Consumer Concerns Relating to Food Labeling and Trust—Australian Governance Actors Respond

This study aims to report and critically analyze the responses of governance actors to a set of consumers' concerns relating to food labeling, and by doing so describe how these actors construct both consumer perspectives and the food policy environment in which they work. Fifteen food‐labeling governance actors in Australia and New Zealand were asked to view an online presentation of the findings from a previous study exploring consumer perspectives on food labeling and trust before completing a one‐hour, in‐depth, semi‐structured interview. Colebatch's social constructionist perspective on policy was adopted in the analysis. Participants used their own constructions of Australian food policy, the role of labeling and consumer trust as a means to minimize the consumer concerns. Inadequate critical engagement with the moral dimension of consumer concerns is a core driver of the inertia demonstrated in the Australian government's approach to addressing consumer concerns regarding food matters.     

Spatial behaviour of rural consumer households in highly developed economies. Survey results for Western Germany

This contribution attempts to identify effects of residential location of rural family households on their economic behaviour. Economic behaviour is understood to be reflected in the total spectrum of income and allocation of household resources. A holistic approach must go beyond activity on the labour and consumer markets and include non-market (‘informal’) activities of household members, taking into account domestic production of goods and services, interaction within social networks, the use of public commercial infrastructure, etc. The cost of living depends, among other things, on patterns of consumption, on regional price levels for consumer breadbaskets, as well as on costs involved in reaching public and commercial points of distribution. These factors result themselves from the interplay of economic forces giving rise to identifiable ‘economic territories’ and ‘market areas’ and ultimately to observable consumptive behaviour and ‘activity spaces’ of individual private households. Since data was available only for our rural survey households, comparative analysis of locational aspects was limited to consumption expenditures for which data could be found in administrative statistics for households in urban and periurban areas. The rural survey sample was found to have a higher average level and a different structure of expenditures when compared with their non-rural counterparts. At the same time, a preliminary effort was made in our own rural survey sample to determine the importance of non-market consumption for rural households. This included household consumption of domestic self-services (‘housework’), the utility value of owner-occupied dwellings, do-it-yourself production of substitutes for commercial goods and services, and exchanges within social networks. Results of this initial investigation of non-market elements of the household economy indicated that they were very important for the household's level-of-living and that they had a potential for compensating inequalities due to different degrees of access to market resources. Household strategies for optimizing their resource allocation to both market and non-market consumption were also examined. In general, ‘objective’ criteria and ‘subjective’ assessments by the survey households with respect to living conditions in rural Western Germany were found to give a positive image of rural life; however, differences in resource allocation strategies for market consumption between urban and rural households having been confirmed above, the question remains for future research about possible locational differences in household acquisition and use of non-market resources.     

Consumer Law and Policy in Ghana

This paper presents a picture of the landscape of consumer law and policy in Ghana and reviews the scope of protection of consumer interests with specific regard to product safety and liability, consumer sales, and telecommunication services. It assesses the legislative and policy framework on consumer contracts, product safety, and unfair commercial practices; discusses the role of national agencies in enforcing safety standards; and highlights some critical consumer issues in telecommunications service delivery. The paper examines the regulatory framework on other consumer issues such as advertising, labelling, and marketing of consumer products; terms and conditions of consumer contracts; and after sales services including the enforcement of guarantees, warranties, refund, and return policies. The paper also discusses the extent of external influence on the development of consumer law and policy in Ghana and reviews the level of interaction with other legal systems and supranational bodies in the three focal areas. The contribution also explores areas of Ghana’s consumer protection framework which could benefit from guidance from the EU transnational model on consumer protection and makes recommendations for the enhancement of the emerging legislative and policy regime on consumer protection in Ghana.     

Consumer Awareness of the Legal Obligations of Funeral Providers

The results from a consumer survey that examined consumer knowledge of some parameters of the Funeral Rule are presented. Currently, all funeral home activities are regulated under the Funeral Industry Practices Rule of the Federal Trade Commission. The rule is premised on the assumption that it is difficult for consumers to make careful, informed purchase decisions in at‐need situations because of emotional stress, time pressure, and lack of familiarity with available goods and services. However, limited research has assessed how much consumers know about the legal obligations of funeral providers as provided for by the Funeral Rule. Implications for consumer protection and policy are discussed.     

