Gun Control: No Straight Lines in the Data

Research and public debate on the reasons for and against gun control are quagmires into which the average academic, the average public policy-maker, and the average citizen should be wary of diving. Indeed, every single entry point into both the research and the debate represents a morass that is so difficult to navigate that anyone unwilling to devote full-time study has little chance of "pulling it all together," that is, of making an informed conclusion on the societal control of firearms. Of the many entry points into the issue, one will be briefly considered here: the causal link between gun prevalence and violence. My goal to is to illuminate this one key issue regarding gun control for those academics, policy-makers, and concerned citizens interested in the issue but who have no special or in-depth knowledge on it. My overall findings include that gun control cannot be justified as a crime-control policy, but that it can be justified as public-health policy.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Gregg Carter

A Reexamination of the Determinants of Patient Satisfaction with Health Care Service Encounters

Marketing literature contains a great deal of support for established methods of measuring customer satisfaction with a service encounter. There is also evidence that while an instrument such as SERVQUAL does reflect certain determinants of satisfaction it is not a complete measure in all situations. This paper looks at satisfaction in a health care setting by utilizing focus groups comprised of both customers (patients) and employees of the service provider (a health care clinic). Using the same gap model used to develop SERVQUAL, additional determinants are identified and the need for further research is discussed.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:James M. Curran

Make Corporate Social Responsibility Make Marketing Management Sense

For decades the widespread adoption of corporate social responsibility practices by business decision makers has been hampered by the lack of relevant management models. This article proposes that key marketing paradigms can mutually benefit the firm and society by integrating content and process issues in a strategic manner by making pro-social endeavors a part of the on-going planning and operation of the organization generally.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Keith B. Murray

Organizational Attachment: Exploring the Psychodynamics of the Employment Relationship

This paper outlines a theoretical framework that may be useful for understanding how and why employees become psychologically attached to the organizations that employ them, in spite of growing evidence that many of these organizations are not reliable sources of security. Building on attachment theory from developmental psychology, I develop the concept of organizational attachment and distinguish between it and concepts of organizational commitment and organizational identification. Attachment theory suggests that individuals have attachment styles that reflect their beliefs and expectations about themselves in relation to the broader social system. I extend this theory and apply it to relationships between individuals and the organizations for which they work. Thus, I posit that individuals have "organizational attachment styles" that can be used to predict how employees will perceive and respond to situations that may threaten their relationship to their employing organization. This theoretical framework may be helpful in identifying the characteristics of future employment relationships that can meet individuals' needs to be psychologically attached to their organizations and, at the same time, provide the flexibility that organizations need to be competitive.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Lynda St. Clair

The Internet, Value Chain Visibility and Learning

The expansion of Internet-related activities includes not only an exponential growth in electronically mediated exchanges of goods and services but also significant changes in how information is accessed and used. This paper posits that the Internet has made possible a fundamental shift in the nature of an information system (IS) by increasing the visibility of the individual information value chain. The increased visibility means that the Internet model IS, in contrast to the transactional model IS, provides the user with the potential for more direct interaction with the upstream processes in the information value chain. This possibility of direct interaction is one reason the Internet enables the emergence of online communities, makes possible more effective information processing at the individual level, and thus offers the opportunity for more effective learning. The paper discusses the implications of these concepts for IS research and design and for individual and organizational learning.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Abhijit Chaudhury

Teaching Dynamic Processes in Finance: How Can We Prepare Students for an Age of Rapid and Continual Chance?

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Hakan Saraoglu

Electronic Commerce: An Examination of Skills for a Successful Developer

The development of web-based, electronic commerce software has grown significantly in recent years. These software development applications have challenged information technology departments in business organizations to implement mission critical, strategic applications for their organization that in turn creates a significant demand for the technology personnel to support the development process. Therefore, the implementation of these systems requires talented personnel that have received formal training with the proper skills to develop successful applications. This research conducts a pilot survey of industry professionals to determine the necessary skills and training required of an undergraduate computer information systems professional seeking employment for these positions. In order to analyze the survey data, the difference between the respondents' rankings (market importance - student competency) were compared to determine whether students attained a level of competency that was equivalent to the skill's importance in the marketplace. Overall, the results illustrate that information systems graduates do not possess a high level of competency in several web-based development skills considered important by the marketplace. For the twenty-eight skills included in the survey, fourteen of the variables showed significant differences between the means scores as well as a negative value for the differences in the respondents' rankings. Specifically, the respondents believed that Java was the web development skill as having the largest gap between the market importance and the level of competency possessed by a graduating student.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Kenneth Sousa

Reconceptualizing Trust: An Evolutionary Process Model

Research in marketing has always found trust to be a central component of relationships between and among buyers and sellers. Much of the literature being published today that focuses on ebusiness continues to use the concept of trust in building a successful business with a loyal customer base. So trust continues to play a role even as the business landscape changes. Although trust is acknowledged as important, little has been done to examine how trust develops. In this paper, the literature pertaining to trust is reviewed, a developmental framework for trust as a factor in various stages of relationships is presented and five proposals for future research are discussed.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:James M. Curran

Adjusting Positive Earnings Forecasts for Bias: A Multiple Discriminant Analysis Approach

In this study, a methodology is tested to adjust positive forecasts that are predicted to correspond to negative earnings outcomes. The methodology involves using consensus forecasts of annual earnings with the sum of the first three quarters' earnings to predict the sign of an earnings announcement. First, the coefficients and the cut-off discriminant values from a multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) for each annual sample period are estimated between 1984 and 1990. OLS regression parameters of the forecast errors against the discriminant scores are obtained for those earnings predicted as negative by MDA in the estimation period. Coefficient values of the MDA function and cut-off discriminant scores are then used in an out-of-sample test period to predict the sign of actual earnings outcomes. An adjustment factor is obtained by using the previously estimated regression parameters of the forecasts errors versus the discriminant scores. Earnings that are predicted as negative in the test period are then adjusted using the adjustment factor. Test period results indicate that this methodology provides forecasts that outperform security analysts' consensus forecasts. Mean square error before adjustment is greatly reduced in all but one test year.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Hakan Saraoglu

Investigation of Factors that Influence the Adoption of the Web in E-Learning Environments

The research-in-progress investigates the relationship between technology acceptance, individual differences, organizational factors, and perceived risk in e-learning environments. It uses the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a basis for hypothesizing the effects of such variables on the use of Web technology as a knowledge transfer tool in the e-learning context. This study focuses on the usage behavior of instructors in universities. The contributions of this paper are four fold. First, this study may help identify eager users of new technologies for learning. Second, this paper is among the first to use the Technology Acceptance Model in the context of e-learning systems. Third, TAM has been mostly employed in environments where the user is presented with a finished system. In the case of e-learning, the user is an active participant who develops his/ her own systems for use. This will be among the first research into use of TAM to study acceptance of user-developed systems. Fourth, the paper integrates three situational factors: individual, organizational, and perceived risk, that have not been considered before in TAM literature.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Abhijit Chaudhury

