Market Work Research Articles

Precarious Work and the Gendered Individualisation of Risk in the South African Manufacturing Sector, 2002–2017

Against the backdrop of workplace restructuring globally, post-apartheid South Africa is experiencing consistently high levels of unemployment, the deterioration of employment security and limited improvements in earnings. This article investigates the changing nature of labour-intensive production in the South African labour market and the gendered individualisation of risk associated with precarious or non-standard forms of employment. The article expands on the critical theoretical narrative about the challenges of labour under neo-liberalism by applying a gendered political economy analysis to the experiences of precariousness among workers in the South African manufacturing sector. By focusing on the interconnections between gender and political economy, this article delinks questions about the crisis of labour from a narrow focus on skills and refocuses our understanding in terms of the structural determinants of vulnerabilities in the labour market. The article argues that the gender composition of informal and precarious work in the post-apartheid labour market has significant implications for addressing the persistent racialised and gendered inequalities in the South African economy. KEYWORDS: labour market restructuring; informal employment; precarious work; gender JEL CLASSIFICATION: J21; J30; J71; J80

Marketing of regions as an instrument of regional economic policy strategy

Aim. To form a methodical approach that provides an opportunity to make more complete, concentrated and targeted work in the strategic directions of marketing of territories as the ba­sis of the activities of regional authorities to increase the attractiveness of the regions. Tasks. To identify the strategic directions of increasing the attractiveness of the region; to de­termine the factors of assessment, growth of efficiency and information promotion of the direc­tion related to increasing the attractiveness of the region; to make a detailed description of the factors that should be considered in the marketing work in the regions. Methods. The construction of the methodological approach for the assessment and implementa­tion of strategic directions to improve the socio-economic attractiveness of regions is based on the provisions of the systematic approach and multifactor analysis. Results. Within the framework of the approach outlined in the article, the following elements of regional strategic plans have been developed in order to increase the socio-economic attrac­tiveness of the regions: increasing the competitiveness of the regional product, attracting in­vestment (formation of a favorable investment climate), creating favorable and comfortable conditions for temporary stay. The implementation of evaluation, improvement of efficiency and information promotion of the regions in these directions will make it possible to create a disposable territorial image for external economic agents in relation to the region (for exam­ple, investors, newcomers). Conclusions. The presented methodical approach allows to form the basis for marketing activities for the development of strategic directions of growth of the level of socio-econom­ic attractiveness of the regions. The marketing of the regions acts as an integral part of their strategies, providing the solution of regional tasks for the formation of an attractive image, which leads to the need to take into account the given blocks and factors in the implemen­tation of regional strategic planning. The prospect of the study can be the development of methods to assess the implementation of regional policy in the sphere of marketing of territories.

University-to-work transitions in Germany – do graduate job seekers benefit from migration and work experience?

ABSTRACT This paper investigates the effects of migration and work experience on university-to-work transitions of German university graduates. We use a job search model, signaling and social network theory to discuss different links between the duration of labor market entry, graduate mobility and work experience. We apply event history analyses and make use of administrative social security records to examine whether work experience and pre-study as well as post-study migration accelerates the labor market entry of graduates. Our regression results stress the importance of both mobility and work experience for the length of the transition period. However, whether the effect is beneficial or adverse depends on the type of graduate migration and previous employment.

The importance of social media for organizations

One of the first things to do when planning any activity is the marketing side of the project. If there is no marketing work, it will not be possible to work with strong PR campaign. It must be admitted that today the basis of Social Media Marketing (SMM) is social networks.

