Recreation vehicles : A perspective

The growth and popularity of recreation vehicles in the United States and other countries has implications for the travel and tourism industry. Owners of these vehicles require no separate lodging facilities while traveling and rarely patronize hotels or motels. They often perceive that they spend less for their vacations by staying at travel parks and campgrounds, but survey results and comparative cost analysis reveal that they spend more than automobile travelers when total fixed and variable costs are taken into account. Recreation vehicle (RV) preferences by income category suggest alternative modes of recreation travel and a vacation life style which has considerable appeal. This “RV life style” is characterized by a strong desire to experience the outdoors and socialize with other campers while still retaining the comforts and conveniences of a familiar domicile. Limiting characteristics include the provincial nature of recreation vehicle travel and the impact of mandatory fuel conservation measures.     

Insecurity,food financing and the IMF

This article considers the desirability and feasibility of an international food financing facility along the lines of existing lending facilities administered by the IMF and under the IMF's auspices. A prominent proposal is the extention of The Compensatory Financing Facility. The authors examine this proposal in the context of the nature and magnitude of food insecurity in developing countries. The authors conclude that the establishment of a food facility within the IMF is both desirable and feasible, but that, as suggested by FAO, it should be separate from The Compensatory Financing Facility.     

Functional equivalence in cross-cultural consumer behavior: Gift giving in Japan and the United States

The functional equivalence of products and consumer activities across cultures is a largely unexplored area. Yet, the lack of functional equivalence that exists may suggest the need for modification of some concepts and theories of consumer behavior. The study reported in this paper explores the functional equivalence that exists between U.S. and Japanese consumers in an important consumer activity—gift giving. The results suggest a lack of functional equivalence of this activity and illustrate how researchers should give explicit consideration to this issue in the development and testing of consumer concepts and models.     

Teamwork,Skill Development and Employee Welfare

There has been a sharp divergence in the literature about the benefits of teamwork. Some have claimed that it is solely in the interests of management, others that it is beneficial for employees and yet others that it makes little difference to either productivity or well‐being. This article draws upon the British Skills Survey Series. It shows that while teamwork did expand between the early 1990s and 2006, this was due primarily to the growth of the type of teamwork that allowed employees little in the way of decision‐making power. Indeed, there was a decrease in the prevalence of self‐directive teamwork. At the same time, our evidence shows that the benefits of teamwork, in terms of both enhancing work motivation and employee welfare, are confined to self‐directive teams, while non‐self‐directive teams suppress the use of personal initiative and discretion at work.     

Addressing Issues Relating To Going-Gongern Audit Qualifications And Corporate Failure

This study examines the incidence of going-concern audit qualifications and of corporate failure for Australian publicly listed companies over the period 1980-90. The analysis includes a review of annual reports for companies that attracted going-concern qualifications but did not subsequently fail, in order to identify potential indicators of survival. The differences between the indicators noted for failed companies that had their last accounts qualified on the basis of going concern, and those of failed companies not qualified, was also examined. Other issues of interest include a comparison of going-concern qualifications by Big Eight (Six) and other audit firms, and the extent and location of disclosure of going-concern problems in the annual report.