Coming to Terms with Industry-Sponsored Public Policy Research: A Case Study Involving Controversial Issues in Tobacco Advertising

Marketing academics have long been critical of research appearing in non-business journals as was the case with Fischer et al. (1991), claiming that the submission review system for that vehicle was not prepared to adequately assess the merits of research. This article proposes that industry-sponsored research that directly addresses business practice and public policy calls, for a variety of reasons, for special reporting, review, and presentation considerations when considered by any academic journal, include those in business generally and marketing specifically. Using a careful analysis a recent article appearing in a pre-eminent marketing journal, it can be demonstrated that new policies are called for that will more effectively preserve the integrity of all parties involved with generation, dissemination, and consumption of public policy related research in marketing.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Keith B. Murray

Selling to a Market of One: Price Discrimination in E-retailing

Would e-retailing lower prices? Preliminary empirical studies report mixed results. Drawing from theoretical perspectives on organizational coordination, the first of the two primary objectives of this research is to reconcile expectations (lower prices) with inconclusive empirical evidence (higher prices and lower prices in some instances) to frame the Internet pricing problem. The second objective of this research is to provide an outline for managers to devise pricing strategies for selling merchandise over the Internet. The potential of e-retailing lies in the capability of Internet technology to make information less costly for both customers and retailers. E-retailers have greater access to consumer related information, providing them significant opportunities for customizing prices to infinitesimal customer segments. This research presents pricing models from a price discrimination perspective in the Internet context.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Ranjan Karri

Intentions to Use Technology-Based Customer Interfaces in Service Delivery

Service research has identified a myriad of factors that influence consumer perceptions, expectations, evaluations, and attitudes toward the services they use. Most of this research has focused on the interpersonal encounter rather than the technology driven encounter where the consumer never actually interacts with service employees. There can be little doubt that the introduction of Technology-Based Customer Interfaces (TBCIs) necessitates further research to better understand customers' attitudes toward service providers and their intentions to use technology-based service delivery systems. In this research, the author proposes and empirically tests three competing structural models that include consumer reactions to both the interpersonal and the technological aspects of the encounter to understand their intentions to use TBCIs. A banking context was used which allowed three separate technologies to be examined. The data provides evidence that consumer choice to utilize TBCIs can be influenced by several separate and distinct attitudes relevant to the service and technologies.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:James M. Curran

What Role Do International Funds Play in Your Mutual Funds Portfolio?

Mutual funds provide diversification benefits for small investors. The continual quest for introducing new fund types with different investment objectives has resulted in investors forming fund portfolios. With equity funds typically including well more than the ten to forty stocks required to be well diversified, it would be interesting to find that further diversification benefits are possible through combinations of funds, or mutual fund portfolios. We explore the diversification benefits of adding foreign to domestic equity fund portfolios. During the period of December 1993 to June 1999, we find that diversifying internationally did not provide incremental benefits to those attained by diversifying within domestic fund types. This result may be specific to the time period that our sample covers.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Hakan Saraoglu

Transformational Leadership and Mentoring: Theoretical Links and Practical Implications

Organizations are becoming increasingly aware of the advantages of generating a stream of transformational leaders who will be able to successfully move their companies into the future. Yet, theory providing guidance for developing such leaders is at a premium. In particular, prior research has not explored in detail the complexity of the relationship between mentoring and the development of transformational leaders. To address this important topic, we develop logical links between traditional mentoring activities and the behaviors associated with the "Four I's" of transformational leadership (individualized consideration, idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation). Based upon our review and synthesis of the literature, we conclude that existing models of mentoring may be insufficient for developing transformational leaders. Building on these two literatures, we propose a process of "transformational mentoring" and describe eleven propositions depicting the relationship between transformational mentoring activities and protégé outcomes associated with transformational leadership. We also identify and discuss mentor- and protégé-based barriers that may mediate that relationship. We conclude with directions for future research that capitalize on the overlap between mentoring and the activities identified with transformational leadership.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Lynda St. Clair

Price Experimentation with Depth in a Specialist Market

We investigate how a market maker actively influences order flow and induces information from traders in a market that includes both traders with private information about the security and uninformed liquidity traders. Market maker’s learning from the trades, i.e., price experimentation, has been studied previously by considering the market maker’s use of only the bid and ask prices. We introduce a framework that takes into account the use of bid and ask depths, in addition to the bid and ask prices, in explaining the price discovery by a monopolistic market maker. We use a dynamic programming model to show that the market maker experiments with prices and depths in the earlier rounds of trading, then recoups any losses in later rounds. According to the model, the market maker only learns about the true value of the security when informed traders are trading. The market maker attempts to encourage informed trading in the Þrst round, when information asymmetry is high. Since informed traders prefer to trade in large sizes and liquidity traders prefer to trade when the spread is narrow, the specialist encourages informed trading by widening the spread and increasing the depth. In the second period, the market maker faces less information asymmetry, since prices already reflect the private infor- mation obtained in the Þrst round. Therefore, the specialist sets narrower spreads, making the market more attractive to liquidity traders. Thus, our model predicts that when information asymmetry declines, the market maker simultaneously reduces both spreads and depths. Further, as a consequence of the market maker’s actions, both depths and spreads exhibit large variations from one quote to the next. We test our model’s predictions with the NYSE data and find supporting empirical results for a specialist’s experimentation with depth.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Asli Ascioglu

Examining the Role of Innovation Diffusion Factors on the Implementation Success of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have been adopted by many businesses in the past decade. These systems have revolutionized organizational computing by facilitating integrated and real-time planning, production, and customer response. While many companies consider their ERP investment a success, other firms have had serious problems implementing the systems, often causing them to abandon their ERP initiative or implement the system in limited capacity. This paper examines the impact of innovation diffusion factors on the implementation success of ERP systems, specifically organizational performance and stakeholder satisfaction. Results reveal that complexity, top management support, competitive pressure, and training are highly related to stakeholder satisfaction, while organizational objectives, competitive pressure and elapsed time are associated with organizational performance. The uniqueness of ERP provides fertile ground for this study, which has implications for both practitioners and researchers faced with understanding what factors contribute to ERP implementation success.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Marianne Bradford

Understanding Consumer Attitudes Toward Technologies Used for Service Delivery: An Examination of Influential Factors

