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Payment timing is conceptualized as a payment characteristic useful in explaining motivations to prefer payment types. Cash, debit cards, and online banking represent consumers' preferences to pay now, while credit cards and loans represent the inclination to pay later. Based on a grounded theory study, a payment‐timing model is developed to theorize consumers' choices of payment types with differences in payment timing. The model presents four motivations for payment‐timing preferences: (1) the extent of rewards salience, (2) the perception of financial stress, (3) adopting heuristics for money management, and (4) the influence of perceived financial ability. Consumers choose payment‐timing options that best suit their financial strategy to manage payments in pursuit of their consumption objectives.

Gender refers to ways men and women socialize into the male and female roles that are commonly attributed to them. These roles are continuously (re)constructed within and through our daily activities. Prior literature suggests a need for more research in investigating how men and women construct their identity in various exchange situations and in various cultural settings. This paper explores the situational construction of male and female identities (especially the male one) when shopping for fashion products in environments with strategically created scarcity. The findings of this study suggest that, when shopping for fashion products in scarce environments, men and women tend to exhibit gendered behaviors that are considered more consistent with their traditional gender norms. We find that men, although concerned about their appearance, adhere to urgent buying behavior. This behavior helps men maintain some of their traditional masculine identity. In addition, they do not participate as frequently in the in-store hoarding and in-store hiding that are more frequently exhibited by women and that are more consistent with a feminine identity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The purpose of the research is to explore the well-being/QOL of the ageing population in China. Specifically, the study investigates the experience/meaning of ageing and the strategies that consumers deploy to cope with ageing issues through internet communication. The results show that older people have found creative ways to cope with ageing by recalling the frugal experiences in the past, and purchasing small items as emotion enhancers. The findings also indicate that older Chinese bloggers have limited acquisition desire, do not wish to be a burden on their children, and worry greatly about their future financial status, especially given concerns about the healthcare system.

Counterfeit products and the brand pirates who make, distribute, and sell them continue to be a challenge for many marketers around the globe. Estimates of global sales for bogus products are in the hundreds of billions of dollars and recent evidence suggests that fakes are prevalent in both developed and developing countries. We investigate brand/product counterfeiting from a consumer search perspective. As the quality of counterfeits improves, it is becoming more difficult for the consumer to identify them. Interviews with 102 international informants yield a picture of the cues consumers use to detect counterfeits and the roles of face and taste in decisions to purchase or not to purchase fake goods. We conclude with a discussion of some managerial implications. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The KISS principle (keep it simple, stupid) is often cited as an effective strategy in selling. The premise is that salespeople are more effective when they stick to basics and do not unnecessarily complicate that which is not necessarily complicated. This study tests the KISS principle in the context of salesperson decision making in the prospecting stage of the selling process. Two general research questions are addressed (1) does a simple versus more complex process affect outcomes of decisions made by salespeople, and (2) if so, whom does it affect? The results suggest that process does influence outcome and that lower-performing salespeople's decisions are most likely to be affected by the decision process used. Higher performers seem to be able to focus on key characteristics of sales prospects regardless of the complexity of the decision task, suggesting that higher performers, at least implicitly, know when to keep it simple. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A method, based on the use of discrete size classes, is developed to extract size dependent breakage frequencies from sequential measurements of the size distribution. In order to obtain good resolution and allow for several breakage modes, interlaced Fibonacci series are used to define the size classes. Both binary and ternary breakage are considered. An approach based on Kernel Discriminant Analysis is used to focus the breakage at the discrete size classes. The algorithm is tested using simulated distribution data. The sensitivity of the retrieved breakage frequencies to the assumed progeny distribution and to the number of breakage events between samples is considered. The numerical experiments show that the method is effective even when the breakage mechanism is not well understood.

Dual-career couples find it difficult to balance family concerns with the challenge of developing and maintaining two careers at the same time. For retail managers, this problem is especially prevalent due to (1) the initial long hours and relatively low pay for entry-level managers, (2) the economic downturn in retailing in the 7980s, (3) the boundary-spanning nature of the work itself, and (4) the common occurrence that promotions often involve relocation of the family. Work-family conflict was found to be related directly to intent to leave, and inversely, but less strongly, related to organizational commitment. Those in lower management and mid-management positions were found to experience the highest levels of work family tension. Some support was found for the conclusion that company train ing programs can result in a reduction of work-family tension.

