Conceptual Propositions Research Articles

CUSTOMER-INDUCED INTERACTIONS AND INNOVATION IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES: THE CASE OF SOFTWARE CUSTOMISATION

Typically, it is customers who demand that product software be adapted to organisational processes and aligned with their organisational IT landscape. From a knowledge perspective, such customisation services can be conceptualised as a reciprocal knowledge transfer between professional service firms (PSFs) and their customers. In addressing the scarcity in the innovation management literature regarding the benefits that arise from reciprocal knowledge transfers in customer-induced interactions, the present research investigates customer-induced interactions in relation to customisation services. The authors aim to improve the understanding of the complex relationships among PSFs' resource deployment, customer input, and performance. They extend and refine previous research by developing a conceptual model and testable propositions for academic and managerial consideration based on an extensive field study of PSFs and customers in the field of large enterprise product software.

현상학적 조사를 이용한 영성 체험 분석

The purpose of this study is to explore the spiritual experiences which people feel through running. The investigation into running experiences was designed to further develop insight and understanding into the possible spiritual nature of the complex and multi-dimensional experiences. For this study a phenomenological approach was used The data for the study came from in-depth interviews with 8 respondents. The interviews revealed two common themes indicating the multi-dimensional aspects of leisure experiences that are spiritual. This study also found that the spiritual experiences of running could only occur not only through catalysts such as practice, nature, and meditation, but also lead to responses of retrospection, loving, and insight by runners. The spiritual running experiences engendered a range of emotional and cognitive responses as the respondents experienced thinking of the past (retrospection), a sense of connection with nature and others (loving), and some individuals seemed to attain enlightenment (insight). The results of this study support the previous conceptual propositions of the spiritual dimensions of leisure, and develop the theoretical implications by exploring the experiential and emotional dispositions people bring to their running experiences.

Conception of Development of Staffing of Residential Housing in the Region and Training of Professional Housing Managers

This article is about measures for achievement of sustainability and quality of staffing of residential housing and professional housing in the region. Professional certification of specialists in the field is pointed up; comparison with international experience is presented. Conceptual propositions of development of staffing of residential housing and management of housing facilities stock in the region in the long-term were proposed.

Intention to Purchase Products under Volume Discount Scheme: A Conceptual Model and Research Propositions

Many standard brands sell products under the volume discount scheme (VDS) as more and more consumers are fond of purchasing products under this scheme. Despite volume discount being commonly practiced, there is a dearth of research, both conceptual and empirical, focusing on purchase characteristics factors and consumer internal evaluation concerning the purchase of products under VDS. To attempt to fill this void, this article develops a conceptual model on VDS with the intention of delineating the influence of the purchase characteristics factors on the consumer intention to purchase products under VDS and provides an explanation of their effects through consumer internal evaluation. Finally, the authors discuss the managerial implications of their research and offer guidelines for future empirical research.

Righteously Truthfully Management in Counterbalance Organizations

The righteously truthfully management is among the most frequently investigated leadership constructs in counterbalance organizations, and is argued to be the ideal leadership style by many scholars regardless of the cultural or situational contingencies. This paper describes the corporate-wide approach to righteously truthfully management at organizations. righteously truthfully management, referring to the internal systematic approach of the organization’s management and leadership to strive for truthfully performance excellence, and righteously truthfully policy referring to all those measures through which one creates and strengthens confidence and trust in outsiders, especially customers, towards the organization’s abilities and products. Naturally, righteously truthfully policy is a part of righteously truthfully management. The paper reviews the truthfully strategy implementation, strategic control, truthfully metrics, truthfully channels and performance measurement literature to develop a conceptual model and research propositions.

