The purpose of this study is to examine the impact that gender and age differences have on the communication media selection within the context of small and medium tourism enterprises (SMEs). Media Richness Theory (MRT) was used to assess media preferences in the firms. Using a mail questionnaire, data from 78 firms were collected on seven popular media in use. Historical data of the firms, media characteristics, and other firm-specific factors were included in the analysis. The results indicated that there are substantial gender and age differences in term of communication media selection. This is consistent with MRT and highlights the importance of choosing the appropriate media in SMEs, according with the employee's behaviors, in order to achieve better outcomes and to smooth the path towards good performance in the future.

Purpose -The aim of this study is to identify and describe the factors associated with Nissan Company's electric vehicle (EV) development. In addition, Nissan's different commercialization strategies toward EV and HEV development will be discussed. Design/methodology/approach -This study uses a descriptive case study approach to provide a deep understanding of successful or failed projects of Nissan. In this term, the company's green car development between 1996 and 2012 will be analyzed. Based on the market presence, Nissan's electric vehicle production trend is divided into two different generations with different characteristics. The gap between these two generations has a structural effect on the current state of Nissan's EV development. Findings -One key factor behind Nissan's success and lead in the current electric vehicle market is the long-term experience with specific type of market structure, which has nurtured the company with a strong green vehicle development capability. The study shows that the electric vehicles market gap acted as a catalyst for later Nissan's successful cases. Also, the authors demonstrate how the dramatic shifts in Nissan strategies helped the company to revitalize its leadership as an electric car guru. Originality/value -This study provides a better insight into the importance of early stage commercialization strategies in the re-born market of ecofriendly vehicles.

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between media usage of managers and communication satisfaction in Small and Medium tourism Enterprises. A conceptual model that hypothesizes the managers prefer to use media that are high in richness, and media usage will affect communication satisfaction in the firms, is tested. In addition, the model portrayed age factor as the moderating variable in manager's communication satisfaction in firms. The data from 78 tourism managers was used to test the model on seven popular media in use. It was found that there are differences in the media usage and communication satisfaction between the media that are high in richness and media that are low in richness. The findings suggest that the model is plausible in explaining how different factors combine to affect the satisfaction of managers with the new generation of communication technologies. The results also show that Age plays a moderator role for some of the investigated media.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the market structure of rechargeable batteries, and the importance of battery production cost on the commercialization of Electric Vehicles. In this regard, the two generations of electric vehicle penetration in the society, in the period of 1996 to 2012, are concerned. It is argued that a combination of pre-production factors such as raw materials and technology breakthroughs, as well as post-production factors such as rise of East-Asian competitors will define the next market trend of EV batteries. Among the implications of this study, the competition between Korean, Chinese and Japanese battery suppliers is also explained.