Towards a General Theory of Markets: A Social Practice Theory Approach

<p>In recent years new conceptualisations of marketing have been founded in social practice theory. Markets and market boundaries, however, while debated, have not been re-theorised and definitions remain based in the neoclassical economics paradigm. Social practices theory provides a basis for defining markets and market boundaries by practices and their performances by market actors. This thesis advances the debate on a general theory of markets by theorising a new conceptual model of markets as social structures demarcated by nine specific categories of routinised practices described here as parameters. A qualitative study grounded within the social constructionist epistemology was conducted to explore the market practices model, particularly the categories of practices forming the parameters that define market boundaries. The New Zealand mobile telecommunications market provided an opportunity for a situational-specific exploration involving interviews with service providers, users, and regulators as actors performing in the market between 1990 and 2014, triangulated against 26-years of documentary evidence. The research enabled understanding of practices through the comparison of performances between progressive eras in the mobile telephone market in New Zealand. The findings supporting the market practice model not only advance new theory that extends our understanding of markets and market boundaries but also provide context for marketing academics. Furthermore, the model provides new perspectives for business strategy and policy development. The thesis concludes with a summary of contributions to the academic knowledge of markets and an overview of directions for future research and debate.</p>

Towards a General Theory of Markets: A Social Practice Theory Approach

<p>In recent years new conceptualisations of marketing have been founded in social practice theory. Markets and market boundaries, however, while debated, have not been re-theorised and definitions remain based in the neoclassical economics paradigm. Social practices theory provides a basis for defining markets and market boundaries by practices and their performances by market actors. This thesis advances the debate on a general theory of markets by theorising a new conceptual model of markets as social structures demarcated by nine specific categories of routinised practices described here as parameters. A qualitative study grounded within the social constructionist epistemology was conducted to explore the market practices model, particularly the categories of practices forming the parameters that define market boundaries. The New Zealand mobile telecommunications market provided an opportunity for a situational-specific exploration involving interviews with service providers, users, and regulators as actors performing in the market between 1990 and 2014, triangulated against 26-years of documentary evidence. The research enabled understanding of practices through the comparison of performances between progressive eras in the mobile telephone market in New Zealand. The findings supporting the market practice model not only advance new theory that extends our understanding of markets and market boundaries but also provide context for marketing academics. Furthermore, the model provides new perspectives for business strategy and policy development. The thesis concludes with a summary of contributions to the academic knowledge of markets and an overview of directions for future research and debate.</p>

Mobile phones, non-human agents at the service of assisted reproduction: monitoring and gendered dual allegiance

For sub-Saharan women enrolled in a protocol for assisted reproductive technology (ART), the use of mobile phones entails dual allegiance: toward the services of reproductive medicine and toward their transnational family. Indispensable for medically monitoring women’s reproductive bodies, the mobile phone enters the process for producing female gametes and contributes to the gender asymmetry typical of biomedicalized procreation. It is also used to maintain contacts with transnational family members who, from a distance, obtrude in the woman’s reproductive life. The use of mobile phones extends biomedical power over the woman’s body into her everyday life and the normative power of her transnational family into reproduction. Paradoxically, the mobile telephone allows collateral relatives to support the woman seeking reproduction assistance while also “hypermedicalizing” the woman’s daily life. Also paradoxically, this everyday companion is conductive to individual autonomy while also being used for new forms of surveillance and control. The data come from fieldwork conducted in the greater Paris area between 2011 and 2013 within a network of ART professionals and their patients.

Enhancement of WEEE Management Practices in MTN Phone Village, Rumukurushi, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Informal recycling has been a source of challenges to a mobile telephone network (MTN) phone village in Rumukurushi, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and several locations in developing countries. In order to bring a lasting solution to the menace of informal recycling in this location, the study proposed a new waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management system. The system comprises the application of two key concepts. The first concept includes limiting the activities of informal recyclers to WEEE collection only. This implies WEEE treatment, dismantling, etc., are carried out by government-approved agencies and experts. The second concept involves the application of the just-in-time (JIT) management concept for managing WEEE. The concept ensures that WEEE is only requested from the recycler or the individuals in possession of it and only on demand. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. Data collection and analysis were achieved via semi-structured phone interviews and thematic analysis, respectively. The outcome of the study limits the activities of the informal recyclers to WEEE collection. Informal recyclers gain revenue from collection. A reduction in the waiting time of workers and WEEE storage space is achieved. This offers safety, efficiency, and an increased productivity. This will help to revolutionise the WEEE management system in the location.

Frequency and patterns of exposure to live poultry and the potential risk of avian influenza transmission to humans in urban Bangladesh

Avian influenza is endemic in Bangladesh, where greater than 90% of poultry are marketed through live poultry markets (LPMs). We conducted a population-based cross-sectional mobile telephone survey in urban Dhaka, Bangladesh to investigate the frequency and patterns of human exposure to live poultry in LPMs and at home. Among 1047 urban residents surveyed, 74.2% (95% CI 70.9–77.2) reported exposure to live poultry in the past year, with the majority of exposure occurring on a weekly basis. While visiting LPMs was less common amongst females (40.3%, 95% CI 35.0–45.8) than males (58.9%, 95% CI 54.0–63.5), females reported greater poultry exposure through food preparation, including defeathering (13.2%, 95% CI 9.5–17.9) and eviscerating (14.8%, 95% CI 11.2–19.4) (p < 0.001). A large proportion of the urban population is frequently exposed to live poultry in a setting where avian influenza viruses are endemic in LPMs. There is thus not only ample opportunity for spillover of avian influenza infections into humans in Dhaka, Bangladesh, but also greater potential for viral reassortment which could generate novel strains with pandemic potential.