Robot adoption and export performance: evidence from Chinese industrial firms

PurposeAs a new research interest, robots have surpassed human performance across several aspects. In this research, the authors wish to investigate whether robot adopters perform better than non-adopters in terms of export behavior, especially when distinguishing between different types of firms.Design/methodology/approachThe authors try a new strategy to identify the extent of robot adoption by import data and compare the export trajectories of robot adopters and non-adopters by employing the propensity score matching-difference in difference (PSM-DID) method.FindingsThe authors find that robot adopters are more likely to enter export markets and improve subsequent export performance, as the gains from doing so can spread the reduction in variable production costs to a larger customer base abroad. But this rule does not always seem to work; for large-scale firms, robot adoption makes it easier to win export competition and increase market share, while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) do not seem to enjoy any benefits from adoption. More importantly, robot adoption also leads to the fiercer market competition when improving the productivity of firms, which will threaten smaller non-adopters.Originality/valueThe findings provide new evidence for the scale bias of robotics and offer new insights into whether exporters or future exporters ought to adopt robots in production.HighlightsFirst, distinguishing from existing research, we explain the controversial results of previous work on robotics by providing evidence from export markets and using the concept of size bias, which helps to update the theoretical interpretation of robotics and provides new insights for current and future exporters to evaluate their robot adoption decisions.Second, we extend previous research by further considering the potential robotics threats faced by non-adopters, especially we record that export gains of robot adopters are partially at the expense of smaller non-adopters, which provides new evidence for the rationale of SME protection policies and supplements robotics theory with new knowledge, such as the competitive game of firms related to robot adoption.Third, to our knowledge, prior research tended to examine the economic effects of robotics through industry data provided by the IFR, this may lead to systematic bias due to the inability to distinguish the robot adoption intentions of different firms. In this respect, we try a new strategy through robot import data and further distinguish between robot adopters and non-adopters in the sample, which helps to mitigate the potential bias in the findings and provide a complement to the recently developed literature related to robotics.Finally, as we pointed out earlier, robot adoption could be an interesting research work for the Chinese export market, which helps us to obtain some special findings, such as in assessing whether the benefits of robots are equally appropriate for economies that previously had an advantage in terms of labor.

Importance and Role of Live Projects in Architectural Education Using a Descriptive and Analytical Approach

In view of the knowledge gap between what students learn in a design studio and what they do in their future work in the labor market, this study assumed that live projects supported architectural education, contributed to the development of students' capabilities, prepared them to enter the labor market, and were complementary to their knowledge acquired in traditional design studio. This study aimed to evaluate the importance of live projects and find out the extent to which students benefit from them in overcoming employment difficulties to easily get into the labor market. A descriptive and analytical approach similar to global experiences was used to monitor the progress of senior students in live projects. Measurement mechanism, such as questionnaire and observation, was used to know the skills of students acquired during the experiment. The experiment results showed that most of the students agreed that live projects provided realistic learning experiences different from the traditional design studio. In addition, the results showed that live projects helped students develop many skills, such as negotiation, persuasion, teamwork, etc. which they did not acquire through virtual projects. In the design studio, live projects were considered as a successful educational method that simulated reality and prepared the students for their professional practice.

Market Making and the Contested Performation of Value in the Global (Bulk) Wine Industry

Recent economic geography scholarship has emphasized (1) the performative work of market making (i.e., the geographies of marketization perspective) and (2) value-creation practices in markets (particularly the geographies of association and dissociation perspectives). In this article, we propose making stronger connections between these bodies of literature to gain a better understanding of how the performative constitution of markets and of brand and commodity value in markets are connected. More precisely, we argue that not only the b/ordering of the market and market outside (i.e., the world outside the market) but, equally, b/ordering processes within markets are essential components of performative market making and key to the contested attribution of value to commodities and brands. We flesh out this conceptual argument by empirically investigating the global wine market, which is characterized by high significance of brand building and of symbolic qualities—particularly geographic origin. In recent decades, the global wine market has been marked by a massive globalization process, strongly linked to the trading of wine in bulk form and outsourced bulk wine assembly for retailers’ private labels. Building on ethnographical research, we analyze the associative and dissociative b/ordering of the bulk wine market vis-à-vis the (premium) wine market, arguing that this performation struggle is key to the attribution of value to wine. Bearing in mind that we are witnessing an increasing aestheticization of consumer goods in the global economy, resulting in a dramatic rise in branding activities, contested b/ordering processes within markets, we argue, will grow in importance in the future.

Between Employment and Nonemployment: The Ambiguity of Work and Leisure in the Contemporary Labor Market

The relationship between work and leisure has significantly changed in various segments of the contemporary, digitalized labor market. This article explores the characteristics of the developments that contributed to an increasing indistinguishability of work and leisure. It also discusses theoretical concepts associated with this ambiguity, namely prosumption, playbor and gamification, taking into account the issue of motivation, remuneration and the linkages between an individual engaged in a given activity and other agents.

Evaluating the Performance of an Arduino-Controlled Wood Scaling Machine

The aim of this quantitative study was to evaluate the performance of an Arduino-controlled wood scaling machine, designed to improve the cutting process for woodwork and furniture production. The machine was developed with the goal of achieving accuracy, precision, and consistency in wood cutting, while also reducing the need for time-consuming grinding and polishing. The wood cutter machine was composed of a circular saw, relay, conveyor, and control module, with the added feature of an Arduino for automated scaling. The study found that the machine's performance was more reliable, effective, and safer than other wood cutting machines, and its use could lead to faster, better, and more accurate cuts. The wood scale cutter machine was also designed to be more affordable while maintaining a standard quality that would ensure its longevity for years. The results of this study offer an innovative and improved wood cutting tool that could compete in the market and benefit workers by reducing working time and increasing productivity.

