Salesperson’s Customer Orientation: A Reconceptualization and a New Definition

This study critically examines the existing domains, conceptualizations and operationalizations of the salesperson’s customer orientation constructs present in the literature. The widely used Salesperson orientation-Customer orientation (SOCO) construct (its domain, definition and scale) is examined in detail, and several inconsistencies were found. We also examine other individual-level and organizational-level orientation constructs, including market orientation, in order to appropriately delineate the boundaries of the salesperson’s customer orientation construct. Based on a comprehensive review of literature on the marketing concept, and related literatures on several other relevant orientation constructs, we suggest a new definition of this mid-level construct. Not only is our new definition more encompassing (to include all activities of the salesperson related to customers, and not just their interactions with the customers) but is also more forward-looking (salesperson’s enhanced role not just as need-fulfiller, but more as customers’ value co-creator). We sincerely hope that the new definition suggested by us would encourage scale development efforts from researchers, that would aid in further reducing (if not removing)the several inconsistencies present in the literature related to salespersons’ customer orientation, and its effect on their performance and effectiveness.

An Assessment of the Impact of Distribution Channel Conflict on Channel Efficiency - Few Improvised Conceptual Models

The primary purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of the impact of distribution channel conflicts on the channel efficiency, which has hitherto received little attention in distribution channel literature. Although ‘channel conflict’ as a construct is fairly well researched and its relationship with channel efficiency is explored to some extent, yet the moderating effect of the conflict resolution strategies on the channel efficiency is largely absent in the channel literature. From a behavioral science perspective, the article models the channel conflict-efficiency relationship, for three different types of conflict resolution methods-problem solving, bargaining and politics, in the context of asymmetric power relationships. The managerial implications of these conceptual models lie in making organizations (channel captains), dealing with their channel partners, foresee the possible impacts of their adopted conflict resolution strategies, on their channel efficiency and accordingly maximize returns on the channel investments.

An Exploratory Study of Factors affecting MBA Students Attitude towards Learning via Case Study Pedagogy: Insights from Advertising Literature

Case based pedagogy has become popular in most business schools today, since the pioneering efforts made by Harvard Business School, several decades ago. Although the case method approach stands firmly on grounds its effectiveness in ‘simulating reality of the business world’ in the classroom, yet it has its own limitations and cannot be used in all learning situations This article delves into both sides of the debate on the efficacy of case method for learning and through an exploratory study, models the attitude of MBA students towards the perceived learning aspects of the pedagogy. The premise of our beliefs-only attitude model rests on the conceptual analogy between a case study and an advertisement message as two similar forms of communication technology. Drawing heavily from the insights available in the advertising literature, the article suggests several hypotheses for future empirical validation.

Epigenetic Effects of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers on Human Health.

Disruption of epigenetic regulation by environmental toxins is an emerging area of focus for understanding the latter's impact on human health. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), one such group of toxins, are an environmentally pervasive class of brominated flame retardants that have been extensively used as coatings on a wide range of consumer products. Their environmental stability, propensity for bioaccumulation, and known links to adverse health effects have evoked extensive research to characterize underlying biological mechanisms of toxicity. Of particular concern is the growing body of evidence correlating human exposure levels to behavioral deficits related to neurodevelopmental disorders. The developing nervous system is particularly sensitive to influence by environmental signals, including dysregulation by toxins. Several major modes of actions have been identified, but a clear understanding of how observed effects relate to negative impacts on human health has not been established. Here, we review the current body of evidence for PBDE-induced epigenetic disruptions, including DNA methylation, chromatin dynamics, and non-coding RNA expression while discussing the potential relationship between PBDEs and neurodevelopmental disorders

Integrated assembly of 3D graphene networks for construction of all-in-one supercapacitor electrodes

Supercapacitors are a kind of efficient and safe energy storage and conversion devices. The development of new - generation supercapacitors that can be used in portable electronic devices and in next - generation vehicles is increasingly demanded. This crucially depends on the discovery of more efficient and cost - effective n ovel materials. Because of their ultrahigh specific surface areas and excellent conductivity , t hree - dimensional (3D) graphene materials hold great promises for supercapacitors. However, the assembly of graphene building blocks into the supercapacitor electrodes with low intrinsic resistance and high ion conductance is still a challenging issue. I n this work, we have undertaken the challenge and used electrochemically generated copper foams (CuF) as an effective template to directly integrate reduced graphene oxide (rGO) 3D networks . This has led to the construction of all - in - one supercapacitor ele ctrodes (3DrGO@CuF) [1] . The overall procedure in clude s two step s : self - assembly of graphene oxide (GO) on Cu F and electrochemical reduction of GO into rGO. The resulting electrodes are capable of delivering a specific capacitance as high as 623 F g - 1 with high cycling stability. Thus, we have shown that h igh specific capacitance can be achieved with 3D graphene nanostructures without any external pseudo - capacitive species doped [2, 3] . The new method is also cost - effective and environmentally friendl

Histone Hypervariants H2A.Z.1 and H2A.Z.2 Play Independent and Context-Specific Roles in Neuronal Activity-Induced Transcription of Arc/Arg3.1 and Other Immediate Early Genes.

The histone variant H2A.Z is an essential and conserved regulator of eukaryotic gene transcription. However, the exact role of this histone in the transcriptional process remains perplexing. In vertebrates, H2A.Z has two hypervariants, H2A.Z.1 and H2A.Z.2, that have almost identical sequences except for three amino acid residues. Due to such similarity, functional specificity of these hypervariants in neurobiological processes, if any, remain largely unknown. In this study with dissociated rat cortical neurons, we asked if H2A.Z hypervariants have distinct functions in regulating basal and activity-induced gene transcription. Hypervariant-specific RNAi and microarray analyses revealed that H2A.Z.1 and H2A.Z.2 regulate basal expression of largely nonoverlapping gene sets, including genes that code for several synaptic proteins. In response to neuronal activity, rapid transcription of our model gene Arc is impaired by depletion of H2A.Z.2, but not H2A.Z.1. This impairment is partially rescued by codepletion of the H2A.Z chaperone, ANP32E. In contrast, under a different context (after 48 h of tetrodotoxin, TTX), rapid transcription of Arc is impaired by depletion of either hypervariant. Such context-dependent roles of H2A.Z hypervariants, as revealed by our multiplexed gene expression assays, are also evident with several other immediate early genes, where regulatory roles of these hypervariants vary from gene to gene under different conditions. Together, our data suggest that H2A.Z hypervariants have context-specific roles that complement each other to mediate activity-induced neuronal gene transcription