Plastic bag politics: modifying consumer behaviour for sustainable development

The adverse environmental impacts of plastic bags, including production energy costs, limited lifespan, increasing landfill content and inability to biodegrade, provide symbolic and practical evidence of a ‘throwaway’ consumer culture which acts as a significant barrier to sustainable consumption in particular and sustainable development in general. Decoupling consumer behaviour from plastic bag use is therefore an important challenge in the pursuit of sustainable consumption as a precursor to achieving sustainable development. This article provides a critical evaluation of that challenge, set within the theoretical framework of sustainable development. It examines the adverse environmental impacts of plastic bag use and evaluates initiatives by governments and businesses internationally to change consumer behaviour regarding the use of plastic bags in line with sustainable development principles. The politics of this agenda are analysed using a combination of consumer policy and public policy perspectives. Finally, the article draws conclusions regarding the earlier analysis.     

Mediated communication of ‘sustainable consumption’ in the alternative media: a case study exploring a message framing strategy

In view of previous effects of mediated communication on public knowledge, perceptions and concern about sustainability problems, this case study explores a message framing strategy for improving the effectiveness of mediated communication of the somewhat neglected topic of sustainable consumption. It describes how an information campaign on sustainable consumption was strategically framed, employing theories on effective and persuasive communication, and implemented through a community news medium in Christchurch, New Zealand. The resultant impacts of the campaign (significant increases in understanding of sustainable consumption and in the number of parents expressing concern over advertising effects on their children's material desires) were indicative of the potentials of employing strategic message framing for improving mediated communication about sustainability. The study also illustrates the potentials for engaging alternative media in such communication. This paper argues that further steps to develop message framing strategies for mediated communication of sustainable consumption is necessary, as this appears to be a largely neglected area in communication and consumer studies, and concludes with an overview of aspects that may be considered in future communication and other initiatives promoting sustainable consumption as a means for achieving sustainability.     

黑龙江省边贸的可持续发展之路

可持续发展是人类社会的主题之一，而科学发展观是21世纪我国发展的重要指导思想。黑龙江省地处祖国边陲，与俄罗斯有着长达3045公里的边界线。科学发展黑龙江省边境贸易，既能有力促进黑龙江省边境地区社会经济水平和人民生活水平的提高，也有利于边境地区的经济繁荣与社会稳定，进一步巩固中俄人民之间的传统友谊。     

融资理论的实践效应及其验证——基于中国上市公司的数据分析

融资理论是企业制订融资政策的理论基础.不同的融资理论及管理思想将会导致企业采用不同的资金管理策略与政策.因此,融资理论及其实践效应又是预测企业资金管理政策的重要参数.本文以中国上市公司为基础,重点探讨优序融资理论和权衡融资理论在中国企业管理实践中的应用情况.研究表明,这两种理论在中国企业管理实践中都得到了不同程度的应用,但是比较而言,优序融资理论的受支持程度要高于权衡理论的受支持程度.     

Sustainable Development: Epistemological Frameworks &; an Ethic of Choice

As the second part of a research agenda addressing the idea and meaning of Sustainable Development, this paper responds to the challenges set in the first paper. Using a Foucaudian perspective, we uncover and highlight the importance of discourse in the development of societal context which could lead to the radical change in our epistemological thought necessary for Sustainable Development to reach its potential. By developing an argument for an epistemological change, we suggest that business organizations have an ethical responsibility towards revaluating Sustainable Development, leading to a discourse based on an integrated inclusive process of celebrating diversity in all its forms. The paper goes on to explore the argument for such a change. This exploration is based on three issues: the notion of over simplification in the promotion of development; the idea of an imbalance in the interaction of business and government operating in the larger context of society; and the notion of increasing responsibility with increasing influence in terms of the business organization within society. Having established the argument for an ethical choice by business organizations, we then reflect on how such a change could be incorporated into an organization.Andrew Fergus is a PhD Candidate with a double major in Organizational Dynamics (Organizational theory/behavior) and Environmental Management/Sustainable Development. His research is focused towards the dynamic relationships found at the interface of organizations, society, and the environment.Dr Julie Rowney is a Professor, Human Resources and Organizational Dynamics, and is the Director of the Faculties International Sustainable Energy Development Programs in Latin America, the Caribbean, Iran and China. Her research activities lie in the areas of diversity, gender, sustainable development, leadership, change, and international/crosscultural comparisons.     

区域经济可持续发展系统的控制机制研究

可持续发展是当前社会发展的主题,是社会、经济、环境和资源协调发展的结果.完善区域经济可持续发展控制机制的对策建议：强化反馈控制的意识;严格实施控制机制;建立完善的信息系统.     