Marketing and technology focused literatures are replete with factors that influence the formation and change of people's attitudes toward technlogies and their ussage. With teh proliferation of technologies as touchpoints between firms and their customers, it has never been more important for the firms that choose to utilize technology for customer contact to understand how those customers react to the technologies. In this research the theoretical foundations of consumer adoptions of innovations and technologies are reviewed, a model of attitude formation is developed, and the model is tested on three technologies common to the banking industry. Results show that the salient factors related to attitudes toward specific technologies used in service delivery are not consistent across technologies.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:James M. Curran

The Four Umpires: A Paradigm for Ethical Leadership

Theories of leadership have traditionally focused on leadership traits, styles, and situational factors that influence leadre behaviors. We propose that The Four Umpires Model described herein, which examines how four leadership types view reality and perception, provides a useful example of an effective steward leader. We use the Five Beliefs Model identified by Edgar Schein and Peter Senge to frame the implicit assumptions underlying the core beliefs and mental models of each of the four unpires. We suggest that the stewardship model of Umpire Number Four, the Facilitating Idealist, is the best model for leadership of the four unpires described. In our review of the Four Umpires Model we also explain why it is important for every leader to thoughtfully assess the assumptions that form the ethical basis for their leadership decisions and actions.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Ranjan Karri

Animation: Can It Facilitate?

Graphics have been used since ancient times to portray things that are inherently spatiovisual, like maps and building plans. More recent, graphics have been used to portray things that are metaphorically spatiovisual, like graphs and organizational charts. The assumption is that graphics can facilitate comphrehension, learning, memory, communication, and inference. Assumptions aside, research on static graphics has shown that only carefully designed and appropriate graphics prove to be beneficial for conveying complex systems. Effective graphics conform to the Congruence Principle according to which the content and format of the graphic should correspond to the content and format of the concepts to be conveyed. From this, it follows that animated graphics should be affactive in porttraying change over time. Yest the research on the efficacy of animated over static graphics is not encouraging. In cases where animated graphics seem superior to static ones, scrutiny reveals lack of equivalence between animated and static graphics in content or procedures; the animated graphics convey more information or involve interactivity. Animations of events may be innefective because animations violate the second principle of good graphics, the Apprehension Principle, according to which graphics should be accurately perceived and appropriately conceived. Animations are often too complex or too fast to be accurately perceived. Moreover, many countinuous events are conceived as sequences of discrete steps. Judicious use of interactivity may overcome both these disadvantages. Animations may be more effective that comparable static graphics in situations other that conveying complex systems, for example, for real time reorientations in time and space.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Julie Bauer Morrison

Growth Strategy, Firm, and Founder Performance in High-Growth New Ventures

Empirical evidence suggests that small firms tend to grow organically and that large firms tend to grow through acquisitions. However, a large proportion of small tecnology-intensive new ventures acquire other firms during the two years after their initial public offering (IPO). This paper tests the effects of alternative growth strategies on firm and founder performance of high-growth new ventures. We measure firm performance using a composite measure of sales and asset growth, and explore performance of the founders with objective measures, a focus not addressed in prior research.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Juan Florin

Awakening of the New Gender Earnings Gap: A Study of the 1990's Economic Expansion in the U.S. Labor Market

Defying all rational expectations, the longest expansion in the U.S. economy in the 1990s has failed to reduce the gender earnings gap. Empirical results based on Current Population Survey (CPS) show that the gender earnings gap widened from 1994 to 2001. The pattern of gender earnings gap described by the results of a decomposition analysis, overall and across three broadly defined occupation categories, is extremely consistent, indicating that women were adversely affected in comparison with men during the economic expansion in the 1990s. Although slight, this undeniable failure was not only present in women's relatively weaker economic position as a whole, but it also crossed all occupational boundaries, extending its reach to the workers with blue-collar occupations. The result of a slightly widened gender earnings gap casts doubt on expectation of narrowing of the gap developed over the past several decades. In light of this new finding, future labor policy should focus on changing labor market structure to ameliorate the factors that fail to treat females and males equally to narrow the gender earnings gap.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Jongsung Kim

The growth of the Internet and the explosion of digital communication technologies in the 1990s have given rise to the importance of digital multimedia in the American economy. We define multimedia as the transmission of content through a combination of text, graphics, pictures, sound, animation, video, and hyperlinks, resulting in communication that is multisensory and potentially interactive. Multimedia has had an impact on Internet marketing, the music and motion picture industries, the education industry, and healthcare. It is therefore relevant to marketing and information systems and would seem to have a place in business curricula. The purpose of this paper is to describe the potential role for digital multimedia in a business curriculum. A review of multimedia offerings in higher education indicates that the concepts, technical aspects, and creation of digital multimedia are taught variously in computer science, the creative arts, communication, or psychology but are largely absent from the domain of business disciplines. We report on our experiences teaching a three-credit, 15-week, junior/senior-level Digital Multimedia course under the Computer Information Systems heading. Topics associated with the course include conceptual understanding of digital multimedia, business and legal issues surrounding digital multimedia, and technical underpinnings and skills in the creation of multimedia. A key component of the course is a semester-long team project on a topic selected by each group of students. Challenges in teaching the course include cost of hardware, software, and facilities; containment of the scope of topics; differing expectations of students entering the course; and availability of support materials.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Ron Pitt

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Harold Records

Substituting Bonding for Monitoring in New Venture - Venture Capitalist Relationships? A Two Edged Sword

Prior research grounded in institutional economics recommends bonding strategies that managers of new ventures can pursue to minimize both the percentage equity these firms need to give away and the percentage of board seats they need to relinquish to venture capitalists in exchange for equity capital. Grounded in entrepreneurship and venture capital research this paper questions the wisdom of pursuing these strategies and shows their potentially detrimental effect on firm performance.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Juan Florin

Inter-organizational Effects of Quality on a Connected Supply Chain: An Exploratory Case Study

Successful firms of today succeed through supply chain success rather than individual entity success. Key points to supply chain success include good communication and effective quality goals within the complete supply chain. This paper examines a connected supply chain whose end product is an oven range. All seven entities involved in one of the connected supply chains (from the retailer, Sears, to the manufacturer, Whirlpool, to the sheet metal supplier, J & F Steel) were interviewed. This multiple case study investigated definitions of quality for each entity in the chain along with the inter-organizational effects of quality within the connected supply chain.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Christopher Roethlein

"Cyprus As Victim": Reflections after 25 Years on the Past & Future of Aphrodite's Isle"

