Economic impact of Ebola virus disease outbreak on an extractive firm: a case study

The recent Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic was one of the most severe public health emergencies in modern times. The economic impact of epidemics has mostly been analysed at the macroeconomic level. Conversely, we aimed to estimate the economic costs of preventive measures of the epidemic to an extractive firm, ArcelorMittal (AM), using data in the epidemic region from March 2014 to December 2015. AM is the world’s largest steel producer and is particularly important in West Africa, where the extractive industry is economically crucial. Qualitative methods, in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs), were used to investigate the events and channels of impact of the epidemic on the firm, as perceived by employees and contractors. Quantitative data regarding these costs were also collected. Retrospective cost analysis estimated the actual cost of preventive methods adopted. Most respondents indicated the largest cost impact was suspension of the Phase II expansion, a series of projects designed to increase iron ore production in Liberia. The next largest cost was the preventive measures adopted to counter disease spread. Total costs incurred for adopting preventive measures were USD 10.58–11.11 million. The overall direct costs of preventive measures adopted within the fence, meaning within the physical boundary of the firm’s sites, shared 30–31% of the total costs incurred. The share of external donations supporting humanitarian response was 11–12% of the total costs, followed by 7–12% of relational costs. The firm’s response during the EVD epidemic focussed on its employees and operations, which was later expanded to the wider community and then in supporting the international humanitarian response.

Economic impact of Ebola Virus Disease outbreak on an extractive firm: a case study

Purpose : The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) epidemic was one of the most severe public health emergencies in modern times. The economic impact of epidemics has mostly been analysed at the macroeconomic level. Conversely, we aimed to estimate the economic costs of preventive measures of the epidemic to an extractive firm, ArcelorMittal, using data in the epidemic region from March 2014 to December 2015. ArcelorMittal is the worlds largest steel producer and particularly important in West Africa, where the extractive industry is economically crucial. Methods : Qualitative methods, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were used to investigate the events and channels of impact of the epidemic on the firm, as perceived by employees and contractors. Quantitative data regarding these costs was also collected. Retrospective cost analysis estimated the actual cost of preventive methods adopted. Results : Most respondents indicated the largest cost impact was suspension of Phase II expansion, a series of projects designed to increase iron ore production in Liberia. The next largest cost was the preventive measures adopted to counter disease spread. Total costs incurred for adopting preventive measures was USD 10.58-11.11 million. The overall direct costs of preventive measures adopted within the fence, meaning within the physical boundary of the firms sites, shared 30-31% of the total costs incurred. The share of external donation supporting humanitarian response was 11-12% of the total costs, followed by 7-12% of relational costs. Conclusions : The firms response during the EVD epidemic focused on its employees and operations, which was later expanded to the wider community and then in supporting the international humanitarian response.

Hiding Success

Self-promotion is common in everyday life. Yet, across seven studies (N = 1,672) examining a broad range of personal and professional successes, we find that individuals often hide their successes from others and that such hiding has harmful relational consequences. We document these effects among close relational partners, strangers, and within hypothetical relationships. In Study 1, we find that targets feel less close to and more insulted by communicators who hide rather than share their successes. Conversely, sharing success increases closeness, despite also triggering envy. In Study 2, we find that hiding is more costly than sharing success, even when the target does not learn about the act of hiding. That is, hiding success harms relationships both when the success is eventually discovered and when it is not. In Studies 3 and 4, we explore the mechanism underlying these interpersonal costs: Targets infer that communicators have paternalistic motives when they hide their success, which leads them to feel insulted. Studies 5 and 6 explore this mechanism in greater detail by documenting the contextual cues that elicit inferences of paternalistic motives. While a large body of existing research highlights the negative consequences of sharing one’s accomplishments with others, our research demonstrates that sharing is often superior to hiding. In doing so, we shed new light on the consequences of paternalism and the relational costs of hiding information in everyday communication.

