Consumer acceptance of food irradiation: a test of the recreancy theorem

Consumers living in both developed and developing nations rely upon foods that have been produced and processed in many countries and in a wide variety of ways. Therefore, it is not surprising that they express concerns about the safety of their food supplies. A technology proposed to improve consumer trust in food safety is irradiation. Despite extensive education efforts and endorsements given by many health‐related organizations worldwide, food irradiation has been slow to gain widespread acceptance. This ineffectiveness of diffusion efforts might indicate a need to broaden our theoretical perspectives of consumer acceptance of controversial technologies. Most theoretical approaches explain acceptance primarily as a function of perceived risks associated with a technology. The recreancy theorem, in contrast, explains acceptance as a function of public trust in societal institutions to effectively manage a technology. This study investigated the extent to which the recreancy theorem explained acceptance of food irradiation by US consumers, while statistically controlling for perceived risk and social‐demographic variables. The study used a longitudinal field design to survey one adult each in 116 households located in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area during the first large‐scale market test of irradiated food. The results indicate that the recreancy theorem might provide a valid conceptual approach to gaining a broader understanding of consumer acceptance of controversial new technologies.     

Outdoor management development: the mediating effect of the client organisation

This article reports on a study comparing the impact of an outdoor management development (OMD) programme on delegates from two different client organisations. By keeping the provider constant it is possible to assess how organisational factors mediate the transfer of learning from a development event back to the workplace. The results show that, while the programme had a very positive immediate impact on the delegates from both companies—they felt they had learnt a lot and that they were working better as a team—in only one of the companies was this change sustained back in the work-place. Follow-up interviews with delegates, four months after the event, highlighted that in the company where transfer was not evident, there were considerable organisational barriers. In this instance at least, it was not the OMD programme that was ‘at fault’ but the organisation climate or culture which impeded any transfer of learning.     

Computer ownership and home usage: the case of Malaysia

The multi‐functionality of computers and the increased accessibility of the Internet have created a demand for computers at home which was previously concentrated in offices. Using the Heckman two‐step model and by combining socioeconomic factors and insights from Becker's theory on allocation of time in the household with information system theories, it was found that: (i) household allocation of resources; (ii) age and gender; and (iii) household social environment are significant in determining computer purchase decisions and its extent of usage in households in Malaysia, a developing information, communication and technology country. Responses collected from 500 computer users were used in the study. Unlike most household technologies, the results also suggested that despite the multi‐functionality of computers, it was perceived as a technology that facilitates the consumption process more than the production process.     

Egg utilization and consumer acceptability of egg dishes prepared with commercial egg powder in rural Mkhambathini,South Africa

Eggs have a potential to alleviate protein‐energy malnutrition among rural communities. Unfortunately, eggs are perishable and most rural communities in South Africa have very limited access to effective food storage and preservation facilities. Utilization of eggs by rural households could increase if they were available in the form of egg powder, which is convenient and shelf‐stable. However, rural communities in South Africa are not familiar with egg powder and therefore it is not known whether it would be acceptable to them. The aim of the current study was to explore the utilization of eggs by rural households of Mkhambathini, South Africa, and assess the potential for using egg powder in popular egg dishes. A total of 110 household representatives completed a survey questionnaire, 50 participated in focus group discussions and 51 in sensory evaluation of egg dishes (sandwich and relish) prepared with commercial egg powder. The households perceived eggs as an important, nutritious food, but cultural beliefs, ineffective storage facilities, and limited market access restricted their utilization. Results of sensory evaluation showed that the acceptability of the egg powder dishes was similar to that of their fresh egg counterparts. Overall, the study demonstrates that there is a great potential for rural households to replace fresh egg dishes with egg powder dishes.     

Constructing conceptual models for knowledge capture and delivery systems

Appropriate conceptualization of the nature of entities and relationships in a problem domain is a key prerequisite to the successful design of computerized decision aids for business, especially those developed for more than one idiosyncratic user. The need for a reliable conceptual model is particularly acute in the design of decision support systems that must function in problem‐solving situations with no existing theoretical framework or where theory and practice differ considerably.

This paper presents an interative procedure for developing a reliable conceptual model by testing the “fit”; of successive revisions of the model against a collection of “think‐aloud”; verbal problem‐solving protocols of people with experience in the domain. The model is revised each time until it is verifiably and consistently accurate. Such a procedure, it is argued, is more objective and reliable than intuition or traditional knowledge engineering and requires considerably less experimental data collection and analysis than more elaborate empirical model development procedures.

