Online Intermediary as a Channel for Selling Quality‐Differentiated Services

When deciding whether to utilize an online intermediary in addition to their own distribution channels, quality differentiated service providers face the trade‐off between the benefit of extended reach and the threat of increased competition. Using an analytical framework, we analyze when and how service providers may utilize an online intermediary to their advantage in the presence of advance selling (i.e., selling a service at an early date for future consumption). In general, when an online intermediary is used, the competition effect dominates the reach effect and leads to a falling price trend. Interestingly, we find that the negative effect of increased competition on profits, due to intermediary usage, can be reversed by committing to self‐imposed participation limits (i.e., selling only a predetermined amount of services through the online intermediary). This ensures that the service provider is better off selling through both its own site and the online intermediary, rather than selling exclusively using either channel.      

Promoting online media relations: Public relations departments’ use of Internet in the UAE

This paper discusses the use of Internet by public relations departments in the United Arab Emirates, to reach their key publics online and to gather information and monitor data to perform their tasks and to promote and develop their relations with the news media. Findings of the study show that all 24 organizations have a homepage, but only two thirds of them are posting their publications on the net, and only one third are using electronic newspapers to monitor their coverage in the media and to gather news, data and information of importance for the various tasks they perform. Only three organizations out of 24 have an online newsroom, and only two have a virtual tour about the organization. None of the surveyed organizations’ Web site has a film or videos. Organizations in the United Arab Emirates still have a lot to do to take advantage fully and rationally of what interactive communication, Internet and online publications are offering for a better performance and more effective public relations.     

Effects of online news forum on corporate reputation

This study tests the effects of online discussions about a company in an online news forum on people's perception of the corporate reputation of the company. The study is a 2 (tone of comments: negative versus positive) by 2 (number of comments: one versus five) factorial design experiment (n = 80). We found significant interaction effects between the two factors (tone versus number of comments) with regard to people's perception of the company's social responsiveness and employee treatment.     

云南广播业发展中的理念更新

作者针对云南广播业的现状与存在问题进行了分析,认为其发展应该完成“三步走”,即首先实现频率的“窄播”化格局,实施差异化战略;接下来在“窄播”格局下完善其专业化配置,使差异化频率更加细化、市场目标更集中,针对性与专业程度更高,并开掘本土文化资源,丰富品牌内涵;第三步则是真正向互联网谋求合作与联动,开发网上广播等各类新形态与新内容产品,拓展开发多元路径。云南广播业的发展要在探索中开掘核心竞争力,改变广播媒体的弱势地位,不断实现发展思路中的理念更新。     

首都出版业可持续发展问题研究

首都出版业是北京发展文化创新产业极其重要的组成部分。如何以科学发展观为指导,确立起一个完备、严谨、科学的改革与发展模式,指导首都出版业可持续发展,是值得认真研究的问题。文章通过对首都书、报、刊、印刷复制以及版权贸易业的“十五”发展水平与发展状况进行系统分析,指出首都出版业可持续发展所面临的五大问题,并对北京制定“十一五”出版业的改革与发展规划提出了几点建议。     

Who cares about Reddit? Historical institutionalism and the fight against the Stop Online Piracy Act and the PROTECT Intellectual Property Act

In May 2011, the PROTECT Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) was introduced to the United States Senate boasting 31 sponsors from both the Democratic and Republican Party. By January 2012 PIPA, along with counterpart in the House of Representatives known as the Stop Online Piracy Act was indefinitely shelved. Many have attributed this dramatic shift to the widespread backlash against the bills from online activists. The case thus suggests that the Internet has emerged as a powerful tool in allowing ordinary citizens to displace the entrenched power of special interests groups. However, given the role of activists and their rhetorical framing strategies in the defeat of the bills, the case also has theoretical implications for historical institutionalism. Namely, how can historical institutionalism, which favours institutions over agency, especially when explaining continuity, account for this? Can historical institutionalism account for agency, institutions, continuity and change in a unified way? This article responds in two ways. First, it argues that internet companies, not activists, were crucial in explaining the defeat of the bills. Second, it argues, it proposes a unified historical institutionalist approach to research, capable of explaining agency within institutions in institutional continuity and change.     

消费者网络信任与网上支付风险感知实证研究

 网上支付在我国电子商务支付体系占据重要战略地位。本文基于国际流行的技术接受模型（TAM），考虑理性行为理论（TRA）和计划行为理论（TPB），并入网上支付信任与多维风险感知因素，构建了扩展的技术接受模型（ETAM），并采集上海和澳门两地883个数据样本实证检验模型。研究发现，网络信任和多元感知风险是决定消费者是否选择使用网上支付并开展正面评价的两个关键要因，且感知的安全风险和隐私风险最为重要，而感知易用性对网络消费者决策行为影响已逐渐弱化；同时，澳门消费者依然深度依赖于传统信任文化，网络信任是当地居民选择网上支付方式的关键要因。     

Review of online breastfeeding information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women

BackgroundBreastfeeding provides the healthiest start to life, but breastfeeding rates amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is lower than non-Indigenous women.AimTo assess the accuracy, quality and appropriate presentation of online breastfeeding information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in Australia.MethodsAn online search conducted in Google, Bing and Yahoo search engines to identify any breastfeeding websites that provided information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Relevant websites were evaluated against: a) National Health and Medical Research Council clinical guidelines, b) the quality of health information on the Internet by using DISCERN instrument, and c) appropriate key design features for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.ResultsThe search located 348 sites with 31 being eligible for inclusion. Websites from governmental organizations had the highest accuracy while YouTube videos had the lowest accuracy. Three quarters (74%, n = 23) of sites incorporated the national clinical guidelines adequately, and most of the sites (77.8%, n = 24) were considered high quality. Only 23% (n = 7) of sites had sufficient key design features appropriate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Four websites were considered exemplary for their accuracy, quality and cultural appropriateness of information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.ConclusionSome websites are tailored to provide breastfeeding information and support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. However, only a few contain culturally appropriate key design features. Further participatory action research is required to design online platforms for women from different cultural backgrounds that take into account cultural principles, beliefs and values.     

Publishing with Open Journal Systems (OJS): A Librarian’s Perspective

Abstract

The genesis of this paper is a workshop presentation on publishing with Open Journal Systems (OJS) that was delivered during the Kenya Library and Information Services Consortium Pre-Annual General Meeting held on May 30, 2019, at the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, Kenya. The article lays the context of online hosting of university sponsored journals in Kenya and gives a background of Online Journals Systems. The paper further describes potential roles that librarians can play in institutional journal publishing. The article concludes that librarians possess the requisite skills for participating in scholarly journal publishing and recommends that including publishing literacy skills in information literacy sessions provides an excellent opportunity to showcase librarians’ value in the scholarly journal publishing process.     

Therapeutic Applications of Online Gaming

ABSTRACT

This article discusses online gaming in the twenty-first century, describes online gaming, considers negative and positive aspects of gaming, and proposes several possible research, practice, and educational strategies for subsequent development of this genre into a useful tool for human service interventions. Positive characteristics of online gaming environments such as high levels of social interaction and the potential for transformative experiences strongly suggest that many clients will be utilizing such environments. In addition, practitioners must not only learn to assess client use of gaming but also develop the necessary knowledge and skills to utilize online games as therapeutic tools.