Marketing and Professional Services: the Case of Consultancy Engineering

Professional services suffer from a dearth of literature on marketing, especially in New Zealand. Like other professioal services, consulting engineers have expressed particular concern on how to adapt to the present competitive environment. A survey of New Zealand consulting engineers indicated that the use of marketing techniques within consulting engineering practices is uncoordinated in nature and there is disagreement as to the most efective method of attracting clientele. The lack of coordination of marketing techniques is best illustrated by the majority of consulting engineering practices competing on price, while actually perceiving service quality as the most important method for success. Within consulting engineering practices, marketing is becoming a legitimate management function. However, evidence can be seen to illustrate that the ‘trappings' of marketing prevail rather than the ‘substance’ which is needed to have the customer-driven orientation fundamental to the implementation of the marketing concept.     

完善贫困地区农村社会养老保险制度的政策建议——基于茶陵县实地调查

新型农村社会养老保险制度是改善农村老人生活条件,改变城乡二元化结构和实现农村居民老有所养的重大惠农政策。从2009年试点以来,我国新农保保障范围不断扩大。基于对湖南省茶陵县实施新农保试点的调查,发现新农保制度在贫困地区试点中存在着缴费档次低、集体补助缺失、年轻人参保率低和出现退保现象等问题。提出加大对贫困地区新农保的资金支持和宣传力度,制定适合农村居民特点的缴费制度,以提高农村居民参加新农保的积极性。     

农作物与其保单捆绑抵押模式探究——以浙江省农村地区为例

运用问卷调查法对浙江省部分农村地区的农户所进行的调查研究发现,现有的金融供给远远不能满足该地区农村经济发展的需求;农户的外部融资需求很少能从金融机构得到满足;缺乏担保和抵押物;民间借贷行为较普遍;农户融资规模较小、期限短;当地农业保险体系较完善。浙江省可实行农作物与保单"捆绑式"抵押的新型贷款模式,并加快整合相关资源,建立有关部门的联动机制,以充分发挥正规金融机构的供给主导作用,满足农户资金需求,支持农村经济的健康发展。     

关于完善中国新型农村居民养老保险体系的研究（英文）

在中国,农民是一个数量庞大的弱势群体。农村的公共服务建设落后于城市,尤其是在养老保障方面。为农民提供社会保护和保障其生活质量,有利于在农村和城市地区减少贫困、改善老年生活状况。2009年,在中国建立了新型农村居民养老保险体系。本研究旨在为中国的政策制定者提供参考。为此本研究采用了四轮德尔菲法,以探讨中国新型农村居民养老保险体系中可以完善的领域,以及这些领域的优先次序。     

稻作经营大户对有偿服务的支付意愿及影响因素

以调查数据为依据,通过Probit模型对稻作经营大户对农业有偿技术服务的支付意愿及其影响因素进行实证分析。研究表明支付意愿受到户主的文化程度、非农业劳动力比重、对农技部门提供服务的评价、生产资金来源等多方面因素的影响,提出加强农村基础教育投入、完善农业科技推广体系和农村信贷服务等相关政策建议。     

农村公共服务体系建设的新趋向及路径选择——基于成都试验区农村公共服务体系建设的启示

完善的农村公共服务体系是农村公共服务有效供给的重要条件。在新的经济社会条件下,农村公共服务体系建设呈现出供给主体多元化、需求主体享受基本公共服务的均等化、供给内容的全面与多层次化、供给方式的多主体互动化,以及决策监督的民主化等新趋向。成都作为全国统筹城乡综合配套改革试验区,在农村公共服务体系建设中把握住了这一趋向性．对推进我国其他地区农村公共服务体系建设的路径选择具有一定的借鉴意义。     

Export performance of small firms from small countries: The case of New Zealand

Drawing on traditional models of multinational expansion and organisational learning, Brouthers et al. (J Int Mark 17:21–38, 2009) prescribe that in some circumstances, small firms exporting from small countries should concentrate their exports into a single overseas market. These particular circumstances pertain to small Greek and Caribbean exporters in mature low-technology industries. This research extends this 2009 study to the same size group of small firms in another small country, New Zealand. Model estimation involved multiple regression methods on survey data from 249 small New Zealand exporters. Contrasting with Brouthers et al.’s advice, this study finds that small New Zealand exporters should not concentrate their exports into one or a few overseas markets. Success for these small firms stemmed from higher rates of R&D expenditure and multi-market exporting through company-owned channels in distant markets. These differences reflect the different environments and sample characteristics between the two studies. The paper contextualises further the evidence base on the strategies that small firm owner-managers should pursue and policy makers should promote.     