Using Crm Systems for the Development and Implementation of Communication Strategies for Digital Brand Management and Internet Marketing: eu Experience

Purpose: The research aims to analyze the use of CRM systems for the development and implementation of communication strategies for digital brand management and Internet marketing based on the experience of EU countries. Theoretical framework: Implementing the practice of using CRM systems to develop and fulfill communication strategies for digital brand management and Internet marketing plays a key role in the corporate sector. It is known that the quality of implementation of such a policy will directly affect the commercial result of an enterprise or organization. The problem of using CRM systems and the possibility of improving business processes, which involves the integration of most of the organization's internal processes into the CRM system's operating program, is to find effective means and mechanisms for setting up the marketing and operational work of the enterprise. Design/methodology/approach: The study used scientific research methods, as well as data from official sources of CRM systems that are most popular in the EU. Findings: The research aims to analyze the use of CRM systems to improve the quality of internal communication strategy. An equally important task is to evaluate the management of advertising campaigns and brand positioning policy in the selected business segment. The article analyzes the peculiarities of approaches to the use of CRM systems, as well as their application following the internal corporate policy. Research, Practical & Social implications: The article analyzes the peculiarities of approaches to the use of CRM systems, as well as their application following the internal corporate policy. The key trends of modern CRM systems and the practices of their use are analyzed. This makes it possible to determine the competitive advantages in the market that a company gains after implementing CRM systems. The practice of developing the marketing activities of an enterprise or organization is outlined from the perspective of using CRM systems. Originality/value: By using the available research results, the further practice of using CRM systems can be analyzed from the point of view of the development of the technological aspect of the integration of internal program components of the system into the operating activities of the enterprise.

Plumbing Work in Green Market Based on Value Engineering

The green traditional market concept begins with the structure of the market section. This concept consists of various ideas that make markets environmentally friendly, these ideas include composting buildings, open gardens, bathrooms/toilets, parking areas and planting in the market. Understanding Value Engineering in general is a management technique that uses a systematic approach, creative and organized effort that is directed to analyze the function of a system with the aim of achieving the required function at the lowest possible cost. However, this remains within the established technical functions and limits. The method used is value engineering with the aim of understanding and identifying obstacles in the application of value engineering and lean six sigma methods in dirty water installation work in market buildings with the concept of green building. The research instruments were arranged in the form of variables which were formulated in the form of questions (questionnaires). Cost efficiency was obtained in clean and dirty water installation work of a savings of 9.8%.

Body mass index and the distribution of housework among British couples

In this paper, we analyze the relationship between Body Mass Index of the members of the couple and the distribution of housework within the same couple. Prior research has documented that higher-BMI spouses compensate their partners by increasing their market work hours. The question remains, does this compensation mechanism extend to the share of the time dedicated to housework. Using the British Household Panel Surveys for the years 2004 and 2006, we analyze the relationship between spouses’ Body Mass Index and the time devoted to housework. Our results show that a relatively higher BMI of any member of the couple is related to a decrease in his/her fraction of housework. This result is maintained when we restrict our sample to two-earner couples. We find no evidence for the compensation mechanism by which higher-BMI spouses work longer hours. By analyzing the relationship between housework time and Body Mass Index within the couple, we examine an important issue, given the significant contribution that members of couples make to their households via housework time.

Research on the companies’ diversification of improving user stickiness

Since China entered the “Internet+” era, social networking platforms have been developed efficiently, and the speed of information transmission has changed qualitatively, most people began to receive all kinds of information through mobile phones, and Internet advertising accounts for most of the market, changing people’s lifestyles and driving the development of various industries. In this context, companies are paying more and more attention to brand value, user quality, and accumulated user stickiness. This paper will combine the different stages of media industry development, how to empower to enhance the user stickiness of enterprises, and explore the following aspects: brand promotion, consumer psychology, marketing strategy, communication methods, etc. Based on the existing successful cases, how enterprises can better use social media to do their marketing work under the background of “Internet +” and become the leading enterprises in the industry. This will be an important issue in the future development planning stage.

