The “right way” of Hermetism: disputes on Gnostic’s, Pagan’s and Christian’s (re-)visions of the Hermetic phonomenon in late antiquity

This paper aims to understand the phenomenon of Hermetism though the perspective of its process of reception and reproduction in society. It will explore the phenomenon that was the transformation of the Hermetica into a social discourse. The so-called technical and philosophical Hermetica are texts. A text is the result of a production: it is composed by men, and addressed to men. It is important to consider the intentions and values present in a text’s production, and to understand that its process of reception and reproduction in society are, in fact, complex and dynamic.

Determinants of intention to purchase chicken in Italy: the role of consumer risk perception and trust in different information sources

The article investigates how purchasing intentions among a sample of Italian consumers are influenced by different levels of risk perception and their trust in food-safety information provided by different sources such as the food industry, government agencies, or consumers' associations. The assessment of the determinants of intention to purchase was carried out by estimating a causal model for the chicken case in which attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived risk play a major role in determining buyer's behavior. In particular, the role of trust in influencing risk perception is highlighted either as a general construct or as specific constructs targeting food chain, policy actors, and the media. [EconLit citations: Q130, Q190, D120]. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Re-engaging with Education

The paper reports a study of alternative pre- 16 provision in a college of further education for young people who were disaffected and/or non-attenders at secondary school. The data are derived from interviews with 26 of these young people who were 'success stories' for the programme in that they had continued attendance up to the end of Year 11 and, in a few cases, beyond. The interviews showed that, for the most part, school placements had broken down for these young people because of difficulties in personal relationships, in particular relationships with teachers. However, for a minority a perceived irrelevance of the school curriculum was also a factor. The young people were almost all positive about their experience at college and the vocational courses they were taking. A good atmosphere, good personal relationships and being treated as adults were the key features of their positive experience at college although their positive feelings about the particular course was related to its vocational relevance. Most of the young people said that education and training was important to them and that they planned further study. The paper tentatively concludes that it is poor personal relationships that are mainly responsible for the premature exit from school and that good personal relationships have enabled them to remain in education. However, their continued involvement in college and intentions for further study are strongly influenced by vocational factors. The positive tone on the results reflects the perceptions of the young people at the point of interview and the paper does not deal with the disadvantaged situation many of them may be in. Further research will focus on longer term outcomes for employment and training.

Testing the factor structure of the behavioral-intentions battery: an empirical study of the Australian banking industry

The five-factor ‘Behavioural-Intentions Battery’ was developed by Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman (1996), to measure customer behavioural and attitudinal intentions. The structure of this model was re-examined by Bloomer, de Ruyter and Wetzels (1999) across different service industries. They concluded that service loyalty is a multi dimensional construct consisting of four, not five, distinct dimensions. To date, neither model has been tested within a banking environment. This research independently tested the ‘goodness of fit’ of both the four and five-factor models, to data collected from branch bank customers. Data were collected via questionnaire with a sample of 348 banking customers. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted upon the two opposing factor structures, revealing that the five-factor structure has a superior model fit; however, the fit is ‘marginal’.

A cross-cultural study of consumer purchase intention and planned behaviour

This study investigates for two cultures differences in consumers’ purchase intention formation and their association with planned behaviour using the model of reasoned action. It also seeks evidence of exposure to a new dominant culture influencing change in behavioural intentions. Australian and Malaysian students are used as participants in the study. The results indicate that there is an association between intention and planned behaviour for Australian students, while no association exists for the Malaysian students. Additionally, the Malaysian students living in Australia for more than two years do not show a tendency to adopt the Australian students’ intention formation in an ‘individualistic’ culture.

Role of organizational service recovery actions on sustomer switching intentions in a process based service failure : does speed of recovery matters?

The study examines how organizational activities of compensation and empowerment impact on consumers switching intentions and also whether these differ based on the speed of service recovery. Data is collected using hypothetical scenarios in a situation of process failure. It is found that there is no direct effect of either compensation or empowerment on switching intent, although the interaction effect is significant when recovery occurs quickly.