The feasibility of this procedure is illustrated by using it to construct a conceptual model for a computer‐based system that seeks to capture knowledge used during project planning and deliver it for use during project control.     

Importance of blanket testing in promoting US beef for Japanese consumers

We carried out and analysed a questionnaire survey on consumer attitudes to verify the effectiveness of blanket testing of US beef in Japan. Applying an ordered probit model to the data yielded the following findings: blanket testing dramatically increases purchase probabilities, so it is one of the most important tools for reviving Japanese consumers’ meat demand. The effect of blanket testing is especially large in the region where the consumers traditionally ate more beef (the Kansai area). Purchase probability is lower in households with awareness of country‐of‐origin of beef before the BSE crisis than households without it. Purchase probability of the households that had eaten US beef before the BSE outbreak is higher than those that had not. Purchase probability is not affected by family structure.     

The nature of value created by UK online grocery retailers

The UK retail environment is extremely competitive, forcing retailers to constantly develop and enhance both their offerings and their formats. Probably the most significant changes taking place are coming from not the products being sold themselves, but rather when, how and where they are being sold. For example, new technologies such as the Internet, CD‐Roms, electronic kiosks and digital television are opening up new opportunities for retailers through remote purchasing and delivery. While a number of large retailers have made heavy investments into electronic retailing, such as Arcadia, Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Sainsbury, it is uncertain how they are going to use this technology to gain competitive or market advantages. Given the media attention which technologies such as the Internet has attracted, there is the danger that businesses may adopt an unfocussed use. This report identifies and evaluates the ways in which major UK grocery retailers are using the Internet to create value for their users over and above that which is offered by bricks and mortar stores. Web sites of three grocery retailers were evaluated via preselected criteria in order to assess how they created value for their customers. Applying Holbrook’s typology of consumer value, the findings of the research suggest that each of the retailers surveyed are similar in terms of the nature of the value they have created for consumers online, these being value‐as‐convenience and value‐as excellence.     

Behavioral Interventions to Increase Tax‐Time Saving: Evidence from a National Randomized Trial

We provide new large‐scale experimental evidence on policies that aim to boost household saving out of income tax refunds. Households that filed income tax returns with an online tax preparer and chose to receive their refund electronically were randomized into eight treatment groups, which received different combinations of motivational saving prompts and suggested shares of the refund to save—25% and 75%—and a control group, which received neither. In treatment conditions where they were presented, motivational prompts focused on various savings goals: general, retirement, or emergency. Analysis reveals that higher suggested that allocations generated increased allocations of the refund to savings but that prompts for different reasons to save did not. These interventions, which draw on lessons from behavioral economics, represent potentially low‐cost, scalable tools for policy makers interested in helping low‐ and moderate‐income households build savings.     

The way we live: understanding the acquisition of living skills to facilitate the consumer empowerment of young people in the 21st century

This research seeks to understand the perceived sources of acquisition of living skills by young people and to examine the formal and informal channels of acquisition. The study focuses particularly on the concept of living skills. These are the skills of transition, of growing up, and independence. For the purpose of the research the skills investigated are those associated (or formerly associated) with the school subject of Home Economics and were distilled from past curricula and documentation (DES, 1985; SCP, 1971). They cover three types of skill: social/interpersonal, cognitive and manual. Social skills include awareness of others, and a sense of responsibility, which is the basis of child‐care and showing tolerance of and concern and consideration for others. Cognitive skills are those associated with decision‐making and management, they involve thinking, reasoning and the use of knowledge. Manual skills are concerned with the use of the hands, with dexterity and with the achievement of specific goals, for example the ability to use tools and appliances with emphasis on the safe handling of them. They can also be linked to knowledge in terms of, for example aspects of food safety and hygiene. Research to date has failed to tackle the concept of acquisition of the skills of transition from home to independent living. Most research is focused on skills pertaining to a particular occupation role (Newman and Newman, 1988; Blustein et al., 1989; Nurmi et al., 1994) rather than those of living skills. Respondents were asked where they had learnt most about manual, cognitive and social skills. To facilitate analysis the channels were condensed to family (mother, father, other family members), community (friends, voluntary organisations), self (trial and error, television, books and magazines), taught (at school, university and work), with a final category of ‘never learnt’ (categories adapted from Macbeth, 1989). The findings revealed that the perceived acquisition of these living skills was through informal channels. From this research it can be argued that the family, being the main perceived source of acquisition of living skills creates the right time, the right place and facilitates exchange efficiencies. However, in this over‐dependence on an informal framework it is unlikely that discrepancies of skill provision can be alleviated. Additionally, standardisation may be difficult if not impossible to achieve. Compounding this is the tendency of young people to have to resort to self‐learning, which it could be argued is acceptable for some skills but not for those reliant on correct information input (such as food hygiene and nutrition).     