Profiling the Australian Google Consumer: Implications of Search Engine Practices for Consumer Law and Policy

Against the legal backdrop of proceedings against Google in various jurisdictions regarding the layout of its search result page, this article presents the results of a survey of a representative sample of 1014 Australian consumers, investigating their use of the Internet and specifically Google’s search engine, and the implications of these findings for consumer law and policy concerning the operation of search engines. The study is the first of its kind in Australia, despite litigation against Google in this jurisdiction for alleged misleading and deceptive conduct. The survey findings indicate that consumers have a lack of understanding about the operation and origin of the different elements of the Google search engine. In particular, the findings show particular confusion in relation to the operation and origin of Google’s related vertical services. Such confusion seems to be more pronounced among older respondents and those without higher education qualifications, although the survey revealed some more surprising and unexpected results in terms of the demographics of confusion. These findings are important for several reasons. Firstly, they identify and point to a gap in consumer knowledge about Google search that should be addressed, presenting an opportunity for consumer education in this area. Secondly, this research challenges the widely held assumption that the average (Australian) Internet user has a basic understanding about the operation and function of the Google search engine. Thirdly, the results leave open the possibility for further proceedings against Google in Australia on the basis of consumer law, the decision in Google v ACCC notwithstanding. This points to the potential for a more active role for consumer law in the digital ecosystem to address problems emanating from large and powerful platform providers such as Google than it previously has occupied.     

Consumer education in the UK: new developments in policy,strategy and implementation

Consumer education is an integral part of the European Community's consumer policy. It plays a key role in consumer empowerment, helping consumers gain the skills, attitudes and knowledge they need to be able to gear the choices they make as consumers to their economic interests and to protect their health and safety. In its policy statement, the Directorate General for Health and Consumer Protection states that the European Community is aware that joint measures at national and Community levels should be more structured, in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. This paper aims to set out the current policy and strategic context for consumer education and empowerment in the UK; review the role of UK government bodies and other agencies concerned with developments; review recent literature; present the results of interviews with an extensive range of key stakeholders and the results of a survey of service heads for trading standards throughout the UK. It will consider implementation, partnership, resources, ideas and opportunities. The research found that the agenda for consumer education in the UK is at an interesting stage of development. The Enterprise Act 2002 gives the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) a statutory power to carry out educational activities. Consumer education is also moving up the agenda in the trading standards service. In addition, the teaching of citizenship in English schools is already stimulating new developments in consumer education. The paper will consider the need for organizations like these to work together to build on these policy developments and ensure that consumer education gains the profile it needs to influence consumer attitudes and behaviour.     

关于家电下乡政策传播策略的实证研究——基于对山东省青州市5个行政村的调查分析

从2009年2月1日起,家电下乡开始向全国推广。作为促进社会主义新农村建设、提高农民生活质量、扩大农村消费的一项创新突破,家电下乡政策的推广效果与信息传播策略密切相关。本文作者在2009年6月到8月间对家电下乡试点地区——山东省青州市的5个行政村展开实地调查,调查内容涉及不同收入类型农户对家电下乡政策的关注度,信息获知途径及信赖渠道,不同类型农户对家电下乡政策的核心利益点,家电下乡政策传播过程中的阻碍因素,农户采纳政策信息的状况等,在对调查结果分析的基础上对家电下乡政策的乡村传播提出建设性意见,希望这些结论可以为家电下乡政策在中国广大农村地区的推广作出贡献。     

Alternative Regulatory Cases Challenging Consumer Policy

By means of the concept of postmodern politics, we provide insights into how alternative regulation is challenging consumer policy. New actors, new forms of interaction, and new goals are emerging alongside established forms of consumer policy. In particular, we examine two alternative regulatory cases: trust marks and consumer-generated information systems. They both exemplify alternative regulation of electronic commerce, which has facilitated regulatory innovation for over a decade. On the basis of our analysis, we suggest that governmental consumer policy cannot imitate the alternative regulatory solutions. We also encourage governmental actors to consider building bridges to consumer networks. This would broaden the scope of consumer policy and be in line with the modes of operation of governmental actors. Consumers are themselves contributing to this rethinking of governmental consumer policy. By networking, consumers provide each other with empowering information on consumption. Doing so on the massive scale enabled by information and communication technologies, they are challenging conventional consumer policy, which can no longer address consumer needs as it could in the pre-Internet days. New issues are emerging for consumer policy to address, and networked consumers are already contributing to policy.     