The principal focus in this paper is the development of a general method to simulate irregulary shaped particles whose perimeters are fractal. It is shown that this method can produce a particle of almost arbitrary fractal dimension. The Fourier components of these fractals are then computed. It is shown that these components were either independent of the fractal dimension or that any dependence is less important than other properties of the cluster such as symmetry and aspect ratio.

A Model for predicting the collection efficiency of two parallel cylinders was developed for the case when the velocity field between the cylinders can be approximated by potential flow. The model uses the method of images. The efficiencies predicted from this model were compared with calculations for potential and viscous flow about a single cylinder as well as with the Harrop and Stenhouse model. The theory was compared with experiments by Fan. On a mis au point un modele pour prevoir l'efficacite de collection de deux cylindres paralleles dans un cas ou l'on pent etablir une approximation du champ de vitesse entre les cylindres au moyen d'un ecoulement potentiel. On emploie dans le modele la methode des images. On a compare les rendements prevus par ledit modele avec des calculs relatifs a un ecoulement potentiel et visqueux autour d'un simple cylindre ainsi qu'avec les resultats obtenus dans le cas du modele d'Harrop et de Stenhouse. On a aussi compare les donnees theoriques avec les resultats experimentaux de Fan.

A procedure for estimating the effectiveness of algorithms which retrieve size distribution parameters from cumulative fractions or moments is described. The principle of the algorithm is to select moments, or cumulative fractions, which minimize the condition number. Extensive tests of the algorithm for a distribution consisting of the sum of two log normal distributions were carried out. This procedure can be easily extended to use different numbers and types of constituent functions. The simulations indicated that moment methods which include positive and negative moments give the best result. When the means of the constituent distribution are close, the large condition numbers indicate that no algorithm will give unambiguous values for the parameters.

An algorithm for the solution of El-block band matrices is derived and the number of calculations and the required storage capacity are determined. The algorithm was developed for the solution of multi-column distillation assemblies. The algorithm was applied to a three column, 5 component system in which the three reflux ratios and the three bottom compositions were specified. It was found that convergence was not influenced by the initial composition estimates or the assumed flow rates. On a mis au point un algorithme pour trouver la solution de matrices multi-diagonales et determiner le nombre de calculs et la capacite de stockage requise. L'algorithme devait servir a la solution de systemes de distillation a colonnes multiples. On a applique l'algorithme a un systeme a 5 composant et forme de 3 colonnes, dans lequel on connaissait les 3 rapports de reflux et les compositions des 3 residus de distillation. On a trouve que la convergence n'etait pas affectee par la composition initiale approximative ni par les presumes debits.

A new method for the numerical solution of a stagewise process is presented. The method consists of total linearization of all the equations in the distillation process, using the method of quasi-linearization. The resulting equations form a block-band matrix which can be readily solved by a method developed by the author. The method used for obtaining convergence is presented. The method has been tested for both binary and multi-component systems. The method has been compared with the Amundson-Pontinen method for a five component mixture. The method gives more rapid convergence. Numerical experiments indicate that the vapor and liquid flow rates are more stringent requirements than the bubble point. On presente une nouvelle methode pour la solution numerique des procedes etages; elle consiste en la mise sous forme lineaire de toutes les equations relatives au procede de distillation, en employant la methode dite de “quasi-linearisation”. Leg equations resultantes forment une matrice a groupe unitaire que l'on peut resoudre facilement au moyen d'une methode mise au point par l'auteur. On expose la methode utilisee pour obtenir la convergence. On a mis la dite methode a l'epreuve dans le cas de systemes binaires et a constituents multiples et l'a comparee avec celle d'Amundson et Pontinen en rapport avec un melange a cinq constituants. La nouvelle methode permet l'obtention d'une convergence plus rapide. Leg experiences numeriques indiquent que les debits de la vapeur et du liquide sont des exigences plus rigoureuses que le point de bulle.