Trading up

This article describes three areas of development which, if understood and thoughtfully pursued, will bring more gift dollars to your organization or institution. Consider these triple procedures and build a solicitation program which makes good use of each.     

R&D and product obsolescence

Claims of planned obsolescence have often been made by various consumer groups. Bulow (1986) examined a monopolist's choice of product durability and found that firms who sell their products tend to choose lower durability levels than firms that rent. We argue that the speed of new product development may be a more appropriate proxy for obsolescence than is durability. Reformulating Bulow's model in terms of R&D choice rather than durability choice, we find that sales firms engage in higher levels of R&D than do rental firms. Additionally, we provide an empirical example using data from the copier and computer industries which also suggests a strong positive relationship between the R&D intensity of a firm and the proportion of output sold versus rented.     

Taxation and market power when products are durable

Empirical studies suggest that industries hardest hit by government regulations, such as pollution regulations, are both highly concentrated and manufacture durable products. We analyze a two-period durable goods monopoly model where the firm faces government restrictions in the form of pollution or excise taxes. In contrast to non-durable monopolistic industries, we show that taxes on pollution or an excise tax on output may increase a durable goods monopolist's commitment ability and market power. Indeed, any policy which restricts future output may have the perverse effect of increasing a monopolist's bargaining power with buyers and enhance their profits.The authors would like to thank several anonymous referees and the editor for helpful comments and suggestions on earlier drafts of the paper. Of course, any remaining errors are the sole responsibility of the authors.     

What makes a motorsports event enjoyable? The case of Macau Grand Prix

This article aims to identify the key product attributes that make a motorsport event enjoyable. Using data collected in the 2010 Macau Grand Prix, a factor analysis was conducted on 15 variables that spectators were asked of their level of agreement to how these elements constitute an enjoyable event. The analysis returned four major variables of a product that spectators believe will make an enjoyable motorsport event, specifically, event amenities, event aesthetics, event ambience, and event tickets. This study contributes to the understanding of event product attributes.     

The Global Land Grab Meta-Narrative,Asian Money Laundering and Elite Capture: Reconsidering the Cambodian Context

The dramatic expansion of large-scale economic land concessions and acquisitions in the Global South has generated considerable concern amongst activists, journalists and academics recently. This has led to the increased prevalence of the term ‘global land grabbing’, which I argue represents a particular type of meta-narrative. In this article the global land grab meta-narrative is considered in relation to recent land alienation of Indigenous Peoples in the northeastern Cambodia province of Ratanakiri. While land grabbing is certainly a crucial problem, it is insufficient to explain the circumstances in Ratanakiri or in Cambodia more generally as ‘global land grabbing’. While foreign capital is associated with land grabbing in Cambodia, there are various other factors that also require consideration. Specifically, the role of Asian money laundering and elite capture requires increased attention. This article contributes to better understanding the particular ways that land dispossession plays out in particular places and contexts.     

Consumption compromises: Negotiation and unification within contemporary families

When cultures interact within the family, consumption decisions take on meaning beyond simply who is the decision maker. The usual compromises all spouses face are amplified when one spouse is displaced from another country. Interviews and observation are used to examine the lived-world of bi-national (where spouses are from different countries of origin) and mono-national families. Key themes emphasize how members of families insert their cultures in navigating consumption decisions and reconciling preferences. Using food consumption as context, findings reveal the extent to which individual partners relinquish part of their personal cultural identities to gain a synergistic collective identity at the family level. In discussing strategies of acknowledgment, negotiation, accommodation and unification, implications are drawn for family decision-making, family identity and consumer–brand relationship theory.     

The Impact of Community Service Learning Upon the Worldviews of Business Majors Versus Non-Business Majors at an American University

The SERVE Program at Ignatius University seeks to foster the ethical development of its participants by combining academic study of philosophy and theology with a year-long community service project. This study considered the impact of the SERVE Program upon Ignatius University students majoring in business in comparison to students pursuing majors in the liberal arts, education, and nursing. Findings from this study offer insight into the response of business students to ethical content in comparison to students pursuing degrees in other disciplines. Such findings hold significant implications for business school faculty and administrators committed to the civic and ethical development of individuals pursuing careers in business and private industry.     

Growth and Renewal in the United States: Retooling America's Economic Engine*

New research by the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) examines the growth challenge facing the United States and explores how U.S. business and government can contribute to the economy's renewal by reinvigorating their drive toward higher productivity. As baby boomers retire and the female participation rate plateaus, the U.S. economy will receive significantly less lift from increases in the labor force and will have to rely increasingly on productivity gains to fuel growth. The report finds that the United States needs a 34% acceleration in productivity growth if it is to match the GDP growth rates of the past 20 years—and that this is possible. Three‐quarters of the necessary productivity growth acceleration can come from the efforts of private‐sector companies operating within the current regulatory and business environment. Even the best‐performing companies and sectors still have headroom to boost productivity by emulating the best practice of others and tapping into new innovations, and coming up with new innovations of their own. The remaining one‐quarter—and more—can come from government and business working together to address barriers that now limit growth. MGI lays out a seven‐point agenda for action to spur productivity.