Company and meal choices considered by Nordic adolescents

This article examines the meal choices considered by Nordic adolescents in two social situations: for themselves and for the family. In addition, the frequency of family meals is compared between the countries studied. The survey data (n = 1539) were collected during 2006–2007 from 9th grade students (aged 14–17 years) in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Analysis was based on both quantitative variables and open‐ended data. Family meals were found to be less common among Finnish respondents than in the remaining data. In all countries but Denmark, the number of parents in the family had an effect on the frequency of family meals. Meals echoing or fully meeting the structural definition of a ‘proper meal’ were most common when describing meals for the family. The difference between the two social situations was most apparent for those who mentioned ‘Fast food dishes’ for themselves. Gender differences in open‐ended questions were smallest in Denmark and most apparent in Norway. Future studies should focus not only on how many of adolescents eat in what is termed an unhealthy way but also on how they themselves perceive and conceptualize eating, and what kinds of justifications they give to their everyday choices in different social contexts.     

Unsolved problems of world trade policy

Talks began early in March in Geneva between the members of the extended EEC and their trading partners. These negotiations are being held in accordance with GATT Statute which insists that third countries must be compensated for any disadvantages they may suffer as a consequence of Great Britain, Denmark and Ireland joining the EEC.     

Consumer Ethics in the European Union: A Comparison of Northern and Southern Views

There is a growing interest in understanding consumer ethical actions in relation to their dealings with firms. This paper examines whether there are differences between Northern and Southern European Union (EU) consumers' perceptions of ethical consumer behaviour using Muncy and Vitell's (1992) Consumer Ethics Scale (CES). The study samples 962 university students across four Northern EU countries (Germany, Denmark, Scotland, The Netherlands) and four Southern EU countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece). Some differences are identified between the two samples, which might question the ability of organisations to consider the EU as one homogeneous market.     

The Service Economy: Standardisation or Customisation?

Service firms are squeezed between customisation and standardisation (the latter emphasises productivity in accordance with neo-classic economic theory). This presents a dilemma to service firms and to economic theory. The theoretical logics of both are discussed and a third theory, based on modulisation, is presented. The article investigates the issue of towards which of the three logics the service sector is developing. This is measured via two surveys carried out in Denmark. The results of the surveys say that the development is towards that of customisation with some minor tendencies towards modulisation. These results are discussed thoroughly.     

From Resistance to Opportunity-Seeking: Strategic Responses to Institutional Pressures for Corporate Social Responsibility in the Nordic Fashion Industry

Using survey responses from 400 fashion companies in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, we examine the diversity of strategic responses to institutional pressures for corporate social responsibility (CSR) within the Nordic fashion industry. We also develop and test a new model of strategic responses to institutional pressures that encompasses both resistance and opportunity-seeking behaviour. Our results suggest that it is inconsistent pressures within, rather than between, stakeholder groups that shape strategic responses to CSR pressures and that increasing pressures stimulates opportunity-seeking at the expense of compliance.     

‘New economics’?

The United States, the United Kingdom and Denmark have all enjoyed a long period of high stable growth and low inflation in the 1990s. Attempts to determine the implications of this have led to the so-called ‘New Economics’, whose advocates claim that the relationship between economic growth and inflation has fundamentally changed. The following article tests this thesis against current data for the USA.     

Reducing Demand for Litigation in Consumer Disputes—a Randomized Field Experiment with Social Information

It has long been argued that alternative dispute resolution is superior to traditional court litigation. The paper reviews traditional and behavioural arguments and findings for why litigation rates remain high. The paper then reports on a natural field experiment designed to test how to improve disputes between consumers and businesses in Denmark resolution by including social information into the dispute process. The experiment demonstrates that social information significantly affects litigants’ need for litigation, but that the effect on settlement rates is non-significant. The results are discussed along with suggestions for possible future research into improving the willingness to cooperate in consumer disputes.     

Lessons Learnt from the Nordics: How to Fight Long-term Unemployment

This study examines policies that can successfully address long-term unemployment. It focuses on Denmark and Sweden, where, despite sizeable job losses during the crisis, labour market indicators are at present better than in any other EU country. By looking at the interaction between labour market flexibility (especially in hiring and firing regulations) and passive and active policies, we argue that well-designed active policies matter more than labour market flexibility for employment.     

National image as a competitive disadvantage: the case of the New Zealand organic food industry

This article examines why organic agriculture and food consumption developed more strongly in some countries than others between the 1970s and the 2000s. The focus is the limited growth of the New Zealand organic sector, which contrasts with countries such as Denmark which were similar in size and shared significant export agri-business sectors, but whose organic food sector became significantly larger. While the power of incumbent vested interests and unsupportive public policies emerge as major explanatory factors, the article argues that the long-established national image of New Zealand as a clean and green country may have been the major constraint.     

