Company spokesperson vs. customer testimonial: Investigating quoted spokesperson credibility and impact in business-to-business communication

Through the framework of source credibility, this study examines the impact of quoting a company executive versus a customer testimonial in a business communication context. A 2 (spokesperson) × 7 (media channel) full factorial experiment (N = 514) showed partial support for enhanced perceived credibility of information conveyed by a customer testimonial compared to a company spokesperson in independent and controlled media channels online. When evaluated through a measure of media credibility, a customer spokesperson rates higher than a company spokesperson. In addition, a product is viewed more positively by an audience receiving information quoting a customer spokesperson rather than a company spokesperson. An audience with low business expertise considers both types of spokespersons as more trustworthy than a high-expertise audience; however, a customer is considered more trustworthy than a company spokesperson. The study provides public relations professionals with insight in determining the use of spokespersons when communicating to businesspeople.     

Performance evaluations of for‐profit and nonprofit U.S. hospitals since 1980

This synthesis of studies examines whether the published literature shows an evidence‐based consensus on performance differences between private for‐profit and nonprofit hospitals in the United States since 1980. The author systematically and comprehensively surveyed peer‐reviewed publications to clarify this question. The author's second objective was to learn what proportion of all research assessing for‐profit and nonprofit health care providers is devoted to hospitals compared to all other providers. The third goal was to discover how any trends in observed performance differences among hospitals compare with trends among other provider types. Computerized bibliographic searches of all relevant databases yielded seventy‐five studies (ninety‐three assessments) that compared the performance of for‐profit and nonprofit hospitals on four performance criteria: access, quality, cost or efficiency, and amount of charity care. The author coded findings on performance in one of three ways: for‐profit superiority, nonprofit superiority, or inconclusive. Most studies (60 percent) reported that nonprofit hospitals have better relative performance than for‐profit hospitals, clear evidence of their organizational effectiveness. Thirty‐one percent were inconclusive, and 8 percent reported that for‐profits were better.     

Sharing Health Services: Two Universities,a Seminary,and a Community

Abstract

“The Inverse Relation Between Fish Consumption and 20-Year Mortality From Coronary Heart Disease,” DAAN KROMHOUT, et al. The low death rate from coronary heart disease among the Greenland Eskimos has been ascribed to their high fish consumption. We therefore decided to investigate the relation between fish consumption and coronary heart disease in a group of men in the town of Zutphen, the Netherlands. Information about the fish consumption of 852 middle-aged men without coronary heart disease was collected in 1960 by a careful dietary history obtained from the participants and their wives. During 20 years of follow-up 78 men died from coronary heart disease. An inverse dose-response relation was observed between fish consumption in 1960 and death from coronary heart disease during 20 years of follow-up. This relation persisted after multiple logistic-regression analyses. Mortality from coronary heart disease was more than 50 per cent lower among those who consumed at least 30g of fish per day than among those who did not eat fish.

We conclude that the consumption of as little as one or two fish dishes per week may be of preventive value in relation to coronary heart disease. (New England Journal of Medicine 1985;312:1205–9.)

“Teaching Touch at Medical School,” JULES OLDER. The association between touch and healing is ancient and worldwide. Skilled hands are among the physician's most important diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Yet a survey of medical schools in the English-speaking world revealed that most offer no touch training in their curricula. Of 169 medical schools, only 12 give any formal instruction in the uses and meaning of therapeutic touch in medicine. The teaching modes of these 12 schools are discussed, and the program of the most touch-conscious school, the University of Otago, is described. (Journal of the American Medical Association 1984;252:931–3.)

“Tubal Infertility and the Intrauterine Device,” DANIEL W. CRAMER, et al. To study the association between intrauterine devices (IUDs) and pelvic inflammatory disease, we compared contraceptive histories in 4185 white women—283 nulliparous women with primary tubal infertility, 69 women with secondary tubal infertility, and 3833 women admitted for delivery at seven collaborating hospitals from 1981 to 1983. The relative risk of tubal infertility associated with IUD use was calculated by means of multivariate logistic regression to control for confounding factors, including region, year of menarche, religion, education, smoking, and reported number of sexual partners. The adjusted risk of primary tubal infertility associated with any IUD use before a first live birth was 2.0 (95 per cent confidence limits, 1.5 to 2.6) relative to nonuse. Users of the Dalkon Shield had an adjusted risk of 3.3 (1.7 to 6.1), users of the Lippes Loop or Saf-T-Coil had a risk of 2.9 (1.7 to 5.2), and users of copper IUDs had a risk of 1.6 (1.1 to 2.4). Women who reported having only one sexual partner had no increased risk of primary tubal infertility associated with IUD use. The adjusted risk of secondary tubal infertility associated with use of a copper IUD after a first live birth was not statistically significant (1.5; 95 per cent confidence limits, 0.8 to 3.0), whereas the risk from similar use of noncopper devices was significant (2.8; 1.3 to 5.9). We conclude that tubal infertility is associated with IUD use, but less so with copper IUDs. (New England Journal of Medicine 1985;312:941–7.)     

Seeing the Invisible Children and Young People Affected by Disability

This paper presents a brief review of literature relating to children in families with a disabled member, including the 'young carers' and disability studies literature, and relevant works from the social psychology and sociology of childhood. Key themes identified in the literature are then illustrated by findings from two exploratory research studies that sought to explore the experiences and service needs of children in families with a disabled member, within two Scottish areas. The authors suggest that, although young people affected by disability in the family, including young carers, face significant problems, particularly in socially disadvantaged areas, there are other issues that need to be addressed. Alternative conceptual frameworks are proposed, which challenge the dominance of the young carers research paradigm.