1,542 research outputs found
Relationship Marketing in the Jordanian Internet Sector: The Inclusion of Switching Behaviour and Relational Bonds into Relationship Marketing Model
No full textRelationship marketing has been viewed as a key to the success of business companies, especially with the growing understanding that acquiring a new customer is more expensive than maintaining the current one. Although keeping customers loyal is a critical objective of relationship marketing, there is limited agreement on which antecedents could be used to achieve this aim. The essence of this research is the development of a more encompassing model of relationship marketing based on a review of the literature, and the empirical investigation of this model. Specifically, the research investigates the effect of relational bonds (financial, social and structural) on customer satisfaction. Further, it explores the influence of customer satisfaction and relationship strength on customer loyalty. The findings allow and include relationship strength and customer satisfaction on an equal footing, in terms of their influence on loyalty. This research also aims to explore the impact of customers’ attitude toward switching, perceived behavioural control (PBC), subjective norms, and loyalty on customer’s switching intention. Further, the research examines the differences in customer satisfaction, loyalty, relationship strength, attitude toward switching, perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, and switching intention between switchers and stayers using the internet sector in Jordan as the context for the research. Also, it aims to explore the relationship between customer loyalty and switching intention. The overall research problem seeks to identify the additional benefits of explaining the relationship marketing process through the inclusion of relational bonds and switching behaviour into an extended relationship marketing model.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Griffith Business SchoolGriffith Business SchoolFull Tex
Annual John M. Perkins Lecture
No full textJohn Perkins returns to the SPU campus for the seventh annual John M. Perkins Lecture. One of the leading evangelical voices to come out of the American civil rights movement, Perkins is an internationally known author, speaker, and teacher. He has received honorary doctorates from several U.S. universities, including Seattle Pacific University
Why Do People Feed Wildlife? An International Comparison
No full textThe feeding of wildlife is a popular activity that is regularly undertaken throughout the Western world and despite the potential positive and negative impacts for both the wildlife and people involved there is very little known about the practice. Negative impacts are associated with issues of dependency, population and behavioural changes, and the risk of disease to name a few. Positive impacts of the practice are associated with the support that wildlife may receive through extra supplements to natural resources, and for people involved in the activity, there are benefits to both their well-being and conservation values through fostering the opportunity to connect with nature. Previous wildlife feeding research has shown that public wildlife feeding in the United Kingdom and Australia is quite extensive yet very little is known about why people engage in the activity and if there are any difference in feeding behaviour between the two countries. The general wildlife feeding attitudes in each country are strikingly different. In the United Kingdom wildlife feeding is encouraged, particularly of birds, to help support and conserve species within populated areas. In contrast, in Australia there is an unofficial opposition to the practice and it is generally discouraged based on concern about potential negative impacts. Due to these differences in wildlife feeding attitudes it was predicted that wildlife feeding practices would be different when comparisons were made between the two countries. The research explores the wildlife feeding practice in each country using an online survey to investigate the pattern of feeding, wildlife feeding motivations and attitudes, and the love, care and connection with nature of participants and any relationships this connection has with conservation values and behaviours. It was found that despite the difference in feeding attitudes in Australia and the United Kingdom the pattern of feeding was very similar in most instances. Additionally the predominant motivations to feed wildlife were also similar in both countries where the majority of participants feed wildlife to help support and care for the wildlife; as well as for the pleasure the activity brings them, which was consistent with previous research. The participants in this research were also found to have a high level of love, care and emotional connection with nature; that in turn was seen to demonstrate a positive relationship with both pro-environmental values and behaviour.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Griffith School of Environment.Science, Environment, Engineering and TechnologyFull Tex
The Influence of an Ecological Worldview on Tourist Consumers' Behaviour and Choices: What's Love Got to do with it?
