Consumers׳ perception of the complexity of selected household purchase decisions

This study provides evidence of consumers׳ perception of the complexity of a variety of product/service decisions in terms of a complexity continuum and indicates how such categorisation is influenced by specific demographic characteristics, specifically gender, age and education level that are predominant in terms of consumer socialisation. A survey which was conducted in a major city and involved 461 respondents. The multiple section structured questionnaire were completed by willing spouses/partners of participating households. Complexity values were calculated in terms of a specific anchoring product, namely major household appliances. It became evident that the most expensive purchases that households ever make, namely purchasing a home and a car, which were perceived to be the most complex by all while grocery purchase was on the least complex divide of the continuum. Also on the more complex divide of the continuum were service related decisions such as insurance. Particularly noteworthy is the confirmation of significant differences in perceived complexity within product categories that are perceived to be the most- and the least complex by all. This confirms the vulnerability of certain segments of the consumer society and the need for concerted effort to communicate with them in appropriate media and on a level that would enhance informed consumer decision-making. Underlying reasons probably relate to consumers׳ risk perception and affordability issues that could be explored in future research. Interestingly the findings of the gender comparison shifted the focus to different product categories than those elicited in the age-, income and level of education comparisons. Findings therefore confirm the relevance of demographic characteristics in media communication and consumer facilitation as well as in research. Retailers and marketers should therefore be cognisant of the characteristics of their target markets and be very selective and cautious when identifying communication media.     

经济最优化中的动态规划

本文应用动态规划讨论了线性、非线性最优化问题,并提出了递推方程。     

新形势下社区居委会群众工作研究

群众路线不仅仅是我们党在历史过程中取得胜利的关键,同时也是我们党在新时期、新阶段取得建设胜利的重要理论实践基础之一。街道的社区居委会是和老百姓之间联系最为密切的一个部门,与老百姓的距离是最接近的。街道的社区居委会所提供的社区服务质量问题以及群众满意度,都会直接影响到人民群众对于我们党的印象,甚至影响政府和党委在人民群众心目中的地位。因此,走群众路线,深入基层,做好社区服务工作,对新形势下保持党的先进性有着重要的意义。     

Pay-what-you-want in groups – evidence from a field experiment

Pay-what-you-want (PWYW) mechanisms are a specific form of voluntary market payment. While a large number of recent studies have considered their design options, the aspect of group behaviour in PWYW situations has not been investigated, although a substantial part of payment decisions occur in group constellations. We provide initial evidence by running a field experiment implementing a PWYW mechanism in a cinema characterized by group attendance, finding that groups chose to pay similar amounts as individuals. Group payments can be increased by a prosocial framing of the decision, while an increase in group size and repeated participation reduce voluntary payments. We thus show that group payment decisions in PWYW situations are characterized by altruism concerns rather than in-group egoism.     

Female directors on the board and cost of debt: evidence from Australia

We examine whether the presence of female board members has any impact on the cost of debt among Australian listed companies. We find that female presence on the board is negatively associated with the cost of debt. Most importantly, our findings support the argument of critical mass theory that a certain threshold of gender balance is required for enhancing board effectiveness. Our results are valid irrespective of alternate model specifications and endogeneity issues. Overall, the results provide support to the ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendation for the appointment of female directors on corporate boards.     

Board gender diversity and carbon emissions: European evidence on curvilinear relationships and critical mass

The role of European businesses in addressing environmental issues and climate change has taken center stage with the European Green Deal. With increasing attention to the effect of board gender diversity (BGD) on firms' environmental performance, the question arises whether BGD has any influence on carbon emissions. Based on legitimacy and critical mass theory, this study empirically investigates the impact of BGD on firms' carbon performance (CP), based on total carbon emissions intensity. The paper relies on two-stage least squares (2SLS) regressions with instrumental variable (IV) and a two-step generalized method of moments (GMM) system approach to analyze a cross-country sample of 3123 observations from non-financial firms in the European STOXX600 index over the 2009–2018 period. Our findings add to the growing empirical evidence twofold: (1) there is a robust linear and positive relationship between BGD and CP, whereas some indication of a U-shaped relationship is found; and (2) we find that a critical mass of at least two women directors needs to be reached to increase CP. Our research results contribute to the current discussion on sustainable corporate governance, especially in the European capital market, and have implications for researchers, business practice, and regulatory issues alike.     

对ISO4074：2002附录F．3．6条款中干燥恒重误差为±10mg的质疑与研究

本文论述了使用有吸附能力的纸巾对避孕套进行简单擦拭处理而不按照常规检测实验要求进行检测，就能达到ISO4074：2002《天然乳胶橡胶避孕套技术要求与试验方法》附录F．3．6条款中使用质量测量方法规定“误差为±10mg”标准要求，用以证实使用该条款可能导致避孕套厚度检测结论误判，提示有必要进行修正。     

论红船精神与党的群众路线——舟水关系的当代诠释

通过对舟水关系的诠释,从当代全新的视角审视了红船精神与群众路线的关系,红船精神是党的群众路线内涵的体现,党的群众路线是红船精神的基石。践行群众路线,是红船精神在新的历史条件下的新发展、新要求和新体现,要以"为民"为旨,以"务实"为要,以"清廉"为本,真正实现风雨同舟战激流,逆水行舟争上游。     

An actor-oriented approach to understanding dairy farming in a liberalised regime: A case study of Ireland’s New Entrants’ Scheme

With the abolition of dairy quotas in 2015 major change in Europe’s dairy industry is anticipated at the level of individual farms, with consequences for how land is utilised and managed. Critical questions in this context are how farmers react to the myriad challenges coming forth from changed policy circumstances and, more specifically, the factors that influence their responses to these challenges at farm level. As part of a broader multi-disciplinary research project, this paper presents a narrative analysis of dairy farmers participating in Ireland’s New Entrants’ Scheme, an initiative that has facilitated the establishment of over two hundred new dairy farms. Salient with an increasing literature on Agriculture Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKISs) within agriculture, the paper focuses specifically on the actors who influence the decisions of the New Entrants (NEs) at this critical juncture in the transformation of dairy policy. Led by Norman Long’s actor-oriented approach, we examine social interfaces involving NEs and different categories of actors. We found that interfaces conditioned by coercive behaviour on the part of actors had a narrow scope of influence on farmers’ decisions compared to interfaces characterised by relatively equal power relations. The latter interfaces had the capacity to be strongly influential on broad habitual production and management decisions. Interfaces involving family members, however, had ultimate influence on major strategic decision-making, including decisions to establish new enterprises. Overall, our analysis suggests that NEs are empowered decision-makers in their social interfaces with other AKIS actors and our biographical approach to the analysis indicates that quota deregulation itself has not led to radical changes in who influences NEs’ decision-making.     

食药安全监管的群众路线工作法

在当前的社会背景下,食品和药品安全一直是社会比较关注的问题,所以为了促进人们使用放心食品和药品,应当保证食药安全。在社会主义发展和建设过程中,我们党坚持以群众路线为根本工作路线,发挥人民群众的巨大作用。新时期,我国的食药安全监督管理工作面临着诸多挑战。为了确保食药安全,应当发挥群众的作用。基于此,针对食药安全监管的群众路线工作法进行分析,通过对当前我国食药监管现状加以探究,并提出大力开展群众路线工作法的有效措施,从而最大程度提升我国食药安全质量,维护人民群众的根本利益。