A Bipolar to a Unipolar + Fragmented World: The Cold War Model is a "Loose Bipolar Model. This "Bipolar Model" featured a minatory USSR which in reality was only a superpower militarily. Economically it was a "dual economy" with only the defense sector enjoying world-class status. Unfortunately Greece and Cyprus, this fun-damental fact was not clearly understood by many American leaders, many of whom seemed possessed by an unrealistic fear of "The Evil Empire." Evil it surely was, but weak it also was.We view the current world system as unstable with the absolute power of the U.S. clearly declining, ironically even as its relative power expands. Thus we live in a Unipolar world in transition. The end of the Cold War has changed everything. A firm but wise policy by the Simitis Government in Athens meets with a positive response from the Turkish Foreign Minister, Ismail Cem. In our view the views of both foreign ministers are hopeful precisely because they share a common appreciation of "neo-realism," of mutual rational self-interest. Moreover, US leaders now realize that a "Hispaniola Formula" for Cyprus is both dangerous and counterproductive to Turkish, Greek. Cypriot or world security. In fact it facilitates a Greco-Turkish War which would be a disaster for all concerned. For Turkey needs Europe, and Europe needs a reformed Turkey as a full partner. For its part; the U.S. remains"committed to the goal of a bizonal, bicommunal federation that meets the needs of all Cypriots" The U.S. seems committed to a just settlement of the Cyprus issue to the benefit of all --Greeks, Turks, and the world.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Glen D. Camp

Preservation of lipid hydrogen isotopes ratios in Miocene lacustrine sediments and plant fossils at Clarkia, northern Idaho, USA

We measured D/H ratios of individual lipids isolated from plant fossils and water-logged sediments from the Miocene (15 to 20 Ma) Clarkia lacustrine deposit in northern Idaho, in order to assess the preservation potential of lipid hydrogen isotope ratios. Distinct n-alkyl lipid profiles in plant fossils (Platanus, Quercus, Salix) and the sedimentary matrix support the high degree of lipid preservation as previously reported. Three lines of evidence strongly suggest that original hydrogen isotope ratios of lipids are preserved after 15 to 20 million years of burial in the water-logged lacustrine sediment: (1) dD values of individual lipids show large variations (up to 120‰ between sediments and fossils, and up to 81‰ between different fossil genera); (2) hydrogen isotope values of fossil lipids differ by more than 122‰ from the associated sediment water; (3) hydrogen isotope offsets between the fossil lipids and the sediment water are similar in range to those between the lipids of modern plant counterparts and environmental water. These data are consistent with minimum isotope exchange between lipid bound hydrogen and sediment water hydrogen. Our results validate the use of lipid hydrogen isotope ratios for paleoecological studies over an extended geological time scale.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Hong Yang

Components of Manufacturing Strategy within Levels of U.S. Manufacturing Supply Chains

This study built on past research that has identified manufacturing strategies from which a company derives its competitive advantages and related it to a multi-level analysis of manufacturing supply chains in the United States. Through a combination of literature review, structured interviews, and a questionnaire to a large national sample, 28 components of manufacturing strategy upon which a company uses to compete were identified. Factor analysis was used to group components into four factors that clustered logically into coherent manufacturing strategies across the five defined levels of supply chain. Significant differences in the importance of manufacturing strategy among the five levels of supply chain were found. This research provides a snapshot of the status of how present manufacturing companies view their competitive strengths and will help them understand and define strategies for their futures.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Christopher Roethlein

This paper presents the results of a study on supply chain management (SCM) practices. Through extensive literature review, this paper first develops six dimensions (strategic supplier partnership, customer relations, information sharing, information quality, lean system, and postponement) that capture the content of the practices of SCM. Then, based on the 196 responses collected from the firms in various industries, t-tests and ANOVA are used to verify whether SCM practices differ by the firm size (measured by the number of employees and annual sales volume), the firm's position in the supply chain (supplier, manufacturer, or distributor/wholesale/retailer (DWR)) or the length of the supply chain that a firm is in. The results show that the top three SCM practices are customer relationship practice, lean system and strategic supplier partnership, while postponement has received the least attention in the firms. The results also show that there are no significant differences in all SCM practices in relation to the firm's position in the supply chain. But some differences do exist in certain SCM practices by the firm size and the length of the supply chain. We find that firms with larger employee size put more emphasis at customer relation practices than firms with less employees; firms with a higher annual sales tend to involve a higher level of strategic partnership with their suppliers, pay more attention to customer relation practices, share more information with their partners, and implement a higher level of lean system than firms with lower annual sales. We also find significant difference exists between information quality and the length of the supply chain. It appears that the longer the supply chain, the worse the quality of information shared across the supply chain.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Suhong Li

Sales Forecast in a Personal Selling Intensive Industry: An Empirical Analysis of the Repeat Purchase Diffusion Model

It is essential for managers in personal selling-intensive industries to find the optimal mix of personal selling and other promotional efforts to forecast sales, meet sales projections and avoid costly marketplace failures. To that end, we develop and test a repeat purchase diffusion model that allows for the impact of personal selling, pricing and other promotional activities (advertising and sampling) on the adoption of a new product. This model recognizes manager-defined segments of prescribers and incorporates a manager's judgments on the distribution of resources among these various segments. Prescribers are categorized as potential new prescribers and repeat prescribers, based upon sales call attractiveness ratings provided by the sales organization. Market potential is then a function of sales call activity. Our results provide the marketing manager in a personal selling-intensive industry more feedback on the impact that variations in marketing activities could have on new product sales than previously available.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Alphonso Ogbuehi

Small Business and the World Wide Web: A New Way of Doing Business for the New Millennium

This research was developed to ascertain the level of use and experience with Internet technologies by small businesses in the state of Rhode Island. It focused specifically on the level of use of the World Wide Web in addition to email use in the daily operations of their businesses.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Kenneth Fougere

How Was Your Session at the Writing Center? Pre- and Post- Grade Evaluations

Do students reinterpret their tutoring experiences after receiving grades on tutored assignments? This study investigated students' perceptions of the efficacy of consultations at a college Writing Center(WC) before and after the assignment was graded. 53 students in apsychology course were individually tutored by WC consultants, immediately after which the students evaluated the experience using Likert scales. Approximately one week after receiving their grade and three weeks after making the initial evaluation, students completed a detailed evaluation of their experience. Overall, ratings on the primary "satisfaction with experience" scale were lower after grades had been received than before. However, students receiving As lowered their ratings less than those receiving Bs, Cs, and Ds. This finding may be explainedby the self-serving bias in which the A students attributedtheir success after the fact less to the WC and more to their own ability, hence the slight lowering of their ratings, and the B, C, and D students blamed the WC for their performance, and lowered their ratings more substantially. Additionally, students who received lower grades reported using less of the advice offered by the WC and felt that the WC could have done more to help them. At the same time, these students reported that they could have worked harder on their papers, suggesting they may be coping with an unsatisfactory grade by believing they had the ability to receive a high grade if only they had worked harder and not been hindered by the WC. Additional findings and implications for students, professors, and writing centers are discussed.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Julie Bauer Morrison

Are Bodies Special?

