PERCEIVED ARSENIC‐RELATED MORTALITY RISKS FOR SMOKERS AND NON‐SMOKERS

Prolonged ingestion of arsenic in drinking water can increase the risks of dying of lung and bladder cancer, particularly for smokers. In a survey of arsenic hotspots in the United States, we elicited individuals' subjective mortality risks related to the presence of arsenic in drinking water. Using this data, we address whether smokers perceive mortality risks from this source differently from non‐smokers. We find that those who have smoked at some point in their life have significantly higher perceived arsenic mortality risks than those who have never smoked, on average. We also find that the sample group of current smokers has higher average perceived arsenic mortality risks than those who have quit smoking. We model the decision to treat water for arsenic and find some evidence that current smokers are less likely to engage in this mitigating behavior than are ex‐smokers or non‐smokers even though their perceived risk is higher. We infer that smokers are either less risk averse or have a higher rate of time preference than non‐smokers and ex‐smokers. (JEL I0, D81, Q53)     

Satisfaction with current commuting expense as related to the relative fuel efficiency of a desired car purchase

Although projecting the demand for cars in North America has been the subject of research for almost half a century,^1–6 increases in the price of petroleum and petroleum products during the 1970s prompted an interest in projecting the demand for fuel-efficient cars. The purpose of this paper is to assess factors affecting the relative fuel efficiency of a desired car purchase among households with at least one individual employed outside the home. In addition to socio-economic and demographic characteristics of the household, sex of the worker, distance to work and satisfaction with the expense involved in the journey to work are used to predict relative efficiency of a potential car purchase. The analysis is not intended to follow the lines of a traditional economic analysis. Rather, its purpose is to add other dimensions to such analyses.     

The managerial behaviour of families with preschool children

The purpose of this study is to examine the managerial behaviour of families with preschool children. Dummy variable regression analysis is used as an analysis of covariance procedure in order to ascertain how reported managerial behaviour scores of families with only younger children vary with regard to other family types. This study has resulted in two major findings. The first is that there is indication that managerial behaviour is more a function of family composition than socio-economic/demographic characteristics. The second finding is that families with only preschool children are more similar to families with only older children than to families with both younger and older children or families without children. The conclusion is that it is not just the presence of preschool children that makes a difference in managerial behaviour, but whether or not there are only preschool children in the family.     

DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERNS OF ASIA'S APPAREL INDUSTRY

People in many parts of the world depend upon the manufacture of textile and apparel products for their livelihood. The status of these two closely related industries has a major impact on the economic health of many countries, both large and small. In fact, the growth of the textile and apparel industry may be one of the strongest, most reliable indicators of a developing country's economic development. Further, the level of sophistication of production in this industry may be viewed as a ‘barometer’ of the level of technological progress in a country. For this reason the developmental patterns of Asia's apparel industry are studied.     

INNOVATIONS IN LODGING ACCOMMODATION

Levels of agreement about facilities in lodging accommodation between families and motel operators in the East South Central States of Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, and Mississippi are examined. Families questioned also indicated additional facilities that would be welcome in motel accommodation in the future. The procedure utilized in this project could be applied to a variety of geographical or corporation boundaries.     

UNRAVELING THE PROCESS OF CREATIVE DESTRUCTION: COMPLEMENTARY ASSETS AND INCUMBENT SURVIVAL IN THE TYPESETTER INDUSTRY

When radical technological change transforms an industry established firms sometimes fail drastically and are displaced by new entrants, yet other times survive and prosper. Drawing upon an unusually rich data set that covers the technological and competitive history of the typesetter industry from 1886 to 1990, this paper uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to unravel this process of creative destruction. It argues that the ultimate commercial performance of incumbents vs. new entrants is driven by the balance and interaction of three factors: investment, technical capabilities, and appropriability through specialized complementary assets. In this industry, specialized complementary assets played a crucial role in buffering incumbents from the effects of competence destruction, and an analysis that examined investment or technical capabilities in isolation would have led to misleading results. This work thus highlights the importance of considering multiple perspectives when examining the competitive implications of technological change. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Family Communication Patterns and Marketplace Motivations,Attitudes, and Behaviors of Children and Mothers

This study examined the relation between family communication patterns (FCP) and mothers' marketplace motivations, attitudes, and behaviors (MAB). Adolescents' prediction accuracy of mothers' consumption motivations was also investigated. Results indicate mothers' materialistic and shopping tendencies, advertising attitudes, information use, and consumption motivations are linked to FCP. Adolescents' predictions of mothers' consumption motivations coincided with mothers' self-reported motivations. The findings suggest that FCP may play a role in the acquisition of marketplace MAB.     

Consumer Access to Health Care: Basic Right 21st Century Challenge

Today, this country is confronting a crisis in health care of broad and critical dimensions. Dwarfing all others is the issue of the consumer's right to affordable quality comprehensive health care. This paper deals first with the dimension of the health care crisis confronting this country. It considers the major proposals for health care reform. Finally, it examines the role of the consumer movement and of American Council on Consumer Interests (ACCI) in ensuring that the consumer's interest is protected in the current debate on how best to provide equitable and affordable health care to all Americans without regard to the individual's ability to pay.