Utilising online shopping environment attributes holistically to create competitive advantage

As more consumers shop online, it becomes crucial for marketers to know how online shopping environments (OSEs) can be used to gain competitive advantage. This dissertation aims to explain theoretically how OSE attributes work together holistically to produce desirable consumer responses, applying and extending a theory from the environmental psychology literature to the online context. Firstly, the study conceptualises OSEs as virtual environments which may be perceived and experienced both cognitively and affectively through a technology-mediated interaction with a computer screen. A multi-disciplinary approach identifies key characteristics of OSEs: they involve consumers; they are more complex than their offline counterparts; they are likely first apprehended holistically; and they can elicit high levels of emotions and cognition. Secondly, the research uses a gestalt approach and extends Kaplan and Kalan’s (1982) Preference Framework, taking account of the specific characteristics of OSEs, which one visits specifically to obtain product information. The results support the proposition that OSEs are perceived in terms of their Sense-making and Exploratory attributes. Thirdly, the research explains how OSE attributes work together to produce desirable consumer responses. As hypothesised, Exploratory potential produces both Hedonic and Utilitarian value, and both kinds of value contribute to Site commitment. An unexpected result is that Sense-making potential does not produce Utilitarian value directly, but only through the mediation of Exploratory potential. The research contributes to marketing theory by: (1) identifying ways the internet has changed the nature of the shopping experience; (2) extending Kaplan and Kaplan’s Preference Framework to explain how consumers perceive OSEs holistically; (3) identifying the distinction between page-level and site-level perceptions, and (4) distinguishing between different sources of information (marketer vs. non-marketer). Managerially, the research provides a model for marketers to conceive and design retail websites whose attributes work together to create competitive advantage.

Collaborative entrepreneurship:how communities of networked firms use continuous innovation to create economic wealth

Book Review: Raymond E. Miles, Grant Miles and Charles C. Snow Collaborative Entrepreneurship: How Communities of Networked Firms Use Continuous Innovation to Create Economic Wealth, 2005, Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press 144 pages

Which institutions encourage entrepreneurs to create larger firms

We develop entrepreneurship and institutional theory to explain variation in different types of entrepreneurship across individuals and institutional contexts. Our framework generates hypotheses about the negative impact of higher levels of corruption, weaker property rights and especially intellectual property rights, and a larger state on entrepreneurs who plan to grow faster. We test these hypotheses using the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor surveys in 55 countries for 2001-2006, applying a multilevel estimation framework. We confirm our main hypotheses but we find no significant impact from intellectual property rights.

Surface modification of natural fibers using bacteria:depositing bacterial cellulose onto natural fibers to create hierarchical fiber reinforced nanocomposites

Triggered biodegradable composites made entirely from renewable resources are urgently sought after to improve material recyclability or be able to divert materials from waste streams. Many biobased polymers and natural fibers usually display poor interfacial adhesion when combined in a composite material. Here we propose a way to modify the surfaces of natural fibers by utilizing bacteria (Acetobacter xylinum) to deposit nanosized bacterial cellulose around natural fibers, which enhances their adhesion to renewable polymers. This paper describes the process of modifying large quantities of natural fibers with bacterial cellulose through their use as substrates for bacteria during fermentation. The modified fibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, single fiber tensile tests, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and inverse gas chromatography to determine their surface and mechanical properties. The practical adhesion between the modified fibers and the renewable polymers cellulose acetate butyrate and poly(L-lactic acid) was quantified using the single fiber pullout test. © 2008 American Chemical Society.