This study explores Jordanian women’s preferences for foreign over local clothing brands through exploring perceptions of COO image. An ethnographic approach has been utilized, consisting of 3 data generation stages: interactive group interviews; shopping observations; and one on one responsive interviews. This study highlights new reasons for preference of foreign brands, overlooked in previous studies, stemming from self and social symbolism, consumption symbolism, status and conspicuous consumption and country of origin image. Furthermore, a key outcome of this research is the conceptualization of “Country of Purchase”. Implications are provided for local clothing brands on ways to improve their image in the eyes of Jordanian consumers – particularly women. Recommendations regarding local brands’ pricing, store atmosphere and image, and symbolic value are highlighted and discussed. Previous research is extended by exploring different reasons for foreign brand preference in developing countries and introduces an inductive and interpretive approach to obtain descriptive and rich data providing understanding of the phenomena of country of origin and country of purchase in the fashion industry.

Cassava ( Manihot esculenta ) is one of the most important starchy root crops in the tropics due to its adaptation to marginal environments. Genetic progress in this clonally propagated crop can be accelerated through the discovery of markers and candidate genes that could be used in cassava breeding programs. We carried out a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using a panel of 5,310 clones developed at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture - Nigeria. The population was genotyped at more than 100,000 SNP markers via genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Genomic regions underlying genetic variation for 14 traits classified broadly into four categories: biotic stress (cassava mosaic disease and cassava green mite severity); quality (dry matter content and carotenoid content) and plant agronomy (harvest index and plant type). We also included several agro-morphological traits related to leaves, stems and roots with high heritability. In total, 41 significant associations were uncovered. While some of the identified loci matched with those previously reported, we present additional association signals for the traits. We provide a catalogue of favourable alleles at the most significant SNP for each trait-locus combination and candidate genes occurring within the GWAS hits. These resources provide a foundation for the development of markers that could be used in cassava breeding programs and candidate genes for functional validation.

The terms “thanatourism” and “dark tourism” relate to visiting places of human tragedy, which are increasingly developed as tourist destinations. There is a need to trouble thanatouristic assumptions through sharing and discussing lived experiences. These challenge the simplistic mechanistic marketing and conventional research practices of thanatourism. This dialogic autoethnographic study responds to this need, addressing thanatourism from the subjective and emotional perspectives of “insider” scholar-participant-consumers. Two interactive dialogic stories are presented by the lead and second authors, with the fourth providing a theoretically informed response. In the final section, the third author, an experienced autoethnographer and outsider to the thanatouristic topic and context, interrogates the lead author on concepts and issues emerging in the autoethnographic dialogue. Through engaging with this study, the reader is offered a multilayered, polysemic, emotionally provocative account of the ethical interface between thanatourism, consumer behaviour and marketing practices, and an exemplar model for future autoethnographic work.

Gastrotourism is a significant revenue generator worldwide and relates to the deliberate seeking out of experiences related to eating and drinking during travel by tourists. Taking in the cultural, social, and personal dimensions related to gastrotourism, this dialogical, conversational autoethnography allows the personal stories of the two authors to emerge, contextualised in the body of theory surrounding this particular topic. Methodologically, the autoethnographic lens allows for the exploration of personal insights that would not necessarily be brought to the fore through more traditional research methods and follows the food-consumption experiences of two individual travellers seeking authenticity in their personal journeys. The lived encounters of the two researchers during trips across the European continent and beyond are detailed, and reveal such findings as the importance of authenticity, national identity and culinary heritage in gastrotourism. Thus, in connecting with this study, the reader can engage with a multi-faceted, polysemous, and emotionally stimulating autoethnographic explanation at the interface between consumer behaviour and gastrotourism.

Purpose: In this exploratory study, we examine the qualitative methodology of “Wardrobe Studies” as a mechanism through which to conduct a semiotic analysis of a genre of “Bad-Boy-Entrepreneurs” as an embodied, elite, entrepreneurial identity. Wardrobe studies are concerned with the analysis of clothing and artefacts which collectively form part of our wardrobe. This is important because entrepreneurial identity – and particularly an interest in its semiotic, aesthetic and sartorial elements of such gendered identities – is an emerging, contemporary area of academic study. Concentrating on the sartorial and the artefactual as units of analysis engenders unique insights into corporeal-entrepreneurial-identity per se. Postmodern, fragmented identity can exacerbate the need for a coherent identity which can be communicated by fashion choices. In the literature on fashion, the sartorial and its influence on personalised identities is well-established, but not so in entrepreneurship studies. Design/methodology/approach: In the fashion literature, the methodological focus is upon the clothing, its aesthetics and personalised meaning and the most common methodology used is that of “Wardrobe Studies” where subjects are invited to photograph their personal wardrobes and select items of clothing or personal artefacts important to them in expressing their identity. In this study, by synthesising literature and insights from entrepreneurship and brand-marketing, we extend the methodological framework to examine and analyse the entrepreneurial identities of ten anonymised, über-masculine subjects with celebrity status and previously successful sporting careers from publicly available images downloaded from Google Images. To maintain anonymity, we concentrate on the sartorial and semiotic aspects of their identity. Findings: The bespoke, masculine identities of the subjects illustrate aspects of embodied identity, illuminating distinct, entrepreneurial stereotypes including the “Geezer” look, and “Playboy-look”. The study highlights the importance of visual research into the outfits and wardrobes of entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. Research limitations/implications: This study continues an emerging conversation on the influence of sartorial and artefactual objects on the expression of elite entrepreneurial identities, albeit that the study is limited by the small number of cases in the sample. Originality/value: This methodology has not been used in the entrepreneurship literature before and offers a novel viewpoint on elite, entrepreneurial identity.