Purpose of the paper: The purpose of this study is to explore the sources of brand authenticity of a well-known Italian vineyard through the digital age lens and an organizational perspective. Design/methodology/approach. This study adopted a qualitative single case study design. Antonelli San Marco, an Italian brand with an estate located in Montefalco was selected. Eleven interviews with members of the family who own and manage the business, as well as their employees, were conducted. After transcribing and translating the interviews when needed, they were coded and their content analysed. Findings. Findings confirmed the dimensions of brand authenticity of previous studies in the wine industry. This study also confirmed the objective, subjective, and existential sources of brand authenticity from previous research. Remarkably, the existential source, which was traditionally linked to integrity elements, emerged here as the result of Antonelli’s care for the brand ecosystem, including people, the terroir and the entire location. In addition, a new category of brand authenticity was found, in relation to a brand’s competitive side, to be fundamental in competing in the digital age and focused on the importance of narrating the real brand story while engaging in collaborative relationships and carefully managing eco-capabilities, technological skills, and digital capabilities. Originality/value. The framework that is presented in this paper provides an original view on wine brand authenticity from a managerial standpoint, highlighting new challenges that must be faced to successfully compete in the digital era while maintaining brand authenticity over time and across diverse stakeholders.

Corporate go, emance is increasingly being , ie,,ed as es:;ential to sound business practice The recommendatil>nS oi the Cadbul) Committee in the United Kingdom ,, 1th resp.:ct to the role l'i a chairman are similar to tht.':'< later fi.)fffiulated in the King Report on Corporate GO\emance in South .-\frica In the present stud~ the pen:e1,ed qualities of ·good· ch:unnen are imest1gah:d among chairmen. chief e,ecuti,es and main board members m the l"K and South _-\fnca In t>..,th the l"K and in South Africa the same robust methodolog~ \\35 useJ. enabling an 1mer--,;l,unt1: cvmpans..,n l•iresuits The L Jo... stud~ comprised 60 in-depth intenie,,s folllmed t,~ a mailing l)i .JW --1ues,1,1nn.ures k> \\h1,h 11mam-r,•arJ members respon,k.1 !"he South .-\fn.:an stud~ comprised 15 in-depth ,men 1e,,s folk",eJ b~ a matlmg ,,i 2-l I 8 --iue,u,,nnam:s w ,, hi.:h 27-l main-board members responded. In both cases. in the ,mah sis. four-factl,r and four--.:luster x'lu11ons emerged '\N surpri,ingl~. !he results lex the t\\O countries are quite different from each other and different profiles of pre!~ chairmen ,,ae round. In the case of the L"K. the most preierred protile supports the e,ecution of roles recommended for g°'--,J go,crnance ,, hile in South Africa. the least preferred profile appears to be the most appropriate. -

In post-apartheid South Africa it has been argued that black patronage motives are only different from whites insofar as their socio-economic backgrounds are concerned, and that segmentation on the basis of race is irrelevant. The purpose of this study was to investigate the similarities of antecedents to consumer patronage between black and white consumers, by using income as a determinant, rather than culture. The findings show that evaluative criteria do not differ between blacks and whites for durable merchandise, is inconclusive as far as clothing is concerned, and differs for grocery items.

Call centres have emerged as an important channel for the sale of infrequently purchased goods and services. The purpose of this paper is to examine the predictors of sales agent performance and their changed role in inbound call centres. Two independent samples were taken from a single inbound call centre, the first taken during a peak sales week, and the second from an off–peak sales week. PLS was used to model the relationship between agent tenure, selling time, administrative time and sales performance metrics. Agent tenure was found to have a limited effect on sales performance. Increased selling time and reduced administrative time increased both sales performance metrics. Both of these findings are contrary to traditional sales and call centre management theory. From these results it is apparent that adaptive selling techniques are required to deal with the reduced information asymmetry in the information age.