How do we think about the space of bodies? This was addressed in body-part verification tasks exploring several accounts of mental representations of bodies. An imagery account predicts faster times to larger parts (e. g., back < hand). A part distinctiveness account predicts faster times to more discontinuous parts (e. g., arm < chest). A part significance account predicts faster times to parts that are perceptually distinct and functionally important (head < back). Because distinctiveness and significance are correlated, these accounts are more difficult to distinguish. Both name-body and body-body comparisons were investigated in four experiments. In all, larger parts were verified slower than smaller ones, eliminating the imagery account. Despite the similarity between distinctiveness and significance, the data suggest that when comparisons are perceptual (body-body), part distinctiveness is the best predictor, and when explicit or implicit naming is involved, part significance is the best predictor. Naming seems to activate functional aspects of bodies.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Julie Bauer Morrison

Putting Your Best Foot Forward: Steps to High IPO Valuations

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the development of a strategically relevant theory of IPO valuation. We argue that the IPO capital market is fundamentally different from the more broadly traded exchanges in that the initial investors are not fully diversified and information is not symmetrically distributed. Our thesis is that the pricing of IPOs is driven largely by factors endogenous to the venture and therefore directly influenced by managerial decisions and actions. Our hypotheses focus on the association between a venture’s ability to minimize agency and strategic risk, and its market value. We develop these hypotheses from recent contributions from financial economics, agency theory, entrepreneurship, and strategy, and test them with data from 199 high growth ventures.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Juan Florin

Competition is no longer between organizations, but among supply chains. Effective Supply Chain Management (SCM) has become a potentially valuable way of securing competitive advantage and improving organizational performance. This research conceptualizes, develops, and validates six dimensions of SCM practices (strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship, information sharing, information quality, lean system, and postponement) and provides a framework to understand the relationships between SCM practices, competitive advantage, and organizational performance. Data were collected from 196 organizations of various industry, size, and location to develop an instrument to measure SCM practice and test the relationships in the framework. Relationships were tested by structural equation modeling using LISREL. The results indicate that higher levels of SCM practices directly lead to enhanced competitive advantage and improved organizational performance. Also, competitive advantage has a direct, positive impact on organizational performance.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Suhong Li

Will the Evolution of Information and Terrorism Affect Supply Chain Management?

In the last few decades, supply chain success has been achieved through management techniques that have aligned common goals and strategies with the connected entities in the chain. Future supply chain success will be achieved by those companies that can manage the plethora of information that is provided on e-based systems and technologies. Companies that plan for disruptions in the flow of goods and services (possibly due to terrorist activities) will move from just-in-time practices to just-in-case practices.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Christopher Roethlein

The Metamorphosis of the Defense Industry

The downsizing of the United States defense industry in recent years had a multitude of effects on defense and defense-related manufacturers. Besides the inevitable loss of jobs, these firms essentially had to reinvent themselves in order to compete in the commercial sector more effectively. Moreover, the defense cutbacks also resulted in implications for the U.S. as a whole. These include questionable preparedness for armed conflict, as well as the potential loss of defense-related suppliers that could affect the ability to sustain armed conflict. These and other insights were gleaned from plant-level interviews and tours of several, small defense-related manufacturers.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Margaret A. Noble

Returns to College Education: Analysis on Hispanic Workers

This paper investigates the trend of the returns to college education and earnings gap between college graduates and non-college graduates of Hispanic workers from 1994 to 2001, and compares the results to the patterns of non-Hispanic White workers. The most striking result is the extremely high returns to college education of Hispanic workers relative to White workers. The significant differences in the patterns of the returns to college education along with higher college premium for Hispanic workers shed a light on which areas public and educational policies should address.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Jongsung Kim

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DOTA’s Software Engineering Group: Two Part Case

Digital Omega Tech Alpha (DOTA) is in the business of taking on special software projects on behalf of large clients like Cisco, IBM, Hewlett Packard, Sun Microsystems and others, that the big corporations don’t have the time, expertise, or resources for. DOTA employs over 200 people in their Chicago office and has offices in India and Ireland where it subcontracts out some of the programming work. The annual revenues in 2002 exceeded 250 million dollars, far above expectations, given the weak nature of the current economy. The Software Engineering Group is central to DOTA as all the code for client software is either written or tested in that department. In addition, the group offers on-line and telephone based software support to many of the clients. The individuals in the Software Engineering department are highly paid with the average salary to be around 110,000 dollars. In addition, bonuses at the end of the year can add almost 50% more pay for the workers in the department.

Mike Thompson, President of Digital Omega Tech Alpha (DOTA) International Services, could not believe his ears. Lisa Connors, the HR director at DOTA had just informed him that a third woman in the Software Engineering group had filed charges of sexual harassment with the EEOC. Mike Thompson had hired Lisa Connors 4 years ago right out of college. Because of the excellent work Lisa had done, she had been promoted to the position of the HR director, when the last HR director retired. Lisa was energetic and very current about HR topics and had developed a solid reputation with most of the upper managers. With Lisa watching, Mike picked up the phone and called James Applebee, the manager of Software Services Department. “Jimmy, come to my office right away. Lisa is here and we all need to talk.”

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Harsh K. Luthar

Leadership Theories are a Product of Their Time: A Historical Review Of 20th Century Leadership Theories

This paper considers the development of some of the most prominent leadership theories of the 20th century: Trait Theories, Organization Specialists Theories, Scientific Management Theory, Behavior Theories, Contingency Theories, Diversity Theories, and Global Leadership Theories. Emphasis is placed on the impact that national and global events as well as cultural trends have on the development of leadership theories. The contention is that the development and acceptance of theories are time and context dependent.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Mark M. Suazo

A Psychologically-Based Framework for the Measurement of Customer Satisfaction in Service Operations

In the past two decades, service organizations have come under intense governmental and societal pressures to become more cost effective and have come under intense stakeholder pressure to become more profitable. These pressures have caused organizations to focus on what actually creates profits from their operations. A consensus exists that customer retention is the key to financial success. The literature establishes that loyalty is an antecedent of retention and that satisfaction is the major antecedent of loyalty; however, prior service operations studies have focused on quality. Therefore, there is a need to establish a framework for measuring satisfaction before attempting to measure loyalty or retention. This study examines the operations management, marketing, and psychology literature to develop a structural equation modeling framework within which to measure customer satisfaction.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Angela M. Wicks