How Singapore teachers in a pioneer ‘School of the Future’ context ‘deal with’ the process of integrating information and communication technology into the school curriculum

The aim of this research was to understand and develop theory concerning how teachers in a pioneer ‘School of the Future’ in Singapore deal with information and communication technology (ICT) integration, utilising grounded theory methods, within the interpretivist paradigm. Findings revealed that teachers tended not to make radical changes to their teaching methods when responding to the challenges of integration. Instead, they went through a selective process of deliberative adaptation which involved the major categories of acknowledging, adapting, appraising and keeping pace. The study also centred on the main factors that shape teachers’ perspectives and experiences, as well as influence ICT integration. Three conceptual propositions were highlighted. These relate to how the categories and processes of ‘deliberative adaptation’ can be understood within the context of everyday classroom practices, as well as teachers’ encounters with the dominating forces of society. The theory developed offers insights into how teachers go about their work in an ICT- enabled classroom.

Marketing integration in cross-border mergers and acquisitions: conceptual framework and research propositions

As for Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As), cross-border M&As are particularly problematic and complex. The most challenging issue is the integration of different management styles and departmental practices. Once the integration seeps deeper into functional levels, the M&A commitment offered at strategic level is faced with operational implementation challenges. The marketing departmental function is usually heavily involved in this integration process. Research on marketing integration in relation to M&As has paid little attention to the process of combining resources from two similar departments, particularly in a cross-border M&A context. Furthermore, existing research does not clearly highlight those factors that contribute to successful marketing integration. Hence, this paper discusses the phenomenon of marketing integration in the cross-border M&A context. Collaboration, interaction, marketing synergy and redeployment of marketing resources are proposed as antecedents to the integration. Drawing from the extant literature, propositions are developed and mechanisms to improve M&A integration performance are elaborated.

PODER MILITAR, CRISE FINANCEIRA E O PANORAMA DE SEGURANÇA INTERNACIONAL DO SÉCULO 21

This article searches for a preliminary, but structured, assessment of the international security landscape of the 21st century. It focuses on the predictions of offensive realism (Mearsheimer 2001), which are contrasted with conceptual propositions about international standards of unipolarity (Wohlforth 1999; Diniz 2006) and data indexes on the international production of wealth, its allocations in means of military power and the appreciation of alterations in this correlation because of the 2008 Financial Crisis. The article points out that trends of power distributions do not widely favor Russia and China. However, because of the greater Chinese resilience to the crisis, the accumulated value of their military investments overcome all its neighbors and its large demand for natural resources in other countries or areas in dispute have led the organization of major systemic constraints when compared to the Russian case. The paper also shows that these dynamics of regional power do not allow reconsidering the U.S. military primacy. Finally, the article presents some final considerations of methodological and conceptual slant in order to advance on the research in international security.

Bolzano on conceptual and intuitive truth: the point and purpose of the distinction

Bolzano incorporated Kant's distinction between intuitions and concepts into the doctrine of propositions by distinguishing between conceptual (Begriffssätze an sich) and intuitive propositions (Anschauungssätze an sich). An intuitive proposition contains at least one objective intuition, that is, a simple idea that represents exactly one object; a conceptual proposition contains no objective intuition. After Bolzano, philosophers dispensed with the distinction between conceptual and intuitive propositions. So why did Bolzano attach philosophical importance to it? I will argue that, ultimately, the value of the distinction lies in the fact that conceptual and intuitive truths have different objective grounds: if a conceptual truth is grounded at all, its ground is a conceptual truth. The difference in grounds between conceptual and intuitive truths motivates Bolzano's criticism of Kant's view that intuition plays the fundamental role in mathematics, aconceptualscience by Bolzano's lights.

Antecedents of Business Performance in Small Tourism Firms: A Conceptual Framework and Research Propositions

Despite growing attention, entrepreneurship research remains understudied in the field of tourism management. A review of the literature shows that there is a lack of coverage devoted to the tourism entrepreneur and their innovative behaviors as antecedents of business performance in small tourism firms. This is surprising considering that literature advocates innovation and/or creativity as key components of entrepreneurship. Thus, this paper develops a conceptual model which focuses on entrepreneurship and innovation as antecedents of business performance and offers research propositions. It is argued that a tourism entrepreneur’s entrepreneurial self-efficacy and innovative behaviors plays a role in enhancing the business performance of their firm.

