Report Card On E-Mail: An Investigation Of Replies To Consumers

Organizational communications have been studied from several vantage points, and typically as a one-way communication tool.  Today, with the burgeoning growth and adoption of new technologies two-way communications have become ever more common.  While this paper focuses its research attention to specific forms of e-mail communications between organizations and those it seeks as consumers, a conceptual framework is also presented that sets a foundation for examining and evaluating the myriad of communications alternatives that are available to organizations and the publics they serve.   In this exploratory study 165 companies were e-mailed each of two messages and their responses to these e-mails were analyzed.  Firms used in the study were selected from seven different industries.  The findings reveal that many firms have serious problems responding to fairly simple and common communications.  Barely 45% of the firms studied responded to both types of inquiries, and many simply failed to respond.  Further, there was considerable variability in the timeliness, clarity and specificity of response.   While one may assume that e-mail communication, as a technology is well understood given its proliferation, there are several factors that are discussed that may impede responsiveness – in timeliness, clarity or specificity.  As a written form of communication, e-mail presents a challenge common to other forms of written communiqués; they provide a record that can be reviewed subsequent to the exchange between parties involved in communication.  As such, organizations may be reluctant to answer all e-mails for a myriad of reasons:  some may believe that e-mails place unnecessary or imposing demands on its workforce; some may fear that those responsible for handling the correspondence may be challenged to convey accurate, personalized information in an articulate manner; others simply do not want to have the burden of having to keep a record of such correspondence; yet others may simply view e-mail as a trivial or unimportant, irrespective of whether the communication was marked “urgent” or “confidential” by the sender; and others may fear that their e-mail correspondence is apt to become public, even if marked confidential – as email lacks the advantage of privacy that accompanied other more conventional written messages.  Finally, hypotheses for future research based on the Customer Response System model are presented.

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Factors Affecting Customer Switching Behavior towards Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (HEV’s) from a Customer Perspective in Jordan

European Journal of Marketing and Economics ◽

10.26417/ejme.v1i3.p53-65 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Bushra Mahadin

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Consumer Behaviour ◽

New Technologies ◽

International Marketing ◽

Current Trend ◽

Switching Behavior ◽

Future Research ◽

Decision Making Process ◽

Customer Switching ◽

Electrical Vehicles

Purpose-This paper aims to investigate factors that affect customer switching from Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEV’s) to Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (HEV’s), in Jordan for the period of (2010-2014).Design/methodology/approach-A self-administered survey was hand-delivered to the targeted sample of car users in Jordan. The authors delivered 400 questionnaires to customers, from which 333 were deemed valid for the analysis, corresponding to the percentage of (83.25%) which indicates the validity of the study. Findings- There was no difference in switching behavior between (ICEV’s) and (HEV’s) based on gender in the Jordanian market. Fuel consumption efficiency was the number one variable that supports the switching behavior towards (HEV's), followed by Eco friendliness, lower taxes and technological features. Price and the current trend in the market were the least supporting factors. In addition to that the perception of the battery life of (HEV's), limited choices in the market, lack of information and fear of the relatively new technology were the major hindering factors of choosing an (HEV).Research limitations-Future research needs to investigate other factors that may affect customers’ behavior such as perceived image, trust, and subjective norms. Future research should investigate into the importance of environmental awareness and new technologies, and gender differences in behavior. From an international marketing standpoint, comparative studies between Jordanian and non-Jordanian customers are potential areas of future research for international marketing strategies and cross-cultural consumer behaviour analysis. Practical implications-The paper identifies the determinants of switching behavior. marketers should focus addressing customers concerns in terms of providing enough information and building awareness towards the technology and it's benefits towards the society and the environment.Originality/value-Our study is one of the few in Jordan that investigates the switching behavior towards vehicles technology. Our study is thought to have made a modest contribution to consumer behaviour literature and, specifically, for decision making process. It offers marketers insights into the determinants of switching behavior towards the hybrid vechicle technology and how this contribute to consumers’ decision making process and attitudes to achieve the intended behavioural outcomes

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An explanatory study of the use of e-mail investor communication by South African listed companies

SA Journal of Information Management ◽

10.4102/sajim.v18i1.743 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Roelof Baard ◽

George Nel

Keyword(s):

