The influence of social communications networks on intentions to purchase on the web

Despite the increased offering of online communication channels to support web-based retail systems, there is limited marketing research that investigates how these channels act singly, or in combination with offline channels, to influence an individual's intention to purchase online. If the marketer's strategy is to encourage online transactions, this requires a focus on consumer acceptance of the web-based transaction technology, rather than the purchase of the products per se. The exploratory study reported in this paper examines normative influences from referent groups in an individual's on and offline social communication networks that might affect their intention to use online transaction facilities. The findings suggest that for non-adopters, there is no normative influence from referents in either network. For adopters, one online and one offline referent norm positively influenced this group's intentions to use online transaction facilities. The implications of these findings are discussed together with future research directions.

Muscle metabolism during sprint exercise in man: Influence of sprint training

In order to examine the influence of sprint training on metabolism and exercise performance during sprint exercise, 16 recreationally-active, untrained, men (TO2peak= 3.8+/-0.1 1.min(-1)) were randomly assigned to either a training (n=8) or control group (n=8). Each subject performed a 30-sec cycle sprint and a test to measure VO2peak before and after eight weeks of sprint training. The training group completed a series of sprints three times per week which progressed from three 30-sec cycle sprints in weeks 1 and 2, to six 30-sec sprints in weeks 7 and 8. Three mins of passive recovery separated each sprint throughout the training period. Muscle samples were obtained at rest and immediately following the pre- and post-training sprints and analysed for high energy phosphagens, glycogen and lactate; the activities of both phosphofructokinase (PFK) and citrate synthase (CS) were also measured and muscle fibre types were quantified, Training resulted in a 7.1% increase in mean power output (p

Subordinate-manager gender combination and perceived leadership style influence on emotions, self-esteem and organizational commitment

A theoretical model was developed to investigate the relationships among subordinate-manager gender combinations, perceived leadership style, experienced frustration and optimism, organization-based self-esteem and organizational commitment. The model was tested within the context of a probabilistic structural model, a discrete Bayesian network, using cross-sectional data from a global pharmaceutical company. The Bayesian network allowed forward inference to assess the relative influence of gender combination and leadership style on the emotions, self-esteem and commitment consequence variables. Further, diagnostics from backward inference were used to assess the relative influence of variables antecedent to organizational commitment. The results showed that gender combination was independent of leadership style and had a direct impact on subordinates' levels of frustration and optimism. Female manager-female subordinate had the largest probability of optimism, while male manager teamed with a male subordinate had the largest probability of frustration. Furthermore, having a female manager teamed up with a male subordinate resulted in the lowest possibility of frustration. However, the findings show that the gender issue is not simply female managers versus male managers, but is concerned with the interaction of the subordinate-manager gender combination and leadership style in a nonlinear manner. (C) 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of particle morphology on nanostructural feature and conducting property in Sm-doped CeO2 sintered body

Doped ceria (CeO2,) compounds are fluorite type oxides, which show oxide ionic conductivity higher than yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), in oxidizing atmospheres. As a consequence of this, considerable interest has been shown in application of these materials for 'low (500-650 degreesC)' or 'intermediate (650-800 degreesC)' temperature operation, solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this study, the authors prepared two kinds of nanosize Sm-doped CeO2 particles with different morphologies: one type was round and the other was elongated. Processing these powders with different morphology produced dense materials with very different ionic conducting properties and different nanoscale microstructures. Since both particles are very fine and well dispersed, sintered bodies with high density (relative density >95% of theoretical) could be prepared using both types of powder particles. The electrical conductivity of sintered bodies prepared from these powders with different starting morphologies was very different. Materials prepared from particles having a round shape were much higher than those produced using powders with an elongated morphology. Measured activation energies of the corresponding sintered samples showed a similar trend; round particles (60 kJ/mol), elongated particles (74 kJ/mol). While X-ray diffraction (XRD) profiles of these sintered materials were identical, diffuse scatter was observed in the back.-round of selected area electron diffraction pattern recorded from both sintered bodies. This indicated an underlying structure that appeared to have been influenced by the processing technology. Detailed observation using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) revealed that the size of microdomain with ordering of cations in the sintered body made from round shape particles was much smaller than that of the sintered body made from elongated particles. Accordingly, it is concluded that the morphology of doped CeO2 powders strongly influenced the microdomain size and electrolytic properties in the doped CeO2 sintered body. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The influence of dietary sodium chloride, Arginine : Lysine ratio, and methionine source on apparent ileal digestibility of arginine and lysine in acutely heat-stressed broilers

