Go loud or go home? How power distance belief influences the effect of brand prominence on luxury goods purchase intention

Based upon the signalling theory and self-congruity theory, this study theorizes and examines the effect of brand prominence on the purchase intention of luxury goods, with the mediating role of self-congruence and value-for-money perception. Furthermore, it explores the moderating effect of power distance belief. A single factor between-subject experiment study was conducted with a sample of 300 university students from Malaysia. Results suggest that the serial indirect effect of brand prominence on purchase intention through self-congruence and value-for-money perception is conditional upon the level of power distance belief. This study provides meaningful insight for marketing practitioners, as well as brand prominence literature by indicating how and when brand prominence works in evoking luxury goods purchase intention.     

Decision and time from a Humean point of view

Until recently, little attention has been paid to the consequences of Hume’s theory of action for intertemporal decision. Yet in view of the recurring discussion concerning situations of conflicting choice between a close and a remote objective, which runs from Book 2 of the Treatise, to the second Enquiry, to the Dissertation, intertemporal decision appears, at least in part, to be an outcome of the role of the natural relation of contiguity in the formation of the structure of desires, and thus different from the structure of pleasure. This paper shows, and expresses formally, that Hume’s approach provides alternative conditions which explain time-consistency on the one hand, and dynamic time-inconsistency on the other, when the link between contiguity and the ’violence’ of the passions is taken into account. The possibility of time-inconsistency is acknowledged by Hume as giving rise to general aversion, therefore constitutes a key argument in explaining the origin of government.     

Consumer Innovativeness and Loyalty to Non-GMO Foods: The Role of Cognitive and Affective Beliefs

Public concern over genetically modified (GMO) foods has led marketers to promote non-GMO branded foods to consumers. However, factors affecting consumers’ loyalty to non-GMO branded foods are still largely unknown. Building on the product diffusion model, the present research predicts and finds that consumer innovativeness has a positive effect on consumer loyalty to non-GMO foods. In addition, the present research draws from previous research on attitude formation and tests whether cognitive and/or affective beliefs may mediate the relationship between consumer innovativeness and loyalty to non-GMO foods. The results of a parallel multiple mediation model suggest that cognitive, but not affective, beliefs fully mediate the effect of consumer innovativeness on loyalty to non-GMO foods. These results have direct implications for marketers of non-GMO foods and, in general, increase our understanding of the process by which consumer innovativeness may affect consumer loyalty.     

Money non-neutrality in a Rational Belief Equilibrium with financial assets

Summary. In Rational Beliefs Equilibria money is generically non-neutral. Given the expectational perspective proposed by the Theory of Rational Belief Equilibrium, we show that one of the most important factors in the emergence of money non-neutrality is played by Endogenous Uncertainty. This, in contrast to the Rational Expectations results of money neutrality and policy ineffectiveness, leads to a scenario in which monetary policy has an impact on the real economy and price volatility. The heterogeneity of beliefs together with the distribution and intensity of agents' states of optimism/pessimism can amplify the real effect of monetary policy and/or generate endogenous fluctuations in the economy which are not explained by any exogenous shock. We claim that money non-neutrality is mostly an expectations driven phenomenon. Indeed, additional assumptions of asymmetry of information and/or unanticipated monetary policy are not needed to explain the real effect of monetary policy as it is customary in the New Classical Theory. Received: May 30, 2000; revised version: December 28, 2000     

信念与群体性突发事件的爆发——从选择逻辑的观点分析

群体性突发事件是一类人们未曾预料到的事件，其发生会影响社会系统的正常运行。作为一类特殊的群体行动，它是一定数量行动主体采取某种行动的结果。从选择逻辑的角度看，行动主体是在做出选择后行动的，而其选择是受其偏好影响的，偏好又是行动主体认知世界中认知状态的产物，即信念使然。群体性突发事件的出现有其逻辑上的必然性，对这类事件进行干预进而最终能够消除也是逻辑必然的。日本大地震后，受核泄漏影响在我国出现的抢盐事件以及及时消除说明，信息的获取影响公众偏好的形成，能否获取正确信息，是群体性突发事件发生与否的一个关键因素。     

当代中国社会马克思主义信仰危机及其重建

伴随中国由计划经济时代向市场经济时代的社会转型，人们对马克思主义的信仰随着社会的演进而日趋淡化，主要从人的终极关怀角度出发，阐释信仰迷失的危害，重构信仰的方法路径，坚定马克思主义信仰对于实现中华民族伟大复兴的历史意义!     

集体记忆的选择性与历史文化认同的建构——以秦汉圣贤信仰为个案

民间信仰蕴含着一个民族丰富的历史记忆,这种历史记忆也即集体记忆,是在长期的发展中有选择性地建构而来的。秦汉圣贤信仰的形成亦经历了同样的过程,它对于维护族群的历史文化认同具有重要意义。     

Government involvement in entrepreneurship and new business creation in Australia: A quantitative analysis of public perceptions and opinions

In order to determine the range of Australian perceptions on new venture creation at the end of the decade of the 1980s, and in particular attitudes towards government involvement in fostering entrepreneurship, a major quantitative study was conducted. The survey involved more than 1500 Australians in face-to-face interviews (300 in each mainland capital city) chosen on a random basis.

An analysis of the data provides an assessment of the Australian general public&s perceptions in three key areas: their understanding of the word ‘entrepreneur’ their rating of importance of new venture creation; their belief in government involvement in fostering new venture creation.

It is believed to be the first study attempting to quantify an entire nation&s perceptions in three areas vital to creators of national economic and industry policies.     

素质教育视域下学生入党积极分子理想信念教育论析

在全面实施素质教育的大背景下,加强高职院校学生入党积极分子的理想信念教育,对于培养他们坚定的政治信仰,形成正确的入党动机,树立良好的世界观、人生观和价值观具有实效性意义。     

祠灵星与两汉农事祀典的几个问题

祠灵星是两汉农事祀典的主体制度之一,在古代礼制史上占有较重要地位。本文分别探讨汉代祠灵星的祭祀对象、仪式主体内容、举行时间和制度渊源等仪式建构问题,考辨祠灵星与雩祀之间的复杂关系,论述灵星祀典的信仰背景及其制度变迁。