An investigation of the relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, perceived value and behavioural intentions

Customer satisfaction and service quality are two important concepts in the marketing literature. However, there has been some confusion about the conceptualisation and measurement of these two concepts and the nature of the relationship between them. The primary objective of this research was to develop a more thorough understanding of these concepts, and a model that could help to explain the links between them and their relationships with post-purchase behaviour. A preliminary theoretical model was developed, based on an exhaustive review of the literature. Following exploratory research, the model was revised by incorporating "Perceived Value" and "Perceived Sacrifice" to help explain customer's post-purchase behaviour. A longitudinal survey was conducted in the context of the restaurant industry, and the data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results provided evidence to support the main research hypotheses. However, the effect of "Normative Expectations" on "Encounter Quality" was insignificant, and "Perceived Value" had a direct effect on "Behavioural Intentions" despite expectations that such an effect would be mediated through "Customer Satisfaction". It was also found that "Normative Expectations" were relatively more stable than "Predictive Expectations". It is argued that the present research significantly contributes to the marketing literature, and in particular the role of perceived value in the formation of customers' post-purchase behaviour. Further research efforts in this area are warranted.

Re-examining the BMW-Rover affair:a case study of corporate, strategic and government failure?

This paper analyses corporate and government strategies during the purchase, period of control and divestment by BMW of the car manufacturer Rover over the period 1994 to 2000. This paper examines three types of ‘failure’. It views BMW’s purchase of Rover as a ‘corporate failure’, with British Aerospace keen to sell Rover to raise cash and with BMW not realising the real condition of Rover. It then moves on to examine BMW’s ‘divide and rule’ strategies with regard to working conditions and subsidy-seeking and its decision to sell Rover as an example of ‘strategic failure’. Finally, it considers the ‘hands-off’ nature of British policy towards such transnational firms, and BMW in particular, as an example of ‘government failure’. This paper concludes by raising the possibility of an EU-wide policy towards transnationals, especially in terms of monitoring the activities of such firms.

Health beliefs affect the correct replacement of daily disposable contact lenses:predicting compliance with the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour

Purpose: To assess the compliance of Daily Disposable Contact Lenses (DDCLs) wearers with replacing lenses at a manufacturer-recommended replacement frequency. To evaluate the ability of two different Health Behavioural Theories (HBT), The Health Belief Model (HBM) and The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), in predicting compliance. Method: A multi-centre survey was conducted using a questionnaire completed anonymously by contact lens wearers during the purchase of DDCLs. Results: Three hundred and fifty-four questionnaires were returned. The survey comprised 58.5% females and 41.5% males (mean age 34. ±. 12. years). Twenty-three percent of respondents were non-compliant with manufacturer-recommended replacement frequency (re-using DDCLs at least once). The main reason for re-using DDCLs was "to save money" (35%). Predictions of compliance behaviour (past behaviour or future intentions) on the basis of the two HBT was investigated through logistic regression analysis: both TPB factors (subjective norms and perceived behavioural control) were significant (p. <. 0.01); HBM was less predictive with only the severity (past behaviour and future intentions) and perceived benefit (only for past behaviour) as significant factors (p. <. 0.05). Conclusions: Non-compliance with DDCLs replacement is widespread, affecting 1 out of 4 Italian wearers. Results from the TPB model show that the involvement of persons socially close to the wearers (subjective norms) and the improvement of the procedure of behavioural control of daily replacement (behavioural control) are of paramount importance in improving compliance. With reference to the HBM, it is important to warn DDCLs wearers of the severity of a contact-lens-related eye infection, and to underline the possibility of its prevention.

Travellers’ intention to purchase travel online: integrating trust and risk to the theory of planned behaviour

This study aims to determine which factors influence travellers’ intentions to purchase travel online by proposing and empirically testing a new model grounded on the theory of planned behaviour. In order to validate the model, a web-based questionnaire was applied and a total of 1732 valid responses were obtained. The findings show that attitudes, perceived risk, and perceived behavioural control have significant effects on intentions to purchase travel online. However, contrary to what was expected, neither trust nor the influence of others seems to directly affect intentions to purchase travel online. Finally, the paper discusses the findings with the implicationsfor theory and practice and makes several suggestions for future research.

Travellers’ intention to purchase travel online: integrating trust and risk to the theory of planned behaviour

This study aims to determine which factors influence travellers’ intentions to purchase travel online by proposing and empirically testing a new model grounded on the theory of planned behaviour. In order to validate the model, a web-based questionnaire was applied and a total of 1732 valid responses were obtained. The findings show that attitudes, perceived risk, and perceived behavioural control have significant effects on intentions to purchase travel online. However, contrary to what was expected, neither trust nor the influence of others seems to directly affect intentions to purchase travel online. Finally, the paper discusses the findings with the implications for theory and practice and makes several suggestions for future research.