The Effect of Alcohol Consumption and Patronage Frequency on Restaurant Tipping

ABSTRACT

The National Restaurant Association projected $376 billion in sales and 11 million employees for the restaurant industry in the year 2000. For the servers and bartenders in the industry, tipping is an important part of their income. Results of this study suggest there are several variables that affect the tip amount by party including the amount of the total bill, customer tipping potential, alcohol consumption, the presence of children in the dining party, patronage frequency, and the age of the patron paying the bill. Patron frequency and the amount of the total bill have a strong influence on tipping, as does the customer's tipping potential as judged by the server. A server can expect larger tips from patrons with no children as opposed to those with children. Also, tips are larger when the patron paying the bill has consumed alcohol. The gender and ethnicity of the patron were found to be nonsignificant, as were seating preference and method of payment.     

Determinants of Food-Away-From-Home (FAFH) Visit Frequency

Abstract

Considerable attention has been paid to the expenditure level for food-away-from-home (FAFH); however, little attention has been paid to consumption frequency. The purpose of this study is to determine the socio-demographic effects of FAFH frequency. The data used in this study comes from the National Panel Diary. The data was analyzed using five econometric models. The results show that hours worked per week and hours worked per week by the household manager were positively related to the number of FAFH visits by a household. Other determinants of FAFH were race, education, gender, region, age, seasonality and weekend dining.     

Timing of trade liberalization

Abstract

This paper studies the effects of trade liberalization on growth and long-run global income inequality using a two-country model of human capital accumulation by credit-constrained households. I show that the timing of trade liberalization is a crucial determinant of its effects on growth. Moreover, I show that the size of the long-run income gap between the two countries depends on the difference in domestic income inequality when they open up to trade. Based on these results, I analyze the effects of redistributive policy within a country. I show that redistribution in one country may increase income per capita of its trading partner if it is undertaken in a steady state, while the opposite is true if the policy is undertaken during transition.     

Factors That Affect the Probability That a Food Retailer Sells a Specialty Food Product,Hybrid Striped Bass

ABSTRACT

Survey data from grocery retailers are analyzed to determine if sellers of hybrid striped bass have different socioeco-nomic and demographic characteristics than nonsellers. The results indicate that sellers are more likely to be chain stores, have larger seafood sales per customer, and have upper income clientele. Probit and logit analyses indicate that the probability that a retailer is a seller of hybrid striped bass increases as the firm sells more aquaculture products. The probability also increases if the retailer is a chain store whose average seafood sales per customer exceed $10, and whose annual seafood sales per store exceed $100,000.     

Why labor income shares seem to be constant?

Abstract

The common assumptions that labor income share does not change over time or across countries and that factor income shares are equal to the elasticity of output with respect to factors have had important implications for economic theory. However, there are several theoretical reasons for why the elasticity of output with respect to reproducible factors should be correlated with the stage of development. In particular, the behavior of international trade and capital flows and the existence of factor saving innovations imply such a correlation. If this correlation exists and if factor income shares are equal to the elasticity of output with respect to factors then the labor income share must be negatively correlated with the stage of development. The existence of a labor intensive sector that produces non-tradable goods would explain why labor income share has no correlation with income per capita.     

Credit Card Use and Compulsive Buying Behavior

ABSTRACT

Compulsive buying behavior is a negative form of behavior that leads to overspending. In the current study, the author examines the applicability of a compulsive buying behavior scale developed by Valence et al. (1988) with Indian consumers. Compulsive buyers are likely to relate money to power, success, and status. Compulsive buyers perceive their purchases as a way of overcoming negative self-esteem and anxiety. The influence of consumers’ attitude toward credit cards, demographic factors, and credit card use on compulsive buying was studied. The findings suggest the compulsive behavior scale should be modified in the Indian context. Age, income, education, and marital status influence compulsive buying. Consumers’ attitude toward credit cards did not affect compulsive buying.     