Listed Companies ◽

Future Research ◽

Contact Method ◽

Interactive Communication ◽

Handling Performance ◽

Corporate Websites ◽

Use Of Social Media ◽

Almost All ◽

The Cost ◽

E Mail

Background: Although research shows that almost all listed companies have corporate websites with dedicated investor relations (IR) sections that enable companies to ‘push’ information to investors, it was argued that such an asymmetrical approach to communication is insufficient for companies wishing to exercise good IR. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of the Internet to act as a mechanism to achieve more interactive communication between companies and investors.Objectives: The objectives of the study were to measure the responsiveness, timeliness and relevance of companies’ responses to e-mail requests, and to test for the determinants (size, market-to-book ratio, profitability, leverage and liquidity) thereof.Method: The mystery investor approach and a content analysis were used to study the e-mail handling performance of companies. The associations between company-specific characteristics were statistically tested.Results: It was found that the e-mail handling performance of companies in this study was poor compared with previous studies. Significant relationships between company size and responsiveness and relevance, and between market-to-book ratio and relevance were reported, as well as between the contact method used to request information and relevance and the use of social media and timeliness.Conclusion: Specific areas where companies could improve their investor communications were identified. The need for further research was discussed to explain some of the relationships found, as well as those not found, in contrast to what was expected. Future research is warranted to examine the relationship between the e-mail handling performance of companies and information asymmetry and the cost of equity of companies.

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Social exclusion increases the executive function of attention networks

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-86385-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Huoyin Zhang ◽

Shiyunmeng Zhang ◽

Jiachen Lu ◽

Yi Lei ◽

Hong Li

Keyword(s):

Social Exclusion ◽

Executive Control ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Negative Influence ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Attention ◽

Attention Network ◽

Attention Networks ◽

The Social ◽

And Control

AbstractPrevious studies in humans have shown that brain regions activating social exclusion overlap with those related to attention. However, in the context of social exclusion, how does behavioral monitoring affect individual behavior? In this study, we used the Cyberball game to induce the social exclusion effect in a group of participants. To explore the influence of social exclusion on the attention network, we administered the Attention Network Test (ANT) and compared results for the three subsystems of the attention network (orienting, alerting, and executive control) between exclusion (N = 60) and inclusion (N = 60) groups. Compared with the inclusion group, the exclusion group showed shorter overall response time and better executive control performance, but no significant differences in orienting or alerting. The excluded individuals showed a stronger ability to detect and control conflicts. It appears that social exclusion does not always exert a negative influence on individuals. In future research, attention to network can be used as indicators of social exclusion. This may further reveal how social exclusion affects individuals' psychosomatic mechanisms.

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Phony peach disease: past and present impact on the peach industry in the southeastern U.S.A

CABI Agriculture and Bioscience ◽

10.1186/s43170-021-00049-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kendall A. Johnson ◽

Clive H. Bock ◽

Phillip M. Brannen

Keyword(s):

New Technologies ◽

Current Knowledge ◽

Future Research ◽

Management Options ◽

Disease Epidemiology ◽

Pathogen Diversity ◽

Foundational Research ◽

Global Threat ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Phony peach disease (PPD) is caused by the plant pathogenic bacterium Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex (Xfm). Historically, the disease has caused severe yield loss in Georgia and elsewhere in the southeastern United States, with millions of PPD trees being removed from peach orchards over the last century. The disease remains a production constraint, and management options are few. Limited research has been conducted on PPD since the 1980s, but the advent of new technologies offers the opportunity for new, foundational research to form a basis for informed management of PPD in the U.S. Furthermore, considering the global threat of Xylella to many plant species, preventing import of Xfm to other regions, particularly where peach is grown, should be considered an important phytosanitary endeavor. Main topics We review PPD, its history and impact on peach production, and the eradication efforts that were conducted for 42 years. Additionally, we review the current knowledge of the pathogen, Xfm, and how that knowledge relates to our understanding of the peach—Xylella pathosystem, including the epidemiology of the disease and consideration of the vectors. Methods used to detect the pathogen in peach are discussed, and ramifications of detection in relation to management and control of PPD are considered. Control options for PPD are limited. Our current knowledge of the pathogen diversity and disease epidemiology are described, and based on this, some potential areas for future research are also considered. Conclusion There is a lack of recent foundational research on PPD and the associated strain of Xfm. More research is needed to reduce the impact of this pathogen on peach production in the southeastern U.S., and, should it spread internationally, wherever peaches are grown.

