Editorial

ID: 8246

Authors: Carlos Alberto Vargas Rossi.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 1-1, November-December, 2008. 1 page(s).

Document type: Editorial (Portuguese)

An empirical study of the determinants of internet banking adoption among Brazilians non-users

ID: 8247

Authors: José Mauro da Costa Hernandez, José Afonso Mazzon.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 9-39, November-December, 2008. 31 page(s).

Keyword: banks , consumer behavior , internet banking , new technology adoption

Document type: Article (Portuguese) Show Abstract

This study investigates the determinants of Internet Banking adoption among Brazilians non-users. To accomplish this objective, the study proposes a model built with constructs gathered from the most known models of new technology adoption found in the marketing literature. The model was tested among a sample of 292 people and the results show that the effects of eight variables were significant in determining the intention to adopt Internet Banking. They are  compatibility with lifestyle, subjective norm, self-efficacy, image, relative advantage of security and privacy, relative advantage of control, trialability, and technological support. By the other side, none of the individual characteristics included in the model were significant. The major contribution of the study is the proposal of a comprehensive, simple, and easily implementable model. The study concludes by pointing some managerial implications, limitations, and suggestions for future studies.

Virtual communities and market segmentation: an exploratory approach, using neural networks and virtual community’s data

ID: 8248

Authors: Edar da Silva Añaña, Leandro Maurício Medeiros Vieira, Martin de La Martinière Petroll, Renan Petersen-Wagner, Ricardo Simm Costa.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 41-63, November-December, 2008. 23 page(s).

Keyword: logistic regression , marketing , neural networks , segmentation , virtual community

Document type: Article (Portuguese) Show Abstract

During the last few years, endless data have supplied the marketing area with new perspectives for the definition and segmentation of markets, in addition to the company’s private and internal data banks as well as of public and external ones. An example of the latter are the virtual communities, and Orkut is one of its exponents. This article, offers an exploratory approach to market segmentation using two alternative methods (logistic regression and neural networks) through secondary data collected from Orkut, assuming the possibility to predict certain consumption attitudes described by members of virtual communities. This way, two communities self denominated I love cold beer and I hate beer were picked up, and each one supplied random probabilistic samples among 400 members. Processing and analyzing the data collected in three phases - data cleaning and selection of variables of interest, discriminating analysis, and analysis through neural networks - confirmed the possibility of determining consuming attitudes, and consequently of using the Orkut virtual community as a data bank for segmentation. Further contributions, limitations and implications are part of this study.

A model of the loyalty antecedents in the eletronic retail

ID: 8249

Authors: Valter Afonso Vieira, Luiz Antônio Slongo.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 65-87, November-December, 2008. 23 page(s).

Keyword: commitment , loyalty , model , trust

Document type: Article (Portuguese) Show Abstract

Basing on the Internet growth in Brazil and on its role as retail agent of purchase-sale, this article proposes and tests a theoretical model of loyalty antecedents in the electronic retail. In that context, seven hypotheses are established and verified through 515 observations collected, using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that the principal loyalty predictor, of four possible, was commitment. Therefore commitment and quality, that last one other significant latent variable, are key constructs in explaining why the consumers continue to choose the site. The second relevant conclusion is the quality potential in the model. Thus, all the three relationships in which quality was the exogenous construct were corroborated, as foreseen by the literature. Finally, loyalty obtained a high determination coefficient, being 72%. Final considerations, research limitations, and suggestions for future works are discussed in the final part.

The Influence of retail format on relationship continuity among fashion retailers and their suppliers

ID: 8250

Authors: Elias Frederico, Andre Ricardo Robic.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 98-118, November-December, 2008. 21 page(s).

Keyword: apparel retailing , commitment , loyalty , relationship marketing , trust

Document type: Article (Portuguese) Show Abstract

This paper presents the underlying determinants of relationship continuity among fashion retailers and their suppliers. Bibliographical review has focused on channel, industrial and relationship marketing literature and identified trust as a key role player for relationship continuity. Survey data has been collected from 154 product managers working in 29 fashion retail firms, belonging to 4 distinct retail formats: high and low end specialty shops, department stores and hypermarkets. Data has been grouped in factors and their influence over intention to stay measured under factor analysis and multiple regression techniques, respectively. Six correlated factors to dependent variable have been identified: supplier competencies, sales rep characteristics, willingness to agree, supplier values, product development and agility. Retailers, depending on the retail format, assign different weighs to these six determinants.