Economic impact of Ebola Virus Disease outbreak on an extractive firm: a case study

Purpose: The Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak was the most severe public health emergency in modern times. The economic impact of outbreaks has mostly been analysed at the macroeconomic level. Conversely, we aimed to estimate the economic costs of preventive measures of the outbreak to an extractive firm, ArcelorMittal, using data in the outbreak region from March 2014 to December 2015. ArcelorMittal is the worlds largest steel producer and particularly important in West Africa, where the extractive industry is economically crucial. Methods: Qualitative methods, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were used to investigate the events and channels of impact of the outbreak on the firm, as perceived by employees and contractors. Quantitative data regarding these costs was also collected. Retrospective cost analysis estimated the actual cost of preventive methods adopted. Results: Most respondents indicated the largest cost impact was suspension of Phase II expansion, a series of projects designed to increase iron ore production in Liberia. The next largest cost was the preventive measures adopted to counter disease spread. Total costs incurred for adopting preventive measures was USD 10.58-11.11 million. The overall direct costs of preventive measures adopted within the fence shared 30-31% of the total costs incurred. The share of external donation supporting humanitarian response was 11-12% of the total costs, followed by 7-12% of relational costs. Conclusions: The firms response during the EVD outbreak focused on its employees and operations, which was later expanded to the wider community and then in supporting the international humanitarian response.

An integrative typology of relational benefits and costs in social media brand pages

This article focuses on consumer–brand relationships in the social media environment and suggests a typology of the benefits and costs consumers perceive when interacting with social media brand pages. Employing an online questionnaire, quantitative data were collected from 881 followers of popular brand pages on both Facebook and Twitter. Study results indicate that followers of brand pages on Facebook and Twitter perceive “social,” “functional,” “enjoyment,” “special treatment,” “self-enhancement,” “advice,” and “status” benefits. “Privacy concern,” “information overload,” and “ad irritation” are consumers’ perceived costs. As the same seven factors of relational benefits and three factors of relational costs have been confirmed across all Facebook and Twitter brand pages, it is argued that the structure and dimensions of relational benefits and costs are medium and brand invariant, and are perceived in the same way by Facebook and Twitter followers. Considering the rapid development of social media and their penetration in business marketing actions, this research contributes to the digital marketing literature by providing a better understanding of relational benefits, relational costs, and consumer–brand relationships in a social media context. Finally, the article offers recommendations to brand managers, when designing appropriate social media content, that can enhance and strengthen a brand’s relationship with its customers.

Substance Misuse–Related Parental Child Maltreatment

In Australia, children removed from the parental home because substance use–related child maltreatment issues are commonly placed in grandparent custodial care; however, the longer term relational costs of this approach have yet to be determined. Conventional, summative, and directive content analyses were conducted on data extracted from 88 Australian custodial grandparent completed Grandcarer Needs, Wellbeing and Health Surveys. Conventional analysis revealed the most common reason grandparents gave for their assumption of custodial care was drug use–related acts of parental child maltreatment. Summative analysis revealed antidepressants, marijuana, Valium, ice, and amphetamines were the most commonly used parental drugs and that these drugs were frequently used in combination with dexamphetamine, antipsychotics, heroin, ecstasy, and cocaine. Directed analysis contextualized the strain that drug use–related custodial caregiving places on grandparents’ financial resources, and how this strain is burdensome when the grandparents’ annual income is less than Aus$80,000. It also contextualizes the need for future research to explore family reunification desires/barriers.

