Examining Variety Seeking Behavior–A Study With Reference to Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)

Many attempts have been made to study consumer variety seeking behavior (VSB) in various contexts in the past. This research aims to study the influence of determinants on VSB in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) in the Indian context. Questionnaires were administrated through direct contact method, to collect data from variety seeking consumers. Multiple linear regression (MLR), ANOVA, independent t test, and general linear model (GLM) techniques were used to analyze both demographic and behavior variables. The influences of moderators were also analyzed. The managerial implication and direction for future research had been discussed.     

Building and Interpreting Macro/Micro Estimates of Accrued‐to‐Date Pension Liabilities: French Reforms as a Case Study

Estimates of accrued‐to‐date pension liabilities (ADL) should become more widely accessible to statisticians and decision makers in the near future, in application of new SNA requirements. This raises two questions: how can such estimates be routinely produced, and what for? Microsimulation helps in answering the first question of the “how.” It allows ADL computations that take into account the complexity of pension rules. Concerning the “what for” question, it is known that ADL are not an indicator of global financial sustainability. Messages they convey are more interesting at the micro level, from a household perspective. This fosters the case for microsimulation which spontaneously generates consistent micro/macro results. We illustrate these points using the French situation as a case study. We emphasize one aspect of French reforms that may concern other countries as well: the move to price indexation and the connection it creates between sustainability and growth assumptions.     

The influences of consumer innovativeness and consumer evaluation attributes in the purchase of fashionable ethnic wear in India

This paper highlights the consumer motivations for purchase of an innovative product like fashionable ethnic wear in India. It attempts to combine consumer innovativeness constructs and consumer evaluation attributes to understand buying behaviour in fashionable ethnic wear through a consumer survey. It confirms the relationship between product usage (the number of brands bought) and ethnic wear domain‐specific innovativeness. It also explores the correlations among different dimensions of consumer innovativeness like domain‐specific innovativeness, optimum stimulation level and consumers' need for uniqueness constructs. It shows the difference in importance attached to the chosen consumer innovativeness constructs and consumer evaluation attributes by buyers and non‐buyers in the purchase process.     

基于企业生命周期的财务管理目标分析

本文以企业生命周期为基础,根据财务管理目标制订的动态性原则,提出在企业生命周期的不同阶段应实行不同的财务管理目标。     

Key Factors that Influence Consumer Preferences for Natural-Hyped Products

Natural-hyped products are receiving greater attention from and acceptance by consumers worldwide. Environmental factors that foster the demand for natural-hyped products, specifically hemp-based products include the deregulation of the cannabis industry and greater consumer desire for natural foods. Adding to this, the strategic use of stimulant type of cues (e.g., a cannabis leaf) included in product logos, ads, and packaging, seems to create hype associations when evaluating hemp-based products. In this context, this study presents empirical evidence (three experiments and two qualitative studies) that illustrates consumer preference for hemp-based products over ones that do not include hemp as an ingredient (hemp-free). The research focuses on identifying the psychological determinant that orients consumers towards hemp-based products. Findings suggest that the perceived naturalness is the psychological mechanism behind consumers positive evaluation of hemp-based products. Moreover, this study presents evidence that this evaluation is enhanced by the consumer's need for stimulation. Implications of the findings for the role of perceived naturalness and the need for stimulation in marketing strategies are discussed.     

The optimal carbon tax mechanism for managing carbon emissions

Along Pigouvian lines, the carbon tax not only exceeds the carbon emission damage imposed on society, but ignores the potential cost from deliberate carbon abatement, which in turn challenges the stability and optimality of the Pigouvian solution. For correcting these distortions, this paper amends the standard Pigouvian version by using piecewise tax functions to approximate the social damage curve of carbon emissions. An optimal carbon tax mechanism is designed, where the tax is endogenously determined from social welfare maximization. With the help of a modification instrument, the carbon tax corrects emitters’ non-optimal individual decision and the social optimum is implemented efficiently. How to put the carbon tax into practice is examined under both the deterministic and stochastic modeling settings. In both cases, we demonstrate the structure and effectiveness of the carbon tax in detail. Moreover, a flexible adjustment tax scheme is proposed, which may produce the double-dividend effect that reduces carbon emissions and relieves financial burden of carbon abatement simultaneously. These may improve the application of market-based carbon-reducing tools in public management and pollution regulation.     

成本—收益视角下的城镇规模适度性分析——以京津冀城市群、山东城市群和中原城市群为例

研究目的:分析城市群在城镇化进程中的规模特点,对其发展的适度性进行判断。研究方法:基于城镇规模边际成本和边际效益的基本理论,通过三次非线性回归方程建立城镇最佳规模分析模型和城镇发展规模适度性判断模型。研究结果:(1)在成本—收益视角下分析城镇的最佳规模,不能只看取得的经济效益高低或投入成本的大小,要通过城镇经济发展效益扣减成本投入后的盈利效率来判断;(2)城镇规模适度性分析模型在对实际规模与最佳规模的对比分析基础上,再通过城镇规模发展阶段和城镇规模增长趋势对其城镇规模适度性进行判断。研究结论:(1)应严格限制城镇规模大于500 km2的超大城市的发展;(2)应根据具体情况适度发展城镇用地规模在300—400 km2的大城市;(3)应当增强经济的拉动作用,促进城镇用地规模在200 km2以下的中小城镇的发展。     

Destination loyalty and repeat behaviour: an application of optimum stimulation measurement

This paper reports on a study of consumer loyalty in the holiday destination selection process. The study does not define loyalty, but attempts to contribute to an understanding of the concept by applying a psychological measure of variety seeking directly to patterns of holiday destination choice. The measure used is based on the optimum stimulation level (OSL) concept. The guiding proposition in this study was that tourists with a high need for variety would display a varied pattern in their vacation destination selection and this assumption is modestly supported by the empirical findings. The results suggest that further experimentation with the OSL would be fruitful when combined with attitudinal measures and with precisely defined sets of tourist behaviours. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.