Becoming a tree when I will be dead? Why not! Generation X,Y and Z,and innovative green death practices

Within the theoretical field of ethical consumption, the study focuses on consumer behavior and innovative green death practices. While scarcely investigated in the marketing and consumer behavior research domains, at least four main reasons spur to consider the funeral industry as an interesting subject of enquiry: i) the sector boasts of a significant economic relevance; ii) it is extremely impactful from an environmental and social point of view; iii) it is witnessing interesting innovative processes in the direction of social and environmental sustainability; iv) consumer movements are rising all over the world asking for more sustainable death practices. Thus, adopting an augmented version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), which includes individuals’ environmentally responsible consumption, and egoistic and altruistic environmental concern, the study investigates behavioral intention to adopt innovative green death practices (a green funeral) of people belonging to three different generations: X, Y, and Z. A purposive sample of 627 Italian people participated in an online the survey. Collected data were analyzed adopting an ordinal logit model. The results confirm the TPB predictive power also in the field of green funeral behavioral intention. Furthermore, environmentally responsible consumption and environmental concern – even though only in its altruistic component – positively influence behavioral intention, and generation exerts a moderating effect among the examined constructs. Overall, the research attempts to enrich the literature on ethical consumption by exploring the underinvestigated phenomenon of buying behavior of unsought and end-of-life products, that of green funerals, and provide managerial recommendations to funeral service sellers.     

Viewpoint: Regulating meat consumption to improve health,the environment and animal welfare

Meat consumption has increased significantly in the last 50 years. This trend raises various health and environmental issues, as well as moral concerns regarding farm animal welfare. In this paper, we discuss the regulation of meat consumption in developed countries. Specifically, we discuss possible justifications for this regulation in terms of environmental, health and animal welfare considerations, as well as the effect of fiscal, informational and behavioral regulatory instruments. Finally, we present a list of challenges that policy makers and food scholars may need to confront in the future.     

Efficiency,economy and effectiveness—but what about ethics? Supreme audit institutions at a critical juncture

Ethics is increasingly recognized as one of several important dimensions of performance. Yet, performance audit, or value-for-money audit, as conducted by supreme audit institutions (SAIs), does not typically include this dimension. Instead, the focus is on the classical ‘three Es’ (efficiency, economy and effectiveness). The reluctance to address issues of ethical misconduct has taken the audit practice of SAIs to a critical juncture, where the legitimacy of these audits ultimately is at stake. This paper explains why SAIs need to add a fourth ‘E’— ethical audit. Possible implications are discussed.     

创新生态系统视角下价值共创如何影响企业创新绩效——一个有调节的中介模型

以创新生态系统为视角，引入创新资源互动与生态系统规范机制为中介变量和调节变量，探究价值共创如何影响企业创新绩效。基于307家企业样本数据，运用结构方程模型、Bootstrap和层级回归方法对数据进行分析。研究发现：创新生态系统中，价值共创不完全直接影响企业创新绩效；创新资源互动部分中介价值共创对企业创新绩效的影响；生态系统规范机制部分正向调节价值共创对创新资源互动的影响。最后提出，创新生态系统调控方与企业要差异化地制定提升创新绩效的实施方案，营造活跃的创新资源互动氛围，形成并完善系统内生态规范机制。     

Interactive effects of consumers’ ethical beliefs and authenticity on ethical consumption and pro-environmental behaviors

The current study examined the relationships of ethical beliefs (i.e., idealism and relativism) with pro-environmental behaviors (direct and indirect) and ethical consumption behavior. The study further examined the moderating role of consumer authenticity in these relationships. Data were collected from individuals (N = 302) using field surveys within three major metropolitan cities of Pakistan. The findings revealed that idealism had a positive relationship with ethical consumption behavior and pro-environmental direct behavior. However, it was not related to pro-environmental indirect behavior. Relativism was positively related to ethical consumption behavior but it was not related to both types of pro-environmental behaviors. Furthermore, consumer authenticity significantly moderated the relationships of idealism with all ethical outcomes. Finally, implications for organizations, marketers and policy makers are discussed.     