Effective Commonwealth Leadership in Professional Organizations

The commonwealth managers are those who inspire followers to transcend their own self-interests, and who are capable of having a profound and extraordinary effect on their followers. This paper describes the corporate-wide approach to effective commonwealth leadership at organizations. effective commonwealth leadership, referring to the internal systematic approach of the organization’s leadership and leadership to strive for commonwealth performance excellence, and effective commonwealth policy referring to all those measures through which one creates and strengthens confidence and trust in outsiders, especially customers, towards the organization’s abilities and products. Naturally, effective commonwealth policy is a part of effective commonwealth leadership. The paper reviews the commonwealth strategy implementation, strategic control, commonwealth metrics, commonwealth channels and performance measurement literature to develop a conceptual model and research propositions. The effective commonwealth leadership is a culture-specific leadership style that is prevalent in professional organizations.

“Beyond the Scope of Ordinary Training and Knowledge”: The Argument for Droit Moral, U.S. Research Science Intellectual Property Moral Rights

“Beyond the Scope of Ordinary Training and Knowledge”: The Argument for Droit Moral, U.S. Research Science Intellectual Property Moral Rights

Migration, recession and an emerging transnational biopolitics across Europe

Scholarship linking migration with recession has focused on the responses by migrants to deteriorating economic and cultural conditions. This paper argues for a broader reading of how migration affects structural transformation and social change. The research intervenes in critical population geography by re-conceptualising how the transnational context of recession affects mutual constitutions of biopower and socio-spatial relations. Drawing on Foucault’s discussion of biopower in Security, Territory, and Population, the argument is organised around three conceptual propositions: that migration makes population through the linked circulation of biopower and production of socio-spatial relations; that the transnational context of recession disrupts socio-spatiality and biopower; that the reproduction of socio-spatial relations emerges through a transnational biopolitics. The case-study considers Europe. As recession deepened, the changed resonance of attributes of migration including motility, quality, order, and home disrupted economic, social, and cultural relations. Migrant practices of remitting and transnational familyhood intensify social-spatial relations such as simultaneity and instaneity, and disrupt how ideas about boundedness and proximity legitimise concepts including flexicurity, community, and multiculturalism. Lately, discourses concerning migration to and from Europe evidence securitisation and protection, and underpin policy that emphasises transnational circuits, portability of protections, and close co-operation with offshore partners. An emerging transnational biopolitics suggests this recession has accentuated the role of migration in structural transformation and social change.

Creation of brand personality by advertising and brand-consumer relationship: A conceptual model and research propositions

Creation of brand personality by advertising and brand-consumer relationship: A conceptual model and research propositions

Hermeneutic Questions in Organizational Studies: two interpretative possibilities for research

The present text has the objective of presenting theoretical considerations regarding two types of strategy of research: phenomenology and ethnography. Based on a hermeneutic approach, the two conceptual propositions are presented, the first being dealt with in the sociological context, and the second presented as an anthropological basis. Their similar uses in an organizational context - as well as their differences – are highligthed according to the theoretical contributions of authors belonging to the qualitative universe of organizational research. The text reveals, by the presentations of reported theoretical assumptions, the relevance of the interpretative perspective for the conduction of research that has the organization as object of study, in the pursuit of the identification of ways of constructing the social reality that is the result of the analysis of meanings and experiences lived by the participants, highlighting the importance of the bond between researcher and the research object The theoretical discussion regarding the two perspectives allows to observe the competence of the phenomenological and ethnographic research practice within the field of organizational studies, showing their methodological possibilities to identify dynamics that relate to the experience of life, favoring the analysis of the human being as a phenomenon of interpretation. Key words: Hermeneutic. Phenomenology. Ethnography.