Marketing Mix Elements and Brand Loyalty in the Nigerian Telecommunication Industry

This study examined the impact of marketing mix elements on brand loyalty in Nigerian telecommunication firms. The general objective is to examine the impact of marketing mix elements on brand loyalty in Nigerian telecommunication firms. The specific objectives of the study are to examine the effect of price on brand loyalty, to investigate the relationship between distribution and brand loyalty, to determine the effect of promotion on brand loyalty and to examine the effect of product on brand loyalty. The study adopted the descriptive survey design method. The population of the study was one hundred and thirty three (133) from selected telecommunication firms in Asaba, Delta State. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the respondents in each of the selected telecommunication firms in Asaba. Findings revealed the extent to which price, distribution, promotion and product affect brand loyalty. The study concludes that distribution strategy has a significant relationship with product management. The study also concludes that telecommunication firms use integrated marketing communications strategy as their major promotion strategy which is designed to make all aspects of marketing communication such as advertising, sales promotion, public relations, and direct marketing work together as a unified force, rather than permitting each to work in isolation. The study recommends that telecommunication firms should use price promotion strategies, such as uses price discounts, free samples, and bonus packs to increase customers’ intention to purchase their products and hence, increase in sales volume.

Google Trends as a digital marketing tool: methodical aspects

The aim of the article is to identify and analyze the menus and options of Google Trends for the digital marketers. Analyses results. The article is devoted to the problem of expanding the information base of marketers through the use of Google Trends, which allows to analyze the search queries of users of the Google search system and create appropriate graphic visualizations of the popularity of various search terms and topics. It was established that the researched tool expands the information base for the work of digital marketers, in particular through the use of such sections of the service as «Explore», «Compare», «Trending Searchers. Daily search trends», «Trending Searchers. Realtime Search Trends», «Year in Search», «Subscriptions». For example, data from the «Year in search» category, in particular the «purchase of the year» category, shows the most relevant user needs that were relevant in a certain year. The general and additional capabilities of Google Trends for digital marketers have been highlighted. The general capabilities of this service include: determining trends by specific search terms or topics, determining the specifics of the dynamics of the popularity of specific search terms or topics, searching and analyzing competitors, researching various digital search platforms, and operational monitoring general current trends in the country. The general capabilities will be useful for all digital marketers, regardless of the specifics of their activity. Additional features of Google Trends include: creation of relevant content, refinement of the semantic core of the site, optimization of the content plan, clustering of topics and the search for reasons for website traffic fluctuations. Additional opportunities will be useful for more highly specialized product promotion specialists (content marketers, brand marketers, SEO specialists, SMM marketers, story makers, etc.). The authors summarized that the research of the dynamics of interest of network users through Google Trends helps to plan marketing initiatives for the future, align the content of sites with current trends, and analyze the activities of competitors. Conclusions and directions for further research. The analysis of the features of the use of other digital marketing tools and the comparison between them in terms of the effectiveness of their use for the performance of specific tasks set before digital marketers are identified as promising for further research.

Research on Apple iPhone’s Marketing Strategy in China

In recent years, people's income has increased due to economic development. Mobile phones have become one of the most popular consumer electronic products. As an international giant, Apple’s marketing strategy in the Chinese market has significantly impacted the iPhone’s success in the Chinese market. According to the statistics on Apple’s product category revenue from 2015- 2021, the percentage of iPhones has decreased from 20015 to 2021 in the past five years in the Chinese market. Focusing on this problem, this paper studies Apple’s marketing strategy in the Chinese Market. This research adopts the literature research/analysis method to analyze the marketing environment, marketing status, and trend of Apple mobile phones in China. Then, it analyzes the problems in its marketing mix strategy, the reasons for these problems, and gives corresponding suggestions, including implementing a differentiated product strategy, adopting a customer-oriented price strategy, adopting a diversified channel sales strategy, and diversified promotion strategies. This paper mainly analyzes the issues of Apple’s marketing strategy in the Chinese market, hoping to provide valuable suggestions for Apple’s marketing work in the Chinese market and provide a reference for the Chinese smartphone brand in delivering marketing strategies.

