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This article follows the development of a sales management in-basket exercise for use in the classroom. The authors have computerized the exercise and added features to allow for additional and more quantitative input from the students. The exercise has evolved and been tested in numerous classroom situations. The computerized in-basket exercise is shown to provide significant benefits over regular in-baskets when measured against the objectives of the exercise. These benefits include quantitative, immediate, and consistent feedback to students as well as spirited discussions in the classroom as to the role and actions of sales managers. (Contains 6 tables and 1 figure.)

A survey of 118 undergraduate business students at a major southwestern university found that most consider non-traditional education as a viable option to traditional education. However, respondents also identified disadvantages of non-traditional programs, such as cost, external validity of degrees, and impersonalized learning environment. (Author/DB)

Consumers feel the need to have control and any loss of control in their exchange relationships will be viewed negatively. Retail environments can have a very strong effect on how consumers view this power struggle. The article looks at consequences of control perceptions.

A study was conducted on the entry of Silver Streak Restaurant Corporation into the Mexican market in 1996 to examine the international market expansion process by a small franchisor. Results showed that the key factor to the success of Silver Streak's entry into Mexico is the strategic alliance with a large Mexican firm. The Mexican firm's contribution to the success of the franchise venture include its underwriting and providing the right organizational structure, operational support and significant information about the Mexican retail market.

Investigates the factors that affect how retailers in a border zone manage the elements of the retail trade mix with respect to foreign national consumers. Effects of competition from foreign retailers and currency devaluation on variables of the retail mix; Impact of devaluation perception on the retail competition from foreign retailers.

Objective: To update the most recent meta-analysis comparing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) with medical therapy (MT) in patients having stable coronary artery disease (CAD) by including 2 new large trials that double the total number of patients., Study Design: Meta-analysis was used to update previous meta-analyses of PCIs in stable CAD. Eleven previously analyzed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 2 new RCTs were included., Methods: Summary estimates of relative risk (RR) are obtained by applying fixed-effects and random-effects models. Statistical tests for assessing between-study heterogeneity and biases are performed. Cumulative estimates and results from influence analysis are reported., Results: No difference between PCIs and MT alone was found for risk of mortality. There was a 12% increase in the RR of cardiac death or myocardial infarction (MI) associated with PCIs, as well as a 22% increase in the RR of nonfatal MI associated with PCIs. Cumulative analysis favored MT over PCIs as early as 1997, but recent study results have increased confidence in this finding. Because of heterogeneity between studies, no certain conclusions are drawn for the use of PCIs in preventing follow-up PCI or coronary artery bypass graft surgery., Conclusion: Recent RCTs comparing PCIs with conservative MT in stable CAD increase confidence in previous findings that the use of PCIs does not offer marginal benefit over that of the use of MT alone for mortality risk, cardiac death or MI, and nonfatal MI.