PurposeThe purpose of this exploratory, empirical study is to identify motivations for expatriation among religious and humanitarian (R&H) workers.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 158 active expatriate Christian R&H workers from 25 countries, representing 48 international organizations, completed a survey with 45 reasons for expatriation, derived from literature on corporate expatriation, international volunteering, and international migration. Data analysis includes factor analysis and cluster analysis.FindingsIn total, eight latent motivation factors were found: career development; economics; international experience; escapism; altruism; outsider support; family life; and location. Workers in the not‐for‐profit sector are primarily motivated by altruism, and thus integrate organizational mission with personal purpose in their decision to work abroad. Using cluster analysis, four groups of humanitarian and religious workers in the Christian sub‐sector were identified: Caring Missionary; Focused Worker; Self‐Directed Careerist; and International Family Custodian. Workers from developed versus developing countries exhibit different motivators.Practical implicationsThe findings provide insight into differences between developed versus developing country workers and between R&H workers. Recognizing the differences in motivation can assist international human resource managers in the effective recruitment, selection, training and development, career management, and support and encouragement of non‐profit organizations (NPO) expatriates. The authors provide propositions to be tested based on the application of self‐determination theory to expatriate motivation.Originality/valueThis exploratory, empirical study of Christian R&H workers extends the organizational and country context and builds on motivation for expatriation research to include this sub‐sector of workers from both developed and developing countries operating in global organizations. The findings provide new insights into motivation for expatriation and lead to propositions for future research.

Outsourcing has become common practice over the last ten years (Hoecht & Trott, 2006), and firms have embraced it for a variety of reasons, including cost reduction (Hormozi, Hostetler, & Middleton, 2003; Kakumanu & Portano va, 2006), conversion of fixed to variable (Alexander & Young, 1996), access to advanced expertise and technology (Harland, Knight, Lamming, & Walker, 2005; Hormozi, et al., 2003; Kakabadse & Kakabadse, 2002; Quinn, 2000), flexibility (Jennings, 2002), and the ability to focus on core competencies (Quinn & Hilmer, 1994). However, there are downsides to outsourcing. These include the risk of overdependence on a supplier (Adler, 2003; Barthelemy & Geyer, 2004), information leakage (Hoecht & Trott, 2006; Jennings, 2002; Kakumanu & Portanova, 2006; Mahnke, 2001), failure to estimate hidden properly (Barthelemy, 2001; Tadelis, 2007), and loss of competitive capability (Adler, 2003; Barwise & Meehan, 2005; Willcocks & Feeny, 2006).The implications of outsourcing have been considered using a number of competing theoretical perspectives, most namely transaction cost economics and the resource-based view of the firm. The transaction cost perspective offers a clear set of guidelines that the firm can use to determine when and how to outsource, especially because an organization is shaped by transaction cost economizing considerations (Williamson, 1985, p. xii). Transaction cost theory can even anticipate the impact of ex post misalignments, at least to the extent that the difference between rather than the absolute magnitude of transactions costs (Williamson, 1985, pp. 21-22) can accurately be assessed. As a result, this orientation makes it convenient to model the consequences of outsourcing as a set of economic trade-offs and styles of contracting (Williamson, 2008). The resource-based view offers insights into ways in which a firm's distinctive capabilities and resources relative to those of its rivals can become the basis for competitive advantage if matched appropriately to environmental opportunities (Peteraf, 1993). As a result, numerous researchers have discussed the role of core competency in determining which functions should and should not be outsourced (Jennings, 2002; Mclvor, 2003; Quinn & Hilmer, 1994). Hence, the resource-based view has been an important perspective from which to assess the outsourcing decision process (Espino-Rodriguez & Padron-Robaina, 2006; Holcomb & Hitt, 2007).The efficacy of using these two approaches is less clear when it comes to understanding the behavioral and organizational requirements which follow from the outsourcing decision, however. A stream of research has shown that outsourcing increases the operational expethency of the firm, either by transferring activities to external providers (Bailey, Masson, & Raeside, 2002; Greaver, 1999; McCarthy & Anagnostou, 2004; Quelin & Duhamel, 2003; Sharpe, 1997) or through the utilization of third party capabilities (Gilley & Rasheed, 2000; Lei & Hitt, 1995; Mol, Van Tulder, & Beije, 2005; Quinn & Hilmer, 1994). While it may be possible to assess the cost implications and benefits of a decision that reduces the size of the firm, it is less clear that transaction cost economics can readily categorize the extent of the behavioral and organizational changes that will occur in this now-smaller firm, especially given that researchers have suggested that outsourcing actually increases - rather than reduces - organizational complexity, and effort (Barthelemy, 2001; Harland, et al., 2005; Rothaermel, Hitt, & Jobe, 2006). Similarly,' the resource-based view helps define the capabilities that a firm might use to gain advantage, but efforts to explain how firms develop such capabilities have been minimal (e.g., Helfat & Peteraf, 2003). Moreover, the causal ambiguity and path-dependent elements of the resource-based view make it difficult for managers to consciously build or create capabilities (Lado, Boyd, Wright, & Kroll, 2006). …

