A Quasi-experimental Method for Testing the Effectiveness of Ecolabel Promotion

Despite the existence of tourism ecolabels for more than 10 years, tourists’ decision making is still only marginally influenced by such labels and it appears that sustainability does not feature much in tourists’ general consumption behaviour. However, two recent studies found that tourists’ attitudes towards the Green Globe 21 (GG21) ecolabel in New Zealand were positive and the surveyed tourists appeared to have a high awareness of sustainability issues. Based on these findings, a quasiexperiment was conducted in the Christchurch Visitor Information Centre (CVIC) (main tourist hub of South Island) to investigate whether tourists’ positive attitudes towards ecolabels would result in increased observable interest of GG21 ecolabelled products. The purpose of this paper is to describe the complex quasi-experimental methodology that has been developed in an attempt to get further insight into tourist behaviour related to ecolabelled tourist products. During May and June 2003 the impact of a promotional campaign on tourists’ information search behaviour in the CVIC was tested. Observations of tourists and measurement of brochure up-take showed no increased interest in the ecolabel promotion campaign or the GG21 labelled products in the CVIC. The experimental methodology demonstrated that positive attitudes towards ecolabels are an unreliable predictor of responsible environmental tourist behaviour.     

Unter Strom

Zusammenfassung  Wundbehandlung durch Elektrostimulationstherapie — Für die Elektrostimulation gibt es viele Anwendungsgebiete. W?hrend Verfahren wie Herzschrittmacher aus der Medizin nicht mehr wegzudenken sind, sind Behandlungsformen wie die galvanische Feinstromtherapie umstritten. In der Wundheilung allerdings macht man sie sich seit Jahren zunutze.     

Bridging the gap between foresight and market research: Integrating methods to assess the economic potential of nanotechnology

This paper discusses how to bridge the gap between foresight research oriented to the long-term, and traditional market research oriented to the medium to short term, when applied to an early stage of a technology's life cycle. It proposes using an integrating approach, i.e. a combination of methods and both foresight and traditional market research. A mix of complementary methods for the acquisition and analysis of data is presented in a case study. This helps to overcome the deficits of some qualitative foresight methods and quantitative methods often used in traditional market research and allows us to examine research results from the different methods applied both on their own and as a group. In the absence of a single fully-fledged and accepted economic approach, this paper argues that combined market research and foresight modules are the best possible approach for analyzing the economic potential of emerging technologies like nanotechnology. In the future, similar applications of such market foresight modules may be useful, for example, as elements of foresight. They will also be useful in studies of emerging technologies (e.g. converging technologies, cognitive science and Web 2.0) where traditional market research does not produce a realistic market assessment.     

Implications of the mandatory transition from national GAAP to IFRS — Empirical evidence from Germany

This paper analyses the differences between German GAAP and IFRS by quantifying the effects of the first-time adoption of IFRS of German companies in their reporting practices. Due to the IAS Regulation EC No.1606/2002, all publicly traded European companies (including those in Germany) are required to prepare their consolidated financial statements in accordance with IFRS for accounting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2005. This paper measures the effect of the transition from German GAAP to IFRS by using indices of comparability that were developed by Gray (1980). Therefore, the impact on equity and net income is quantified by examining the reconciliations of 103 German companies which had to adopt IFRS for their consolidated financial statements in 2005. On average a significant increase in stockholders' equity and in net income could be observed. The increase in stockholders' equity is primarily due to the adoption of IAS 11, IAS 16, IAS 37, IAS 38 and IFRS 3. Concerning net income, the increase especially results from the adoption of IFRS 3.     

JOB MOBILITY IN BRITAIN: ARE THE SCOTS DIFFERENT? EVIDENCE FROM THE BHPS†

The Scottish extension‐sample of the British Household Panel Study (BHPS) is used to shed light on differences in job mobility patterns in England and Scotland for both men and women. Based on probit estimates of the overall mobility rate, a new decomposition technique is applied to distinguish between explained and unexplained differences. Furthermore, exploiting data on the number of job changes, a zero inflated Poisson model is estimated to provide information on possible differences in the expected number of job changes. Overall, there is evidence that suggests significant differences in mobility patterns south and north of the Borders; however, this is confined to men. Yet, whether this suffices to justify a heterogeneous regional labour market remains to be seen.     

Teaching versus research: A multi-tasking approach to multi-department universities

We study the possible implications of incentive schemes as a tool to promote efficiency in the management of universities. In this paper, we show that by designing internal financial rules which create yardstick competition for research funds, a multi-department university may induce better teaching quality and research, as compared to the performance of independent departments.     

Does government ideology affect personal happiness? A test

We investigate the impact of government ideology on left-wing as compared to conservative individuals. We find that conservative people are happier, on average. In a sample excluding the richest countries left-wing people are happier under the tenure of left-wing governments.     

Late and multiple bidding in second price Internet auctions: Theory and evidence concerning different rules for ending an auction

In second price Internet auctions with a fixed end time, such as those on eBay, many bidders submit their bids in the closing minutes or seconds of an auction. We propose an internet auction model, in which very late bids have a positive probability of not being successfully submitted, and show that late bidding in a fixed deadline auction can occur at equilibrium in auctions both with private values and with uncertain, dependent values. Late bidding may also arise out of equilibrium, as a best reply to incremental bidding. However, the strategic advantages of late bidding are severely attenuated in auctions that apply an automatic extension rule such as auctions conducted on Amazon. Field data show that there is more late bidding on eBay than on Amazon, and this difference grows with experience. We also study the incidence of multiple bidding, and its relation to late bidding.