No full textAt this point in human history our ongoing destruction of the natural environment and
degradation of the planet’s living systems, is reaching catastrophic proportions, and
there seems little doubt that much of this degradation has been at the hands of
humankind. Coupled with a growing recognition of the significant threats to the
natural environment, there has been a “greening” of the market and also of the
consumer, most likely in response to changes in social norms and the imperatives of
climate change.
Ecotourism, marketed as environmentally sensitive tourism, is considered to be one of
the fastest growing sectors of a global tourism industry that generates billions of
dollars annually (Fennell, 2003; Page & Dowling, 2002; Weaver, 2001a; Wight,
2001). In spite of the proliferation of eco-tours and nature based tourism offerings,
little is known about the intrinsic psychological motivations of the consumers of these
experiences (Fennel, 2003; Holden & Sparrowhawk, 2002; Wight, 2001), and some
propose that there is little evidence for differentiation between the so-called
“ecotourist”, as a more environmentally sensitive and aware consumer, and the
mainstream or mass tourist (Sharpley, 2006). Moreover, there is a paucity of crossdisciplinary
research incorporating theoretical models from environmental
psychology and philosophy. This represents a substantial gap in the literature which
impedes the development of theoretical and conceptual models of the psychology of
these consumers and their motivations, both within the tourism setting and in their
daily lives.
This study sought to address this gap in the literature and makes a significant
contribution to the ecotourism literature by linking models and concepts within the
extant environmental psychology and environmental philosophy literature in
developing a psychological profile of the consumer who prefers ecotourism type
experiences over more mainstream tourism activities. Furthermore, this research also
extends the environmental psychology literature by incorporating a new construct of
love and care for nature into established models of pro-environmental altruism and
environmentally relevant consumer choice.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)Griffith Business SchoolGriffith Business SchoolFull Tex
John M. Perkins Center Twelfth Annual Lecture
No full textEach year our university has the privilege of hearing Dr. John Perkins speak in chapel as part of the John Perkins Lecture series. Dr. Perkins helped launch the John Perkins Center at SPU, is distinguished visiting professor at SPU, and is the co-founder of the Christian Community Development Association. He is the recipient of numerous honorary doctorates and awards, and the author of several books including his most recent work, Dream With Me
John Perkins Eighth Annual Lecture
No full textJohn Perkins, one of the leading evangelical voices to come out of the American civil rights movement, returns to SPU for his annual lecture. An internationally known author, speaker, and teacher, he is the co-founder of SPU\u27s John Perkins Center
13th Annual John Perkins Lecture
No full textDr. John Perkins returns to campus for the Thirteenth John Perkins Lecture Series. Joining the Tuesday annual lecture and chapel, will be Dr. Michael Emerson, scholar and author on race and religion and provost of North Park University in Chicago. Dr. Perkins and Dr. Emerson will host a discussion on faith, race, and evangelicalism
14th annual John Perkins Lecture
No full textDr. John Perkins returns to campus Tuesday, April 30, 11 a.m., at First Free Methodist Church, for the 14th annual John Perkins Lecture Series. This year’s morning event features Erna Kim Hackett, executive pastor at The Way Berkeley. Later that day, Hackett and Dr. Perkins will continue the morning’s topic, “Words Have Power,” at 7:30 p.m., also in First Free Methodist Church.
John Perkins is one of the leading evangelical voices to come out of the American civil rights movement and an internationally known author, speaker, and teacher. His is the co-founder of SPU’s John Perkins Center for Reconciliation, Leadership Training, and Community Development and the author of the new book One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love. Erna Kim Hackett served with InterVarsity for 18 years in Black Ministries and Urban Programs. She is a preacher, pastor, writer, activist, and singer
John M. Perkins Center Ninth Annual Lecture
No full textJohn Perkins, one of the leading evangelical voices to come out of the American civil rights movement, returns to SPU for his annual lecture. An internationally known author, speaker, and teacher, he is the co-founder of SPU\u27s John Perkins Center
Thioredoxin and Oxidative Stress
No full textThe experiments described in this thesis involve the expression and characterisation of recombinant truncated thioredoxin (tTrx) and the potential involvement that thioredoxin (Trx) has in the cellular responses to oxidative stress.