Introduction Outsourcing has evolved into a significant organizational practice over the last decade (Hoecht and Trott, 2006). However, as firms expand the practice by outsourcing increasingly key and core functions, new management challenges can be anticipated. The organizational changes that accompany these challenges are likely to be sweeping, suggesting that it is now appropriate to consider the need for a comprehensive behavioral theory of the outsourcing firm. Both transaction cost economics (TCE) and the resource-based view of the firm (RBV) have been useful perspectives to investigate the determinants and conditions under which firms can best leverage outsourcing (Holcomb and Hitt, 2007; McIvor, 2009). Transaction cost economics provides clear direction as to economic trade-offs and contracting styles that a firm can use to evaluate the consequences of a potential outsourcing decision (Williamson, 2008). Similarly, the resource-based view highlights how unique capabilities of the firm can offer advantage when appropriately matched to environmental conditions (Peteraf, 1993); this has made it an effective measure to determine the extent to which a firm's competencies can and should be outsourced (Jennings, 2002; McIvor, 2003). While TCE and RBV offer helpful vehicles for measuring the efficiencies gained through outsourcing, they offer a less helpful look into the organizational changes that occur within the firm as it outsources an increasingly larger percentage of its functionality to external contract providers.

Directors and boards face many challenges in terms of managing complexity. A key factor of success in practising good corporate governance is the board's ability to cope with paradox. The purpose of this research has been to explore the core corporate governance dilemmas facing boards. The investigation was qualitative in nature using the Delphi technique. Six core corporate governance dilemmas facing board members were identified one of which is not mentioned in the international literature. The findings should provide directors with an ability to identify the nature of the paradoxes to which they need to respond.

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the brand and product augmentation on the buyers of industrial tyres. While much has been studied about branding issues in B2C markets, very little research has been conducted in B2B markets. The research method used was a conjoint analysis experiment. The subjects were decision-making unit (DMU) members of open-pit mining companies in South Africa who purchased industrial tyres for mining operations. The results suggest that the brand is very important, followed by durability, and price. Differences of magnitude amongst the members of the DMU occurred. The impact of these findings as well as the implications for buyers and suppliers are discussed.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the degree of success in international assignments that public relations (PR) practitioners experience and explores the influence of both organizational culture and national culture.Design/methodology/approach – PR practitioners in the USA and South Africa were surveyed.Findings – Results show that there is no difference between PR practitioners from the USA and South Africa with experience in international assignments, in terms of degree of success in international assignments and of level of preparedness for international assignments. It was also found that there is no significant correlation between national culture or organizational culture and the degree of success in international assignments for those respondents with international experience.Research limitations/implications – The response rate was limited and therefore the results cannot be generalized. Future research would be to further extend this study to include additional countries.Practic...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on the degree of success in international assignments that public relations (PR) practitioners experience and explores the influence of both organizational culture and national culture.Design/methodology/approachPR practitioners in the USA and South Africa were surveyed.FindingsResults show that there is no difference between PR practitioners from the USA and South Africa with experience in international assignments, in terms of degree of success in international assignments and of level of preparedness for international assignments. It was also found that there is no significant correlation between national culture or organizational culture and the degree of success in international assignments for those respondents with international experience.Research limitations/implicationsThe response rate was limited and therefore the results cannot be generalized. Future research would be to further extend this study to include additional countries.Practical implicationsThe results support the concept that a PR practitioner with an organic organizational culture and a long‐term orientation of national culture will be better prepared to engage in international assignments than a practitioner with a mechanistic organizational culture and a short‐term orientation of national culture.Originality/valueThis study adds to the literature on international PR practice, and compares the practice in a developing economy, South Africa, to a developed economy, the USA.