Mobile shopping intensity: Consumer demographics and motivations

PurposeTo investigate how consumer demographics and motivations may influence their mobile shopping intensity.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was developed to collect data using SurveyMonkey's online shopper panel. The final sample consisted of 937 mobile shoppers. Linear regression analysis was performed to test the hypotheses.FindingsConsumers' education and income levels significantly increase their number of mobile purchases, their frequency of purchases, and the amount of money spent on mobile purchases. Males have been found to spend more on mobile shopping than females, while younger people made more mobile purchases than older people. This study also identifies six types of motivations that drive consumers’ mobile shopping intensity, including convenience seeking, bargain hunting, enjoyment seeking, perceived usefulness, ease of use, and innovativeness.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research may examine additional motivational measures and situational factors and conduct cross-cultural studies.Practical implicationsFindings from this study can help businesses develop their mobile shopping strategies.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate how consumer demographics and motivations may influence their mobile shopping intensity.     

Race Portrayals in Ghana,Kenya, and South Africa Television Advertisements

ABSTRACT

The current study examines racial portrayals in television advertisements from Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa. Whites are over-represented relative to their actual demographic presence in all three countries, and both Blacks and Whites are depicted as over-employed. In general, however, depictions are not significantly different for either race, though there is a hint that a stereotyped portrayal of Blacks as athletes and/or entertainer may be going global.     

Demand for Lottery Products in Massachusetts

The characteristics of demand are examined for the state lottery in Massachusetts, which leads the nation in per capita sales. Cross-sectional OLS regressions of sales per capita are calculated for 1983 and 1990 for each lottery product using explanatory variables representing education, income, race, ethnicity, and age. The results suggest that the lottery no longer exhibits the degree of tax progressivity it had in earlier years and is currently a regressive source of government revenue. While sales of all lottery products consistently decrease with increasing education levels, this inverse relationship has moderated over time. Ethnicity and race are also becoming less of a factor though race is perhaps still important for lottery products combining relatively small payoffs with a high probability of winning. From 1983 to 1990, the 65 and over age group became a significant factor in raising per capita sales of the Massachusetts lottery, thus raising issues of generational and distributional equity.     

Mobile Phone Use,Transaction Costs,and Price: Evidence from Rural Vegetable Farmers in Cameroon

ABSTRACT

The widespread use of mobile phones in Cameroon should be translated into increased farmers’ income by reducing information-search costs. This study seeks to investigate the effects of mobile phone use on transaction costs related to price information search. Ordinary least-square estimations reveal a positive relationship between mobile phones use and transaction costs. The results show that farmers’ use of mobile phones increases their transaction costs for carrots and tomatoes, unlike for cabbages. This paper suggests the establishment of vegetable information centers that can serve as an interface between stakeholders in agriculture by channeling adequate and timely information to farmers.     

Tax Competition and Tax Revenues

It is often feared that tax competition might lead to a “race to the bottom” and that the consequence of a reduction in tax rates on capital income would be shrinking capital income tax revenues and difficulties for national governments to perform their usual tasks. The following paper analyses what happened to tax revenues in a number of OECD countries. It turns out that taxes on capital income contribute to the financing of public expenditure to a more or less unchanged extent; nor are there significant changes in the level and structure of total tax revenues.      

Dangerous Donations? The Effects of Cause-Related Marketing on Charity Attitude

SUMMARY

How might cause-related marketing affect attitudes toward the charity involved? Could charity attitudes be harmed? These questions were addressed in a controlled laboratory study. Positive/negative fit between the organizations was manipulated, and company attitude was measured. The results suggest that charity attitude may be negatively impacted if consumers' attitudes toward the company are negative, or if the organizations have negative fit. Alternatively, CRM may improve charity attitude if company attitude is positive or the organizations share positive fit. The effect of fit is stronger than the effect of company attitude, so positive fit may compensate for pairing with a company toward which consumers' attitudes are negative.     