Truncated Trx (80 amino acids) was expressed from a plasmid containing the ORF for tTrx that had been introduced into E.coli BL-21(DE3) cells. The protein was initially extracted using a combination of high concentrations of urea, high pH levels, and multiple sonification steps to remove the tTrx from inclusion bodies formed during expression. This procedure produced a stable solution of tTrx. Purification of tTrx from this protein solution required anion exchange chromatography followed by gel permeation in a HPLC system to obtain fully purified, recombinant tTrx which allowed further characterisation studies to be undertaken.
An initial investigation into tTrx was performed to determine some basic physical, biochemical and functional aspects of this hitherto relatively undefined protein. Analysis by sedimentation equilibrium indicated that freshly prepared tTrx forms a single species with a molecular weight of 18.8kDa. This value indicates that recombinant tTrx naturally forms a dimer in solution that was shown to be non-covalent in nature and stable in solution. The capacity of tTrx to reduce protein disulphide bonds was determined using the insulin reduction assay. Results show that tTrx lacks this particular redox ability.
The rate of oxidisation at 4 degrees C was analysed using free thiol determination, sedimentation equilibrium and SDS-PAGE patterning. Results indicated a steady rise in the degree of oxidation of tTrx over an eight day period. After six days the oxidated protein consistently displayed the presence of intramolecular disulphide bonds. Covalently-linked disulphide dimers and higher molecular weight oligomers were detectable after eight days oxidation.
An investigation of the reducing capacity of the basic Trx system determined that fully oxidised tTrx was unable to act alone as a substrate for thioredoxin reductase (TR). However, when reduced Trx was added to the system, it appeared capable of acting as an electron donor to the oxidised tTrx in order to reduce disulphide groups.
Recombinant tTrx was successfully radiolabelled with Trans 35S-methionine/cysteine for use in cell association studies. No evidence was found to indicate the presence of a receptor for tTrx on either MCF-7 or U-937 cells. Findings suggest that a low level of non-specific binding of tTrx to these cell lines rather than a classical ligand-binding mechanism occurs thus suggesting the absence of a cell surface receptor for tTrx.
The role that Trx may play in the cellular responses to oxidative stress was also investigated. The chemical oxidants hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and diamide were used to establish an in vitro model of oxidative stress for the choriocarcinoma cytotrophoblast cell line JEG-3. Cellular function was assessed in terms of membrane integrity, metabolic activity and the ability to synthesis new DNA following exposure to these oxidants. Results indicated that both agents were capable of causing cells to undergo oxidative stress without inducing immediate apoptosis or necrosis. Initially, JEG-3 cells exposed to 38μM or 75μM H2O2 or 100μM diamide were shown to display altered cell metabolism and DNA synthesis without loss to cell viability or membrane integrity. Cells were also shown to be capable of some short-term recovery but later lapsed into a more stressed state.
Expression levels of Trx were studied to determine whether this type of chemical stress caused a change in intercellular protein levels. Both cELISA and western blotting results indicated that only cells exposed to 100μM diamide displayed any significant increase in Trx protein levels after 6 or 8hrs exposure to the oxidant. Further studies over a longer time-frame were also performed. These found that when JEG-3 cells were exposed to 18μM H2O2 or 200μM diamide over 12-48hrs, a positive correlation between increasing endogenous Trx protein levels and a decline in cell proliferation was observed. Cytotrophoblast cells, which are responsible for implantation and placentation, are susceptible to oxidative stress in vivo and their anti-oxidant capacity is fundamental to the establishment of pregnancy. The findings obtained during these studies suggest that Trx plays a role in this process.Thesis (Masters)Master of Philosophy (MPhil)School of Health SciencesFull Tex
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