U.S. Gender Occupational Segregation and Earnings Gap in the 1990s

Using Current Population Survey (CPS) and Census Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS), this paper makes a descriptive inquiry into the changes of gender occupational segregation and the earnings gap in the U.S. labor market during the 1990s. This paper found that throughout the decade, including a brief recession in the early 1990s, there has been an upward mobility in the occupational distribution. More specifically, the occupational distribution has been fairly stable with a slight but consistent increase in the relatively prestigious occupational categories, and a modest but sustained decrease in the relatively less prestigious occupational categories. This finding suggests that the more symmetric occupational distribution between male and female workers, along with upward mobility of female workers, will continue to drive the gain in female workers’ earnings - possibly resulting in the narrower earnings differences between male and female workers in the future.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Jongsung Kim

The Impact of Options on Stock Price Performance Around the Expiration of Share Lockup Provisions

Studies by Field and Hanka (2001) and others have documented negative excess returns following the expiration of IPO lockup arrangements and assert they are due to selling pressure as insiders unwind positions after the lockup expiration. The existence of options trading prior to the lockup expiration however would allow insiders to hedge their positions and should result in lower excess volume and smaller price impacts after the unlock date. We examine price and volume behavior around 400 IPO lockup expirations between 2000 and 2001. For the 64 firms for which options traded prior to the unlock date, we find lower abnormal volume prior to the lockup expiration and positive abnormal returns in the two days following the unlock date, indicating that the presence of options trading has an impact on price behavior around the lockup expiration date.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Asli Ascioglu

Sex and Gambling Online: Internet Abuse in the Workplace

Online adult-themed activities and Internet gambling are behaviors that have a high potential for abuse and are often associated with Internet Abuse (IA) in the workplace. Both can have a detrimental impact on the organization as well as the individual employee. This paper examines workplace issues associated with online sexual behaviors and Internet gambling by employees. Although the Internet has revolutionized how work is done, and created immense gains in productive potential, the “dark” side of the Internet in the context of the workplace needs further exploration. There is mounting evidence that, for some employees, abuses of the Internet can have a devastating impact on their professional and personal lives. Given the seriousness of this issue, there is surprisingly little academic research on Internet abuse in the workplace. In this paper, we explore the nature of Internet addiction and discuss the implications for workplace Internet abuse. Additionally, because employers must manage critical legal, social, and ethical issues when employees are granted access to the Internet, we offer proactive suggestions with regard to appropriate workplace policy and employer response.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Harsh Luthar

Quality Communication Within A Connected Manufacturing Supply Chain

Four business entities in a connected supply chain are analyzed in a case study analysis. The end product in this supply chain is a life safety system. The investigation focused on passing on and interpreting quality goals, alignment of quality goals and existence of partnership with the connected supply chain. Minimum levels of goal communication were found as well as dissimilar goal alignment. Few entities believed that true partnerships existed and success in this supply chain was attributed to the strength and dominance of the manufacturing entity. The Manufacturer was found to be the dominant entity and the supply chain was found to be successful even though quality communication weakens and essentially disappears at either end of the supply chain.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Christopher Roethlein

An Examination of Psychological Contract Violation and Its Effect on Work Outcomes

Researchers have described psychological contracts as an employee's beliefs regarding the terms and conditions of a reciprocal exchange agreement between that employee and the employing organization. A key issue in the perceived agreement between the employee and the organization is that the organization will live up to its promises. Psychological contract breach (PCB) refers to the cognitive perception of unfulfilled promises. Psychological contract violation (PCV) refers to a negative and relatively intense affective reaction that sometimes follows an employee’s perception that he/she has not received all that was promised. This research examines potential moderating variables (equity sensitivity, affective disposition) in the relationship between PCB and PCV as well as potential moderating variables (reciprocation wariness, work ethic) in the relationship between PCV and work outcomes (in-role and extra-role work performance).

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Mark M. Suazo

Operations Management Curriculum: Literature Review and Analysis

A review and analysis of studies dealing with the interface between Operations Management (OM) academia and industry practitioners indicates the existence of a persistent gap between what is being taught and what is relevant to practitioner’s daily jobs. This analysis has found that the majority of practitioner studies have been directed at upper management levels, instead of the actual practitioners in OM functions. Yet academia typically educates students for entry level (undergraduate) and mid-management (MBA) positions, indicating a mismatch between the studies and the respondents. A reoccurring finding in our analysis of these studies was that practitioners favor qualitative concepts while academicians prefer to teach quantitative techniques. A review of the OM curriculum literature shows some disagreements between academicians concerning subject matter, and a wide variety of teaching opinions. These divergent opinions are due to the expansion of OM into new topical areas such as service management, international operations, supply chain management and the new E-economy, and this has created an identity crisis within OM. Also, the gap between practitioners and academia has also been accompanied by a declining interest in the study of OM by university level students. This paper provides an extensive analytical review of OM curriculum literature along with their respective authors conclusions. From this analysis we suggest a customer-focused business plan to close the gap between industry and academia, and renew student interest in OM. This plan can be modified to account for faculty teaching and research interests, local industry requirements and institution specific factors such as class sizes and resources.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:John K. Visich

Cultural Insights to Justice: A Theoretical Perspective Through A Subjective Lens

Distributive, procedural, and interactional justice are constructs that are increasingly being recognized as important factors that affect individual perceptions in the workplace environment. This paper presents a theoretical perspective that suggests that justice is perceived through a subjective lens that consists of individualized beliefs and proposes that cultural attributes and demographic characteristics play an integral part in determining the perception of justice. The distinctions between these three constructs are presented in context with the core beliefs of individual employees – affected by a multitude of perceptual and demographic factors that we briefly identify herein. Based on the theoretical perspective, scales that measure the constructs of justice as perceived by individuals was developed. With a focus on justice within the business setting, hypotheses about attitudes related to justice were tested. Survey results confirm that the three constructs of justice are distinct but correlated. Significant differences were found in the perceptions of African-American respondents with regard to procedural justice. Although the empirical findings do not support all the hypotheses, this research highlights the need for further development of measures to assess the perception of justice in business settings and at an applied level, underscores the importance of recognizing cultural attributes and demographic characteristics in understanding how justice is perceived.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Ranjan Karri