Co-design between consumers and companies: Roles, created-exchanged value and reward systems

Over the last few years, many marketing researchers have been attracted by the subject of co-operation between consumers and companies in the design of new products and services. In particular, in line with the writings of some authors, especially Penaloza and Venkatesh (2006) and Cova and Dalli (2009), the question of a reward due to the consumer who takes part in the design process requires further analysis. The purpose of this article is to analyse the above-mentioned matter in order to provide a contribution based on a multidisciplinary perspective with reference to some important motivational and psychological theories, starting from the “gift theory“ by Mauss (1954) and Godbout (2007). To achieve such an objective, the current study takes shape from a careful review of literature in order to clarify the terminology used to describe the phenomenon of co-design, before focusing on the conceptual and theoretical propositions of the authors.

Clarifying mediatization: Sorting through a current debate

Having been used in various guises and debates for quite some time the notion of mediatization (and related concepts such as mediation or medialization) promises to expand the horizon of media and communication research. Casting the role of the media in and for current western societies as ever more central employing a range of theoretical approaches, mediatization could help to further advance our knowledge of the role of mediated communication for the creation of social realities today. Still, the recent interest in the conceptual framework has also caused confusion as to which approaches are compatible, to which methodological scope the concept extends and what its theoretical and ideational roots are. This article tries to sort through the wealth of conceptual propositions in order to clarify a research approach that might help to reunite social, cultural and communication theory in the face of today's media culture.

Total Business Management

This paper describes the corporate-wide approach to Total Business Management (TBM) at organizations. TBM, referring to the internal systematic approach of the organization’s management and leadership to strive for business performance excellence, and Total Business Policy (TBP) referring to all those measures through which one creates and strengthens confidence and trust in outsiders, especially customers, towards the organization’s abilities and products. Naturally, TBP is a part of TBM. The paper reviews the strategy implementation, strategic control, business metrics, business channels and performance measurement literature to develop a conceptual model and research propositions. Current performance measurement guidelines are too generic for business managers and too reliant on financial measures.

Attributions, causes, and actions: Is the consciousness of will a perceptual illusion?

Wegner’s theory of conscious will applies Michotte’s causal perception model to people’s consciousness of will. The model proposes that people’s perception of conscious will reflects causal inferences about the temporal priority of the intention, the consistency of the intention with the action, and the exclusivity of their intention as the cause. This model has generated much discussion, but few commentators have examined the attribution model underpinning the theory. This analysis examines this theory of conscious will and relevant research, and finds that the research fails to provide strong support for the theory. Several conceptual propositions assumed by the theory also lack support. Research supports alternative models of intentionality that construe conscious cognitions as causes as well as effects.

Are They Being Served? Linking Consumer Expectation, Evaluation and Commitment

The paper’s unique contribution is to confirm the rationale for and the benefits of applying constructs from the psychological contract literature to generate deeper insights into the service provider-consumer relationship. Findings confirm the need for providers to target value propositions at particular consumer groups as part of a more sophisticated and nuanced approach to customer segmentation. The paper also recognises possible changes in consumer expectation and how proactive service providers can track and respond to these. The conceptual framework and research propositions generated from it should be tested in organisations representative of transactional, relational and transpersonal service providers to provide deeper insights for researchers and practitioners. Analysis shows how alignment of different types of value proposition with consumer expectations impacts on the nature and level of consumer commitment. Customer commitment can also contribute to service provider reputation and brand equity. The model is developed by the integration of approaches from the marketing, CSR and psychological contract literature and represents a holistic and multi-disciplinary perspective on the service value proposition. The paper develops a conceptual framework to show how service provider value propositions and customer purchase decisions represent the offer and acceptance of types of psychological contract that, if satisfied, result in particular levels of consumer commitment and related attitudinal and behavioural outcomes.