Debunking the myth of general consumer rejection of green genetic engineering: Empirical evidence from Germany

The emergence of a more sustainable economy in Europe was accompanied by a range of bio‐based products and technologies. As a prominent example, green genetic engineering opens up multiple options to increase agricultural production, but its public acceptance seems to vary by application area. Risk perception explains consumer acceptance of green genetic engineering, which is a necessary precondition for wider technology adoption. This study investigates risk perceptions for four major sources of risk: health related, environmental, socioeconomic and ethical. Data were collected in a laboratory experiment in Germany, with a total of 439 participants. A between‐subject design was employed. The four experimental treatment groups comprised two policy scenarios, namely one only permitting research and development and the other allowing full commercialization of genetically modified products, and two product end‐uses, bioenergy and food. The study shows significant end‐use differences in both the type of policy scenario and the risk dimension in question. In particular, health risks were generally perceived to be lower for bioenergy than food whenever full commercialization was pursued. Furthermore, full commercialization of genetically modified food prompted higher concerns about personal health, whereas use of crops for bioenergy production was broadly related to higher levels of socioeconomic risk. Finally, although the majority of consumers identified health risks as being most relevant, the consequences for the environment evoked the greatest degree of risk perception. In general, our findings lend support for the notion that the policy regime is the most important determinant for risk perception, followed by the type of risk dimension and level of trust in industry.     

Simultaneous option prices and an implied risk-free rate of interest: A test of the Black-Scholes models

Two parameters in the Black-Scholes model, the risk-free rate of interest and standard deviation of stock returns, cannot be directly observed. Nevertheless, it is possible to simultaneously solve for the two parameters by using the prices of two different options written on the same security. If the Black-Scholes model is valid, then the implied interest rate from one repair of options should equal the implied interest rate from another pair of options for a given trading day. The analysis reexamines simultaneous option price data from a previous study using the implied interest rate test, and the results support the validity of the Black-Scholes model if we consider the bid/ask spread of option prices and that options are traded over discrete intervals.     

保时捷"911"型跑车:一部经久不衰的动力神话

一位忠诚的保时捷车迷奥拉夫·彭斯克(Olaf Penske)在今年夏季驾驶保时捷"911"单排座双门轿车后热情洋溢地说,"这远非我驾驶过的第一辆保时捷跑车的感觉,但它的确是最棒的."在过去39年中,保时捷已重新设计了"911"型概念车,其新颖的设计兼顾了市场的需求及顾客的期望.     

Instrumentality: A note on the Aesthetics of Programming

In this paper I want to describe a way to explain the beauty of instrumental action. Instrumental action is, in this paper, any action whose goal lies outside the action itself. Most of our everyday actions could be included in this category: driving to work, taking the buss, writing memos, letters and e-mails, designing cars, managing organisations, etc. We do not do these things for their own sake, we do them in order to attain some other goal. I do not intend to get any deeper into the concept of instrumental action so I will use an example instead of talking in a general manner. I have chosen to lead the argument from the example of programming, but this paper is not primarily about technology. The Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) had already been a relatively well known painter for a few years before he became (in)famous for his revolutionary ideas about aesthetics. His ideas are better transmitted through his paintings but he also wrote about them, which makes it easier for anyone who wishes to use them as references. In this case, all references to him are extracted from the collection The New Art-The New Life (Mondrian 1993, Da Capo Press, New York). I shall try to give an account of the aesthetics of instrumental action with the help of Mondrian's writings. I would like to explain the beauty of instrumental action using the concept of "relationships", as Mondrian did for his paintings.     

Lifetime employment in Japan: Exploding the myth

Before endowing lifetime employment with magical powers and importing it to solve America's problems, we should take a good look at what it is and the culture in which it has evolved.     

胡忠谦:猎人笔记

胡忠谦曾是溫州打火机行业的首领,因为酷爱钓鱼错失了扩大规模的时机。由于喜欢枪,他把自己的领域缩小到专业生产仿真枪打火机,被人一仿再仿。他是中国兵器装备研究院指定的国内惟一的抢模生产商,产品摆在多个国家领导人的案头。他钓鱼、打猎、养花,样样精通,看上去不务正业。温州有句话叫“吃饱穿暖了懒一点不要紧”,胡忠谦很以为然:“我不是为钱活着的。”     

Access to the luxury brand myth in pop-up stores: A netnographic and semiotic analysis

Using semiotic analysis and a netnographic approach, this study examines the motivations of luxury buyers toward pop-up stores in France. It reveals their motivations in relation to this new kind of retailing in the luxury sector, and the advantages of new technologies for meeting the growing demands of a clientele eager for new purchase experiences. We show that pop-up luxury stores add new features to the traditional luxury sector: informality, friendliness, ludicity and accessibility in the context of shared emotions. The key results from this study reveal that the commercial activities of pop-up stores complement those of their luxury parent Houses, in that they contribute emotionality and playfulness, while at the same nourishing the brand's mythical aspect.     

收视率：神话与谎话

学过英文的朋友都知道．英文的形容词有比较级（＋er）和最高级（＋est）的词尾变化,而不规则形容词的变化．那就只能靠死记活背,例如“好-更好-最好”就是”good—better-best”、“环-更坏-最坏”就是“bad-worse-worst”。依照这个不规则的原则,美国学术界对于统计学有个精辟提法：“lies．damned lies,and statistics!”翻译成中文,意思就是“谎话、该死的谎话、最后才是统计学!”这个对于统计学的“恭维”,其实就是表扬统计数字才算“最高级的谎话”。     

The myth of the dragon: Operations management in today's China

Manufacturing is absolutely booming in China, which has become a prime target for direct foreign investment. However, manufacturing in China does not always operate the way that Westerners expect it to. In this article, we examine China's manufacturing operations in light of the influence of the country's recent economic and social history, the diversity of its regions, and its national culture. We conclude that while Chinese manufacturing has issues to face and obstacles to overcome, things will only continue to improve, making China even more of a major player in the global manufacturing scene.