Consumer dissatisfaction — Search for causes and alleviation outside the marketplace

This paper is an attempt to provide a theoretical basis for the design of new, more effective, directions for institutions and consumer leaders whose goal is the alleviation of today's widespread dissatisfaction among consumers. In contrast to the common assumption that consumer dissatisfaction is caused by inequalities and imperfections in the marketplace, the author introduces, and defends by use of the framework of E. R. G. theory, the concept that a large portion of the dissatisfaction experienced and expressed by an individual in the area of material consumption reflects his dissatisfaction with need fulfillment at the higher level of interpersonal relationships. The new concept suggests that the most effective route to greater satisfaction among consumers is not likely to be found in increased consumption opportunities through higher incomes and/or better deals in a more perfect marketplace, but in improved satisfaction of relatedness needs.

---

Zusammenfassung Der Beitrag versucht, einen neuen Ansatz zur Verringerung der Unzufriedenheit von Verbrauchern theoretisch zu begründen. Im Gegensatz zu der sonst üblichen Annahme, daß Verbraucherunzufriedenheit auf Unzulänglichkeiten von Produkten und Märkten zurückgeht, wird hier die Auffassung vertreten, daß sie weitgehend auf unzureichender Befriedigung von Bedürfnissen nach zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen beruht. Diese Auffassung wird bedürfnistheoretisch (mit der E. R. G.-Theorie) abgeleitet. Sie legt nahe, daß höhere Zufriedenheit von Verbrauchern nicht so sehr durch bessere Marktbedingungen, bessere Produkte oder höhere Einkommen erreicht werden kann, als vielmehr durch verbesserte Möglichkeiten zur Befriedigung von zwischenmenschlichen Beziehungen.

---

---

Gerhard W. H. Scherf is an Associate Professor at University of Guelph, Department of Consumer Studies, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2 W1.     

I. Allgemeine wirstchaftslehre

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Ein Beitrag zur nicht-statischen Werttheorie

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Diffusion and scale dynamics: A case study

This paper examines the relationship between the diffusion of a major process innovation, oxygen steel-making, and the growth of plant sizes. As in some previous studies, a step-wise pattern of scale increases is observed; however, there is no stable correlation of these increases to cumulative capacity expansion, maximum plant sizes appear to have stabilized, and plants of widely dispersed capacities continued to be built as oxygen steel-making became the dominant technique, world-wide. Factors responsible for scale increase are analyzed; steadily growing equipment size, the addition of equipment to existing plants, and a wide range of minor innovations and adaptations have contributed to growth in plant capacities; in most instances, scale-up continued after the beginning of operations. It is concluded that the frequently-used concept of an optimal, or maximum feasible, plant scale remains ambiguous without reference to the specific technical and economic conditions of production systems, and that plant-size increases are fully dependent on continuing technological effort.     

Nimmt die Kapitalintensität monoton mit dem Lohn-Zinsverhältnis zu?

Ohne ZusammenfassungMit 3 Textabbildungen     

Decomposing desert and tangibility effects in a charitable giving experiment

Several papers have documented that when subjects play with standard laboratory “endowments” they make less self-interested choices than when they use money they have either earned through a laboratory task or brought from outside the lab. In the context of a charitable giving experiment we decompose this into two common artifacts of the laboratory: the intangibility of money (or experimental currency units) promised on a computer screen relative to cash in hand, and the distinct treatment of random “windfall” gains relative to earned money. While both effects are found to be significant in non-parametric tests, the former effect, which has been neglected in previous studies, has a stronger impact on total donations, while the latter effect has a greater impact on the probability of donating. These results have clear implications for experimental design, and also suggest that the availability of more abstract payment methods may increase other-regarding behavior in the field.     

“Want to” Versus “Have to”: Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivators as Predictors of Compliance Behavior Intention

“Worthless,” “money burning,” or “black holes” is how media and professionals describe compliance practices today. Practitioners are unenthusiastic about control systems, codes of conducts, and systems for compliance management that are increasing in volume but not in effectiveness. In order to help practitioners clarify what actually makes employees comply with their compliance program, this study examines intrinsic and extrinsic motivators of 119 employees from procurement and sales. We contribute to the existing motivation literature, testing the self‐determination theory in low and high hierarchical levels. Our findings show that intrinsic motivators are more strongly and positively related to compliance intention on higher hierarchical levels than the lower ones. However, employees from higher hierarchies show overall less compliance intention than employees from lower hierarchies. © 2015 The Authors. Human Resource Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.