The Ascent to Manufacturing Competitiveness: Defense Firms vs. Non-Defense Firms

Facing rapidly changing markets and increasing competition, the competitive environment of the defense industry has undergone extensive restructuring, significantly more so than for the non-defense sector. This comprehensive survey of defense and non-defense firms offers insight into the defense industry's journey into open competition, as well as insight into different strategic approaches to manufacturing competitiveness during this critical period. The data suggest that the surviving defense firms have strengthened, and that defense and non-defense manufacturers alike are responding competitively to the call of the global economy.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Margaret Noble

An Empirical Investigation of Student Perception and Selection of a CIS Minor Program in the College of Business

This study aims to investigate the factors (gender, major, a priori knowledge) influencing student perception of a CIS minor and whether they select a CIS minor, in the hope of providing insight to colleges/universities in developing a strategy to successfully manage the recruitment process of students to the CIS minor. It was found that students’ gender, major and a priori knowledge do directly impact their perception of the usefulness of a CIS minor. In addition, the study also found that a person’s gender directly impacted their decision to select a CIS minor. However, students’ major and a priori knowledge did not seem to significantly influence their decision about actually selecting a CIS minor.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Suhong Li

Predictive Analysis for Leveraging Product Sales Performance

Managers recognize that quality information is key to effective decision making. However, gathering information is only a first step in the decision process. Decision makers must also be able convert information into the knowledge needed to take reasoned action. This paper describes how predictive analysis techniques may be employed by information users to create knowledge and develop action plans. A six-step development process that leads decision makers through a natural process of exploration, discovery, prediction and action is introduced and an example of a sales / marketing application is presented.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Richard Glass

Predicting the Output of a Tube-bending Process: A Case Study

This paper uses the methodology of an intervention case study to examine a manufacturing process for bending metal tubes into oven flues. We found that the manufacturer, Stanley Engineered Components (SEC), was producing parts that were not acceptable to its major customer yet its processes were in control. Our analysis of the situation led us to theorize that: (1) manufacturers do not distinguish between out of control and out of specification situations, (2) once this distinction is made then process capability indices should be part of the decision making about the quality of the process, (3) various univariate and multivariate models can be fitted to sample data, and (4) the choice of the best model fit should be based upon the smallest error term and this error term should be chosen to directly relate to the managerial decisions that must be made. In the case of SEC where the decision was to determine if the process drifted from a specified target then the appropriate error measure is the standard deviation.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Christopher Roethlein

Methods and Tools for Teaching Operations Management

In order to develop well-rounded and knowledgeable students for entry-level positions and careers in Operations Management (OM), the subject matter should be taught in a manner that engages students in an active learning process. A large number of methods exist for teaching OM to students with a wide range of educational backgrounds and work experience. These include case analysis, intensive use of information technology and educational software, and a variety of supplemental and alternative approaches. In addition, instructors rely on well- written and up-to-date textbooks that include a variety of supporting materials. This paper reviews the research conducted on teaching methods and textbooks specifically used in OM courses, and the context and class level in which they are employed. We conclude that the methods used will depend upon such factors as class size and background of students, resources available, faculty interests and time commitments, and support from the university administration, alumni and industry partners.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:John K. Visich

Infant Object Mastery in the Home: A Robust Phenomenon

In this study, it was hypothesized that experimentally introduced noise would disrupt infant object mastery performance in the home environment. Twenty-four 12-month-old infants performed under control and experimental test conditions on alternating home visits. A tape-recording of talk radio conversations was introduced during the experimental test visit. Each videotaped visit included a test session with 6 short object mastery trials. The hypothesis was not supported. The implications of the findings are addressed.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Nanci Weinberger

IT Enablers and Partner Relationship, the Keys to the Practices of Supply Chain Management

Many researchers consider information technology (IT) a great enabler for the practices of supply chain management (SCM). Meanwhile, the practices of SCM depend on good partner relationship, which is built on trust, commitment and shared vision between supply chain partners. This research develops and validates a set of measurements of IT enablers and partner relationship and provides a framework to understand the relationships between IT enablers, partner relationship, and SCM practices. Data for this study were collected from 196 organizations and the relationships proposed in the framework were tested using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that higher levels of IT usage directly lead to better partner relationship and higher levels of SCM practice. Also, partner relationship has a direct, positive impact on SCM practices.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Suhong Li

An Empirical Comparison of Objective Functions for the Mixed-Model U-Shaped Assembly Line

Several objective functions have been proposed in the literature to smooth (equalize) work load variations in mixed-model serial assembly lines. In this paper we modified and tested three mixed-model serial line objective functions for the mixed-model, U-shaped assembly line. These objective functions are the absolute deviation from cycle time (ADC), the maximum deviation from cycle time (MDC) and the sum of the cycle time violations (SCV). We compared these objective functions using the well-known smoothness index. We employed a four step smoothing process from the literature and swapped tasks between workstations to minimize our objective functions. Our task swapping procedure was guided by the great deluge algorithm heuristic. We tested three problem sizes of 19, 61 and 111 tasks, and a variety of cycle times and model sequences for a total of 68 problems. We analyzed our results using the non-parametric Friedman’s test in conjunction with the multiple-comparison for use with Friedman test. Our results indicated that across all problems the ADC and the MDC performed significantly better than the MDC. But, when we controlled for high and low cycle times, the MDC was significantly better than both ADC and SCV at low cycle times, while the ADC and SCV were significantly better than the MDC at high cycle times. From the results of this experiment we can conclude that the smoothness index is influenced by both the objective function and the cycle time in the mixed-model, U-shaped assembly line balancing problem.
(Assembly Line Balancing, Mixed-Model Production, U-Lines, Layout)

Request a copy of the paper from the author:John K. Visich

The implementation of electronic business systems has steadily been introduced by business organizations as a strategic tool for the dissemination of product information and transaction processing. These systems provide operational efficiency as well as a competitive advantage for businesses. Therefore, it would be useful to gain an understanding of the characteristics that affect the adoption of this technology by business professionals. This research provides insight into the factors and behavior that impact adoption of these systems in a business environment. The results will explain the influence of several factors on the intent to use electronic business technology.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Kenneth J. Sousa

Note: Support for this research was provided by a grant awarded to the second author by the Department of Navy, Office of Naval Research (Grant Number: N000144-01-1-0917).

