We Have Faith in Apple

Author(s):  
Wei Liu ◽  
Cheng Lu Wang

Research shows that some brands are like religions and have cult-like fans who perceive the brands as sacred. This chapter conceptualizes brand worship and explores its dimensions by using netnography to explore Apple's online fan communities in China from the perspective of dimensions of religiosity. The findings demonstrate that the relationship between extremely devoted fans and their faithful brand exhibits nearly the same characteristics as the relationship between a religious person and a religion. The results emerged with three dimensions of brand worship: brand faith (value identification, paranoid, and hope), brand religiosity (wonder, awe, and ecstasy) and brand devotion (gratitude and allegiance). The chapter contributes to the field of consumer-brand relationships and offers some managerial implications for building brands through a religious approach to cultivate devoted fans.

Author(s):  
Rocio Ruiz-Benitez ◽  
Cristina López ◽  
Juan C. Real

Purpose In the present work, lean and resilient practices applied to supply chains are studied in order to evaluate their impact on the three dimensions of sustainability. Additionally, the mutual impact of lean and resilient supply chain practices is investigated. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach The aerospace sector and its supply chain are chosen, since lean and resilient practices have been proven relevant in the sector. A methodology based on Interpretive Structural Modeling approach is applied in order to identify the existing relationships between lean and resilient supply chain practices and their impact on the three different dimensions of sustainability. Findings The results reveal synergetic effects between lean and resilient practices. The former practices act as drivers of the latter practices. Hence, lean practices lead to direct and indirect effects in achieving supply chain sustainability. Research limitations/implications The relationship between lean and resilient practices has been studied for the aerospace sector. Different sectors may lead to different results as the practices considered important in each sector may differ as well as the way in which each practice is implemented. Originality/value This study highlights the relationship existing between lean and resilient supply chain practices and their impact on sustainability. Additionally, several managerial implications are drawn out to help managers make better decisions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Lennora Putit ◽  
Mazzini Muda ◽  
Ainul Nadzirah Mahmood ◽  
Nor Zafirah Ahmad Taufek ◽  
Norhayati Wahib

An increasing demand for Islamic tourism has driven the concept of a ‘Halal’ (or permissible) friendly hotel into another level of business insight within the consumers’ travel market. The concept via its unique value proposition has rapidly become very attractive not only to Muslim tourists, but also to non-Muslim tourists globally. This study aims to examine the relationship linking ‘Halal’ friendly hotel attributes and customer satisfaction. Using purposive sampling, a total of 410 survey questionnaires were distributed to targeted respondents with only 323 usable feedbacks and used for data analysis. Regression results revealed that four main “Halal-friendly hotel” attributes have significant relationships with customer satisfaction. These include prayer facilities, Halal food, Islamic dress code and general Islamic morality. Of these four attributes, prayer facilities proved to have the most significant impact on customer satisfaction. Findings and managerial implications were further discussed in this article.


Author(s):  
Mohinder C. Dhiman ◽  
Abhishek Ghai

The paper has a two fold purpose - examine the impact of bar service operation practices (BSOP) on organizational performance (OP) and study the relationship between organizational performance and demographic variables. Based on a survey of 362 bar managers perceptions on the impact of bar service operation practices on organizational performance were assessed by 59 practices and 6 demographic variables. Bivariate test and ANOVA were employed to test the working hypothesis in the study. Results indicated that there is a positive relationship between the bar service operation practices and organizational performance. Further, the results indicate some practical and managerial implications to improve organizational overall performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
He Ding ◽  
Enhai Yu ◽  
Yanbin Li

We investigated the mediating effects of positive affect and strengths use in the relationship between perceived organizational support for strengths use (POSSU) and employees' task performance. Data were gathered at 2 time points, separated by a 2-week interval, from 157 employees working in various Chinese enterprises. We applied structural equation modeling and PROCESS macro analysis to the data. The results indicate that POSSU was positively related to task performance and that this relationship was mediated by strengths use. In addition, positive affect and strengths use played a sequential mediating role in the relationship between POSSU and task performance. However, positive affect was not a significant mediator in the POSSU–task performance relationship. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed in the context of the literature on POSSU and task performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Hongwu Xiao ◽  
Donghan Wang ◽  
Xiaohan Liu ◽  
Yi Liu