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Co-Creating New Directions for Service Robots in Hospitality and Tourism

Tourism and Hospitality ◽

10.3390/tourhosp2010003 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 43-61

Author(s):

Francesc Fusté-Forné ◽

Tazim Jamal

Keyword(s):

Ethical Issues ◽

Research Literature ◽

Service Robots ◽

Future Research ◽

Research Attention ◽

Research And Practice ◽

Tourism Management ◽

New Directions ◽

Hospitality And Tourism ◽

New Research

Research on the relationship between automation services and tourism has been rapidly growing in recent years and has led to a new service landscape where the role of robots is gaining both practical and research attention. This paper builds on previous reviews and undertakes a comprehensive analysis of the research literature to discuss opportunities and challenges presented by the use of service robots in hospitality and tourism. Management and ethical issues are identified and it is noted that practical and ethical issues (roboethics) continue to lack attention. Going forward, new directions are urgently needed to inform future research and practice. Legal and ethical issues must be proactively addressed, and new research paradigms developed to explore the posthumanist and transhumanist transitions that await. In addition, closer attention to the potential of “co-creation” for addressing innovations in enhanced service experiences in hospitality and tourism is merited. Among others, responsibility, inclusiveness and collaborative human-robot design and implementation emerge as important principles to guide future research and practice in this area.

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IoT Cloud Security Review

ACM Computing Surveys ◽

10.1145/3447625 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 54 (4) ◽

pp. 1-36

Author(s):

Fei Chen ◽

Duming Luo ◽

Tao Xiang ◽

Ping Chen ◽

Junfeng Fan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Service Providers ◽

Risk Mitigation ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Security Analysis ◽

Cloud Security ◽

Future Research ◽

Security Risk ◽

Research Attention ◽

Cloud Systems

Recent years have seen the rapid development and integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud computing. The market is providing various consumer-oriented smart IoT devices; the mainstream cloud service providers are building their software stacks to support IoT services. With this emerging trend even growing, the security of such smart IoT cloud systems has drawn much research attention in recent years. To better understand the emerging consumer-oriented smart IoT cloud systems for practical engineers and new researchers, this article presents a review of the most recent research efforts on existing, real, already deployed consumer-oriented IoT cloud applications in the past five years using typical case studies. Specifically, we first present a general model for the IoT cloud ecosystem. Then, using the model, we review and summarize recent, representative research works on emerging smart IoT cloud system security using 10 detailed case studies, with the aim that the case studies together provide insights into the insecurity of current emerging IoT cloud systems. We further present a systematic approach to conduct a security analysis for IoT cloud systems. Based on the proposed security analysis approach, we review and suggest potential security risk mitigation methods to protect IoT cloud systems. We also discuss future research challenges for the IoT cloud security area.

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Consequences of mandated usage of innovations in organizations: developing an innovation decision model of symbolic and forced adoption

AMS Review ◽

10.1007/s13162-020-00164-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3-4) ◽

pp. 279-298 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sven Heidenreich ◽

Katrin Talke

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Decision Model ◽

Theory Development ◽

Future Research ◽

Adoption Process ◽

Negative Outcomes ◽

Research Attention ◽

Advance Theory ◽

Mandated Adoption

AbstractIn organizations, mandated adoption contexts are the rule rather than the exception. Individuals, who are denied the choice between adopting and rejecting an innovation, are more likely to engage in opposition behavior, particularly if the innovation conflicts with their held beliefs. Interestingly, neither the construct of forced adoption nor its consequences have received much research attention. To address this gap, we conduct a systematic literature review and provide theoretical rationales for the emergence of innovation resistance and opposition behaviors in organizations. We then develop an innovation decision model of individual adoption behavior that localizes negative outcomes of the secondary adoption process along the different process stages, providing insights into their emergence and potential consequences for the organization. Furthermore, we identify important avenues for future research and show how our innovation decision model can be used to advance theory development on forced adoption.