The present study was carried out to determine the ileal digestibility of Arg and Lys in acutely heatstressed broilers using diets varying in Arg:Lys ratio, NaCl concentration, and Met Source. Male broilers were maintained at 22degreesC from 21 to 33 d of age and then at 32degreesC from 33 to 38 d of age. From 28 to 38 d of age, birds were fed a diet with an Arg:Lys ratio of 1.05 and 3 g of supplemental NaCl/kg of diet with or without L-arg free base to increase the Arg:Lys to 1.35, and with or without 3 g/kg of additional NaCl. Methionine was supplied as equimolar amounts of DL-Met or 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio)-butanoic acid in a 2 x 2 x 2 design. At 38 d of age, digesta were collected from the terminal ileum, and amino acid analyses were conducted on feed and digesta samples and compared with acid-insoluble ash (dietary celite) to calculate the apparent ileal digestibilities of Lys and Arg. Increasing the NaCl concentration and the presence of HMB significantly decreased the digestibility of both Arg and Lys, whereas increasing the Arg:Lys ratio increased the digestibility of only Arg but did increase BW gain (P = 0.08). An interaction between dietary NaCl and Arg:Lys ratio as well as the 3-way interaction suggested that dietary NaCl could affect the apparent ileal digestibility of Arg and Lys at certain Arg:Lys ratios and the response may be influenced by the Met source.

Do rural consumers expect a prescription from their GP visit? Investigation of patients' expectations for a prescription and doctors' prescribing decisions in rural Australia

Objective: To assess patients’ expectation for receiving a prescription and GPs’ perceptions of patient expectation for a prescription. Design: Matched questionnaire study completed by patients and GPs. Setting: Seven general practices in rural Queensland, Australia. Subjects: The subjects were 481 patients consulting 17 GPs. Main outcome measures: Patients’ expectation for receiving a prescription and GPs’ perceptions of patients’ expectation. Results: Ideal expectation (hope) for a prescription was expressed by 57% (274/481) of patients. Sixty-six per cent (313/481) thought it was likely that the doctor would actually give them a prescription. Doctors accurately predicted hope or lack of hope for a prescription in 65% (314/481) of consultations, but were inaccurate in 19% (93/481). A prescription was written in 55% of consultations. No increase in patients’ expectation, doctors’ perceptions of expectation, or decision to prescribe were detected for patients living a greater distance from the doctors. Conclusions: Rural patients demonstrated similar rates of hope for a prescription to those found in previous urban studies. Rural doctors seem to be similarly ‘accurate’ and ‘inaccurate’ in determining patients’ expectations. Rates of prescribing were comparable to urban rates. Distance was not found to increase the level of patient expectation, affect the doctors’ perception or to influence the decision to prescribe.

The influence of communication sources on perceived risk about purchasing online

In this paper we report on a qualitative study into the influence of personal and non-personal communication sources in creating, sustaining and/or mediating people's perceptions of risk about purchasing online. In terms of non-personal communication sources, our findings suggest that the popular media significantly influence both purchasers and nonpurchasers’ perceptions of risk about using the Web for purchasing. Despite these negative perceptions, those who have purchased online appear to pay little attention to change agent communications on websites, such as logos, icons and statements about secure payment systems, which are designed to alleviate these concerns. In terms of inter-personal communication sources, our findings suggest that while there is evidence that to some degree, friends or peers influenced the interviewees about purchasing online, the purchasers in our study indicated that they would not influence others to do the same. We conclude our paper with suggestions for future interpretive research into the influence of communication sources on acceptance of the Web for purchasing.