The Effects of Consumer Ethnocentrism and Country of Origin on Polish Consumers' Evaluation of Foreign Manufactured Products

The admission of Poland to the European Union may be perceived as the symbolic crowning of a long period of economic transformation. Poland today is not only an emerging market but an emerging culture experiencing a strong economic development wherein old ideals are confronted with new Western values. On this background, the objective of this research is to assess the level and impact of consumer ethnocentrism and the effect of country of origin on consumers’ evaluation of and buying intentions toward foreign manufactured products. Medium-expensive consumer durables—design furniture and fashion clothes—imported from Denmark are examined. Findings show consumer ethnocentrism is present and that more than one-fifth of consumers are highly ethnocentric but also that ethnocentrism has no direct effect on the evaluation of product quality or on buying intention for either of the products from Denmark.     

丹麦,企业高端研发测试的首选之地

近日,丹麦投资促进局、中国国际商会(北京)、上海市国际贸易促进委员会、香港总商会、国际知名咨询公司毕马威、安睿律师事务所在北京、上海、香港三地举办丹麦投资论坛,向中国投资者和企业界带来了来自丹麦的商机。丹麦是世界上最古老的君主立宪制国家,有着悠久的历史和文化,安徒生童话     

Free trade in Western Europe

Independently of the results of the Summit Conference in Paris it can be said that the entry of Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark into the EEC and the Free Trade Treaties between the enlarged Community and the remaining EFTA countries have decisively advanced the integration process in Western Europe.     

Dispositional affectivity and work outcomes of expatriates

How the two components of dispositional affectivity, positive affectivity, representing the predisposition to respond positively to environmental stimuli, and negative affectivity, depicting the opposite reaction, influence work has been the focus of much research. Although dispositional affectivity appears to be a promising construct to explain and predict many attitudinal and behavioral outcomes in the workplace, few studies have empirically investigated dispositional affectivity and the work of expatriates. Hence, data from a net-based survey including 350 expatriates in Denmark were used to examine the relationship between dispositional affectivity and their work outcomes. Results showed consistent positive associations between positive affectivity and all the studied work outcomes and the opposite relationships for negative affectivity. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed in detail.     

Credit Consumption and Financial Risk Among Danish Households— A Register-Based Study of the Distribution of Bank and Credit Card Debt

Journal of Consumer Policy - This article discusses the distribution of widely used consumer loans in Denmark in the light of the “risk position” in which this places Danish households....     

Drivers of Socially Responsible Investing: A Case Study of Four Nordic Countries

In this study, we try to establish what determines the substantial differences in the Nordic countries’ size and composition of socially responsible investing (SRI). We investigate if these differences between Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden can be associated with key characteristics in economics, finance, culture, and institutions. We find that in particular economic openness, the size of the pension industry, and cultural values of masculinity (femininity) and uncertainty avoidance can be associated with the differences in SRI in the four countries. On basis of these findings, we lay foundations for an international theory of SRI.     

Nordic compensation schemes for drug injuries

Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Norway each operate successful no fault compensation schemes for injuries caused by both medical treatment and use of medicinal products. The existence of these schemes avoids the necessity for claims to be resolved through the courts, as medical negligence or product liability claims. The schemes are administrative/inquisitorial and cheap to operate, both in terms of administration costs and cost of sums paid. The low level of the latter costs is due to both low historic levels of damages, as would be awarded by courts, and particularly the fact that compensation is paid to injured persons from various sources, with no recourse being taken between the different sources. The schemes offer significant attractions, but it is difficult to see how they could be applied in other States given the background economic pre-conditions.     

A Career Approach to Entrepreneurship: The Case of Thomas B. Thrige

Thomas B. Thrige was one of the most successful Danish manufacturers of all time. If there are entrepreneurs in the Schumpeterian sense behind the growth of the Danish economy, he certainly looks like one of them. This article gives a brief survey of Thrige's professional life and of his contribution to industrialisation in Denmark. His case is discussed in relation to debates about entrepreneurship.     

回归基本原则， 重视方形系数

方形系数是一个影响船舶航行阻力的重要无纲量主参数。基于水动力研究及常规的船舶设计实践．方形系数应该随着弗洛德数的增大而减小． 图1显示了1971～1990年问的船舶方形系数变化。可以看到．方形系数和弗洛德数均有所增加．而这与常规的船舶设计方法和准则是相矛盾的。     

宜家之父坎普拉德

<正>从17岁的创建,到84岁的守望,从个人所有到基金会所有,从瑞典经丹麦再到荷兰,英格瓦·坎普拉德的宜家公司能否避免来自家族或者国家的伤害,成为长盛不衰并且超然独立的企业帝国?