Work‐related lifelong learning for entrepreneurs in the agri‐food sector

This article presents a study on work‐related lifelong learning for entrepreneurs in the agri‐food sector. Accordingly, learning needs, learning preferences, learning motivation and conditions in the context of lifelong learning were identified. The results indicate that technology, IT and entrepreneurial competencies will become of increasing importance in the future. Non‐formal and informal learning seem to play an especially important role in the competence development of entrepreneurs. Supporting learning in a personal way is a critical factor in stimulating lifelong learning. The results might provide some important starting points for the support of lifelong learning in practice. Investment in new, different, long‐term work‐related learning arrangements than have been undertaken hitherto is a high priority. Workplace learning for entrepreneurs in the context of lifelong learning should take place in settings where (new) knowledge is constructed in dialogue with the entrepreneurs’ environment and where personal competence development is facilitated by experts in learning.     

Who in Brazil Will Gain from Global Trade Reforms?

The potential impacts of multilateral trade liberalisation on developing countries are the subject of numerous controversies. One particular concern is that Brazil, a major agricultural exporter and a country with one of the world's most unequal income distributions, will reap a substantial share of the potential benefits to developing countries from agricultural trade reform, and that most of those benefits will go to large‐scale commercial farmers rather than to the country's smallholders. This claim is explored via a global general equilibrium model and a national model of Brazil containing multiple agricultural and non‐agricultural households. Brazil is found to account for nearly one‐half of all the benefits to developing countries deriving from global agricultural trade reform. These gains are associated with improvements in the welfare of each group and a lower incidence of poverty. Large‐scale producers gain more than smallholders as they tend to be relatively specialised in export products, but there are important gains to agricultural employees, who are relatively poor, and to urban households, who benefit from the expansion of the agro‐food sector. Overall, there is no discernible impact on income inequality, and no evidence that the gains to commercial farmers occur at the expense of poorer households.     

Are You Selling the Right Colour? A Cross‐cultural Review of Colour as a Marketing Cue

Should a marketer adopt a pan‐cultural or a culture‐specific approach when using colour in marketing? Colours exercise powerful effects and induce reactions based on both instincts and associations. Colours alter the meanings of the objects or situations with which they are associated and colour preferences can predict consumers' behaviour. This article reviews the psychological and socio‐cultural associations and meanings of colour(s) in a cross‐cultural marketing perspective and outlines their role as a marketing cue. Because cultural values, marketing objectives and desired customer relationship levels influence the choice of colour in corporate and marketing communications, it is argued that a cross‐cultural perspective of colour research and application is imperative for developing global marketing strategies.     

Out‐of‐Pocket Health Care Expenditure Patterns and Financial Burden across the Life Cycle Stages

This study examines out‐of‐pocket health care expenditure patterns of households and the financial burden of health care costs over the stages of the household life cycle, using the 1995 Consumer Expenditure Survey. The elderly households not only spend more for health care, but they also experience higher financial burdens than other households. Insurance status, liquid assets, life cycle stage, household size, education, and self‐employment status are significant factors affecting the household budge share of health care expenses.     

Payday Loan and Pawnshop Usage: The Impact of Allowing Payday Loan Rollovers

Millions of US households rely on payday loans and pawnshops for short‐term credit. Payday loan interest rates are as high as 25% per 2‐ to 4‐week loans and individuals use a post‐dated check to secure the loan. Pawnshop usage is available for anyone with collateral. This article examines whether individuals using payday loans in states where rollovers are allowed are more likely to also use pawnshops together with payday loans. I find that this is true for individuals who make less than $30,000, but it does not hold for those with higher levels of income. There may be some complementary relationships between payday loan rollovers and pawnshops for these lower‐income individuals. These results are important when considering whether to allow payday loan rollovers.     

