The Bass new product growth model is used for cross-national analysis of diffusion processes of durable goods in four major Pacific Rim countries. The estimated coefficients are used to test the hypotheses on country-specific effects and on lead- and lag-time effects on the diffusion rates of consumer durable goods in the Pacific Rim countries. On the basis of the empirical findings, managerial implications are derived and discussed to provide insights into the relationships between diffusion processes and country-specific characteristics. These insights may serve as guidelines in formulating effective marketing strategies for introducing new products into Pacific Rim markets.

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to advances a conceptual framework in which the impact of national stereotype dimensions on country of origin (COO) effects is explicitly modeled and decomposed. Design/methodology/approach-This paper proposes that the perceived warmth and perceived competence dimensions of national stereotypes underlie COO effects. The conceptual framework posits research propositions on the potential interactions of these dimensions with product type (such as hedonic versus utilitarian and high-versus low-contact services), while the effects of consumer characteristics (such as cultural orientation, expertise, involvement, and ethnocentrism) are explored. Findings-The Stereotype Content Model is a useful tool in exploring the relationship between national stereotypes and COO-based evaluations as it represents a major theoretical advance in the systematic study of stereotype contents. Practical implications-The advanced conceptual framework holds significant practical implications for the international marketing strategies of corporations as well as nations. Originality/value-This paper proposes an original conceptualization and testable research propositions regarding the relationship between national stereotype contents and COO-based consumer evaluations of products.

The photoinduced alignment of a liquid crystal ͑LC͒ on films of azo dyes was studied for the liquid crystal display applications. In order to improve the alignment stability of the photoaligned dye ͑SD-1͒, the azo-dye derivative with polymerizable terminal groups was synthesized ͑SDA-1͒. The films of SDA-1 exhibit good photoalignment properties and ultraviolet stability after thermal polymerization. We investigated the anchoring coefficient for polar and azimuthal energy for both azo-dyes SD-1 and SDA-1 using a differential method developed by us. The polar and azimuthal anchoring strengths of azo-dye aligning materials are comparable with those of usual polyimide aligning materials. The electro-optic response of a 90°twisted LC cell remains almost the same after heating up to 200°C, i.e., the anchoring energy remains considerably high.

Liquid crystal photo-alignment using azo-dyes is reviewed. This alignment method is very different from previously reported ones, such as photo-crosslinking, photo degradation and photo-isomerization. It will be shown that this photo-aligning method can provide a controllable pretilt angle and strong anchoring energy of the liquid crystal cell, as well as high thermal and UV stability. The application of this method to the alignment and fabrication of various types of liquid crystal displays is also discussed.

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