Fuel-efficient stoves for Darfur: The social construction of subsistence marketplaces in post-conflict settings

This paper explores the development of market roles and transactions in fuel-efficient stoves in Darfur from 1997 to 2008 as a grounded example of how subsistence markets are socially constructed in post-conflict settings. Using a combination of archival texts, interviews, and real-time discourses by protagonists, this study explains the who, what, why and how of emergent marketplaces by showing how development interventions come to imbue market participants and transactions with socially (re)constructed meanings. The fitful emergence of subsistence marketplaces for fuel-efficient in Darfur is punctuated by development interventions which at times under- or misrepresent market participants and by successes and failures in bringing together trainers, producers, sellers, consumers and users of fuel-efficient stoves. Subsidies and handouts delay and distort the emergence of grassroots demand, choices, and prices; a plurality of competing development interventions re-shape the supply. By the end of 2008, the subsistence market for fuel-efficient stoves catches momentum, engaging over 52% of the Darfuri communities in market transactions for the product. As market participants gain voice and influence they reshape the market to favour mud stoves over metal stoves. Reports by several development organizations suggest that among fuel-efficient stove users, 90% use mud models, and 49% of women who own both mud and metal stoves prefer mud stoves.     

The social construction of global corporate citizenship: Sustainability reports of automotive corporations

What does global corporate citizenship mean? In the absence of formal definitions, a place where understandings of corporate citizenship can be found is corporate texts. From the perspectives of sociological institutional theory and strategic legitimacy theory, we utilized critical discourse analysis as a methodology to study the corporate sustainability reports of multinational automotive corporations. We observed isomorphic themes that constitute socially constructed expectations of global corporate citizenship regarding climate change. We also observed heterogeneity in how these themes are manifested. We examined the rhetorical features of these reports as ways that corporations strategically position themselves in the global marketplace.     

Consumers' Perception and Evaluation of Fresh Cut Buying Attributes: A Survey on the Italian Market

Abstract

During the last twenty years, consumer choice in high income countries is no longer merely dictated by price and the organoleptic characteristics of a product, but also by other features some of which are not patently tangible. The growing importance of such attributes in the process of consumer choice is not only due to income increase, but also to changes in lifestyle such as migrations from the countryside, a generalized urbanization and consequential city life style, female emancipation and work outside the domestic walls for women, the drastic decrease in hard physical labor and the process of internationalization. The present survey study aims to explore the importance that Italian consumers give to fresh cut buying attributes and which of these attributes should be taken into consideration by industries in order to satisfy the needs of the most critical shoppers. Where possible, market and survey data for fresh cut products will be compared with those for cooked products and before presenting the results and conclusions of the study, the technical issues of processing will be highlighted owing to the fact that they affect the marketing of these products, the recent market situation with regard to consumption will be illustrated and the methodology used will be described.     

The Garden of the Self-Service Store

Abstract

As a result of the increased competition between self-service chains, retail managers to an increasing degree try to strengthen store identity and customer loyalty. Based on a broad range of consumer choice and environmental psychology theories, this article discusses a number of reasons why the fruit and vegetable department can be one of the keys to differentiating retail chains and creating positive store image. The article describes the results of two empirical studies (a focus group and a survey) which explore customer-perceived quality dimensions of the fruit and vegetable department and the extent to which these dimensions influence customer attitudes towards the fruit and vegetable department and store image in general.     

Segmentation of Malaysian shoppers by store choice behaviour in their purchase of fresh meat and fresh produce

Differences in retail store choice behaviour are examined for the purchase of fresh meat and fresh fruit and vegetables in Malaysia. In purchasing fresh meat, cluster analysis identified two groups of respondents who purchased the majority of the fresh meat they consumed from either modern retail stores or the traditional market. However, with regard to the purchase of fresh fruit and vegetables, cluster analysis identified three groups of respondents (modern retail shoppers, transient shoppers and traditional market shoppers). Although the clusters were labelled using similar terms, several similarities and differences were identified in the respective clusters for each food item. The findings indicate that store choice preference was based on the food product that the consumer intended to purchase.     