Consumer Policy in a Market Economy Considerations from the Perspective of the Economics of Information,the New Institutional Economics as well as Behavioural Economics

The question concerning when a governmental intervention in the market system is justified has occupied economists from the very beginning and has been a controversial discussion topic for just as long. Against this background, with respect to modern consumer policy, which still represents a relatively young field in the theory of economic policy, it is vital to find sound economic reasons for governmental regulations in order to protect consumers. Therefore, the article attempts to assess what the various economic literatures have added to our understanding of good consumer policy. For this reason, those policy implications that might flow from different theoretical approaches in order to broaden the foundation of an economic justification for consumer policy will be analysed. For this purpose, the consumer policy implications of the Economics of Information will be described, including a denomination of some certain problems all of which are not covered satisfactorily by this approach. Subsequently and in order to amend the informational economics framework, further economical approaches from New Institutional Economics, Behavioural Economics as well as Behavioural Consumer Research, which provide a complementary analysis of consumer behaviour in consideration of the respective decision-making situations and determining constraints (formal and informal rules, cognitive and emotional boundaries), will be discussed comparatively with respect to their consumer policy implications.     

The use of small instant loans among young adults – a gateway to a consumer insolvency?

The aim of this paper is to study 18‐ to 29‐year‐old Finnish consumers' use of instant small loans (i.e. SMS loan) and other consumer credit services that have increased notably in the past few years. We examine what kind of expenditures instant credit is used for and focus also on young consumers' financial situation and their perceptions of themselves as money handlers. The research method is quantitative, and data are derived from an open online survey (n = 1610). Our results reveal that consumer credit is used by young people in all income brackets and employment positions. However, there is a clear connection between certain life‐course stages (young, single parent), financial positions (low income), employment situations (marginal) and the propensity to take instant loans and consumer credit. The young people who take an instant loan once are likely to do it again. Typical purposes of use included buying alcohol, cigarettes and partying. For some consumers, the use of small loans is part of controlled and economical use of money. However, particularly in the low‐income brackets, it is also common to buy food and to repay credit or interest. Young people, who use instant loans recognize flaws in their money management and see themselves as ‘wasteful’ consumers more often than those who do not use instant loans. On the basis of this empirical study, it is unquestioned that young people's consumer education needs to be strengthened. In Finland, this need has already been recognized in both consumer policy and teacher education.     

Understanding preferences for motion pictures

Of interest in the consumer behavior field are the drivers of experiential and aesthetic consumption. This paper considers these questions in the context of the motion picture industry. Most motion picture industry studies use secondary data to elucidate a relationship between movie attributes (genre, star power, critical reviews, distribution strategy, etc.) and box-office revenues. The study gathers primary data from 225 survey respondents in New Zealand to further understand the factors influencing the purchase decision-making process of movie-going consumers. The study uses a factor-analytic approach to map the different genres in attribute space, and to understand the drivers of choice. Overall, the results show genre, movies based on true stories, critical reviews, word-of-mouth, country of origin, pricing strategy as well as star and director power significantly impact consumers' movie choices.     

Ethics in New Zealand organisations

The main objective of this study is to assess the state of business ethics in New Zealand organisations. The survey results suggest that top New Zealand companies give low priorities to ethical values. A number of suggestions have been put forward by the respondents to improve the corporate ethical environment. These include commitment of top management, written and published codes of ethics, comprehensive accounting standards and annual reporting and monitoring and an efficient legal and education system.Dr. Kazi Firoz Alam is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Management Accounting, Massey University, New Zealand. He has been teaching Accounting to MBA students since 1984 and has supervised students in different areas of accounting, including tax ethics. He has written three books on Accounting and Taxation and has published articles on Corporate taxation and Company Financial Policy, The Influence of Tax Incentives on Investment Decisions and Factors affecting Investing Decisions. Some of the journals where his publications have appeared includeMetu Studies in Development, Managerial and Decision Economics andInvestment Analysts Journal.