We applied role theory to test a theoretical model that explained how and why an implicit prototype match influences employees' proactive behavior in interpersonal contexts. After analyzing the reliability and validity of the variables, we used correlation and regression analyses to test our hypotheses with 342 participants from enterprises in China. The results show that (a) a stronger implicit prototype match increased employees' proactive behavior, (b) leader–member exchange mediated the relationship between implicit prototype match and proactive behavior, and (c) leader–member liking (employee's liking for leader and vice versa) moderated the relationship between implicit prototype match and leader–member exchange. Our findings provide theoretical support for implicit prototype theory from the implicit match perspective and have managerial implications for organizations seeking to improve employees' proactive behavior.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ketan S. Ramhit

Orientation: Literature shows that job description and career prospect are connected to job satisfaction and it is seen that, in Mauritius, job description and career prospect impact job satisfaction.Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the relationship between job description, career prospect and job satisfaction in Mauritius.Motivation for the study: It has been noticed that employees are dissatisfied when they perform duties outside their job description and also when they see that they do not have a good career prospect. Despite the existence of several researches, limited research exists in the Mauritian context. The outcome will provide significant relevance to existing knowledge.Research approach/design and method: A quantitative approach was adopted and a survey was conducted in a multinational company in Mauritius. A sample of 132 employees was chosen.Main findings: This research unravelled significant negative relationships between job description, career prospect and job satisfaction. The results revealed that, when duties are not well described or when duties are not in line with current responsibilities, the employees are dissatisfied. Similarly, the greater the chances that employees are not given the opportunity to get promoted, the more they are dissatisfied.Practical/managerial implications: Human resource practitioners, managers and team leaders need to recognise that employee’s moods influence the work pattern in the organisation and a clear job description and an appropriate career plan should exist.Contribution/value-add: Literature on the relationship between job description, career prospect and job satisfaction in the context of Mauritius is almost inexistent. This study will add to existing knowledge.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Émilie Lapointe ◽  
Christian Vandenberghe

Abstract This article looks at the relationship between psychological contract breach and voluntary turnover among newcomers, using supervisor trustworthiness as a mediator and negative affectivity as a moderator. Relying on data from 243 newcomers, psychological contract breach was found to be negatively related to the three dimensions of supervisor trustworthiness, i.e., ability, benevolence, and integrity. Supervisor integrity further mediated a positive relationship between psychological contract breach and voluntary turnover measured 8 months later. Psychological contract breach interacted with negative affectivity such that it was less negatively related to dimensions of supervisor trustworthiness at high levels of negative affectivity. The indirect relationship of psychological contract breach to voluntary turnover as mediated by supervisor integrity was also weaker at high levels of negative affectivity. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sangeetha Lakshman ◽  
C. Lakshman ◽  
Christophe Estay

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of business strategies with executive staffing of multinational companies (MNCs). Design/methodology/approach Based on in-depth interviews conducted with top executives of 22 MNCs’, the authors identify important connections between international business strategies and staffing orientation. The authors used the qualitative research approach of building theory from interviews; thus, creating theoretical propositions from empirical evidence. Findings The authors find that when the pressure for global integration is high, MNCs use more parent-country national (PCNs) (ethnocentric staffing) as against the use of host-country managers (HCNs) (polycentric staffing) when this pressure is low. Additionally, MNCs using a global strategy are more likely to use an ethnocentric staffing approach, those using a multi-domestic strategy use a polycentric approach and firms using transnational strategy adopt a mix of ethnocentric and polycentric approaches. Research limitations/implications Although the authors derive theoretical patterns based on rich qualitative data, their sample is relatively small and comprises mostly of French MNCs. Generalizability to a broader context is limited. However, the authors’ findings have critical implications for future research. Practical implications The authors’ findings provide critical managerial implications for MNCs in matching their HR strategies with business strategies. These are important for effective strategy implementation. Originality/value Although MNC staffing orientations have been studied for a long time, their relationship to international business strategies is still not clearly understood. The authors contribute to the literature by investigating the relationship between MNCs’ business strategy types with staffing orientations.


2016 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Elizabeth Pizzolato ◽  
Avery B. Olson

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