The Dual Structure of Global Networks in the Entertainment Industry: Interorganizational Linkage and Geographical Dispersion

In this article, I describe the contours of global media networks in terms of interorganizational linkages and spatial distribution of foreign direct investment in the entertainment industry. The results of multidimensional scaling revealed that there were significant differences in the positional structures of global networks in the entertainment industry. However, in the case of the structural relations between the interorganizational and geographical dispersion networks, the quadratic assignment procedure analyses revealed structural similarities between both networks in the entertainment industry. A multiple regression analysis also showed music and film industries played a significant role in explaining interorganizational and geographical dispersion networks. The findings indicate the benefit of distinguishing between interorganizational and geographic dispersion networks in understanding global media networks.     

Resource allocations, knowledge network characteristics and entrepreneurial orientation of multinational corporations

This paper analyses entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in multinational corporations (MNCs) and develops a new typology of MNC EO based on combining R&D and asset growth investment intensities as orthogonal resource allocations. A cluster analysis of US MNCs on these two dimensions reveals three types of entrepreneurial stance: conservative, aggressive-asset growth and balanced. Internal knowledge network characteristics are shown to vary by stance, with more aggressive stances linked to knowledge governance supportive of the entrepreneurship process. In linking entrepreneurial orientation to the knowledge network of the MNC, this paper identifies factors important to the strategic management and on-going renewal of MNCs. In addition, the vector of R&D investment vs. asset growth investment is an indicator of entrepreneurial aggression and presents a new method of understanding the international strategies of MNCs.     

Culturally tailored narrative evidence about family health history: a moderated mediation analysis

This study tests a theoretical model named the Extended Elaboration Likelihood Model for Narrative Evidence Processing (EELM-NEP) to investigate associations between message processing, message outcomes, and behavioral intentions (BI) in the context of family health history communication. Furthermore, to investigate the role of cultural tailoring within these associations, this study explores how the type of culturally tailored narrative evidence and participants’ cultural identity moderate the relationships between message processing, message outcomes, and BI. A percentile bootstrap method and pairwise comparison tests in structural equation modeling (SEM) were employed. According to the results, identification significantly predicted engagement, and engagement had significant and positive effects on perceived message quality (PMQ), comprehension, perceived message effectiveness (PME), and BI. PME and resistance to counter-arguing significantly and positively affected BI. Importantly, the EELM-ENP model as well as pairwise comparison tests revealed that the messages were more effective when the participants read culturally distant messages. Findings suggest that cultural novelty might be more effective than cultural closeness in narrative persuasion.     

Does price matter? Overseas students in UK higher education

This paper explores the determinants of the choice of UK universities by overseas undergraduate applicants. We use data on overseas applicants in Business Studies and Engineering from 2002 to 2007, to 97 UK universities. Estimating using a Hausman–Taylor model to control for the possible correlation between our explanatory variables and unobservable university-level effects, we find that the fees charged may influence the application decision of some students, but that any relationship between levels of fees and applications is non-linear. The quality of education provided is positively and significantly related to the number of applications. Proximity to London and the existing popularity of a university among home applicants, are also significant predictors of university applications.     

The conflict detection and resolution in knowledge merging for image annotation

Semantic annotation of images is an important step to support semantic information extraction and retrieval. However, in a multi-annotator environment, various types of conflicts such as converting, merging, and inference conflicts could arise during the annotation. We devised conflict detection patterns based on different data, ontology at different inference levels and proposed the corresponding automatic conflict resolution strategies. We also constructed a simple annotator model to decide whether to trust a given piece of annotation from a given annotator. Finally, we conducted experiments to compare the performance of the automatic conflict resolution approaches during the annotation of images in the celebrity domain by 62 annotators. The experiments showed that the proposed method improved 3/4 annotation accuracy with respect to a naïve annotation system.     

Predictors of Localism in Public Television Scheduling in the United States

In the United States, public television claims itself a champion of localism. A prime-time schedule analysis of the Public Broadcasting Service's (PBS) member stations establishes localism scores, and discriminant analysis finds variables that predict differences among stations. Market level variables (income, education, ethnic diversity, geographic component) and organizational level variables (Community Service Grants, membership funding, overall revenue) affect localization of member stations' schedules. This is the first empirical study utilizing a structural operationalization of localism, inclusive of all programming genres, applied to PBS member stations.     

Influence of university prestige on graduate wage and job satisfaction: the case of South Korea

ABSTRACT

Obtaining a tertiary degree no longer guarantees entry to the best occupational positions in today’s labour market. Success is no longer about ‘more’ education, but about ‘better’ education for university graduates. This study aims to understand whether university prestige in Korea accounts for occupational outcomes in both monetary and non-monetary aspects, such as salaries and job satisfaction. The study particularly focuses on the way different levels of university prestige are affected by gender. The fourth wave data from the Korean Education and Employment Panel were used, providing information from the results of a panel survey of university graduates in terms of their social and academic background and job employment status. Results show that university prestige continues to matters in occupational outcomes in particular, for wage, but it is not significant for job satisfaction. The effect is more significant among male graduates than among female graduates.     

Testing Alternative Hypotheses Regarding the Association Between Behavioral Inhibition and Language Development in Toddlerhood

Studies have reported an inverse association between language development and behavioral inhibition or shyness across childhood, but the direction of this association remains unclear. This study tested alternative hypotheses regarding this association in a large sample of toddlers. Data on behavioral inhibition and expressive and receptive language abilities were collected from 816 twins at ages 14, 20, and 24 months. Growth and regression models were fit to the data to assess the longitudinal associations between behavioral inhibition and language development from 14 to 24 months. Overall, there were significant associations between behavioral inhibition and expressive language, and minimal associations with receptive language, indicating that the association is better explained by reticence to respond rather than deficient language development.     

Effects of rhizobacteria <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paenibacillus polymyxa</Emphasis> APEC136 and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bacillus subtilis</Emphasis> APEC170 on biocontrol of postharvest pathogens of apple fruits

In this study, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were evaluated as potential biocontrol agents against postharvest pathogens of apple fruits. In vitro bioassays revealed that, out of 30 isolates screened, isolates APEC136 and APEC170 had the most significant inhibitory effects against the mycelial growth of several fungal pathogens. Analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequences identified the two effective isolates as Paenibacillus polymyxa and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. The two strains showed greater growth in brain-heart infusion broth than in other growth media. Treatment of harvested apples with suspensions of either strain reduced the symptoms of anthracnose disease caused by two fungal pathogens, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Colletotrichum acutatum, and white rot disease caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea. Increased productions of amylase and protease by APEC136, and increased productions of chitinase, amylase, and protease by APEC170 might have been responsible for inhibiting mycelial growth. The isolates caused a greater reduction in the growth of white rot than of anthracnose. These results indicate that the isolates APEC136 and APEC170 are promising agents for the biocontrol of anthracnose and white rot diseases in apples after harvest, and suggest that these isolates may be useful in controlling these diseases under field conditions.