Yong J. Wang

Competitive strategy, TQM practice, and continuous improvement of international project management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between competitive strategy, total quality management (TQM), and continuous improvement of international project management (CIIPM).Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature review, a theoretical model and five hypotheses are developed. A cross‐sectional data set collected from 268 international project managers based in four countries is used to test the theoretical model.Findings – The results from the statistical analysis suggest that competitive strategy does not directly influence the CIIPM performance, but it influences through the mediation of TQM practices. The results also suggest that “human resource‐based” TQM elements have stronger influence toward CIIPM performance than “technology‐based” TQM elements.Research limitations/implications – The study used four TQM variables, which originated from the MBNQA (1995) framework. Although the four variables are robust and sufficiently represent the TQM dimension, the multi‐di...

Taxonomy development and assessment of global information technology outsourcing decisions

Purpose – This paper seeks to provide taxonomy and assessment methodologies for executives of global conglomerates with a selection of variables which can help them evaluate outsourcing decisions.Design/methodology/approach – A range of established theories, which addressed outsourcing decisions, are identified. The major determinants of global outsourcing were then formulated into an integrated model. Each of the variables identified was validated using multiple theories. Finally, a weighted score index was used to demonstrate how the variables can be used to evaluate outsourcing decisions.Findings – It provides an overview of outsourcing theories about the variety of major reasons and their associated determinants as well as attributes that are relevant to decision‐makers. It showed that the individual theories can be integrated into a global taxonomy. This taxonomy can be assessed using a weighted‐index because the inputs and computation processes contain realistic qualitative and quantitative informat...

Superstitious beliefs in consumer evaluation of brand logos

In todays unpredictable market environment, superstition may be deployed by a consumer in controlling and predicting particular market conditions with uncertain information. Particularly, when consumers encounter a brand logo without experiencing a companys service or consuming its products, superstitious beliefs may serve to fill the void of the unknown to evaluate the brand logo and judge the services or products. Our purpose is to examine the role of various superstitious beliefs in the way consumers process information and link their beliefs to brand logos.

The Effective Product Placement: Finding Appropriate Methods and Contexts for Higher Brand Salience

Notwithstanding the little understanding on the product placement in movies, practitioners have misbelieved that this marketing activity eventually generates favorable attitudes toward their products/brands exposed in movies; likewise, research on product placement tends to perpetuate the practicality of the practice by using improper measures for the effectiveness of product placement. By designing a novel experiment and creating a measure for brand salience as an outcome of product placement, this article entails distinct research findings. In order to achieve a higher brand salience, product placements need to be either demonstrative or placed in negative context. Future research may contribute further by inventing an experiment design enabling researchers to grasp the interaction effects of different factors addressed in the study.

When a brand caught fire: the role of brand equity in product-harm crisis

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate differences in consumer reactions to high- versus low-equity brands in terms of consumer attitude toward the brand, involvement with the brand, company credibility and consumer purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach – Experimental procedure is conducted to test three hypotheses using 317 consumer participants. The experiment is carried out comparing a high-equity personal computer (PC) brand and a low-equity PC brand involved in product-harm crisis. Findings – The results indicate that, in the case of product-harm crisis, negative consumer perceptions regardless of brand equity level; less negative perceptions for a high-equity brand than for a low-equity brand; and smaller loss in consumer perceptions for a high-equity brand than for a low-equity brand. Research limitations/implications – The findings highlight the importance of brand equity in crisis management explained by covariation theory of attributions. Practical implications – Althou...

When Relationship Marketing Collides With Technology

This conceptual framework aims to query hereditary maladoption and misuse of constructs in relationship marketing studies. In spite of the critical difference between network-oriented and market-oriented relationships, studies on both streams share constructs unselectively. Moreover, although possibly atheoretical applications of constructs prevail in consumer–firm relationship studies, one construct (i.e., opportunism) has not been illuminated in the same context despite its explanatory power. Lastly, an obsolete construct (i.e., transaction-specific asset) still plays a role in the relationship marketing paradigm even though it can be substituted with better relationship holding values. These factors are discussed, and suggestions are provided for future research reflecting current advances in technology.