CELLULAR MOBILE COMMUNICATION REVIEW

Mobile communication is continuously one of the hottest areas that are developing at a booming speed, with advanced techniques emerging in all the fields of mobile and wireless communications. This thesis deals with the comparative study of wireless cellular technologies namely First Generation, Second Generation, Third Generation, and Fourth Generation. A cellular network or mobile network is a radio network distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, known as a cell site or base station. In a cellular network, each cell uses a different set of frequencies from neighboring cells, to avoid interference and provide guaranteed bandwidth within each cell. The First Generation were referred to as cellular, which was later shortened to “cell”, Cell phone signals were based on analog system transmissions, and First Generation devices were comparatively less heavy and expensive. Second Generation phones deploy GSM technology. Global System for Mobile communications or GSM uses digital modulation to improve voice quality but the network offers limited data service. The Third Generation revolution allowed mobile telephone customers to use audio, graphics and video applications. Fourth Generation is short for fourth-generation cell phones or/and hand held devices.

Influence of Knowledge Management Capabilities on the Performance of Mobile Telephone Firms in Kenya

With intensifying rivalry in the mobile telephone industry, mobile telephone firms are finding knowledge management capabilities as vital resource for ensuring their performance. However, there is scanty empirical literature to help these firm associate knowledge management capabilities to their performance, hence this study which sought to ascertain the inspiration of knowledge management capabilities on the performance of mobile telephone firms in Kenya. it objectives were to; establish the influence of knowledge acquisition, find out the influence of knowledge application, determine the role of knowledge transfer, ascertain how knowledge protection influence, and stablish the joint effect of knowledge management capabilities (knowledge acquisition, knowledge application, knowledge transfer and knowledge protection) on the performance of the mobile telephone firms in Kenya. This study adopted descriptive survey design where it used a target population of the 63 heads of human resources, information marketing and finance from the 21 telephone firms operating in Kenya. Since the target population was easily manageable and readily accessible, census was used. The data which was collected data from primary sources using questionnaires was analysed using quantitative approach to produce descriptive and inferential statistics. In addition, the study tested for its hypothesis testing using; t-test,. F test and Analysis of Variance. The study found that each of; knowledge acquisition, knowledge application, knowledge transfer and knowledge protection have a positive significant effect of performance. The study concluded that on embracing knowledge management capabilities; knowledge acquisition; knowledge application; knowledge transfer; and knowledge protection, mobile telephone firms in Kenya experienced significant improved in performance and as they also gained competitive advantage over their competitors.

Evolutionary approach to secure mobile telecommunication networks

A series of encryption algorithms called A5 is used to secure mobile telephone communications, producing a pseudo-random sequence that will be exclusive OR (XORed) with the data flowing in the air interface in order to secure them. These algorithms are essentially composed of shift registers with linear feedback, controlled generally by a function or with another register in order to favor the randomness character of the keystream generated. Evolutionary algorithms are bioinspired calculation methods, whose principle is inspired by the theory of evolution, which consists in evolving a set of solutions to a problem given in order to find better results. This paper presents an improvement of the A5/1 algorithm by an evolutionary approach based on the use of particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) in order to limit some weaknesses and drawbacks found in the conventional A5/1 version, which have been cryptanalysed and several attacks have been published such as time memory trade off attacks and guess and determine attacks. Our technique does not alter the A5/1's architecture, but it does help to improve its shifting system by an evolutionary approach, which guarantees the quality of the keystream generated and makes it more complex and more secure.

Assessment of Employees` Involvement influence on Performance of MTNOs in Kenya

The objective of the study was to assess the extent of employees` involvement on performance of MTNOs in Kenya. Sub-variables used for the independent variable were: employees` autonomy, quality circles and employees` suggestion schemes. Performance of Mobile Telephone Operators in Kenya was assessed in terms of profit margins and market share. Mixed methodology was used in collecting and interpreting data. Primary data was gathered using self-guided semi-structured questionnaires and secondary data was obtained from published profit margins and percentages of market share obtained from the companies` reports. Study population was 6,167 which included all the employees in the Mobile Telephone Network Operators in Kenya and a total sample size of 361 employees was obtained but 258 questionnaires were filled and returned. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. The study hypothesis was tested at 95% confidence interval and 0.05 α level of significance. Study null hypothesis (H0) stated that: Employees` involvement does not have a positive influence on performance of MTNOs in Kenya. Regression analysis model demonstrated that employees` involvement had a positive influence on organizations’ performance of MTNOs accounting for 48.3% of the performance (R squared = .483). The study concluded that there was a significant relationship between employees` involvement and organization`s performance therefore rejecting the null hypothesis H0 at β = .695 and P = .000.