Search results
1 – 10 of 387Michael Cohen and Edward Cahill
Successful marketing to children not only requires an understanding of how kids are different from each other, but also how those differences are changing. This paper examines the…
Abstract
Successful marketing to children not only requires an understanding of how kids are different from each other, but also how those differences are changing. This paper examines the developmental differences in children and the phenomenon of developmental compression — the recent contraction of age‐specific psychological stages — as well as their implications for conducting market research with children. It offers evidence of developmental compression and discusses such contributing factors as the media, new parenting styles, complex family life, and the changing nature of children's activities, brand awareness, and purchase power. The paper argues that the core challenge of this phenomenon is that, while children may be manifesting more grown‐up behaviour in certain domains, their cognitive, physical and emotional compression may not be happening in sync with one another. Thus, while children may appear to be sophisticated consumers, they are not always able to understand the marketing messages directed at them or the implications of their purchase decisions.
Details
Keywords
Action researchers contend that a complex social process can be studied best by introducing changes into that process and observing the effects of these changes. The approach used…
Abstract
Action researchers contend that a complex social process can be studied best by introducing changes into that process and observing the effects of these changes. The approach used by organizational consultants must also introduce change, but in this case, the theoretical development and the rigorous empirical foundation are prerequisite elements of the activity. Participative case studies are a common scientific report proceeding from consulting projects. This paper discusses the contrasts between the action research method, consulting, and participative case studies. Ethical problems arise when action research is knowingly or unknowingly conflated with consultation practices, since this combination makes the usual set of action research dilemmas even more problematic. An improved understanding of the action research‐consulting contrasts aids in distinguishing the contributions of participative case studies to the information systems literature.
Details
Keywords
To survey ambient intelligence research in Europe, the USA and Japan and, in particular, in the context of the issues of privacy, identity, security and trust and the safeguards…
Abstract
Purpose
To survey ambient intelligence research in Europe, the USA and Japan and, in particular, in the context of the issues of privacy, identity, security and trust and the safeguards proposed to protect them.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on research being conducted by the SWAMI consortium under the EC's Sixth Framework Programme. SWAMI stands for Safeguards in a World of Ambient Intelligence. The consortium comprises five partners: the Fraunhofer Institute (Germany), the Technical Research Center of Finland (VTT Electronics), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium), the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies (IPTS) (Spain) and Trilateral Research & Consulting (UK). The 18‐month SWAMI project began in February 2005.
Findings
Most AmI projects do not take into account privacy, security and related issues. However, a reasonable number do (perhaps a quarter of those in Europe) to a greater or lesser extent and some have proposed safeguards.
Research limitations/implications
This paper references only a limited set of the research projects being carried out in Europe, the USA and Japan. More detailed information can be found on the SWAMI web site (http://swami.jrc.es).
Practical implications
A mix of different safeguards will be needed to adequately protect privacy, etc. in the new world of AmI.
Originality/value
Until now, there has been no reasonably comprehensive survey of AmI research projects in Europe, the USA and Canada focused on privacy, security, identity and trust issues. None has considered the range of safeguards needed to protect privacy, etc.
Details
Keywords
Michael Cohen, Sara Guciardo and Joel Schneider
Describes how educational media company Sesame Workshop has applied research to the development and evaluation of children’s TV programming; Sesame Workshop was the creator in…
Abstract
Describes how educational media company Sesame Workshop has applied research to the development and evaluation of children’s TV programming; Sesame Workshop was the creator in 1969 of the “Sesame Street” TV series, which intentionally blended entertainment and education, and it has now teamed up with Applied Research and Consulting LLC (ARC). Explains the historical background to television research, and the development by Sesame Workshop and ARC of New Kid City, a prototype media environment for children, and later of Noggin, an interactive “place to go” with a website and children’s TV channel. Illustrates the application of the Sesame Workshop approach in one of its programmes, “Rechov Sumsum/Shara’a Simsim”, which is aimed at Israeli and Arab/Palestinian children.