ПОКАЗНИКИ РЕЗУЛЬТАТИВНОСТІ ПРОДАЖІВ НА ПІДПРИЄМСТВАХ БУДІВЕЛЬНОЇ НАПРАВЛЕНОСТІ

The article considers the peculiarities of implementation of performance indicators of the sales department at construction enterprises. Achievement of the planned indicators is possible through effective resource management based on information about the company's economic and operational activities, analysis and prevention of possible deviations from the plan. In addition, these indicators should be fully consistent with the fundamental strategic goals of the entire organisation. In this regard, special attention is paid to setting achievable values that will satisfy both the fundamental aspirations of the owners to increase profits and the real market and organisational capabilities of the construction industry. The KPI system is used as the main tool for regulating this task, due to its ability to identify and control specific, measurable actions. The position of the KPI system in the overall structure of the sales department has been determined. The key performance indicators of a sales manager in the context of his activities at a manufacturing enterprise with specifics of work in the construction materials market are researched. An analysis of the results of the commercial department's activities in terms of meeting the planned indicators is carried out. It has been found that when implementing KPIs, the motivation system becomes clear and transparent, since planned and actual values are recorded. The applied strategy reveals its weaknesses and the necessary principles of employee motivation in relation to the set goals. The internal factors of influence on the performance of the sales department are proposed, which improve the internal climate and create favourable conditions for motivation and initiative of employees. It is proved that the use of KPI performance indicators allows identifying and adjusting specific tasks necessary to achieve the planned goals, more efficiently managing available resources in key areas of activity, and controlling the economic and operational activities of the company.

Essential Skills Development Needs of High School Students in Southern Thailand for Work in the 21st Century Labour Market

IntroductionPresently, the concept of preparing youth for the labor market in the 21st century receives much attention because of the rapidly changing nature of work and the soft skills and hard skills required by employers. Therefore, graduates need to be competent at work skills necessary for the 21st century to be able to face challenges of work in the present age and to have new perspectives for facing challenges and changes of work. According to the Federation of Thai Industries, the estimated number of workers needed by 14 groups of manufacturing industries during 2013-2017 included 58 percent of high school graduates.ObjectivesThe current study aims to survey and assess essential skills development in high school students in Southern Thailand for the workforce in the 21st century.MethodsThe cross-sectional study was applied to 1,200 subjects consisting of 400 employers and 800 high school students. Data was analysed using means, standard deviation and t-testResultsThe results revealed that communication, digital literacy, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and responsibility were the major skills development needs of high school students in the 21st century labor market. The results indicated that high school students’ levels of skills were lower than those required by employers in four skills: communication, digital literacy, critical thinking, and creativity at the statistical significant level of .001, as presented in table 1.Table 1.Means different for skills development need by sample group.SkillsEmployersHigh school studentsΧS.D.χS.D.tCommunication4.08.403.17.8921.385***Digital literacy4.17.413.41.9717.120***Creativity3.97.453.01.7917.113***Critical thinking4.14.433.47.9714.776***Collaboration3.391.043.41.94-4.267***Responsibility3.391.183.611.00-3.877***P<.001ConclusionsThe high school students possess skills needs for work in the 21st century at lower levels than those needed by employers. This is the issue requiring attention from individuals involved in educational management as they must find ways to develop the teaching and learning methods that can upgrade students’ skills that are needed for work and seen by employers as highly important. These skills are communication, digital literacy, critical thinking, and creativity. The teaching and learning styles should be more active rather than passive to stimulate students to think, to be proactive instead of passively to respond to whatever happens, to propose their ideas or to express differing opinions and using the appropriate language or communicating tools. The fact that these skills are at a moderate level could result in limitations for young people’s development or employment as these skills are required for work in this century where analytical thinking and creativity are necessary for invention both in the workplace and in private life.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

The silent epidemic of substandard and falsified medicines in low- and middle-income countries: heed lessons from the tragic deaths of children in Indonesia

The silent epidemic of substandard and falsified medicines in low- and middle-income countries: heed lessons from the tragic deaths of children in Indonesia

Yield Management Strategy in Increasing Room Occupancy in The New Normal Era

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find out what are strategies in increasing the occupancy rate of the new normal era at The Westin Resort & Spa Ubud, Bali and to determine the yield management strategy in increasing occupancy rates in the new normal era at The Westin Resort & Spa Ubud, Bali.
 Research methods: The types of data used are qualitative and quantitative data. Data collection methods used in this study were observation, interviews, questionnaires, and literature study. The data analysis technique used is descriptive qualitative and quantitative methods. This study uses a marketing mix approach with a SWOT analysis using the 7P indicator.
 Results and discussion: Yield management strategies that can be used to increase room occupancy are expanding market share and working partners with travel agents, increasing promotions based on information technology and utilizing social media, strengthening local culture on products to be sold, providing valet parking for guests, providing technology application training to staff regularly to improve staff quality and performance, creating and developing products according to current trends.
 Implication: The Westin Resort & Spa Ubud, Bali is in a growth stage.
 
 Keywords: yield management, room occupancy, new normal, SWOT.