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Mark Suazo

Examining Student Reactions to Class Experiences: An Analysis Using Structural Equation Modeling

This study uses a service marketing framework to develop and test a structural model of seven factors hypothesized to be significant in student evaluations of the classes they take. A series of structural equation models are used to test the validity of the included constructs and then to compare and contrast competing nested models attempting to explain the variation in the data collected. One model is selected as the best and conclusions are drawn from that model and the results it offered.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Jim Curran

Securing Information Sharing in Internet-Based Supply Chain Management Systems

Information sharing is a key ingredient in any supply chain management (SCM) system and is critical for improving supply chain performance and enhancing competitive advantage of an organization. However, many organizations are reluctant to share information with their supply chain partners because of lack of trust, the fear of information leakage and security breakage from malicious individuals or groups. Through extensive literature review, this paper examines the possible security threats/attacks in a SCM system and identifies the key technologies in supporting the security and privacy of information sharing in SCM, in the hope of facilitating organizations’ willingness and capability in sharing information by recognizing and implementing effective security measures.

Key Words: supply chain, internet, information sharing, security

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Chen Zhang

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Suhong Li

Definitions of the Antecedents of Patient Satisfaction for an Ambulatory Surgery Center

A shift in focus from quality to satisfaction (Johnson and Gustafsson, 2000) has created a need for further research into satisfaction and its antecedents (Westbrook and Oliver, 1991, and Oliver, 1993). This paper examines the traditionally used antecedents of satisfaction from the health care management, service operations management, and customer satisfaction literatures to develop the appropriate antecedents of patient satisfaction for an ambulatory surgery center. The original ten dimensions of quality (Parasuraman, et al., 1985) and focus group discussions were utilized to develop and define the antecedents of patient satisfaction.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Angela M. Wicks

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Elizabeth Anderson-Fletcher

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Wynne E. Chin

A Psychologically-Based Definition of Customer Satisfaction

A shift in focus from quality to satisfaction (Johnson and its antecedents ) has created a need for further research into satisfaction (Westbrook and Oliver, 1991, and Oliver, 1993). This paper examines the psychology, customer satisfaction, service operations management, and health care management literatures to develop an appropriate definition for overall satisfaction and to develop a definition of satisfaction for each process segment of an ambulatory surgery process.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Angela M. Wicks

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Elizabeth Anderson-Fletcher

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Wynne E. Chin

Utilizing the Service Transaction Analysis Method in a Real-World Service Operations Project

This paper describes a new method to link theory and practice using a real-world, two-part, group service project for Operations Management (OM) courses. In Part 1, students determine the mission statement, competitive priorities and antecedents of customer satisfaction for the fast food industry. The students also identify the order winners and order qualifiers related to the competitive priorities and antecedents of customer satisfaction. In Part 2, students conduct a field study of a fast food restaurant selected by the instructor. The service transaction analysis technique introduced by Johnston (1999) is used to evaluate the service process for two visits to the restaurant. During one visit, students use the walk-in service; during the second visit, students use the drive-thru service. A formal written report is required where students compare their views from Part 1 with the outcomes from Part 2, identify the most positive and negative messages received during the visits, determine the root cause(s) for the negative messages, and suggest ways to correct the problems in order to improve customer satisfaction.
This project has numerous benefits. Students develop a deeper understanding of what they have learned in the classroom by applying the concepts to a real-world situation. They learn to prepare a detailed analysis of a service process that helps the students understand the importance of designing a service process that ensures customer satisfaction. In addition, the students can easily relate to the project. Students assume the customer role; all students have experience as customer, and the lack of work experience is not a detriment. For instructors, the project minimizes the problems associated with recruiting companies to work with the students. This is especially beneficial to new instructors who have not yet established local industry contacts. The project can be used in undergraduate, graduate, and elective programs, and the project can be adapted for Marketing and Computer Information Systems courses.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Angela M. Wicks

Request a copy of the paper from the author:John K. Visich

Radio Frequency Identification: Supply Chain Impact and Implementation Challenges

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has received considerable attention from practitioners, driven by mandates from major retailers and the United States Department of Defense. RFID technology promises numerous benefits in the supply chain, such as increased visibility, security and efficiency. Despite such attentions and the anticipated benefits, RFID is not well-understood and many problems exist in the adoption and implementation of RFID. The purpose of this paper is to introduce RFID technology to practitioners and academicians by systematically reviewing the relevant literature, discussing how RFID systems work, its advantages, supply chain impacts, and the implementation challenges and the corresponding strategies, in the hope of providing guidance for practitioners in the implementation of RFID technology and offering a springboard for academicians to conduct future research in this area.

Key Words: Supply Chain Management, RFID, Adoption and Implementation, E-Business

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Suhong Li

Request a copy of the paper from the author:John K. Visich

Encouraging Customer Adoption of Self-Service Technologies: Put a Little Fun in Their Lives

This research examines the factors that influence a consumer’s decision to alter the manner in which they conduct their business to adopt a new technology based means of engaging with the service provider. A there are two key elements in the introduction of self-service technologies (SSTs), one is the use of the technology itself and another is that existing customers must change the manner in which they conduct their business. To better understand the dynamics at play when customers are asked to adopt technologies, a structural model relating attitudes and anticipated outcomes to decisions to change existing behavior is proposed and tested in a banking context. The findings are that people will consider changing when the technology offers greater utility and when it is fun to use.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:James M. Curran

Banneker Industries, Inc. - "Your Strategic Sourcing Solution"

“The color of the skin is in no way connected with the strength of the mind or intellectual powers.”
-Benjamin Banneker (1731-1806)

For many years, Cheryl Watkins Snead had been providing value added services for her customers. As President and CEO, she was the driving force behind Banneker Industries, Inc. (Banneker), a provider of outsourcing solutions for her customers. The quality-minded and participative management style of Cheryl Snead converted a failing machine shop into a vibrant and innovative supply chain management (SCM) company whose core strengths focus on strategic sourcing. Due to a downturn in the economy, businesses were increasingly outsourcing their routine duties to Banneker in order for them to focus on their primary business functions. While this has kept Banneker busy and solvent, they have not grown at the rate that they anticipated. Cheryl pondered her successes with her business during the tough economic times but looked to the future for opportunities where Banneker could flourish.

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Christopher Roethlein

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Cheryl Watkins Snead

Radio Frequency Identification Applications in Health Care

When lives are at stake, zero defects should be the established standard. This philosophy applies whether the federal government is attempting to protect the nation’s drug supply from terrorist attack or in other healthcare environments where patient safety is critically important and where medical errors can result in death or serious injury. Therefore, any technology that can reduce the threat of terrorist attack, reduce medical errors, and increase patient safety should be thoroughly tested and evaluated. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is one technology that holds great promise. In this paper we discuss the potential benefits, the areas of applications, implementation challenges and corresponding strategies of RFID in the healthcare industry.

Key Words: Health Care, RFID, Supply Chain Management, Adoption and Implementation, E-Business

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Angela M. Wicks

Request a copy of the paper from the author:John K. Visich

Request a copy of the paper from the author:Suhong Li