Harmonization of product information for child-care products

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the prenormative research that has been conducted to achieve harmonization of product information for child-care products. This research supports the work of a project group of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN/TC 252/WG 6/PG 5). The project group is preparing a chapter on product information requirements for a CEN report on the safety of children's products. In the first study, the product information currently provided with child-care products was studied. In the second study, the following was drawn up: two lists of requirements, one for the legibility and one for the understandability of product information, a warning grammar, and a basic set of explicit warnings against the most frequent and severe hazards. In the third study, the effectiveness of explicit warnings for child-care products was investigated. The results of this study indicate that people perceive products with explicit warnings as more hazardous and the possible injuries in case of an accident as more severe. In a fourth study, warning symbols were designed for a number of warnings of the basic set. Future research will focus on testing the combination of warnings and symbols for child-care products for com-prehensibility in a number of European countries.     

Product information as a safety provision. Editorial preface

Abstract

In the literature as well as in standards, guides and laws, the concept of product information and related terms is not always clearly and consistently defined and used. An attempt is made to clarify the confusing terminology with regard to product information by building a conceptual framework. It is suggested that one overall concept, product information, be used to depict all types of information, texts and images, that may accompany or be associated with specific consumer products. Different types of product information may be distinguished by their function and their location. The effects of product information on product safety are difficult to assess and probably limited. Ways to measure effectiveness are discussed and it is concluded that objective criteria and test methods still need to be developed. Effectiveness studies are essential in order to improve future labelling initiatives.     

The effectiveness of information interventions to improve domestic food safety among rural consumers

Consumer education on food handling behavior is regarded as an effective method to improve domestic food safety and prevent foodborne illness, but is usually overlooked in rural areas. Using a presurvey and two rounds of postsurveys targeted at rural consumers from China included in a randomized controlled trial, this study investigated the effectiveness of two information interventions—a leaflet with tips for best practices and the leaflet plus consumer education sessions conveyed by phone—and compared them with a control group. Cloth use behavior was the target in the trial and five specific aspects were evaluated: (1) whether the cloth was made of old clothes, (2) whether the one used to clean kitchen tables was also used to wash dishes, (3) whether it was hung to dry, (4) how it was disinfected, and (5) how long the cloth was used before being discarded. Firstly, consumers' behavior was scored by summing the above-mentioned five behaviors. The results estimated using the difference-in-difference model showed that respondents in the leaflet-only group improved to a greater extent than those in the control group, but their difference in progress was not statistically significant until the second round of the postsurvey. Respondents in the leaflet-plus-phone group were quicker to adopt suggested practices and made discernible improvements compared with those in the leaflet-only group in the first round of the postsurvey, but the gap between these groups narrowed to statistically insignificant in the second round of the postsurvey. It was concluded that one consumer education session was effective and made a difference in the long term, whereas more education sessions produced normative behavior at faster rates, showing a significant improvement in the short term. Then, the study estimated the effectiveness of interventions on the five specific behaviors separately. The results were estimated using a probit difference-in-difference model and showed that the suggested behaviors with lower costs or a greater difference from past behaviors were more likely to be adopted by consumers. Consumer education facilitates proper food handling practices among rural households, which should be considered by policy makers.     

Perceived Effectiveness of Simulations in International Business Pedagogy

Abstract

This paper examines the perceived effectiveness of simulations in teaching international business. A survey of third and fourth year Canadian students who participated in a web-based international business simulation was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Factor analysis was used to understand the underlying relationships in the resulting data. The study finds that, compared to traditional approaches, e.g., textbooks and cases, students viewed the simulation as a more effective learning tool. The game stimulated interest and participation among students and was effective in fostering teamwork. The simulation was also viewed as being effective in providing students with an appreciation of the international context and complexity of cross-national decision-making.     

不同产品感知风险的实证研究

信息不充分性是感知风险的直接来源,若要研究不同产品的感知风险,就应把信息不充分性作为中介变量。本文把信息和产品划分为多种类型,建立了产品、信息和感知风险的一般结构关系模型,根据分类选择了4种产品进行了实证分析。研究表明,在不同产品购买中消费者对不同信息的关注程度,以及不同信息的不充分性对感知风险的影响存在显著差别。     

LearnSmart,adaptive teaching,and student learning effectiveness: An empirical investigation

Facing the growing number of digital natives entering the classroom, business professors look for innovative ways to enhance the student learning experience. The authors focus on the online interactive learning tool LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill, New York, NY), and examine its impact on student learning effectiveness by testing the direct and indirect relationships among perceived competence, perceived challenge, instructors, perceived value, and satisfaction with LearnSmart. Constructionism served as the theoretical foundation for this study. About 215 students at a public university in the United States took the survey and 197 valid responses were received. Regression analysis results showed that the use of LearnSmart improved students' perceived competency, thus increasing their perceived value of using LearnSmart, as well as their satisfaction with LearnSmart. Perceived value was also found to mediate the impact of perceived competency on satisfaction with LearnSmart, and the instructor played a significant role in facilitating and improving student learning. Perceived challenge impacted student's perceived value of using LearnSmart, but it did not influence satisfaction with LearnSmart.     

