Meanings of Food among Polish and American Young Women

Food carries different meanings across cultures and times. This study aimed to explore the meanings of food among young women in Poland and the United States using a qualitative approach. The findings show that, in both countries, women associate food with health, pleasure, and socializing, but overall Polish women are less emotional about food. More specifically, in the United States, women associate food with love, their identities, and have more conflictual feelings about food, whereas in Poland women associate food with creativity. The study discusses marketing implications of the results.     

跨越“中等收入陷阱”的消费率变化轨迹研究--基于东亚、拉美部分国家的启示

2013年我国人均GDP达到6900美元，标志着我国已居于“上中等收入”国家行列，正面临“中等收入陷阱”的威胁。本文基于日本、韩国、巴西和阿根廷的发展历程，考察了“中等收入陷阱”区间下消费率的变化轨迹，认为成功跨越“中等收入陷阱”的消费率特征是：消费率走势呈U型特征，由波动性变化演变为平稳性运行，并大致在人均GDP4000美元形成“消费率拐点”。其中，收入因素对“消费率拐点”的培育与形成具有较大的制约作用。同时文章对比分析了低中等收入阶段我国消费率变化轨迹，认为我国在人均GDP4283美元水平下形成“消费率拐点”，但当前消费需求的充分释放仍面临较强的挑战，迫切需要相应的政策措施来强化“消费率拐点”的形成。     

企业高级管理人员职务消费规范与治理研究

近年来,随着经济的快速发展,企业高级管理人员的职务消费水平逐渐提高,其中职务消费问题也普遍突出,出现了很多亟待解决的问题,比如有关职务消费的规章制度不健全、职务消费管理不足,职责模糊化等等。职务消费是企业的重要成本费用支出之一,只有建立规范的职务消费制度,才有利于企业节省开支,提升企业利润。因此,找到解决职务消费问题的对策是值得研究和探讨的话题。     

Food safety recall effects across meat products and regions

Food safety is one of the key issues for the international meat market. As a major meat exporter, few things facing the U.S. meat industry in recent years have garnered more attention than food safety events and policies. The impacts of Food Safety Inspection Services (FSIS) recalls on United States consumer meat demand are estimated using monthly grocery-scanner data identifying effects across products, geographic regions, and recall type. Results suggest beef E. coli recalls significantly reduce the demand for recalled ground beef contemporaneously among most, but not all, regions in the United States. Evidence of heterogeneity in demand impacts across regions and products is provided for the first time. Domestic and international implications for policy makers, industry leaders, and researchers are discussed.     

青少年文化消费行为对传统家庭的影响——以手机媒体为背景的探讨与研究

从20世纪后半期开始,印刷术时代没落,随之而来的是电视、广播、互联网乃至手机媒体的蒸蒸日上。以手机为代表的新媒体开始以全时、全速、全域、全民的特点充斥在快速成长的青少年生活中,青少年作为主流文化消费者在文化消费中所表现出来追求时尚、注重体验、忽略发展性消费的特点在一定程度上对传统文化家庭的消费决策产生影响。这种影响从根本上不可逆转地改变了传统家庭交流方式,家长被青少年感染,变身孩童化大人,青少年在相对自由的环境中真正得到了身份认同。由此看来,青少年的流行风格与传统家庭文化的碰撞,技术的发展和创新有利于推动传统文化机制的现代化创新。     

Warlords,famine and food aid: Who fights,who starves?

We examine the effects of famine relief efforts (food aid) in regions undergoing civil war. In our model, warlords seize a fraction of all aid. They hire their troops within a population with varied productivities or skills. We determine the equilibrium distribution of labor in this environment and study how the existence and allocation strategies of a benevolent food aid agency affect this equilibrium. Our model allows us to predict who will be recruited, who will receive aid, and who will die of famine in every circumstance.     

Consumer preferences before and after a food safety scare: An experimental analysis of the 2010 egg recall

In August 2010, more than half a billion eggs were recalled in the U.S. because of a Salmonella outbreak. This study examines the effect of the recall with a unique pair of auction experiments investigating willingness to pay (WTP) for conventional and organic eggs, one conducted shortly before and one right after the recall with the same participants. In addition to the before and after bids, participants bid again after a negative information or balanced information treatment about the event. Accompanying surveys showed consumers had a high level of awareness of the recall but less knowledge of specific details, and viewed information on egg farm conditions as very important in their WTP. While there were no significant before and after differences, WTP for organic eggs significantly increased in the negative information treatment, and balanced information had a positive effect on consumer WTP for conventional eggs.     

Role of food neophilia in food market tourists’ motivational construct: The case of La Boqueria in Barcelona,Spain

In this paper we advocate the study of local food markets to explore fundamental issues about the relationship between these urban tourist attractions and visitors’ motivation and satisfaction. Based on a survey in La Boqueria Market in Barcelona, Spain, we test the direct effect of escape from routine, cultural experience, prestige, and food market involvement on satisfaction, and also the moderator role of food neophilia in this relationship. We conclude that tourists visiting food markets are motivated mainly by cultural experience and interaction with local producers, while food neophilia plays a significant moderator role.     

Understanding consumption in social virtual worlds: A sensemaking perspective on the consumption of virtual goods

Virtual consumption involves consuming virtual goods in cyberspace. Virtual consumption activities are evolving into an essential activity in social virtual worlds. Despite the growing importance of this activity, little research examines this phenomenon. The current study investigates the fundamental question of how users understand the consumption of virtual goods. Using the theory of social representations and core-periphery analysis, this study elicits and analyzes the social representation of virtual consumption. Study participants are 154 Second Life users. Results identify 32 concepts and relationships representing the collective perceptions of virtual consumption in this social virtual world. Social representation map interpretations point to several key themes that provide a foundation for future investigations of virtual economy consumption behavior.     

Soil is brown gold in the Emilia-Romagna region,Italy

Soil is a natural resource essential to human welfare by virtue of its numerous crucial functions. In the past, soil has been taken for granted because of its widespread, albeit finite, availability. However, now that world's population is projected to exceed ten billion before the end of this century, soil is increasingly perceived as a precious commodity. Consequently, soil is increasingly under pressure by rich private investors and governments within the poorest countries to satisfy appetites for food production and biofuel. A case study is used to explore the plausibility of soil being considered as ‘brown gold’. Based on the comparison of land use maps, we estimated the value in terms of resource from raw material, carbon sink and virtual calories of the productive soil lost during the period 2003–2008 in the Emilia-Romagna Plain, one of the most productive areas of Italy. More than fifteen thousand hectares of cropland underwent land use change – in particular urbanization – over the 6-year period with an implied loss of crop production potential equivalent to the daily calorific requirement of more than 440,000 people. Taking into account that Italy is no longer self-sufficient in food production, such a loss appears to be strategically significant. Perhaps more importantly, urbanization and soil sealing has had negative ramifications on environmental sustainability, on both local and broad scales, with increased consumption of public funds. A logical framework of the socio-economic impact of land use change has been compiled and is presented as a possible example of a policy relevant approach to managing productive soils as a finite resource.