Invested loyalty: the impact of ubiquitous technology on the current loyalty paradigm and the potential revolution

Regarding communication and information technology advance as an impetus that may manipulate even human cognitive process, this study addresses the possibly diminishing hegemony of expectation confirmation process. With sophisticated interactive communication devices, providing virtual experiences, consumers no longer need to undergo the actual contacts with products and services to settle down in relationships because the experiences through ubiquitous technology are near reality. Once customers become able to invest their knowledge and values in the relationships with firms by means of ubiquitous technology that substantiates sensability, outsourceability, and coproduction facilitation, they will start building relational values, such as satisfaction, trust, and commitment. These relational values are expected to lead consumers to a new form of loyalty called invested loyalty. Consequently, plenty of managerial implications and research opportunities are identified. Firms utilizing ubiquitous technology need to ascertain the ease-of-use of the communication method and should be able to accommodate different types and levels of proposals from customers.

A comparison of humor styles in US and Mexican television commercials

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to conduct a content analysis of humor styles used in US and Mexican television advertising.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 97 television commercials broadcasted by major US and Mexican national television networks were classified under the four humor styles described by Martin et al.Findings – Humor styles used in television advertising significantly differ between the two countries. US commercials use more affiliative, aggressive, and self‐defeating humor than do Mexican advertisements, while self‐enhancing humor is the predominant humor style of Mexican commercials and is used more frequently in Mexico when compared to the USA.Practical implications – The findings reveal the frequency and types of humorous television commercials used in the USA and Mexico.Originality/value – The study suggests that cultural differences should be taken into consideration when humorous advertising is used across borders.

Do Individualists Complain More than Collectivists? A Four-Country Analysis on Consumer Complaint Behavior

ABSTRACT Understanding the consumer complaint patterns of response and the cultural underpinnings of their characteristics may facilitate the customization and timing of response to such consumer demands. We investigated complaint behavior differences between collectivist and individualist societies. Specifically, our study compared three consumer complaint patterns of response (voice, private response, and third party) across the individualism/collectivism continuum. We opted for the mall intercept technique in surveying our participants in four countries (United States, Egypt, Mexico, and Turkey). Our most salient findings revealed that the individualist consumer is very likely to demand redress and very likely practice speaking to others about their dissatisfaction. Collectivists would avoid the product before switching companies. All participants who voiced their dissatisfaction privately showed significant exit intentions. Interesting differences were also found among collectivist countries. Managerial implications are annotated.

Oh, the places you’ll go!: Pre-employment relocation decision making by college graduates in the US

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore pre-employment college graduates’ relocation tendencies based on a research framework built upon gender and cultural theories. Design/methodology/approach Relocation decisions were analyzed based on 208 college graduates enrolled in public universities in Texas, USA. Findings The relocation decision-making by college graduates differ from that for corporate employees described in previous research. First, the willingness to relocate increases as the college graduates mature. Second, gender difference in the willingness to relocate is non-significant because of the same expected norms for both genders. Instead, psychological gender affiliation, such as self-perceived masculinity, makes a difference in relocation decisions. Third, family-related variables, such as marital status and parenthood, do not influence college graduates’ relocation decisions. Last, cultural groups do not exhibit any overall significant differences. Research limitations/implications The findings provide new and complementary knowledge over previous relocation studies. Practical implications The findings enhance the understanding of career choices made by college graduates in their early career, offering valuable managerial implications in crafting staffing strategies and improving human resource management for organizations in today’s fast-changing, vibrant multi-cultural environment. Originality/value The study is focused on pre-employment relocation decision-making by college graduates from different demographic backgrounds. The study fills a major research void in relocation studies by clarifying the relocation patterns of new employees graduating from college.