Perceived value of interactive digital textbook and adaptive learning: Implications on student learning effectiveness

The authors studied the perceived value of an interactive digital textbook LearnSmart (McGraw-Hill Education, New York, NY) and examined its implications on adaptive learning and student learning effectiveness. Constructionism and constructivism provided the theoretical foundation. Data were collected from an American public university over three semesters. Multiple regression analysis results show that LearnSmart improves students’ perceived competency and their satisfaction with LearnSmart, thus increasing their perceived value of using LearnSmart. In addition, perceived value of LearnSmart varies across different course delivery formats and devices, while perceived challenge has no influence on perceived value. Pedagogical implications and future research directions are discussed.     

服务对象的感知控制、感知质量与满意度的关系分析——基于生殖健康服务领域的研究

采用2006年在北京宣武、天津和平、山东即墨、浙江德清和安徽居巢五县区的生殖健康项目的调查数据,对生殖健杉计划生育优质服务中服务对象的感知控制、感知质量与满意度之间的关系进行分析。服务对象的满意度显著高于感知质量;感知控制显著正向影响其对服务质量的感知和对服务的满意度。感知控制越高,感知质量和满意度越高;感知控制对两者的影响并无显著差异。感知控制对满意度的影响和感知质量对满意度的直接影响并无显著差异,但是感知控制调节感知质量与服务满意度之间的关系,感知控制高时,感知质量对服务满意度的影响相对减弱。     

职业经理人可信行为与员工组织认同:信任与心理安全感的作用

组织认同是影响员工一系列组织行为的重要态度变量,研究其影响因素以及这些因素与组织认同间的作用机理很有现实意义。作为企业重要管理者,职业经理人的行为是影响员工组织认同度的重要因素,研究发现职业经理人可信行为与员工组织认同显著正相关,员工对经理人的认知和情感信任在二者间均发挥了部分中介作用,心理安全感对职业经理人可信行为与员工组织认同的关系起调节作用,据此提出了提升员工组织认同度的建议。     

多元农产品购买渠道下城市居民的选择和感知效用因素分析

文章基于1251位城市居民在早市摊贩、农贸市场、超市和社区便利店这四种生鲜农产品购买渠道的选择行为基础上,以主观感知效用为理论框架,使用Multinomial Logistic模型,分析了影响选择的产品效用、购买效用和其它效用,结果发现：四种渠道的选择相互独立;在产品效用中,安全卫生和新鲜程度对超市和社区便利店的选择具有显著的影响,而新鲜程度显著影响了居民选择农贸市场和早市摊贩,价格因素与四种渠道都是显著相关的;在购买效用中,购买环境和农贸市场具有正相关关系,距离便利与农贸市场和社区便利店显著正相关,距离便利店和早市摊贩显著负相关;居民个人的性别、年龄、学历、家庭人口数和所在行业等因素也影响了渠道选择     

Impact of Perceived Security on Trust,Perceived Risk,and Acceptance of Online Banking in Iran

This study examines the relationship between perceived security and acceptance of online banking with the mediating effect of perceived risk and trust in Internet banking in Iranian customers. Researchers used structural equations model (SEM) to examine their hypotheses and conceptual model. Statistical data were gathered via a questionnaire from 395 randomly selected customers of Bank Saderat Iran in Semnan. Cronbach’s alpha and internal compatibility were used to check the reliability of the questionnaire. The justifiability of the research variables was checked and confirmed using the first- and second-order confirmatory factor analysis. According to the SEM results, the variables of perceived security and trust in Internet banking had a significantly positive impact on the acceptance of online banking. Although perceived risk had no significant impact on the acceptance of online banking, the results showed that perceived risk had a significantly negative impact on trust in Internet banking.     

感知质量和感知风险对自有品牌购买意向的影响

在中国,品牌名称和价格能够影响消费者对于自有品牌的感知质量和感知风险,进而影响其购买意向,其中品牌名称的影响要大于价格的影响。零售商在市场策略上,应该更加注重品牌建设,以提高消费者的购买欲望,而不是单纯依靠低价竞争。但是,价格和品牌名称只是最重要的外部因素,未来的研究可以综合考虑更多的外部因素。     

Safety and minority ethnic communities A preliminary study on the home safety information needs of the Asian,Chinese and Vietnamese communities living in the UK in the 1990s.

Abstract

This article is about the safety information needs of the Asian, Chinese and Vietnamese communities living in the UK. The author describes the process by which the report Safety and minority ethnic communities was researched and written and details the recommendations arising from that research.

The report itself covered a two-year research project conducted between 1990 and 1992. The work was funded by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Health and carried out by the author.     

