This article focuses on the possible relationship between the parent brand and a new brand extension. In particular, the study focuses on the impact of a parent brand on the trial of the extension and the reciprocal effect of a successful trial of new brand extensions positioned horizontally and vertically on the parent brand. Results show positive influence of the parent brand on the trial of the extension. Successful trial also helped the parent brand on a reciprocal basis, particularly among the non-loyal users and non-users of the parent brand. Another finding is the moderating effect of category positioning on the magnitude of the reciprocal effect of the brand extension on the parent brand. There is also an indication that prior parent brand experience acts as a moderator of reciprocal effects.

This study is an attempt to apply the concept of organisational vision to quantitative measures of service operation. Service organisations look at customer satisfaction ensuing from service quality delivery as a source of competitive advantage. To be able to contribute towards this end, vision must exert influence on the key variables job satisfaction and service effort of employees. The results show that organisational vision positively contributes to job satisfaction and service efforts of the participants working in a nationwide fast-food organisation.

Purpose -This paper aims to assess the status of the organizational commitment construct and introduce a new way of looking at organizational commitment -especially in early stages of employment, wherein the target company seems to be having problems. Design/methodology/approach -Change in organizational commitment is measured at two points in the early employment of new salespersons in order to isolate the effects of early employment exposure of the medical representatives, a period of 18-month when attrition of new employees is high. Findings -Training satisfaction and perceived reward equity were the only antecedent factors that showed significant positive relationship with organizational commitment. Manager commitment showed positive contribution, the relationship was not significant. All the three antecedents significantly contributed to organizational commitment. The strongest contributor was manager commitment.Research limitations/implications -The sample time frame is limited to two data points. Additional research is needed to determine whether these variables have similar influence in other organizations or whether other antecedent variables can be identified. Practical implications -Company management must pay more attention to early employment experiences. New salespersons need the training to feel competent and able to meet company mandated and/or personal objectives. Salespeople have primary contact to the organization via their immediate sales manager and need to feel like they are fairly rewarded for their efforts. Commitment to the organization partly due to a commitment to the area manager. It is important to build strong relations at the area manager level. Originality/value -This effort is a by-product of a research activity on the effectiveness a pharmaceutical company's training program for newly hired sales representatives.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to see whether people who serve and people who receive service in restaurants are aware of the factors that researchers and restaurant professionals believe affect the size of tips.Design/methodology/approachThe research comprises two studies. Study 1 focuses on waiters – an anonymous questionnaire was used. Study 2 was designed to assess the attitudes and beliefs of customers about the same variables that waiters had earlier reported on.FindingsThe findings confirmed a number of hypotheses. Respondents claim that they themselves tip more than most people. Results indicate that waiters‐customers were more generous tippers and were more accurate in the bill than customers. Although waiters and customers share many beliefs about tipping, waiters may be more aware than customers of the relevant characteristics of the situation and of the individual involved.Research limitations/implicationsAdditional research is needed to help managers to identify dissatisfied customers by training to watch customers and read customers' non‐verbal signals of dissatisfaction. The study may be a useful approach to studying other occupations as well.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that management should not rely on tips as the only motivation for service, and as an indicator of waiters' performance and level of customers' satisfaction.Originality/valueThis current effort was undertaken using the new dyad, non‐waiter customer versus waiter‐customer, to capture the effect of experience and understanding of the waiters' role in the tipping process.

Investigation of a Chinese folk medicine, Artemisia dubia (syn. Artemisia subdigitata), has resulted in the isolation of eight new guaianolides (artemdubolides A-H, 1-8), and nineteen known sesquiterpene lactones. Their structures were elucidated primarily on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including extensive 2D NMR experiments. The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1-8 were evaluated against A549 (human lung adenocarcinoma), Colo205 (human colon carcinoma), HepG2 (human hepatoma), and MDA-MB-435 (human melanoma) cell lines. Compounds 2 and 5 showed weak cell growth inhibition of Colo205 and MDA-MB-435 cells.