Bibliography for Significant Factors - Essay Example

?Bibliography for significant factors Using Internet capabilities and applications like Social Media: Cronin, M. J., (1995) Doing more business onthe internet: how the electronic highway is transforming American companies. Ed. 2. NY: John Wiley and Sons The author has reviewed the working of over a 100 organizations that use the internet as part of their business plans. This book improves upon the first edition by addressing the questions that any organization needs to answer if they are to use the internet successfully in their business. The author gives a step-by-step explanation to using the internet in a cost effective, yet optimal manner in order to increase visibility and improve both sales and service to clients. Issues like marketing, making information available, the value of a web-page, and maintaining quality online interaction with the audience are addressed in detail. The importance of a global presence in today’s markets is underlined and the value for both, small and large businesses is elaborated upon. The organizations that are reviewed by the book are case studies that exemplify the way in which the internet can become the most powerful tool in an organization’s artillery given the global conditions of most markets. Ghosh, S., (1999). Making business sense of the internet. In William Andrews Sahlman (Ed.) The entrepreneurial venture: Readings selected. Ed. 2. (101 – 116). Harvard Business Press This chapter from ‘The entrepreneurial venture’ is designed to aid a start-up or an entrepreneur to use the internet as a tool to enhance the venture. Entrepreneurial businesses are often unique in their products and services, but lack the visibility to capture a significant share of the market. Given the business climate, global visibility, and distinct visibility are the hallmarks of a business that does survive the competition that can be extremely threatening to a young business that is yet to garner loyal consumers. This chapter explains the importance and methods of using the internet to promote a young business without spending too much of the initial capital. It outlines the most efficient strategies and documents research on the success of these strategies. The case studies here and throughout the rest of the book make for a multi-faceted understanding of how to support a successful new venture. Simpson P., Swatman, P.M.C., (1997). Small business use of the Internet: Findings from Australian case studies. International Marketing Review, Vol. 14 (5), pp.385 - 402 The tremendous hype that the use of the internet generates can be intimidating to a non – user. It is essential to document the extent of success that users have in different areas of internet use in running a successful business. The strain of maintaining a resource is the highest for a small business; and thus the study attempts to identify the extent to which small businesses successfully use the internet. The authors have reviewed the functioning of 23 Australian early adopters who have continued to us the internet as a part of running their business. They found that a majority do use the internet successfully as a communication means, and to a somewhat lesser extent, for advertising and transferring documents. They also discovered that enthusiasm about the internet and perceived rather than tangible benefits were the forces behind continued internet use; as was the presence of successful entrepreneurship. Soliman, F., Youssef, M. A., (2003). Internet-based e-commerce and its impact on manufacturing and business operations. Industrial Management & Data Systems. Vol. 103 (8). pp.546 - 552 This study attempts to document the possible uses of the internet in business functioning, and to predict the future of internet use that would benefit the organizations. It recognizes the essential elements in business – to – business and business – to – customer interaction, and attempted to identify the most optimal means to conduct these successfully. The study brings out the need to integrate various industries like the telecommunications, software and media industries to ensure a smooth and effective use of internet resources. While the internet offers new and varied opportunities to the businesses that choose to use them, it is necessary to evaluate these carefully for a manufacturing industry in order that they be used with success. Rather than be taken with the flow, the researchers caution that possible drawbacks be evaluated before deciding the extent to which the internet should be used. 2. Changing social concerns, attitudes and lifestyles of consumers: Fraj E., Martinez E., (2006). Environmental values and lifestyles as determining factors of ecological consumer behavior: an empirical analysis", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 23 (3), pp.133 – 144 The researchers have adapted the ‘Values and Lifestyle scale’ and the ‘Environmental Attitude and Knowledge scale’ to suit a Spanish context. They have attempted to establish the profile of what can be daubed as the ‘Ecological Consumer’. They collected data on 573 individuals that were sampled randomly. Scales were validated, and structural equation analysis was conducted to test the data. It was found that the ecological consumers were led to a great extent by their feeling of self-fulfillment: a behavior that involve being aware of and responding to the challenges they face. Their environmental consciousness leads then to choose products that help the cause, to recycle and become involved in activities that would benefit the planet. It was found that such consumers would take a keen interest in the functioning and policies of the organizations they consume from, and are likely to favor those that do have an environment conscious policy. Luck, E. M. & Ginanti, A., (2009). Green Marketing Communities and blogs: Mapping consumer’s attitudes for future sustainable marketing. Conference Proceedings. Melbourne, Australia. A