The Environmental Commitment of Consumer Organizations in Denmark, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Belgium

Consumer organizations have traditionally been concerned with protecting, informing, and educating the "weak" consumers. These policies were deemed necessary because of the unequal power balance and conflicts of interests between consumers and producers. Since there are also conflicts between the interests of nature on the one hand, and consumers and producers on the other, this article discusses the rationale of consumer organizations' involvement in environmental issues while considering their original objectives. More specifically, it is aimed at identifying the commitment of several European consumer organizations with respect to environmental issues during the past two decades in order to assess whether and how environmental issues are internalized in consumer policy across time.     

Main effects as a by-product in a fixed effect 2 × 2 design,analyzed with ANOVA

To study interaction effects, two sets of data are created for fixed effect ANOVA, both with combinatory effects of the two factors. In the first, both factors and their interaction contribute independently and directly to the dependent variable. In the second, each factor contributes indirectly to the dependent score. Data created with the first model can be analyzed flawlessly. The second often show relatively large main effects and relatively small interaction effects, and as a consequence the interaction effect may be rejected. Even when the dependent variable results solely from the multiplication of both factor scores, highly significant main effects can be obtained, while the interaction effect remains insignificant. Although mathematically correct, the relative contributions of the main effects are in that case difficult to interpret.     

Assortimentsbepaling van seizoenprodukten

This paper deals with the analysis of a problem often met when determining purchasing policies. From a number of different kinds of goods, which are to be bought, the total quantity is restricted by storing capacity or financial limits. The problem "how much of each kind will be bought" is solved for a discrete as well as for a continuous distribution of demand for the various goods.     

The Impact of Turnout on Turning Up: The Complementarity of Attendance among Co-Workers

This paper studies the effects of complementarities in work attendance on absenteeism. It investigates the case where workers, who turn up for work, cover the workload of absent colleagues. Thus, externalities arise from workers being absent from work. The effort workers exert in the workplace is negatively related to worker turnout. Attendance levels of workers are strategic complements, as workers are more likely to turn up when turnout is high. Firms increase wages and improve working conditions in response. In contrast to the more standard shirking literature, the firm sets employment levels higher. Workers may benefit from draconian firing rules.