大型节事与地方旅游业可持续发展的机制研究

从大型节事和地方旅游业互动现状、现实意义和存在问题入手,系统地分析了影响节事旅游可持续发展的吸力、推力和支持力等要因,并构建了大型节事和地方旅游业可持续发展的机制框架系统模型来表明可持续发展系统中各因素的相互作用,以及推进节事旅游可持续发展的多元机制,提出了公众参与、政府支持、市场机制完善等实施保障。     

地方银行机构的可持续竞争力问题研究——从地方政府的效用函数变迁谈起

地方政府利益推动了非国有商业银行的构建和扩展 ,从而促进了中国银行业市场结构的合理化。但是地方政府干预下的非国有银行机构的不良资产率飙升 ,意味着地方政府对非国有银行的控制成本上升 ,当控制成本大于控制收益时 ,地方政府必然要从地方性银行机构退出。退出的结果可能会降低非国有商业银行的竞争能力。因此 ,竞争力维持与提升问题已成为非国有银行亟待研究的课题。     

An examination of the values that motivate socially conscious and frugal consumer behaviours

This article extends social psychological research on the motivations for sustainable consumption from the predominant domain of ecologically conscious consumer behaviour to socially conscious and frugal consumer behaviours. A UK‐based survey study examines relationships between socially conscious and frugal consumer behaviours and Schwartz's value types, personal and socio‐political materialism, and demographics among the general public. Socially conscious consumer behaviour, like its ecological counterpart, appears to be an expression of pro‐social values. In contrast, frugal consumer behaviour relates primarily to low personal materialism and income constraints. As such, it does not yet represent a fully developed moral challenge to consumerism.     

城乡购买力配置研究——基于城乡居民消费需求总量最大化条件的探讨

在简要回顾我国消费需求不足成因的基础上,以城乡购买力动态平衡为切入点,构建了城乡居民消费需求总量最大化条件下的城乡购买力配置模型,并通过模型的应用,得出了一些有实际操作价值的结论。     

基于集群规模资源消耗的实证研究——以温州低压电器产业集群为例

产业集群作为发展区域经济的有效途径,资源利用效率低下已成为制约其发展的一大瓶颈。在集群发展过程中,集群规模过大或过小都将导致资源的过度消耗,从而阻碍产业集群竞争力的提升。如何在保证集群发展的同时降低资源的消耗是我们当前凾待解决的紧迫问题。通过对基于集群规模的资源消耗影响机理分析,以温州低压电器产业集群为例,得出集群规模与资源消耗之间呈现倒N形的曲线特征,说明资源的高效利用只在一个较高的水平才会出现。     

广告学的研究范式探析

现代广告学是广告产业飞速发展的产物,它源源不断地从广告实务界以度传播学、经济学、心理学、社会学等诸多学科汲取理论和实践支持。随着广告学理论研究的深入,以哲学、社会学的理论关照广告学的研究成为本学科走向成熟的必要环节,其中,范式理论的应用,更为广告学提供了不同的研究视角和不同的理论维度。本文试图在梳理广告学研究对不同范式的应用中,借鉴现有研究成果,总结专属于广告学研究的范式,并为广告学研究范式体系的构建提供一种思雏导引。     

和谐世界理念的系统构建

建设和谐世界理念的提出是打造国家软实力、传播中国主流文化、提升国际影响力的战略选择。建设和谐世界是一个系统工程,应包括宇观层面——和谐世界、宏观层面——和谐地区、中观层面——和谐社会、微观层面——和谐组织、渺观层面——和谐个体这五个既相互区别又相互联系、相互作用的层面的系统构建。构建和谐世界是一个不断推进的历史过程,重在建设。     

Start-up and hiring practices of immigrant entrepreneurs: An empirical study from an evolutionary psychological perspective

Strong social ties embedded in ethnic communities of immigrant populations have been considered key assets for immigrant entrepreneurs. However, little research has been done on how biological kinship and the biological theories of altruism influence the behavior of ethnic entrepreneurs. In this study, we have applied a neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory of kinship to examine adaptive functions of kin and ethnic altruism in business start-up and hiring practices of Korean immigrant entrepreneurs in the United States. We confirmed that the patterns of help received by Korean entrepreneurs for business start-ups were congruent with an evolutionary perspective on altruism. However, the results for hiring patterns suggested that customer ethnicity trumped kin and co-ethic interests. We close by offering suggestions for future research.     

从营销组合策略的理论演进看市场营销的发展趋势

自从市场营销组合策略理论被提出以来,营销理论界一直都在努力充实、完善它,提出了许多反映时代特征的新的营销组合理论,市场营销组合理论的演进历程集中反映了市场营销的发展变化过程,并预示着市场营销未来的发展趋势。     

经济发展与环境保护的“双赢之路”——可持续发展框架下的清洁生产问题分析

作为一种源头削减污染的措施,清洁生产"未雨绸缪",与以往"末端治理"的措施相比,实现了社会效益与经济效益的"双赢"。因此,它不仅是可持续发展的技术保证,也是可持续发展实现的可行途径。为了保证清洁生产的实现,还应该积极倡导绿色物流和绿色消费,政府、企业和消费者也要三管齐下,共同助清洁生产一臂之力。     

文化消费视域下的江苏电影消费现状探析

电影消费是文化消费市场中的亮点,而且电影消费备受政策眷顾。电影消费依赖消费观念与消费习惯的培育,具有体验性、仪式感及象征性等特点,与地域因素也密切相关。江苏电影消费现状及影院与院线发展状况充分彰显了江苏的地域特征。     

Factors impacting the demand for repair services of household products: the disappearing repair trades and the throwaway society

The repair trades for common household appliances and products were once a viable trade in America, employing hundreds of thousands of skilled blue‐collar workers. However, over the past few decades, these trades have been dying out. The reason is that many household products are simply disposed of rather than repaired and reused, a result of the throwaway society. The disposal of household products, especially those considered ‘e‐waste’, can have negative consequences for the environment. Through time series analysis, this paper explores those factors that contribute to the decline in demand for repair services and, hence, the shrinking demand for employment within the repair trades. The purpose of this paper is to give the reader a greater understanding of those economic forces that contribute to a throwaway society.