review done by the authors has found that the environmental consciousness has become a mainstream market issue as the number of consumers who hold these views and expect products and services that respond to the said concerns have grown exponentially in the last 30 years. An analysis of the comments of respondents found that a set of 13 concepts held sway among the topics that seemed to be of concern to all respondents. Of these, issues related to carbon, global, energy and consumers were the most significant. The review also found that consumers had a strong influence on what was acceptable in the market, and governed what products/services would be acceptable and which did not make the mark. While marketers did have some power in decision making; the consumers held significantly more power. Van Huyssteen, L., (2010) Fear-based advertising appeals: Assessing execution styles of social marketing campaigns. Stellenbosch University The researcher has studied the efficacy of different styles of conducting social campaigns that responded to the growing threat the HIV/AIDS posed to the populations in South Africa. The rationale for the study came from the knowledge that the number of reported cases has grown four times in ten years. While a variety of programs that urge the use of safety measures have been implemented and research has shown that the use of campaigns does help in reducing the awareness of safe sexual practices; there has been no comparison done amongst them to extract the most useful and efficient one. Three experimental groups were administered different styles of information dissemination, and the succeeding changes in PMT variables were studied. It was found that fear based campaigning worked significantly differently in different race groups. It thus follows that generic campaigning is not as effective as a focused campaign which focuses in the lifestyle and attitudinal specificities of each group and inspires consumption of safety alternatives. Van Tonder C. L., (2003). The postmodern consumer: Implications of changing customer expectations for organization development in service organizations. Journal of Industrial Psychology, Vol. 29 (3), Pp. 1-10. SA The shift to the Post-modern society is marked by a shift in the consumption patterns. These changes mean significant implications for the service organizations; and direct to specific and significant changes in functioning. As the expectations of the society they serve change, the service providers have had to change their style and areas of functioning in order to survive. This study attempts to identify the changed demands and thereby the expected responses that the organizations are required to give. It contrasts the past and present demands and attempts to identify the salient aspects of the change that has occurred. It also documents the implications for organizational development in the said industries. 3. Diffusion of knowledge across companies globally: Desouza K. & Evaristo R. (2003). Global Knowledge Management Strategies. European Management Journal. Vol.21 (1), Pp 62-67 As organizations grow globally, the techniques to manage information and protect it have had to change significantly. As an organization expands, it has to modify its understanding of the market, and change the methods of maintaining an upper-hand to suit the new culture it finds itself in. 29 senior managers were interviewed for this study; and these were chosen for being part of 11 organizations and across three continents. The interviews attempted to indentify techniques used to manage information and understand the effective strategies that were used by the respondents to do the same. Three aspects – commissioned and executed by the main head-quarters; commissioned by head-quarters bur executed regionally and both commissioned and executed regionally were examined for efficacy. Dieter E. & Linsu K., (2002). Global production networks, knowledge diffusion, and local capability formation. Research Policy. Vol. 31, (8-9), Pp. 1417-1429. As organizations go global, maintaining a uniform production system across continents becomes a significant challenge for the management. They are required to balance the pre-set framework that they are known for and the capabilities and methodologies of the local units. This paper studies the GPN in its role in transferring knowledge and developing local capacities. The GPN are responsible for the transfer of different kinds of knowledge from the flagship to its local units across the globe. While it is often necessary to upgrade the local skill set; the GPN is also required to relay back the specific challenges and strengths of the local units so that functioning is optimal. The study also attempts to explore how the GPN acts as a mediator between the flagship and the local units and helps to maintain a consistent balance between expectation and performance. Bathelt H., Malmberg, A., Maskell, P., (2004). Clusters and knowledge: local buzz, global pipelines and the process of knowledge creation. Progress in Human Geography Vol. 28(1) pp. 31–5. The researchers have attempted to understand the conditions under which different types of information are passed along in an industry. They have identified two types of information – tacit and codified. Findings suggest the while tacit knowledge is most effectively passed within a regional limit; codified knowledge is easily passed across the globe. The intricacies of the learning process are an important aspect of this phenomenon; which are either in a ‘buzz’ pattern or follow a ‘pipeline’ pattern. The method of exchanging information and the effort involved are essential in the success of following a said method with a particular type of information. The study attempts to identify the success of the combinations thereof. The study also reviews the implications of these findings for the industry in areas of policy as well as techniques to retain and distribute knowledge. Read More