Anywhere, anytime: children’s exposure to alcohol marketing

a post by Tim Chambers and Louise Signal for OUP blog

People cheering at a party by Yutacar. Public domain via Unsplash

“Marketing plays a critical role in the globalization of patterns of alcohol use among young people, and reflects the revolution that is occurring in marketing in general”
—The World Health Organization (WHO)

Alcohol is linked to over 200 medical conditions, causes a number of cancers and a raft of social issues that collectively place a major burden on society. Children are particularly susceptible to the harms from alcohol consumption due to their developing brains and inexperience regarding consumption risks. For example, early onset drinking is linked with various adverse psychological, physical, and social outcomes, such as alcohol dependence, neurological dysfunction, and risky/unwanted sexual interactions. Despite the harm alcohol can cause, there are currently little to no legislative regulations in place on alcohol marketing in many countries.

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Data is the New Love

via Doc Searles Weblog


Personal data, that is.

Because it’s good to give away – but only if you mean it.

And it’s bad to take it, even it seems to be there for the taking.

I bring this up because a quarter million pages (so far) on the Web say “data is the new oil.”

That’s because a massive personal data extraction industry has grown up around the simple fact that our data is there for the taking. Or so it seems. To them. And their apologists.

As a result, we’re at a stage of wanton data extraction that looks kind of like the oil industry did in 1920 or so:



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Exploring the growing link of ethnic entrepreneurship, markets, and Pentecostalism in London (UK): An empirical study

an article by Ayantunji Gbadamosi (University of East London, UK) published in Society and Business Review Volume 10 Issue 2 (2015)

Abstract

Purpose
This paper aims to unravel how membership of Pentecostal fellowships aids the entrepreneurial activities of African-Caribbean (AC) members. While many issues about the entrepreneurial engagements of AC people have been discussed in the literature, there are far less studies documented about the link of these activities to faith, especially in the context of Pentecostalism.

Design/methodology/approach
Adopting the interpretive research paradigm, a total of 25 tape-recorded, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with AC entrepreneurs who are members of Pentecostal faith-based organisations in London, and pastors in this same sphere. Sixteen of the respondents are entrepreneurs running and managing their businesses, seven are pastors and the remaining two fall in both categories, as they are both entrepreneurs and still serving as pastors in churches in London. Rather than merely serving as gatekeepers for information, the pastors are active participants/respondents in the study.

Findings
The paper highlights the challenges confronting the AC ethnic entrepreneurs, but also suggests that those in the Pentecostal faith are motivated and emboldened by the shared values in this religion to navigate the volatile marketing environment. It unveils participants’ faith in God as their key business survival strategy. It also shows the unwavering confidence of the respondents that this religious stance results in outstanding business successes like increase in sales and profits, competitive edge, divine creativity and innovation, opportunity recognition, networks, institutional support and other factors that underpin entrepreneurship.

Originality/value
This study unpacks the thickly blurred link between Pentecostalism as a thriving religious orientation among the AC ethnic group in the UK and their entrepreneurial engagements.

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University choice: what do we know, what don’t we know and what do we still need to find out?

an article by Jane Hemsley-Brown (Surrey Business School, Guildford) and Izhar Oplatka (School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Israel) published in International Journal of Educational Management Volume 29 Issue 3 (2015)

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to systematically document, scrutinise and critically analyse the current research literature on higher education choice to: establish the scope of the studies; map the factors associated with choice; identify the key strengths and weaknesses in the research literature; critically analyse the extant research and make recommendations for further research in this field.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted extensive searches of relevant and education and management databases. The search is limited to publications between 1992 and 2013 and is intended to cover national and international research. The review is based on 75 papers which focus on institutional choice, assembled on an Excel database (45 surveys, 13 secondary data studies, one experimental study, two longitudinal studies, 11 qualitative studies and three studies that use both qualitative and quantitative techniques).

Findings
Results are presented under thematic headings which emerged from the analysis: first, demographics and academic factors; second, factors which relate to the institution: quality, outcomes and benefits, facilities, and characteristics of institutions. Finally factors which affect both the institution and the students: price and price sensitivity, information and information sources, and travel and geographical factors are considered.

