Royal Air Mail plane in Singapore Transportation

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Royal Air Mail plane in Singapore Transportation

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A relational approach to direct mail consumption

- Purpose This paper aims to investigate how direct mail consumption contributes to brand relationship quality. Store flyers and other direct mailings continue to play a significant role in many companies’ communication strategies. Research on this topic predominantly investigates driving store traffic and sales. Less is known regarding the consumer side, such as the value that consumers may derive from the consumption of direct mailings and the effects of such a value on brand relationship quality. To address this limitation, this paper tests a causal model of the contribution of direct mail value to brand commitment, drawing on a value framework that integrates social theory of engagement regimes and literature on experiential customer value. - Design/methodology/approach The empirical work of this paper is based on a rigorous four-study mixed methods design, involving qualitative study, confirmatory factor analysis and partial least squares structural modeling. - Findings The authors develop two second-order formatively designed scales – familiar value and planned value scales – that illustrate the role of engagement regimes in consumer behavior. Although both types of value contribute equally to direct mail attachment, they exert contrasting effects on other mediational consumer responses, such as reading and gratitude. Finally, the proposed theoretical model appears to be robust in predicting customers’ brand commitment. - Research limitations/implications This study provides new insights into the research on consumer value and brand relational communication. - Originality/value This study is the first to consider consumer benefits from the social perspective of engagement regimes.

Aquatic resources management for sustainable livelihoods of poor people: proceedings of the DFID-ARM e-mail conference, June 2000

This e-mail conference has been organised by the DFID Aquatic Resources Management (ARM) Programme, S E Asia. It forms part of a wider process of consultation including links with other donors, with government and non-government partners and participatory livelihood assessments with vulnerable groups who benefit from aquatic resources. The objective is to provide a forum for professionals who have been involved in aquatic resources management in the context of poor peoples’ livelihoods, to share experiences, reflect on approaches and contribute to their development. Participants can submit poster presentations (2-pagers) and contribute to the discussions (via the conference website) organised around 5 key issues, set out in this discussion paper. After 4 weeks online the contributed posters and discussions will be edited into a document assessing approaches to aquatic resources management, which benefit livelihoods of poor people. This will be downloadable from the website. (PDF contains 134 pages)

Eléments nutritifs et production primaire dans les lagunes du Côte d'Ivoire : cycle annuel

This paper collects most of the information gathered between October 1974 and July 1976 within the framework of a research program concerning the hydrobioclimate of ivorian lagoons and especially the Ebrié lagoon. Monthly surveys concerning the latter were carried out during 1975. The following parameters - and their vertical distribution wherever it had a meaning - were systematically gathered in a system of fifty-five stations: Transparency (Secchi), Temperature, Salinity, Chlorophylla, Dissolved oxygen, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite. These data provide an outline of the annual cycle of nutrients and primary production of the Ivoirian lagoons

Évaluation de la production primaire et de la chlorophylle à partir des données hydrologiques. Application au Golfe de Guinée

Quantitative relationships between nitrate distribution, chlorophyll and primary integrated values have been used to evaluate the phytoplankton abundance in the Gulf of Guinea. Data of Guinee I cruise (May-July 1968) of the R.V. Jean Charcot have been used. They show a large oligotrophic convergence area (< 250 mg C/m2/J). A relationship previously found between the depth of the nitracline (first level where the nitrate appears) and the depth of the thermal maximum gradient is confirmed. From a practical point of view, this relationship is very useful since it allows, when the biological or chemical data are not available, a rough estimation of phytoplankton integrated biomass and production in the water column, from a temperature profile.

Production primaire, secondaire et régéneration des sels nutritifs dans l'upwelling de Mauritanie

Primary and secondary productions and nutrient regeneration in the Mauritanian upwelling area were studied by following a drogue for 9 days, from the point of upwelling till the water mass dives under offshore waters. The lag between phytoplanktonic bloom, zooplanktonic peak and bacterial activity is very short and may be explained by a well-settled biological cycle connected with an undercurrent. Organic production was estimated in two ways: (1) from chlorophyll 'a' values, considering a C/Chla ratio of 25 during the 5.5 day phytoplankton growth period, primary production computed by this method reaches 13.5 g C/m2; (2) from 14C values net primary production calculated for the same period reaches 10.5 g C/m2 and total organic production (net production + organic excretion) reaches 19.5 g C/m2. Organic production computed ratios, delta O/ delta C/ delta N/ delta Si/ delta P are equal to 130/43/11/7.4/1. Secondary production and 'grazing' are estimated from mesozooplankton respiration values and have a huge increase during the bloom. Net secondary production is assessed to be 1.0-4.2 g C/m2 for 6 days. Evidence of nutrient regeneration as ammonia, phosphate and silicate is given and regeneration rates are calculated. Zooplankton excretion plays an important part in nitrogen and phosphorus regeneration. Bacterial activity is induced by zooplankton organic excretion, then increased by phytoplankton decomposition at the end of the bloom.