A Study of Factors Affecting Tip Size in Restaurants

Abstract

This study was undertaken to gain understanding of the tipping phenomenon in restaurants. The study reviews the phenomenon of tipping and the accompanying characteristics that determine the gratuity amount of consumers. An understanding of the relationship between tip size and factors such as food quality and level of service will help to determine what areas restaurant personnel should focus on to enhance customer satisfaction and facilitate those working in the restaurant industry. In this study, the researchers tested the hypothesis that the greater the tip size, the more satisfied the customer is with the food quality and service provided by server. The other hypothesis tested was: The greater the tip size, the greater the likelihood of a return patronage. Data were collected at a restaurant in Houston, Texas. This analysis found a strong relationship between tip size and service provided by server and return intentions, but did not find a significant relationship between tip size and food quality.     

Fundamentals of Copy and Layout. Book,Albert C. and C. Dennis Schick. Chicago: Crain Books, 1984. $14.95

Abstract

The Federal Communications Commission relaxed commercial television licensee obligations regarding deceptive advertising in 1985. Local broadcasters may now decide which clearance policies to use to determine if advertisements are deceptive. A national mail survey of commercial television station sales managers was conducted to determine whether advertising clearance policies vary by station profitability or organization size. The proposition that clearance policies may be used to make a station's airtime more attractive to viewers was also given a preliminary test. Results suggest that clearance policies are affected by profitability level and organization size. The implications of study findings are discussed.     

Consumer Information and Discrimination: Does the Internet Affect the Pricing of New Cars to Women and Minorities?

Using a large dataset of automobile transaction prices, we find that offline African-American and Hispanic consumers pay approximately 2% more than do other offline consumers; however, we can explain 65% of this price premium with differences in observable traits such as income, education, and search costs. Our estimates of unexplained race premia are smaller than previous estimates in the literature. Online, we find that minority buyers pay nearly the same prices as do whites controlling for consumers' income, education, and neighborhood characteristics. These results are consistent with the Internet facilitating information search and removing cues to a consumer's willingness to pay. Our results imply that the Internet is particularly beneficial to those whose characteristics disadvantage them in negotiating.     

Paraguay

Summary

Nations with low per-capita GDP may find themselves in a “poverty trap,” a vicious circle in which low income leads to low savings and investment. Similarly, if production depends in part on the level of infrastructure, a poverty trap can arise in which low infrastructure leads to low investment and income. Foreign direct investment can help break this cycle by increasing capital accumulation without causing consumption to drop. Paraguay is examined as a prototypical low income country, with stagnant GDP growth over the past twenty years. Employing a model first proposed by Figueroa (1998), FDI is prescribed as the remedy for the ill of low output.     

Demographics,Personality Traits,Roles, Motivations,and Attrition Rates of Hospice Volunteers

ABSTRACT

The authors conducted a review of prior research on hospice volunteering. The results show that, in most cases, the hospice volunteer is a white, married, middle-aged, financially comfortable, unemployed, female who has some college education, strong religious beliefs and has experienced the loss of someone close (see Tables 1 and 2). The results also show that hospice volunteers tend to share certain personality traits reflecting compassion, tolerance, empathy and sensitivity among others. Volunteers tend to fulfill four roles: direct patient support, education, clerical assistance, and professional services (Bunn 1985). Motivations for volunteering and for continuing one's work as a volunteer appear to be for both personal and altruistic reasons. Primary reasons for discontinuing volunteer service include burnout, communication problems, unrealistic expectations, and insufficient use of the volunteer staff. Gaps in this area of research are identified and topics for further research are presented.     

Segmenting Dissatisfied Restaurant Customers Based on Their Complaining Response Styles

ABSTRACT

This study attempts to segment dissatisfied restaurant customers based on their complaining response styles and to identify socio-demographic variables that discriminate those segments. Findings suggest the presence of two customer clusters with distinct response styles; namely “talkers” and “voicers.” The results indicate that all restaurant customers respond to a dissatisfactory dining experience. Most of them utilize multiple responses to dissatisfaction. Of the demographic variables examined, only dining out frequency and marital status were found to be potent variables.