成都休闲保健服务行业的市场分析

随着人民生活水平的提高及受教育程度的提高,目前人们对健康的追求不断加大,从而为休闲保健业的发展带来了巨大的市场。但目前成都地区休闲保健市场还存在较大的缺口,加上成都作为一个以休闲业著称的城市,更使该行业的发展具有广阔的市场前景。本文将通过对国内休闲保健市场形势并结合成都当地的情况,对行业的发展进行调查分析,旨在为成都保健服务业市场的开拓提供具有参考性的意见。     

果蔬流通各环节物流信息研究

果蔬物流系统离不开流通各环节物流信息的支撑。有效的信息导向,可以加强果蔬流通各个环节的沟通,减少信息不对称的现象,强化物流管理,提高果蔬物流系统的运行效率,因此对于果蔬流通各环节的物流信息进行研究具有重要意义。     

Significant Choice and Crisis Decision Making: MeritCare’s Public Communication in the Fen–Phen Case

This study examines the communication strategies employed by MeritCare’s public relations staff during the fen–phen case. The ethic of significant choice was the primary lens for the study. The study revealed that MeritCare’s public relations staff members believed they did, in fact, follow the ethic of significant choice. Specifically, they perceived that the biases held by staff helped maintain the public’s safety as the primary issue during the fen–phen events. They also believed that their communication strategies allowed them to avoid ambiguity and emotionalized language. Finally, the staff members felt that teaming with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota enabled them to influence the marketplace of ideas by capitalizing on the credible standing of Mayo Clinic.Renae A. Streifel (M.A., North Dakota State University) is a public relations specialist for the MeritCare Hospital group in Fargo, North Dakota. She studied the MeritCare case for her Master’s thesis.Bethany L. Beebe (M.A., Purdue University) studies crisis communication from an organizational perspective. Shari R. Veil (Ph.D., North Dakota State University) is an assistant professor in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Oklahoma. She studies crisis communication from a public relations perspective.Timothy L. Sellnow (Ph.D., Wayne State University) is professor of communication, North Dakota State University. Along with an extensive publication record, he has worked with several US government grants which provide some of the context for his study of crisis communication from an organizational perspective.     

徐州市果蔬配送策略分析

随着经济的快速发展,人们生活节奏的加快,果蔬产品配送上门服务的需求越来越普遍。目前,徐州市主要是对大客户进行果蔬配送,对普通居民的果蔬产品配送上门还处于试点和探索阶段。本文分析了果蔬配送的意义,总结了果蔬配送的特点,在此基础上,结合徐州市的实际情况,提出了徐州市果蔬配送发展的几点建议。     

非正弦短波通信方案及性能分析

为了提高短波通信容量和数据传输速率,缓减短波信道拥挤状况,提出了基于椭圆球面波的非正弦短波通信方案。该方案利用快速设计方法设计椭圆球面波脉冲信号,利用新方法构建椭圆球面波时域正交脉冲集,利用基于椭圆球面波的非正弦调制方法调制发送数据,利用基于椭圆球面波的非正弦相关解调方法解调发送数据。对基于椭圆球面波的非正弦调制解调原理进行了推导和分析,对基于椭圆球面波的非正弦调制方法频带利用率和峰均功率比性能进行了理论分析和仿真。在Watterson短波信道模型的基础上,仿真了基于椭圆球面波的非正弦相关解调误码率性能。理论分析和仿真结果表明,基于椭圆球面波的非正弦短波通信方案频带利用率高,可快速接近2 bit/s·Hz-1的理论极限值,频带利用率、峰均功率比和误码率性能均优于OFDM技术。     

我国人口健康知识传播渠道与效果分析

健康素质是人们获取、掌握和使用相关的信息维持和促进健康的基本技能和认知能力总称。健康知识的传播既是公共卫生的重要内容,也是人们保持健康,提高健康素养的重要保证。利用卫生部近期出版和发布的调查资料,通过人们获取健康知识的途径和对健康相关知识的了解程度的分析,揭示我国15岁以上人口对健康知识的掌握程度,并指出健康知识传播所存在的问题。     

The Discursive Construction of Gender in Contemporary Management Literature

This article analyses how the new type of worker is constructed in respect to gender in current management literature. It contributes to the increasing body of work in organisational theory and business ethics which interrogates management texts by analysing textual representations of gender. A discourse analysis of six texts reveals three inter-connected yet distinct ways in which gender is talked about. First, the awareness discourse attempts to be inclusive of gender yet reiterates stereotypes in its portrayal of women. Second, within the individualisation discourse, formerly discriminatory elements of gender lose their importance but a gender dimension reappears within the idea of ‹Brand You’. Third, in the new ideal discourse, women are constructed as ideal workers of the future. The article argues that there is little space within this web of discourses for an awareness of the continued inequalities experienced by women in relation to men to be voiced and that this rhetorical aporia contributes to a ‹post-feminist’ climate.