The study describes four approaches for configuring corporate HR strategy by firms from an emerging market when dealing with the integration-differentiation dilemma. Most research on strategic international HRM is on the perspective of the affiliate or discusses the degree of isomorphism between the HRM practices of the parent and affiliate. The authors apply a cross-case analysis of the cases of Nando's International, MTN International, Sasol and SABMiller, focus on the implementation of corporate HR strategies from the parent's perspective and show that MNEs differ in the scope and level of abstraction of their corporate HR strategies. It is further suggested that this is primarily due to differences in business model, the need to accommodate national culture, the type and role of organizational culture in the MNE, which impact on the level of convergence of FIR management practices. In all of the cases, there is a large degree of variance in these factors.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the banking needs of urban informal poor consumers in South Africa. These consumers find it difficult to obtain access to banking products.Design/methodology/approachA survey of consumers was undertaken in a large informal settlement outside Johannesburg. A qualitative exploratory pilot study was undertaken first to gain a better understanding of these consumers and to develop a research instrument. Second, a quantitative analysis was undertaken among 200 households.FindingsBanking products used by the sample are discussed as well as all their patronage motives. It was established that the majority of consumers did have a bank account and there was a significant association between having an account and various demographics such as income level, employment status and level of education.Research limitations/implicationsEach informal settlement may have unique characteristics and therefore it may be difficult to generalize the findings.Practical implicationsBanks will have to address the patronage factors of these consumers as they have very different needs when compared to middle and upper income customers. Specify strategies are recommended to bank management.Originality/valueNo study has been done on the banking needs of this segment of the market and very little is known about the urban informal poor in general. This paper gives insight into how banks can play their part in uplifting the poor in societies where they make up large segments of the population.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse web site brand communication by small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the restaurant franchise industry, using Aaker's brand personality dimensions. It shows how an SME can test its intended positioning against competitors.Design/methodology/approachA multistage methodology using a combination of content analysis and correspondence analysis was used. The intention was to illustrate a technique that can be used by SMEs at low cost and with ease.FindingsFood SMEs are able to communicate brand personality by way of their web sites. The brands and the personality types are presented which clearly reveals the positioning of the competitors.Practical implicationsThis paper illustrates a powerful, but simple and relatively inexpensive way for SMEs to study communicated brand personality.Originality/valueThe major contribution of this study is to alert SME scholars and retailers to the potential of computerized content analysis as a means of studying web site content, and the subsequent use of correspondence analysis to understand how to position against competitors.

Brands have been developed by consumer companies but have been slow to develop in business-to-business marketing. This article explains the concept of brand equity in a specific industrial marketing setting. In addition, the sources of brand equity are investigated as well as the appropriate communications strategy and the relative importance of brand relative to other purchase criteria. The research method used was a conjoint analysis experiment. The subjects were decision-making unit (DMU) members of industrial companies in South Africa that purchase medium-voltage electrical equipment. Research results suggest that while brand equity has a role to play, price and delivery were more important. However, a price premium can be obtained when a company has high brand equity. Implications for managers are discussed.

Diversity and complexity of infections with Plasmodium falciparum were described from cross-sectional surveys in November-December 1996 in 6 villages in the Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, where transmission ranged markedly from 0.03 to 91 infective bites per individual per year. Forty-eight samples, stratified for age and parasite densities, were examined from each village (n = 288). Genotyping was performed by a nested PCR method using primers specific for allele families of genes for the merozoite surface protein 1 (msp-1) and merozoite surface protein 2 (msp-2). A high degree of genetic diversity was found within each village but there were no differences found among the 6 villages. Poisson regressions showed significant effects of host age, village and interaction between host age and village on the complexity of infection. There was a positive, non-linear relationship between complexity of infection and transmission intensity with a maximal number of genotypes found per individual even at high transmission intensities. Furthermore there was a significantly lower complexity found in adults (> 15 years) as compared to children (< 15 years) in the lowland village. This difference was not found as transmission intensity decreased. By comparing data from the same geographical area, using the same methods, and taking into account confounding factors, the present study provides evidence for an effect of both age and transmission intensity on complexity of infection with P. falciparum.

Corporate governance is increasingly being viewed as essential to sound business practice. The recommendations of the Cadbury Committee in the United Kingdom will respect to the role of a chairman are similar to those later formulated in the King Report on Corporate Governance in South Africa. In the present study, the perceived qualities of 'good' chairmen are investigated among chairmen, chief executives and main board members in the UK and South Africa. In both the UK and in South Africa the same robust methodology was used, enabling an inter-country comparison of results. The UK study comprised 60 in-depth interviews followed by a mailing of 2418 questionnaires to which 274 main-board members responded. In both cases, in the analysis, four-factor and four-cluster solutions emerged. Not surprisingly, the results for the two countries are quite different from each other and different profiles of preferred chairmen were found. In the case of the UK, the most preferred profile supports the execution of roles recommended for good governance while in South Africa, the least preferred profile appears to be the most appropriate.

The Hofstede (1994) dimensions of culture were measured for 586 middle managers in South Africa. A similarity on these dimensions was found between the ethnic groups, Both management culture and perceived management effectiveness were found to be independent of both race and the dimensions of culture. These findings suggest that employee diversity in the workplace should not adversely affect management performance.

The results of this international survey indicate that distinct management philosophies exist and that these correlate to perceived management and organizational effectiveness. In addition, combinations of these philosophies result in distinct management cultures.