Details
Keywords
Developing structures and processes that support learning and knowledge creation has become an area of extensive study. This paper describes dimensions of knowledge that were…
Abstract
Developing structures and processes that support learning and knowledge creation has become an area of extensive study. This paper describes dimensions of knowledge that were needed in integrating theory and practice for an applied research project. The project involved team members from university, business and consulting organizations. The knowledge created through this team structure was inherently multi-dimensional, with theoretical, practicable, educable and evidentiary components. The paper concludes with considerations for how the essence of this project team structure might be replicated for organizational knowledge creation in American industry.
Entrepreneurship, Analysis of business problems.
Abstract
Subject area
Entrepreneurship, Analysis of business problems.
Study level/applicability
Masters in business administration, Entrepreneurship management.
Case overview
The CEO of Afrotouch Brands, Mr Emeka Emmanuel, must decide what level of investment his company would need to implement to increase its market share and revenue, thus ensuring adequate business competitiveness. Afrotouch Brands was among the leading names in gift items and indoor furniture in Nigeria. Despite the business main outlet in Victoria Island, the highbrow commercial centre in the city of Lagos, it has other high-profile outlets in Port-Harcourt and Abuja. From the very beginning, Afrotouch Brands attracted a lot of well discerning individuals who patronized the business based on the quality, the wide variety, the uniqueness and the lovely ambience of the showroom. The case describes the various investment alternatives needed for business expansion and discusses the probabilities of possible outcomes. Afrotouch Brands could maintain the medium scale indoor furniture they are currently doing, embark on a large aggressive investment to expand the indoor medium scale furniture to a large scale, maintain their business strategy in gift items and accessories or invest in outdoor furniture manufacturing. The challenge is to decide which of these alternative investment strategies the company should undertake in view of the associated levels of risk and uncertainty inherent in their implementation.
Expected learning outcomes
This case study teaches students the following: fundamentals of decision trees construction; calculating and understanding expected monetary values; assessing probabilities; determination of risk profiles for each decision alternative; display of risk profiles graphically; and identification of business alternatives.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
Details
Keywords
Up to the moment consumer intelligence on kids and young people seems to be an increasing obsession these days for brand owners and advertising agencies. They're seemingly…
Abstract
Up to the moment consumer intelligence on kids and young people seems to be an increasing obsession these days for brand owners and advertising agencies. They're seemingly desperate for insider information and intelligence on the life of the latest generation — referred to as everything from N‐Geners to Millenials — who rather than challenge society like their forbears seem to define it, in these youthful times. Nowadays everyone from the President (be he Gore or Bush), to Hip‐Hop artists wears Levis and Gap. The last decade saw the commercialization of youth culture (how alternative is a bank sponsored dance lent at an MTV festival?), the alternative and underground became mainstream and the social construct, which stated that you were only young between the ages of 16–24, has been disproved. Teenagers, whilst being in the spotlight as never before, have increasingly had their culture stolen from under their noses by older (and younger) people, whilst ten year olds are demonstrating brand adoption and rejection attitudes that we'd have associated with a fifteen year old, only a short time ago. To clarify the current Life of Kids it is therefore necessary to gain the latest real‐life case histories and learning's, as opposed to mere statistics that give us huge amounts of cold data re: population demographics, growth rates, income levels, behaviour patterns and the like. Therefore, the first global kids marketing conference was held in Lisbon in October, where leading industry figures from the brand owner and agency sides came together to share information. Speakers included those from MTV, Leo Burnett, BMRB International, Cartoon Network, Polaroid, Informer, Chupa Chups, Applied Research & Consulting, B2B, Pokemon and the author.