Exploring relationship quality and its antecedents in the social media context

Τα Κοινωνικά Δίκτυα αποτελούν σήμερα ένα αναπόσπαστο κομμάτι της στρατηγικής μάρκετινγκ των εταιρειών, ως ένα εργαλείο ανάπτυξης και διαχείρισης σχέσεων με το καταναλωτικό κοινό. Η παρούσα διδακτορική διατριβή, μελετάει τη διαμόρφωση σχέσεων μεταξύ καταναλωτή - εταιρείας μέσα στο περιβάλλον των εταιρικών σελίδων (brand fan pages) στα Κοινωνικά Δίκτυα, και την επίδραση στην εταιρεία και στη μάρκα. Για το σκοπό αυτό, η έρευνα υιοθετεί και χρησιμοποιεί την έννοια της Ποιότητας Σχέσης (Relationship Quality), και εφαρμόζει τη θεωρία του Σχεσιακού Οφέλους και Κόστους (Relational Benefits & Relational Costs). Η εκπλήρωση του στόχου της διατριβής, επιτεύχθηκε μέσα από 3 ερευνητικά στάδια: Στο πρώτο στάδιο, προκειμένου να γίνουν κατανοητά τα κίνητρα και ο τρόπος χρήσης των Κοινωνικών Δικτύων από τις εταιρείες, πραγματοποιήθηκαν 14 προσωπικές συνεντεύξεις με digital marketing managers εταιρειών που δραστηριοποιούνται σε ποικίλους κλάδους της ελληνικής αγοράς, και έχουν δημιουργήσει fan pages σε δημοφιλή Κοινωνικά Δίκτυα. Το δεύτερο βήμα, ήταν η διεξαγωγή μιας σειράς focus groups με καταναλωτές-χρήστες εταιρικών fan pages, τα οποία είχαν ως στόχο μεταξύ άλλων, να γίνουν κατανοητά τα αντιλαμβανόμενα οφέλη και κόστη. Το τρίτο στάδιο αποτέλεσε η διεξαγωγή μιας ποσοτικής έρευνας σε καταναλωτές-χρήστες εταιρικών fan pages, με τη χρήση ερωτηματολογίου. Το ερωτηματολόγιο ανέβηκε σε ηλεκτρονική μορφή στα fan pages τεσσάρων εταιρειών στο Facebook & στο Twitter. Μέσω της διαδικασίας αυτής, συγκεντρώθηκαν 1792 πλήρως απαντημένα ερωτηματολόγια από τους χρήστες 8 διαφορετικών εταιρικών fan pages.Τα αποτελέσματα της έρευνας έδειξαν ότι οι καταναλωτές - χρήστες των εταιρικών fan pages στο Facebook & στο Twitter, αντιλαμβάνονται τα εξής 7 οφέλη: κοινωνικά οφέλη (social benefits), λειτουργικά οφέλη (functional benefits), οφέλη διασκέδασης (enjoyment benefits), οφέλη ειδικής μεταχείρισης (special treatment benefits), οφέλη αυτό-ενίσχυσης (self-enhancement benefits), οφέλη συμβουλών (advice benefits), και οφέλη κύρους (status benefits). Τα οφέλη αυτά, βρέθηκαν να έχουν σημαντική θετική επίδραση στη ποιότητα σχέσης με το fan page. Αντίστοιχα, εντοπίστηκαν τα εξής 3 κόστη: ανησυχία ιδιωτικότητας (privacy concern), υπερφόρτωση πληροφοριών (information overload), και ενόχληση διαφημίσεων (ad irritation), τα οποία επιδρούν αρνητικά στη διαμόρφωση της ποιότητας σχέσης με το fan page. Ένα ακόμη από τα ευρήματα της έρευνας, είναι η επιβεβαίωση της θετικής και σημαντικής επίδρασής της ποιότητας σχέσης με το fan page στην ποιότητα σχέσης με την εταιρεία/μάρκα. Επιπλέον, τα αποτελέσματα υποστηρίζουν τη θετική επίδραση της ποιότητας σχέσης (με το fan page & με την εταιρεία/μάρκα) σε αποτελέσματα συμπεριφοράς όπως, η από στόμα σε στόμα διάδοση (word of mouth), η πρόθεση αγοράς (purchase intention), και η πρόθεση επανα-επίσκεψης του fan page (fan page revisit intention). Τέλος, η έρευνα επιβεβαίωσε τη λειτουργία των μεταβλητών ανάμιξη με την προϊοντική κατηγορία (product category involvement), τάση για σχέση (relationship proneness), ανάμιξη με τη μάρκα (brand involvement), και εξοικείωση με τη μάρκα (brand familiarity), ως μεταβλητές μεσολάβησης (moderators) στη σχέση μεταξύ των μεταβλητών οφέλη-κόστη και της ποιότητας σχέσης με το fan page.Η παρούσα διατριβή, συνεισφέρει στη βιβλιογραφία του μάρκετινγκ παρέχοντας μια ολοκληρωμένη προσέγγιση στο θέμα της ανάπτυξης σχέσεων μεταξύ καταναλωτή-εταιρείας, μέσα από το περιβάλλον των Κοινωνικών Δικτύων. Συγκεκριμένα, η πρωτοτυπία της διατριβής έγκειται στο γεγονός ότι μελετάει για πρώτη φορά, ταυτόχρονα, βασικές έννοιες του σχεσιακού μάρκετινγκ. Πέραν αυτού, η παρούσα μελέτη στοχεύει να αποτελέσει ένα χρήσιμο εργαλείο στα χέρια των marketing managers, για την αποτελεσματικότερη χρήση και διαχείριση των Κοινωνικών Δικτύων από τις εταιρείες.