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1 – 10 of 474Michael E. McGrath and Michael N. Romeri
Measuring the overall success of product development efforts hasbeen frustrating because there is no generally recognized metric tomeasure effectiveness. The R&D Effectiveness…
Abstract
Measuring the overall success of product development efforts has been frustrating because there is no generally recognized metric to measure effectiveness. The R&D Effectiveness Index is introduced to address this need. It measures effectiveness by comparing the profit from new products to the investment in new product development. Provides the details for calculating the index along with alternative interpretations. Finds a strong relationship between the R&D Effectiveness Index and other performance factors and argues that the R&D Effectiveness Index can be used to compare performance, measure improvement, and evalute business units. Illustrates its application in a case study.
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Product development management has evolved through major generations, and each successive generation has enabled far greater performance than the previous one. In the 1990s…
Abstract
Product development management has evolved through major generations, and each successive generation has enabled far greater performance than the previous one. In the 1990s, aggressive competitors used time‐based product strategies to alter the competitive balance in their industries by applying the new product development practices of the time‐to‐market (TTM) generation. As a result, the introduction of new products accelerated by the end of the 1990s, eventually forced all companies to adopt these practices to remain competitive.
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We are heading toward a totally different type of economy. The term “information economy” is repeatedly used, but this does not fully describe what is happening. Information…
Abstract
We are heading toward a totally different type of economy. The term “information economy” is repeatedly used, but this does not fully describe what is happening. Information becomes valuable when it is connected to intelligence, either human or machine….[M]achine intelligence will grow at a furious rate, but it will be mainly alien intelligence, not human‐like artificial intelligence. What is evolving is an “intelligent‐Web economy,” with corporations designed for increasingly automated, increasingly intelligent, worldwide interaction with inter‐laced virtual operations. Such corporations will increasingly be non‐national, with capital, management, talent, and resources coming from around the planet.
Robert L. Sichel, William P. Wade, Ruth E. Delaney, Kristina M. Zanotti and Michael McGrath
To explain recent regulatory guidance for different types of stakeholders, including asset managers, fund complexes, and institutional investors.
Abstract
Purpose
To explain recent regulatory guidance for different types of stakeholders, including asset managers, fund complexes, and institutional investors.
Design/methodology/approach
Summary of recent regulatory guidance and explanation for different types of stakeholders, including asset managers, fund complexes, and institutional investors.
Findings
While the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) letter does not open the door to direct access to Private Market Investments by 401(k) plan participants, it does provide a framework for the expanded use of private equity and, we believe, other types of Private Market Investments in managed asset allocation funds such as target date funds.
Originality/value
Practical guidance from experienced asset management and investment funds and ERISA lawyers.
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Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some…
Abstract
Aim of the present monograph is the economic analysis of the role of MNEs regarding globalisation and digital economy and in parallel there is a reference and examination of some legal aspects concerning MNEs, cyberspace and e‐commerce as the means of expression of the digital economy. The whole effort of the author is focused on the examination of various aspects of MNEs and their impact upon globalisation and vice versa and how and if we are moving towards a global digital economy.
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Joëlle Vanhamme, Adam Lindgreen and Michael Beverland
This study aims to explore surprising gifts received and given by close relations to identify the variables involved in creating surprising gifts. The analysis of the viewpoints…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore surprising gifts received and given by close relations to identify the variables involved in creating surprising gifts. The analysis of the viewpoints of the giver and the recipient, reflecting their profiles, leads to recommendations for retailers.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory, small-scale, open-ended questionnaire (48 respondents) produces 43 (38) accounts of surprising gifts given (received), informed further by in-depth interviews (eight informants, both givers and recipients of surprising gifts).
Findings
This study identifies and elaborates on the variables (why, when, what, where, who and how, and their combinations) that define surprising gift giving, from both giver and recipient perspectives. The findings indicate a paradox: even if givers or recipients prefer a surprising gift, they might give or wish for an unsurprising gift to avoid disappointment.
Research limitations/implications
Further research should confirm the findings using representative samples. Moreover, gender differences in surprising gift giving should be investigated further. Finally, the exact characteristics and properties that make common objects potential candidates for successful surprising gifts should be studied further.
Practical implications
The discussion has relevant implications for manufacturers and retailers. For example, if recipients are surprised, happy and satisfied, they likely exhibit higher brand recall. The recipient’s (happy versus not happy) emotions also have spillover effects on the giver’s. Thus, retailers should provide assistance in the store and advertise their salespeople as experts who can offer advice about selecting appropriate gifts. The exact characteristics and properties that make common objects potential candidates for successful surprising gifts should be studied further.
Originality/value
The systematic account of all six variables, not previously analyzed in the literature, provides rich insights into surprising gift giving. The discussion of the study of givers and recipients supplements these insights.