Details
Keywords
Rachel L. Finn and Kush Wadhwa
This paper aims to study the ethics of “smart” advertising and regulatory initiatives in the consumer intelligence industry. Increasingly, online behavioural advertising…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the ethics of “smart” advertising and regulatory initiatives in the consumer intelligence industry. Increasingly, online behavioural advertising strategies, especially in the mobile media environment, are being integrated with other existing and emerging technologies to create new techniques based on “smart” surveillance practices. These “smart” surveillance practices have ethical impacts including identifiability, inequality, a chilling effect, the objectification, exploitation and manipulation of consumers as well as information asymmetries. This article examines three regulatory initiatives – privacy-by-design considerations, the proposed General Data Protection Regulation of the EU and the US Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2013 – that have sought to address the privacy and data protection issues associated with these practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors performed a critical literature review of academic, grey and journalistic publications surrounding behavioural advertising to identify the capabilities of existing and emerging advertising practices and their potential ethical impacts. This information was used to explore how well-proposed regulatory mechanisms might address current and emerging ethical and privacy issues in the emerging mobile media environment.
Findings
The article concludes that all three regulatory initiatives fall short of providing adequate consumer and citizen protection in relation to online behavioural advertising as well as “smart” advertising.
Originality/value
The article demonstrates that existing and proposed regulatory initiatives need to be amended to provide adequate citizen protection and describes how a focus on privacy and data protection does not address all of the ethical issues raised.
Details
Keywords
Liliana Arroyo Moliner and Gemma Galdon Clavell
This paper aims at presenting an example of the good practice of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). The initiative has been carried out by a private tram…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at presenting an example of the good practice of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED). The initiative has been carried out by a private tram company in Spain to tackle graffiti. Their main goal was to avoid graffiti defacing in their underground stations, and artists were involved in the design and execution. The intervention consisted of a combined strategy of CPTED measures (anti-graffiti coatings and paintings) with a comprehensive use of the space, turning stations from transit points into poetic spaces, generating emotions and a sense of belonging. The features also included an urban graffiti gallery.
Design/methodology/approach
This case study presents and describes the actions undertaken from the early stages of problem framing to execution and a soft assessment of the results obtained. All the information provided has been gathered through four semi-structured interviews with managers and designers of the experience.
Findings
The TramArt experience is an example of the shift in the mindset of transport operators regarding graffiti and graffiti artists. All interventions have been designed by the transport operator in cooperation with situational artists. As a result, the tram stations and vehicles are not conceived either as non-lieux or canvas, but spaces with a singular identity, with the possibility of generating a sense of belonging among passengers and users. The first intervention was tested in 2004 in one station and three years later was deployed in three more stops. According to the initiators, its impact has been mainly positive in terms of success rates, cost reduction and general satisfaction and security perception of passengers. However, the urban gallery has been more problematic to maintain.
Research limitations/implications
This research focuses on the transport operator perspective basically and views expressed by transport users are indirectly assessed. While the change in the angle may be scalable, the specific features depend to a great extent on particular conditions, such as the size of the company, the resources available and the characteristics of the area covered.
Originality/value
The value of this case relies in the constructive approach towards graffiti, which goes one step further than the broken windows theory and the criminalisation of graffiti by default. It departs from prevention to enhancement of the prosocial aspects of graffiti, as well as providing a new conception of transit spaces.
Details
Keywords
– The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework that can be used to enhance the effectiveness of global teams.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework that can be used to enhance the effectiveness of global teams.
Design/methodology/approach
The objectives of this paper are to provide a practical, concise framework for organizations that are using or considering global virtual teams. Based on extensive consulting research and literature review, the paper describes how global virtual teams can use Diversity & Inclusion, structure and processes to promote desired outcomes.
Findings
With globalization and skill shortages, global virtual teams are required to meet critical organizational objectives. Often these teams fall short of their promise, due to the complexity and lack trust and formal processes. This paper presents a framework to address these challenges.
Practical implications
Global virtual teams can use the proposed framework presented in this paper to promote high performance in both results and relationships.
Originality/value
This paper presents an original framework for optimal global team functioning.
Details