The international financial crisis and problems of Russian Economic Development

This paper analyzes the development factors of the Russian economy and causes of the financial crisis, as well as anti-crisis policy objectives and methods.     

Bimodal issues,the median voter model,Legislator's ideology,and abortion

The median voter model is widely used in the public choice literature to explain legislator's behavior. According to the model, if voter preferences are unimodal, a vote-maximizing legislator should mirror the position of the median voter. However, the median voter model has not been tested on bimodal issues. This paper fills this critical void by empirically testing the applicability of the median voter model on an issue which clearly meets the criteria for being bimodal: abortion. Using a variety of attitudinal measures from large sample public opinion polls and constituency demographics, this study finds that Senate voting on the 1994 Freedom of Abortion Access bill was highly related to the senator's personal characteristics—especially ideology—and not to constituent opinion or demographics.     

Key Factors that Influence Consumer Preferences for Natural-Hyped Products

Natural-hyped products are receiving greater attention from and acceptance by consumers worldwide. Environmental factors that foster the demand for natural-hyped products, specifically hemp-based products include the deregulation of the cannabis industry and greater consumer desire for natural foods. Adding to this, the strategic use of stimulant type of cues (e.g., a cannabis leaf) included in product logos, ads, and packaging, seems to create hype associations when evaluating hemp-based products. In this context, this study presents empirical evidence (three experiments and two qualitative studies) that illustrates consumer preference for hemp-based products over ones that do not include hemp as an ingredient (hemp-free). The research focuses on identifying the psychological determinant that orients consumers towards hemp-based products. Findings suggest that the perceived naturalness is the psychological mechanism behind consumers positive evaluation of hemp-based products. Moreover, this study presents evidence that this evaluation is enhanced by the consumer's need for stimulation. Implications of the findings for the role of perceived naturalness and the need for stimulation in marketing strategies are discussed.     

Consumer value of virtual music festivals

Virtual music festivals (VMFs) are a great opportunity for the music industry to improve high quality digital events; as an alternative consumption phenomenon, VMFs can reach hybrid audiences and help in the challenge of digitalization. This study aims to investigate the multidimensional structure of consumer value in VMFs (intra-variable perspective), as well as the effects of value on cognitive versus affective satisfaction and loyalty (inter-variable perspective). Using a qualitative–quantitative approach—focus group and survey with festival attendees (n = 246)—, a value structure of VMF is tested with partial least square–SEM as a reflective-formative-formative third-order model. Benefits and sacrifices are second-order constructs, while five positives (escape, novelty, enjoyment, musical content, and socialization) and two negatives (monetary and nonmonetary costs) are first-order ones. Results show VMFs value as a multidimensional trade-off, where socialization is not contributing to value, but a balance between cognitive (musical content) and affective (enjoyment, and less escape and novelty) exists. Furthermore, consumer value intensifies both cognitive and affective satisfaction, but just the former affects loyalty. These findings provide new insights to better understand the decision-making processes of virtual festival attendees.     

Loving my local business as my neighbor: Religiosity's influence on local business support during a crisis

Many local businesses have and are continuing to struggle as a result of the pandemic crisis due in part to reduced consumer spending. However, the motives behind why some consumers are more supportive than others toward local businesses in such a crisis are not adequately understood. We address this gap in the literature through three experimental studies where we examine how the core consumer value of religiosity explains consumer response to the crisis as consumers seek to act in ways that align with their value system. Study 1 (257 adults from MTurk) shows a positive relationship between religiosity and support for local businesses but only during a pandemic. Study 2 (307 adults from MTurk) shows that this relationship is greatest for local (vs. non-local) businesses, and caring for one's neighbors mediates this effect. Finally, Study 3 (200 adults from MTurk) uses advertising to prime focus on one's neighbors, revealing that a neighbors-focused ad increases local business support to similar levels for consumers of all religiosity levels. Findings build on belief congruence theory with implications for marketing practitioners in the current pandemic crisis and other crises of medical, environmental, and other origins.     

Outward foreign investment by transnational entrepreneurs: Insights from emerging economies

This research considers how transnational entrepreneurs in emerging economies identify and develop opportunities for investment into international ventures. Specifically, this study seeks to identify common drivers for outward investment by transnational entrepreneurs from their country of origin (Brazil and India) to their adopted country (the US). Findings indicate three common drivers of this type of internationalization: formal education, effectual logic, and the leveraging of perceived market differences. Furthermore, the data show that entrepreneurs prefer a gradual process of investment rather than a large-scale initial investment during the exploitation of international opportunities in the adopted country. The results of this study have important practical implications and are valuable additions to the scholarly understanding of the growing field of transnational entrepreneurship.     

Die neutrale Verbraucherinformation über die Qualität von Dienstleistungen — einige methodische Probleme

Zusammenfassung Auch wenn die vielbeschriebene Entwicklung zum Dienstleistungssektor häufig überschätzt wird, haben Verbraucherorganisationen die neutrale Berichterstattung über die Qualität privater und öffentlicher Leistungen in ihr Serviceangebot einzubeziehen. Die bei einer solchen Informationsstrategie entstehenden methodischen Probleme der Qualitätsmessung immaterieller Produkte sind zahlreich und unterscheiden sich erheblich von denjenigen des Warentests. Sie liegen einerseits in der Natur des Untersuchungsgegenstandes selbst sowie in den Besonderheiten der Marktstrukturen; zum anderen entstehen sie aus den verfügbaren Meßmethoden und Bewertungskriterien. Die Unterschiede zwischen Dienstleistungen und physischen Markenartikeln sowie die noch unbefriedigend entwickelte Methodologie der Dienstleistungstests sind in den Kommunikationsaktivitäten der Verbraucherorganisationen entsprechend zu berücksichtigen.

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Independent consumer information about quality of services — some methodological questions

Though the increasing importance of service industries in modern societies is mostly overrated, consumer organizations should offer independent information about the quality of private and public services. In setting up such information programmes there will arise a lot of methodological issues, different to those of comparative testing of products. Some of the problems stem from the nature of the research object itself and the market structure; other problems are connected with the social science research methods that have to be used and with the choice of criteria of evaluation. The differences between services and physical products as well as the little developed methodology of service testing have to be considered in the choice and design of the testing organization's communication activities.

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Günther Rosenberger ist Leiter der Abteilung Dienstleistungen bei der Stiftung Warentest, Lützowplatz 11–13, D-1000 Berlin 30.