技术价值分界及其决策的伦理指向研究——以保罗的后果不确定技术价值分界理论为例

合理的技术价值界限是理性决策的依据。对于复杂的新技术，尤其是后果不确定技术，不同主体间价值认知分歧直接导致价值界限不清，成为理性决策的难点。以保罗的实用对话伦理理论为认知路径，讨论此类技术价值分界方法。通过比较功利主义、自由至上主义在价值认识和判断上的后果差异，揭示后果不确定技术价值在不同主体间漂移的原因，探索在不同价值主体间产生伦理维度的技术价值界限方法。在开放式语义环境中，不同价值主体之间的共识即是技术价值的伦理界限，可为决策公正提供伦理支撑，避免因主体缺失而导致在应用中发生技术价值过度偏失和决策失当，为我国发展诸如转基因水稻等后果不确定技术决策提供可操作性的方法论借鉴。     

环境规制、融资约束与企业污染减排——来自排污费标准调整的证据

“十四五”规划提出建设人与自然和谐共生的现代化,这要求持续推进污染减排促进经济绿色低碳转型,实现环境与经济协同发展。基于2007年起排污费提高的政策冲击和2004-2013年工业企业污染数据,本文使用倍差法考察排污费提高的污染减排效果以及融资约束对政策效应的影响。研究发现排污费提高后,污染排放水平显著下降,但产出也受到较大冲击;企业减排方式存在明显差异,大型企业主要通过降低污染强度的方式来降低污染排放,而中小型企业则主要采取降低生产规模的方式来降低污染排放;进一步基于环境投融资角度对企业减排行为的分析揭示,融资约束影响中小企业污染减排,加剧排污费提高对产出的影响。因此,提高绿色金融的环境投融资供给能力是促进经济绿色转型的重要途径。     

The rationality of irrationality in times of financial crises

Whilst there are many models discussing the mechanics of financial crises, the notion of predation seems to be insufficiently taken into consideration as one of the explanatory behavioral factors, although it would enrich the understanding of dysfunctional financial markets. This paper provides a stylized model for disruptive and toxic economic behaviors in the context of predatory markets like the subprime crisis of 2007–2009. In this context, we investigate why consumers and sellers buy products they know to be toxic. Conventional economic models contain classical tenets that assume that consumers are rational and search for utility maximization; however, these models cannot straightforwardly explain the behaviors consumers and sellers adopted during times of financial crises, known as “exuberantly irrational”. Hence, we use and expand on a predator-prey perspective that endeavors to capture such behaviors more effectively while showing that four market variables must be considered together over time – consumers, suppliers, toxic products and regulations. Our analysis shows that during the GFC, consumers and lenders as well as regulators embraced whole-heartedly, and contrary to common economic sense, the development and marketing of toxic products. Their behaviors were actually quite rational in the context of a poisoned market. Such observation could assist in drafting regulations.     

环境规制对制造业绿色转型的影响机制及实证研究

制造业绿色转型是大势所趋，环境规制作为实现环境效益的重要手段，其如何影响制造业绿色转型值得探讨。在阐述环境规制对制造业绿色转型直接影响和间接影响机制的基础上，使用2005—2017年中国（内地）省级面板数据，采用基于EBM-GML模型计算得出的绿色全要素生产率衡量中国制造业绿色转型程度，进而建立固定效应面板模型检验异质性环境规制对制造业绿色转型的影响。结果表明：我国制造业绿色转型程度整体保持上升趋势，增长速度呈现出明显阶段性特征。环境规制对制造业绿色转型具有非线性影响，命令控制型环境规制和自愿参与型环境规制超过一定限度后能直接加快制造业绿色转型进程，市场激励型环境规制的直接影响则不显著；环境规制能够通过技术创新、外商直接投资、产业结构间接促进制造业绿色转型，产业集聚的影响则不显著；市场激励型环境规制能够通过间接效应影响制造业绿色转型。     

Information leakage of ADRs Prior to company issued guidance

We examine whether the degree of selective disclosure (as measured by information leakage prior to managerial earnings guidance) of foreign firms with ADRs is different from that of U.S. firms. We find that there is no variation of leakage before earning guidance between ADRs and U.S. firms. This result is consistent with the prediction that, despite being exempt from Regulation FD, ADRs have sufficient incentives to avoid selective disclosure even without the regulatory enforcement. In addition, we attempt to determine whether the variation in selective disclosure among the foreign firms with ADRs is conditioned on the respective home country transparency and governance standards. We find that country-specific characteristics, such as corruption perception, economic freedom and the legal system origin, explain the variation in information leakage of ADRs.