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Ajay Khatter, Michael McGrath, Joanne Pyke, Leanne White and Leonie Lockstone-Binney
This paper aims to present the findings of an analysis of the environmentally sustainable policies and practices (ESPPs) used by independent and chain-affiliated hotels. The study…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the findings of an analysis of the environmentally sustainable policies and practices (ESPPs) used by independent and chain-affiliated hotels. The study aimed to ascertain the engagement of hotels with ESPPs and provide tentative evidence of their commitment towards meeting the expectations of environmentally conscious stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used secondary data and content analysis to examine the ESPPs of a sample of 220 hotels in Melbourne, Australia. A systematic review was conducted of hotel websites to reveal, in a tabulated way, the range of reporting of environmental material provided by various rated hotels.
Findings
This analysis suggests that environmentally friendly business practices are prominently displayed by the hotels sampled; however, independent non-chain affiliated hotels are yet to adopt ESPPs in any visible way.
Originality/value
This study was broadly informed by stakeholder theory (Freeman, 1984) and aimed to ascertain the engagement of hotels with ESPPs. While previous studies have focussed on chain hotels, this research involved a greater range of hotels of different profiles to highlight the mix of ESPPs across the hotel sector. Rather than merely examining the corporate websites of hotel companies, the research additionally examined ESPPs at the individual hotel property level, as this is where policies are implemented into practice. The extant literature to date has not studied the extent to which ESPPs are adopted by independent and chain-affiliated hotels at this level, and it is this research gap that the study addresses.
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Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki and Michael Saren
The concept of time is intrinsically linked to the conceptualization and empirical investigation of organizational processes such as customer relationship management (CRM). The…
Abstract
Purpose
The concept of time is intrinsically linked to the conceptualization and empirical investigation of organizational processes such as customer relationship management (CRM). The purpose of this paper is to offer conceptual and methodological insights enabling the incorporation of temporal factors in the study of CRM.
Design/methodology/approach
A framework toward the integration of time into the study of CRM is proposed and discussed.
Findings
This framework, which consists of philosophical, conceptual, methodological and substantive domains, suggests that the locus of time is inherent in the conceptualization and empirical investigation of marketing phenomena.
Practical implications
CRM practitioners can emphasize crucial events of the firm‐customer relationship, which are likely to be associated with stronger rapport with customers.
Originality/value
The paper promotes more explicit thinking about the temporal dimension in relationship marketing. Second, it advances understanding of the CRM process, since buyer‐seller relationships are dynamic phenomena that embrace the concept of time.
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Leanne C. McGrath and Richard A. Heiens
When managed poorly, e‐business initiatives may actually transform once promising opportunities into dangerous threats. In this article, the authors outline the environmental…
Abstract
When managed poorly, e‐business initiatives may actually transform once promising opportunities into dangerous threats. In this article, the authors outline the environmental threats posed by the Internet and e‐business practices and present a series of propositions on the relationship between managerial perceptions of e‐business’s impact on industry structure and the prevalence of a formal e‐business strategy.
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Ajay Khatter, Leanne White, Joanne Pyke and Michael McGrath
The paper presents the findings of research into the barriers to and drivers of environmentally sustainable policies and practices (ESPPs) in the Australian hotel industry. This…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper presents the findings of research into the barriers to and drivers of environmentally sustainable policies and practices (ESPPs) in the Australian hotel industry. This study aims to explore these drivers and barriers from the perspective of hotel managers and involve a range of hotels with different hotel industry profiles and management structures.
Design/methodology/approach
The study conducted one-on-one interviews with hotel managers to explore the barriers to and drivers of ESPPs. The purpose of the sample and sample size was to ensure representation of different segments of the hotel industry to include international chain affiliated hotels, Australian chain affiliated hotels and independent hotels.
Findings
An analysis of the findings suggests that the major barriers to implementing and sustaining environmental sustainability in the Australian hotel industry are time, financial challenges, availability of resources and the views and imperatives of hotel owners and shareholders. The major drivers are financial, marketing, owner and shareholder interests and guest preferences. These stakeholders play a major role in creating both barriers and drivers.
Research limitations/implications
Based on the results, this study can modify the application of stakeholder theory to a degree and argue that stakeholders need to co-operate further to drive sustainability. This study demonstrates that management of environmental sustainability is a challenge for many hotels and there is a particular need for small and independent hotels to embrace environmental sustainability to keep pace with their larger counterparts.
Originality/value
This study is broadly informed by the stakeholder theory. Owners, shareholders and associated stakeholders have a significant influence over environmental sustainability in the Australian hotel industry and they create both drivers and barriers. Responses from hotel managers in this research demonstrate that owners act as a barrier to as well as a driver of environmental sustainability initiatives in the Australian hotel industry.
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