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Archaic Origins of the Lowland Maya

Latin American Antiquity ◽

10.7183/1045-6635.21.3.312 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 312-352 ◽

Cited By ~ 38

Author(s):

Jon C. Lohse

Keyword(s):

Cultural Change ◽

New Technologies ◽

Cultural Practices ◽

Future Research ◽

Late Archaic ◽

Long Distance ◽

Radiocarbon Data ◽

Cultural Origins ◽

Lines Of Evidence ◽

Lowland Maya

The earliest Lowland Maya are commonly recognized by permanent architecture and the appearance of pottery. However, when other lines of evidence are considered, strong continuities with late Archaic populations can be seen. Reconciling these views relies on more than simply gathering more data. It is also necessary to consider the effect of decades of scholarship that defines the precolumbian Maya as “civilization” rather than considering the historical contexts of important transitions, such as the one that culminated with sedentism, the adoption of new technologies, and participation in long-distance exchange. The Archaic-to-Preclassic transition was relatively brief and largely obscured by the practices of establishing permanent dwellings. Nevertheless, this period must have been extremely dynamic and marked by significant cultural change, making it important to researchers interested in early Mesoamerica. Using three lines of evidence—subsistence, economy and technology, and stratigraphically controlled radiocarbon data—this article argues that the Lowland Maya had their cultural origins at least in the late Archaic and that the case for pottery before ca. 1000 B.C. remains uncertain. Future research is needed to determine precisely how far back in time certain cultural practices that characterize Preclassic and Classic Maya society can be documented.

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A Comprehensive Survey on Cyber-Physical Smart Grid Testbed Architectures: Requirements and Challenges

Electronics ◽

10.3390/electronics10091043 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 1043

Author(s):

Abdallah A. Smadi ◽

Babatunde Tobi Ajao ◽

Brian K. Johnson ◽

Hangtian Lei ◽

Yacine Chakhchoukh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smart Grid ◽

Real Time ◽

Smart Grids ◽

Data Exchange ◽

Information Technologies ◽

New Technologies ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Future Research ◽

Time Data

The integration of improved control techniques with advanced information technologies enables the rapid development of smart grids. The necessity of having an efficient, reliable, and flexible communication infrastructure is achieved by enabling real-time data exchange between numerous intelligent and traditional electrical grid elements. The performance and efficiency of the power grid are enhanced with the incorporation of communication networks, intelligent automation, advanced sensors, and information technologies. Although smart grid technologies bring about valuable economic, social, and environmental benefits, testing the combination of heterogeneous and co-existing Cyber-Physical-Smart Grids (CP-SGs) with conventional technologies presents many challenges. The examination for both hardware and software components of the Smart Grid (SG) system is essential prior to the deployment in real-time systems. This can take place by developing a prototype to mimic the real operational circumstances with adequate configurations and precision. Therefore, it is essential to summarize state-of-the-art technologies of industrial control system testbeds and evaluate new technologies and vulnerabilities with the motivation of stimulating discoveries and designs. In this paper, a comprehensive review of the advancement of CP-SGs with their corresponding testbeds including diverse testing paradigms has been performed. In particular, we broadly discuss CP-SG testbed architectures along with the associated functions and main vulnerabilities. The testbed requirements, constraints, and applications are also discussed. Finally, the trends and future research directions are highlighted and specified.

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New Technologies for Information and Communication, PWM Remote Experimenting and 3G Networks as Teaching Support

International Journal of Engineering Pedagogy (iJEP) ◽

10.3991/ijep.v2i1.1908 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 17 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Juarez B. Silva ◽

Vilson Gruber ◽

Roderval Marcelino

Keyword(s):

Cellular Networks ◽

New Technologies ◽

Font Size ◽

3G Networks ◽

Scientific Disciplines ◽

Teaching Support ◽

Information And Communication ◽

Teaching Learning ◽

Education Courses ◽

3G Cellular Network

Remote experiments may be an important tool to implement new technologies in the teaching/learning process, since it enables experimenting with real plants, essential to consolidate the concepts acquired in the theoretical classes, especially in technical and scientific disciplines.  This article presents the “modulator PWM” remote experiment, its operational architecture and construction. It seeks to demonstrate its integration with theory and the use of the 3G cellular network as a communications channel for remote experimenting. The PWM modulators are often used in disciplines of higher education courses in electrical engineering, telecommunications and electronics. This article shows that it is possible to perform the practical activity completely remotely, via 3G cellular networks or through the internet to access the experiment and perform the experiments needed to fully understand the theories of the PWM modulator.  .This article is a further initiative for remote experiments in the world of different engineering specialties, involving the cellular networks that are rapidly expanding at this time.

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