产品伤害中网络与企业响应对顾客感知风险的影响

随着网络媒体的日渐盛行,网络对企业和顾客的影响也越来越大。文章通过两个现场实验,分析了产品伤害危机中网络与企业响应以及网络信息不同呈现方式对顾客感知风险的影响。研究结果表明,面对正面网络响应,企业积极响应和无响应对顾客感知风险的缓解要优于企业消极响应,而面对负面的网络响应,企业积极响应优于无响应或消极响应;网络信息都是正面时,顾客感知风险最低,网络信息先负后正时,顾客感知风险要小于先正后负。     

上司支持感对员工工作态度和沉默行为的影响

采用问卷调查法,以珠三角地区企业组织的485名员工为研究对象,探讨了上司支持感对下属的组织承诺和工作投入两种工作态度以及沉默行为的影响及其作用机制.结构方程模型分析的结果表明:上司支持感对组织承诺和工作投入均具有显著的正向影响,对沉默行为具有显著的负向影响;上司信任和心理安全在上司支持感与组织承诺、工作投入以及沉默行为之间均起完全中介作用.     

Avoiding through glossiness and approaching through matte: The effect of visual finish on perceived product effectiveness

This research examines whether, how, and why visual finish (i.e., whether a product/package is glossy or matte) can affect consumers' perceived effectiveness of problem-solving products. Drawing on approach–avoidance goal pursuit theory, this work classifies problem-solving products into problem-approaching and problem-avoiding ones according to their operation processes. A pilot study demonstrates that participants are more likely to choose a glossy finish over a matte one for a problem-avoiding (vs. problem-approaching) product. Studies 1 and 2 collectively find that glossy (vs. matte) finishes increase consumers' perceived effectiveness of a problem-avoiding product while the reverse is true for a problem-approaching product. Moreover, this effect is mediated by perceived trustworthiness of product function (Study 3). Studies 4–5 further document its consequential implications on willingness-to-pay (Study 4; incentive-compatible paradigm) and consumers' actual ad clicks (Study 5; field study). The findings contribute to the visual finish, product effectiveness, and approach–avoidance goal pursuit literatures. They also have significant managerial implications on product appearance design.     

Current activites in the field of child safety within CEN aand ISO

Abstract

Many countries have implemented safety and performance requirements for children's products. There is, however, a need to harmonize existing legislation and standards to facilitate a uniform flow of trade. At the same time, it is essential to extend existing requirements to restrict certain hazards which have not been covered in the past.

In CEN, the European Committee for standardization, several technical committees are developing European Standards for products to be used by or for children. On a global level as well, within ISO, there are standardization projects covering such products.

Child safety is the main objective for the standardization work on:

?Safety of toys (CENATC 52, ISO/TC 181)

? Child use and care articles (CEN/TC 252)

?Playground equipment for children LCEN/TC 136/SC 1)

? Children's furniture (CEN/TC 207, ISO/TC 136(

?Child-resistant packaging (CEN/TC 261/SC 2, ISO/TC 122) Children's products constitute a group of consumer products with large variations between the different products. Nevertheless, since they all come in contact with children (and their parents), several hazards associated with these products are similar for the various products. This is reflected in the work of CEN/TC 252, Child use and care articles, established in 1990.

To establish a horizontal framework for the hazard-based approach, CEN/ TC 252 created a working group with the task to specify general and common safety requirements (WG 6). Five working groups started the elaboration of product standards in parallel.

The traditional concept of a standardization project was found inadequate and other solutions were sought. Finally, it was decided to combine the results from working group 6 into one guidance document, to be published as a CEN Report.     

Examining the Customer Experience of Using Banking Chatbots and Its Impact on Brand Love: The Moderating Role of Perceived Risk

In today’s digitally enabled world, banks offer chatbots to improve customer service. This research looks at chatbots as a form of an information system. It observes the effect of the three quality dimensions of the information system success model on customer experience, further leading to love for the bank brand. As chatbots are a new technology platform, consumers may find some risk in its use. Hence, the moderating role of perceived risk between the three quality dimensions and customer experience is also observed. The survey method was employed to conduct the study. Data were collected from 258 respondents. The results provide a definite direction for banks to strengthen the consumer–brand relationship by offering chatbots suiting their customers’ expectations.     

Customer perceived value,satisfaction, and loyalty: the role of willingness to share information

This study proposes and tests an integrative model to examine the relationships among customers’ willingness to share information, satisfaction, perceived value, and loyalty in a retailing context. This study extends research on customers’ willingness to share information from trust and privacy concerns toward key outcome measures such as perceived value, customer satisfaction, and loyalty, and is thus among the first to model customers’ willingness to share information with companies in robust theoretical retailing frameworks. The proposed relationships were tested using data from two retailing contexts – groceries (N = 429) and do-it-yourself (DIY) (N = 895). Findings from the two samples suggest that both perceived value and satisfaction are significant determinants of customers’ willingness to share information with a company. Although some differences emerge in the two studies, structural modeling largely supports the hypothesized framework and positions customers’ willingness to share information as an important antecedent of their loyalty intentions and behavior. This study provides practitioners with preliminary insight into the relationship between willingness to share information and perceived value, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty. This study advances retailing research, as it is one of the few empirical studies investigating the role of customers’ willingness to share information in driving loyalty and its relationship with perceived value and satisfaction in a retailing context.