乳品产业链纵向组织关系优化整合的保障体系研究

政府在乳品产业链纵向组织关系优化与整合过程中发挥着不可替代的作用,本文对我国乳品产业链纵向组织关系的保障体系进行了分析和概括。文章指出,从我国乳业发展的实践出发,应借鉴乳业发达国家的经验,加强宏观调控,完善相关法规体系,健全全国统一的乳业市场体系,优化行业组织结构,促进科技创新能力提高,引导企业与农户建立紧密合作关系;加强对龙头企业的引导,扩大农民专业合作经济组织试点;完善乳业社会服务体系,促进乳品产业链纵向组织关系的协调发展;开拓和培育市场,保证从农户到加工企业再到消费者各主体健康发展与关系和谐;完善质量监控体系,建立权威独立的第三方检测机构;加强乳品行业协会的培育,充分发挥其对行业协调和指导功能。     

Rethinking the concept of community of practice in relation to schoolteachers’ workplace learning

This paper explores two different ways of understanding communities of practice in relation to workplace learning. This is based upon a case study of secondary school teachers working and learning in four subject departments in two English schools. In spite of institutional similarities, the cultures and working practices of the departments were different, and influenced the learning of the workers significantly. In such contexts, a tight conceptualisation of community of practice can form a valuable intermediate scale of analysis, between the individual learner and wider organisational influences on learning. However, communities of practice can also have a valuable meaning in relation to the wider influences and in situations where close‐knit groupings do not exist.     

Electricity saving behavior of households by making efforts,replacing appliances,and renovations: empirical analysis using a multivariate ordered probit model

This study empirically explores the determinants of household electricity saving behavior based on a sample of Japanese households. Our study makes four contributions. First, we examine the short‐term saving action of making efforts, the medium‐term saving action of replacing appliances, and the long‐term saving action of undertaking renovations. Second, we consider not only the physical characteristics of households but also behavioral characteristics, such as their understanding of the importance of energy saving and willingness to save energy. Third, in our analysis, we assume that appliances and housing facilities have the electricity‐saving capability and service‐providing capability. While previous studies focus on the former, consumers in reality consider both capabilities. Fourth, we consider the optimization by households and include broad types of appliances and renovations. Using a multivariate ordered probit model with data on 518 Japanese households in 2012, we obtain the following results. First, in addition to the demand response, the effort level is determined by behavioral, rather than by physical characteristics. Second, the motivation behind appliance replacement is durability, rather than electricity‐saving and service‐providing capabilities. Third, appliance replacement is enhanced by an understanding of the importance of energy saving, rather than by the willingness to save energy. Households can replace appliances because of social pressure, even if they are not so concerned about saving energy. Fourth, households are willing to renovate housing facilities even though they pay a higher cost for the greater saving capability rather than for the service‐providing capability. However, such renovation is not influenced by internal incentives, but by physical aspects of the house, such as size, age, and type.     

Human resource development to facilitate experiential learning: the case of Yahoo Japan

Although work experiences are recognized as important mechanisms for developing leaders in organizations, existing research has focused primarily on work assignments rather than on human resource development (HRD) systems that promote experiential learning of managers. The primary goal of this study was to develop an HRD model for facilitating experiential learning by examining the case of Yahoo Japan, which has transformed its HRD system based on experiential learning theory. The results indicate that Yahoo Japan has promoted experiential learning at the individual level by introducing new HRD systems consisting of four elements: reflection support (one‐on‐one meeting and coaching training), assignment support (HRD meeting and job rotation), assessment support (360‐degree appraisal and one‐on‐one meeting assessment) and visionary support (a vision and values). Although these elements are closely associated with each other, reflection support plays a key role in the HRD system. The proposed model is discussed from theoretical and practical viewpoints.     

The Relationship between Consumers' Unethical Behavior and Customer Loyalty in a Retail Environment

This paper investigates the relationship between two outcomes of relationship marketing – affective commitment and behavioral loyalty – and consumers' unethical behavior. The main objective of the study is to assess whether affective commitment and behavioral loyalty to a store translate into more ethical behavior towards that store, controlling for the variables of age, gender, and ethical beliefs. The study does not rely on a single measurement tool, but is based on ten months' panel data and three different mail surveys targeted at 359 Belgian households. The results provide support for our hypothesis that affective commitment is indeed negatively correlated with consumers' unethical behavior. The same conclusion could not be drawn for the relationship between behavioral loyalty and consumers' unethical behavior. No significant relationship was detected, not even in situations where affective commitment was high. The results hold major implications for retailing practice.