper, the focus is on relationship management and its implications for Small‐Medium Enterprise suppliers (SMEs). Specific insights are provided into retailer‐supplier…
Abstract
In this paper, the focus is on relationship management and its implications for Small‐Medium Enterprise suppliers (SMEs). Specific insights are provided into retailer‐supplier relationships in the UK fresh produce (fruit and vegetable) market. This sector faces a process of concentration in all parts of the supply chain determined by backward vertical integration at the initiation of powerful multiple retail buyers. The author examines the nature of relationships in a generic product group from the perspective of buyers and sellers and their interaction, utilizing material from multiple depth interviews. Results concern issues of relationship formality, exclusivity, power‐dependency, relevance of organizational size, partnered growth potential and risk which lead to a number of provisional conclusions regarding the management of relationships in the supply chain
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Martin Hingley, Susan Taylor and Charlotte Ellis
The principal rationale for this study is to investigate the implications of the introduction of radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging on suppliers. Emphasis concerns the…
Abstract
Purpose
The principal rationale for this study is to investigate the implications of the introduction of radio frequency identification (RFID) tagging on suppliers. Emphasis concerns the impact it is likely to have on suppliers to the UK grocery retail market.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary research focuses on UK grocery suppliers' perception, with two specific research questions: “What are the implications of the introduction of RFID on suppliers?” and “How will these implications impact on the success of RFID in the future?” In‐depth interviews were conducted with a selection of different suppliers to gather attitudes towards RFID technology.
Findings
RFID is highly topical, and currently at the forefront of many supply chain managers' minds. This study focuses on business‐to‐business implications of RFID to the FMCG/perishable food sectors, notably in comprehension of an under‐researched area of supplier perspective. This study concludes that in order to keep costs of application of RFID to a minimum, retailers and suppliers need to develop standardized but flexible systems. Implementation of RFID must take into account the context of supply chain power imbalance.
Research limitations/implications
Reviewed literature suggests existing focus has been on the operational benefits to be gained from implementation of RF‐technology, and a good deal of work conducted has concerned the issue of consumer privacy. There has been one major investigation (in the UK), conducted by the Institute of Grocery Distribution concerning implications for the retailing industry; however, there is still a gap in the literature concerning attitudes of suppliers (notably with regard to the grocery sector). This study redresses this balance by conducting field work with suppliers.
Practical implications
To prevent any future animosity retailers and suppliers must work together and costs need to be more equitably distributed. The FMCG/perishable food categories appear to offer a specific challenge to RFID introduction; however, future study is considered necessary to capture the diversity in these sectors.
Originality/value
The paper provides information of value to all those involved with methods of verification in the supply chain.
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Piyush Sharma, Jackie L.M. Tam and Namwoon Kim
This paper aims to extend the intercultural service encounters (ICSE) framework using role theory and information asymmetry perspective, to hypothesize differences in the strength…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to extend the intercultural service encounters (ICSE) framework using role theory and information asymmetry perspective, to hypothesize differences in the strength of many relationships based on service role (customers versus employees).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents the results of a field‐experiment with 204 restaurant employees and 241 customers in Hong Kong using a service failure scenario and photographs of Western versus Asian customers to manipulate perceived cultural distance.
Findings
Perceived cultural distance has a stronger negative effect on inter‐role congruence, interaction comfort has a stronger positive effect on perceived service level and inter‐role congruence on adequate service level, for customers versus employees. Intercultural competence has a stronger positive effect on inter‐role congruence for employees versus customers, and it moderates the influence of perceived cultural distance on interaction comfort and inter‐role congruence.
Research limitations/implications
This paper reports the findings from a field‐experiment study using an imaginary service failure scenario in a restaurant setting with ethnic Chinese customers and employees in Hong Kong, which may not be generalizable to other contexts.
Practical implications
The findings highlight the need to recognize and manage the differences in the expectations and perceptions of service customers and employees, and the importance of inter‐cultural competence in managing intercultural service encounters.
Originality/value
The study extends the original ICSE framework by highlighting important differences between customers and employees in the strength of various relationships.
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Radha Yadav, Atul Shiva and Sumit Narula
This study aims to explore various determinants of university attractiveness and its relationship with sustainable institutes. Further, the study examines the mediating role of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore various determinants of university attractiveness and its relationship with sustainable institutes. Further, the study examines the mediating role of perceived student support and sense of belongingness on the relationship between university attractiveness and sustainable institutes.
Design/methodology/approach
The data analysis was conducted with 637 responses from the students from private universities located in the northern region of India. Variance based partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied in the study to investigate the proposed conceptual model on sustainable higher institutions. Additionally, by applying PLS Predict, the predictive relevance of sustainable institutions with important and performing constructs was found out.
Findings
The results of this study indicate that university attractiveness plays a critical role in enhancing perceived student support, and it has a direct and significant impact on developing sustainable institutes. Further, students’ sense of belongingness is expressed as significant mediator between university attractiveness and sustainable institutes. The predictive relevance of the study was reported to be high. Most important indicators of university attractiveness were found to be teaching, research and publications, branding and promotion, and diversity in courses offered by the private universities.
Research limitations/implications
The conceptual model under study can be investigated with a moderating effect of private and government universities in future. Additionally, the role of additional variables in online scenario under current pandemic situation can be assessed through the model used in this study. Future research can be done by using qualitative analysis through thematic analysis and sentiment analysis of students in higher education institutes.
Originality/value
The present study is the first to explore the mediating relationship of perceived student support and sense of belongingness with university attractiveness and sustainable institutes. The conceptual framework can prove to be important for education specialists, administrators of education institutes at university level and policymakers. The study offers effective ideas for policymakers to bring sustainability in education sector in near future especially in emerging economies and attain sustainable development goals.
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Simon Lee, Abdou Illia and Assion Lawson‐Body
This study aims to adopt illusion of control and lateral consumer relationship in order to investigate their effects on price fairness in online auction and group buying context…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to adopt illusion of control and lateral consumer relationship in order to investigate their effects on price fairness in online auction and group buying context. These two variables have been known to have strong influences in fairness perception on consumers' decision‐making processes and outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors draw their conceptual foundations from previous studies, supplement this from the electronic commerce literature, and test the model through laboratory experiments.
Findings
The study demonstrates that consumers' perception on illusion control in price determination and advantageous lateral consumer relationship significantly affect price fairness perception in both the online auction and group buying environments.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are expected to provide researchers with useful insights to conduct future studies on uncovering the nomological networks associated with price fairness perception.
Practical implications
The findings are expected to help managers develop better pricing strategies and design effective dynamic pricing mechanisms.
Originality/value
The paper provides the first integrated perspective on the human decision processes in the dynamic pricing environment in electronic markets.
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