Vanity and public self‐consciousness: a comparison of fashion consumer groups and gender

The purpose of this study was to compare vanity and public self‐consciousness between fashion consumer groups (fashion change agents, fashion followers) and genders. Vanity has four dimensions: concern for physical appearance, a positive (perhaps inflated) view of physical appearance, concern for achievement and a positive (perhaps inflated) view of achievement. Participants (284 women; 116 men; mean age = 21.16) completed scales measuring consumer vanity, public self‐consciousness and fashion innovativeness and opinion leadership. Women scored higher on vanity physical concern, vanity achievement concern, vanity achievement view and public self‐consciousness than men. Fashion change agents scored higher on vanity physical concern, vanity physical view and public self‐consciousness than fashion followers.     

The Global Financial Architecture: Twenty‐First Century Solutions*

Twentieth‐century global financial architectural solutions are outdated and have been found wanting. They are fundamentally structural solutions and continuing to rely on them would be to run the risk of repeating our mistakes. We must look to twenty‐first century solutions. Solutions created post‐1945 need replacing with networked solutions, reflecting what we see in the Internet and its development. These are not fanciful notions but concepts that have already been successfully modelled, albeit in a relatively narrow sphere. What we need is a mechanism by which global financial standards can be implemented in every jurisdiction around the world. This paper proceeds from the premise that the nexus between investor confidence and financial market stability is a crucial one, and one that a regulatory approach can impact. It discusses the international regulatory environment and the role of key players in the emerging global financial architecture, in particular the International Organization of Securities Commissions ( IOSCO ). It also examines the potential that mutual recognition offers for the trans‐Tasman market.     

人口统计变量对汽车制造商品牌资产评价影响之研究——以台湾地区为例

品牌资产（Brand Equity，又称品牌权益）的定义十分多元，但晚近的学者对品牌资产的定义已从厂商观点转换成由消费者的角度来观察，本研究也基于此观．占、探讨不同人口统计变量下的消费者、对品牌资产的评价是否有所不同。由于整个中国的地理区域十分广大、人口变量组合十分复杂，故本研究拟先以台湾地区的消费者进行研究。本研究运用因子分析及变异数分析，发现不同的人口统计变量下会对广告知晓因子、品牌意义因子、品牌知名度因子上有不同的认知态度，但对呈现设计因子、自我认知因子方面，并没有差异。最后，讨论了本文的贡献、研究限制、未来建议，以及管理启示。     

Is the audit services market competitive following Arthur Andersen's collapse?

This study investigates whether audit markets remain competitive in the wake of Arthur Andersen's demise and merger with Ernst & Young to create the Big Four. We conduct the study estimating audit fee models using Australian audit market data from both 2000 and 2003 to determine whether there is any evidence of cartel pricing either before, or subsequent to, the merger. In both years, we find evidence of a Big N price premium when estimating an audit fee model across all clients, and when we estimate the model separately across large and small client market segments. This evidence is consistent with product differentiation by Big N auditors and competitive markets.     

Stakeholder Values and Scientific Modeling in the Neuse River Watershed

In 1998, the North Carolina Legislature mandated a 30% reduction in the nitrogen loading in the Neuse River in an attempt to reduce undesirable environmental conditions in the lower river and estuary. Although sophisticated scientific models of the Neuse estuary exist, there is currently no study directly relating the nitrogen-reduction policy to the concerns of the estuarine system's stakeholders. Much of the difficulty lies in the fact that existing scientific models have biophysical outcome variables, such as dissolved oxygen, that are typically not directly meaningful to the public. In addition, stakeholders have concerns related to economics, modeling, implementation, and fairness that go beyond ecological outcomes. We describe a decision-analytic approach to modeling the Neuse River nutrient-management problem, focusing on linking scientific assessments to stakeholder objectives. The first step in the approach is elicitation and analysis of stakeholder concerns. The second step is construction of a probabilistic model that relates proposed management actions to attributes of interest to stakeholders. We discuss how the model can then be used by local decision makers as a tool for adaptive management of the Neuse River system. This discussion relates adaptive management to the notion of expected value of information and indicates a need for a comprehensive monitoring program to accompany implementation of the model. We conclude by acknowledging that a scientific model cannot appropriately address all the stakeholder concerns elicited, and we discuss how the remaining concerns may otherwise be considered in the policy process.     

The Relationship between Processing Styles and Self-Control Behavioral Characteristics

Recent research suggests that cognitions and affect may operate independently or simultaneously during the decision process. The purpose of this exploratory research is to understand cognitive and affective processing styles by examining the self-control traits which may be associated with each style. Results suggest that individuals prone to affective decision processing (Feeling Processors) also tended towards more compulsive behavior than the other types of processors. Similarly, individuals who use both styles of processing (Combination Processors) were found to be more likely to engage in risk-taking behavior. Implications of these results and future research are suggested.     

Business Ethics: A European Review: Change and Continuity

As was announced at the beginning of this volume of Business Ethics: A European Review , the current editor is retiring from the editorship at the end of this year. It gives him great pleasure to announce that he will be succeeded as Editor of the Review by Dr Jane Collier, of the Judge Institute, Cambridge. In this invited article Dr Collier offers some reflections on how she envisages the future of the Review.     

How Housing Benefit Residents？

At 2008＇s NPC and CPPCC sessions, the nation＇s housing program has become one of the top concerns; some deputies from academic institutions and the real estate industry have submitted their own proposals on how to deal with the issue.     

The contribution of increased life expectancy to economic development in twentieth century Japan

This paper estimates the value of improved health in Japan over the twentieth century. By valuing the decline in the death rate and appending this to existing measures of GDP per capita it is possible to calculate health augmented GDP per capita growth and generate original results about the monetary value of improved life expectancy over the twentieth century in Japan. The findings of the paper indicate that this is a pertinent exercise because GDP per capita growth approximately doubles when it is extended to include increases in the life expectancy of the population of Japan. These results also provide a justification for the increase in health care service spending that was evident at the close of the twentieth century.     

How Housing Benefit Residents？

At 2008's NPC and CPPCC sessions, the nation's housing program has become one of the top concerns; some deputies from academic institutions and the real estate industry have submitted their own proposals on how to deal with the issue.