Originality/value
Comprehensive analysis of prior research in the field of institutional choice is long overdue. Theoretical models for future research are presented as a result of the findings.

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Outreach initiatives in academic libraries, 2009-2011

an article by Melissa Dennis, (University of Mississippi, USA) published in Reference Services Review Volume 40 Issue 3 (2012)

Abstract

Purpose
With outreach responsibilities on the rise in academic libraries and budgets declining or remaining stagnant, finding outreach initiatives that support the university in creative ways are on the rise. This study seeks to compare outreach initiatives by academic librarians to a project conducted by the author.
Design/methodology/approach
Academic librarians with responsibilities in outreach, marketing, and promotion were targeted in a survey sent to listervs in the Summer of 2011. A total of 21 academic librarians described successful outreach initiatives. A small response rate reflects the target audience.
Findings
The survey revealed a wide range of outreach initiatives that compare funding: library, university, grant, and other. The author’s project greatly exceeded the cost of all other initiatives.
Research limitations/implications
The research identifies survey flaws and a small reach to the targeted audience. Suggestions for future research include a modified survey to the Association of Library Communications and Outreach Professionals.
Practical implications
Technology advancements and budget restraints have put pressure on outreach librarians to provide successful programs with less funding. Many colleges and universities across the nation have inserted outreach into public services positions.
Originality/value
The literature produces limited research about successful outreach initiatives over the past five years where economic duress has been nationwide. Outreach librarians will find inspiration in the collected outreach projects undertaken at 21 colleges and universities across America to create projects with limited funding.

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The new ‘hidden abode’: reflections on value and labour in the new economy

an article by Steffen Böhm and Chris Land (University of Essex) published in The Sociological Review Volume 60 Issue 2 (May 2012)

Abstract

In a pivotal section of Capital, volume 1, Marx (1976: 279) notes that, in order to understand the capitalist production of value, we must descend into the ‘hidden abode of production’: the site of the labour process conducted within an employment relationship.

In this paper we argue that by remaining wedded to an analysis of labour that is confined to the employment relationship, Labour Process Theory (LPT) has missed a fundamental shift in the location of value production in contemporary capitalism.

We examine this shift through the work of Autonomist Marxists like Hardt and Negri, Lazaratto and Arvidsson, who offer theoretical leverage to prise open a new ‘hidden abode’ outside employment, for example in the ‘production of organization’ and in consumption.

Although they can open up this new ‘hidden abode’, without LPT’s fine-grained analysis of control/resistance, indeterminacy and structured antagonism, these theorists risk succumbing to empirically naive claims about the ‘new economy’. Through developing an expanded conception of a ‘new hidden abode’ of production, the paper demarcates an analytical space in which both LPT and Autonomist Marxism can expand and develop their understanding of labour and value production in today’s economy.

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Peter Drucker on marketing: application and implications for libraries

an article by Cynthia K. Robinson (George T. Harrell Health Sciences Library, Pennsylvania State University, USA) published in The Bottom Line: Managing Library Finances Volume 25 Issue 1 (2012)

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this article is to discuss Peter Drucker's theory of marketing in the context of strategic planning and change (innovation) in libraries. With the need for change and innovation accelerating within all types of libraries, it is increasingly important for libraries to adopt a marketing orientation, integrating a marketing plan into the overall strategic planning process.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper employs case study methodology to demonstrate one library's attempt to integrate a marketing plan into the library's overall strategic planning activity, using this process to move the library towards a marketing orientation. The paper also provides a viewpoint based on the author's experience and the teachings of Peter Drucker.
Findings
Libraries must adopt a marketing orientation in order to remain viable into the future. As Drucker stated, "it is the customer who determines what a business is". It is imperative libraries understand what their customer values and needs in order to develop services and provide resources to meet these needs.
Originality/value
This paper examines Peter Drucker's theory of business and marketing as it applies to libraries and highlights the systems framework called the Drucker Management System, described by Joseph Maciariello in his article "Marketing and innovation in the Drucker Management System".

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Guidance on marketing as a profession

via Onrec.com - United Kingdom headlines


The Chartered Institute of Marketing is launching a new microsite giving guidance on how to get into marketing for final year students and recent graduates who are interested in a career in the profession.

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