Interpretations of the portrayals of african-descendents in mass media

ID: 8251

Authors: Claudia Rosa Acevedo, Jouliana Jordan Nohara.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 119-146, November-December, 2008. 28 page(s).

Keyword: advertising , afro-descendents , marketing , mass media , racism

Document type: Article (Portuguese) Show Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify Afro-Brazilians’ interpretations of their portrayals in mass media, to understand their feelings concerning these  interpretations and the strategies they use to deal with these images. The article makes use of the “established-outsiders” framework to analyze the phenomena. A qualitative methodology was used to collect and analyze the data. More specifically, thirty-seven Brazilians of Afro-descendant were interviewed using in-depth interviews. The main results of the study indicate that the participants understand that Afro-descendants portrayals in the media reflect the racism that exists in Brazilian society. The images are permeated by social stigmas, the indicators of which are the low proportion of the portrayals of African-descendants in comparison to their proportion in the composition of the population and the depiction of roles that are socially devalued. The main strategy used to deal with these images is the deconstruction of the communication content of what they say they see, non- identification and nonaspiration. The interviewees revealed that they feel aggrieved by these images.

The behavioral consequences of the customer dissatisfaction

ID: 8252

Authors: Daniel Von Der Heyde Fernandes, Cristiane Pizzutti dos Santos.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 147-174, November-December, 2008. 28 page(s).

Keyword: complaints , dissatisfaction , negative word-of-mouth communication , switching of provider

Document type: Article (Portuguese) Show Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents of the behavioral intentions of dissatisfied customers. Initially, the theoretical foundations are revised. After that, the methodology employed and the three research phases are presented. In the first, a qualitative one, 16 in depht interviews were made and gave origin to the instrument for data collection. In the second phase, the manipulation effectiveness of the controlled variable in the experimental research – dissatisfaction level – was qualitatively validated with 22 interviews. Finally, the questionnaire was applied to 480 undergraduate students. The results show that the impact of dissatisfaction level on the negative word-of-mouth communication and switch company intentions are high. In regarding to the complaint toward the company intention, the impact of the consumer’s self-confidence is superior to the influence of the other variables. Attitude towards the act of complaining moderates the relationship between dissatisfaction intensity and complaint intention. These results supply academic and managerial implications to minimize the customer intentions to switch provider and to exert negative word-of-mouth communication and to increase the number of complaints and, therefore, the opportunities to remedy customers’ problems.

Location factors of gas stations in Fortaleza

ID: 8253

Authors: João Adamor Dias Neves, Átila Mendes Costa.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 175-192, November-December, 2008. 18 page(s).

Keyword: location , site location , small firms

Document type: Article (Portuguese) Show Abstract

This paper investigates location factors to gas stations decision makers. Specifically it is aimed: (1) to relate location factors with geomarketing; (2) to describe aspects of Fortaleza´s gas stations and (3) to analyze site location factors of gas stations. It is an exploratory, a descriptive and a census study via questionnaires and systematic observation to 255 gas stations. The findings show most of gas stations is located at street corners, thus confirming the literature review. In magerial terms, the findings: (1) help PCs owners to make decisions in locating business; (2) assist researchers to replicate the study and (3) help enterpreneuers and puclic sector to better choose local factors.

The experience of an oil supply chain of dynamic capabilities

ID: 17506

Authors: Moisés Villamil Balestro, José Antônio Valle Antunes Júnior, Marcelo Carvalho Lopes, Ivan De Pellegrin.

Source: Revista de Administração Contemporânea, v. 12, n. n.spe, p. 181-202, November-December, 2008. 22 page(s).

Keyword: dynamic capabilities , network , oil and gas industry , technological innovation

Document type: Article (Portuguese) Show Abstract

Based upon a pioneer experience in Brazil of a suppliers network from the oil and gas industry supply chain located in Rio Grande do Sul - Rede PETRO-RS, it is argued that the building of a business network to break into new markets and carry out technological development contribute to the organization resources and to the development of dynamic capabilities. Thus, the article poses that the formation of a network stimulating cooperation among the different actors involved in the technological innovation to best use internal and external resources outlines a strategy for the development of dynamic capabilities. Resulting from a initiative from the State Government from Rio Grande do Sul, Rede PETRO-RS gathers more than 100 companies, besides other actors suchas universities, research centers, suppliers, customers (especially the case of PETROBRÁS) and Government bodies. Due to the wide range of actors and their strong link to technological innovation in the oil and gas supply chain, Rede PETRO-RS is seen as an example of the formation of a collective or interorganizational strategy.