16 CFR Appendix F to Part 698 - General Summary of Consumer Rights

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General Summary of Consumer Rights F... FORMS AND DISCLOSURES Pt. 698, App. F Appendix F to Part 698—General Summary of Consumer Rights The... consumer. ER30NO04.002 ER30NO04.003 [69 FR 69787, Nov. 30, 2004] ...

Change Makers: The Struggle for Consumer Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Helen E.; And Others

1995-01-01

"Video Documentary Project: A Brief History" (Nelson, Clark) describes "Change Makers: The Struggle for Consumer Rights," a documentary that tells stories of ordinary people who participated in the struggle to obtain fairness in the marketplace. "An Appraisal" (Mayer) offers a review of the film. (JOW)

Consumer Rights and Accountability in Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Education: An Exploratory Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzgerald, Brian; Harmon, Lisa

Beginning in October 1987, Pelavin Associates conducted an exploratory study of consumer rights and accountability in postsecondary vocational-technical (PVT) programs for the U.S. Department of Education. The study focused on how effectively the governance structure--accreditation and federal and state regulation--ensures that consumer rights are…

The Draft Directive on Consumer Rights: Choices Made and Arguments Used

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willem H. van Boom

2009-11-01

Full Text Available The 2008 proposal for a Directive on Consumer Rights (hereinafter: the Draft aims at reorganizing the acquis of four specific European directives on consumer protection into a more coherent codification of consumer rights. Specifically, it contains rules on precontractual information duties, on withdrawal rights for distance and off-premises contracts, on consumer sales and on general contract terms in consumer contracts. In replacing the four directives with a minimum harmonization character, the Draft marks a further step towards full harmonization of consumer contract law in Europe. This is an unsettling step because the level of protection offered to consumers in the Draft hardly exceeds the level of protection offered by the four directives mentioned earlier. Instead, it diminishes this protection in some regards. In light of all this, the question arises whether the policy choices underlying the Draft are, in fact, convincingly underpinned by solid argumentation. This article addresses this issue by first analyzing the Draft's use of the generic concept of “contracts between consumers and traders”. It is argued that full harmonization of a badly delineated territory is ill-advised. Subsequently, the argumentative power of the policy considerations forwarded by the European Commission in its Regulatory Assessment Study is tested. The article concludes that the Commission’s assessment of expected costs and benefits of the Draft is waver-thin and geared towards persuading the reader of the aptness of choices already made. In some respects, the evidence presented by the Commission is outright unconvincing. At certain points, the Draft even fuels the reader’s suspicion of foregone conclusions. Overall, the need for reduction of the level of protection offered by the current minimum harmonization directives is poorly argued by the Commission and appears, in a number of important ways, not to reflect the socio-economic relationships that

Forgiveness from Emotion Fit: Emotional Frame, Consumer Emotion, and Feeling-Right in Consumer Decision to Forgive.

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Yaxuan; Wei, Haiying; Li, Qing

2016-01-01

Three studies examine an emotion fit effect in the crisis communication, namely, the interaction between emotional frames of guilt and shame and consumer emotions of anger and fear on consumer forgiveness. Guilt-framing communication results in higher forgiveness than shame-framing for angry consumers, whereas shame-framing communication results in higher forgiveness than guilt-framing for fearful consumers. These effects are driven by consumers' accessible regulatory foci associated with anger/fear and guilt/shame. Specifically, feelings of anger activate a promotion focus that is represented by guilt frames, while feelings of fear activate a prevention focus that is enacted by shame frames. Compared with emotion non-fit (i.e., anger to shame and fear to guilt), emotion fit (i.e., anger to guilt and fear to shame) facilitates greater feeling-right and consumer forgiveness. The findings offer novel insights for extant literature on emotion, crisis communication, and regulatory focus theory, as well as practical suggestions regarding the emotional frames.

Relationship between colorimetric (instrumental) evaluation and consumer-defined beef colour acceptability.

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Benjamin W B; Mao, Yanwei; Coombs, Cassius E O; van de Ven, Remy J; Hopkins, David L

2016-11-01

The relationship between instrumental colorimetric values (L*, a*, b*, the ratio of reflectance at 630nm and 580nm) and consumer perception of acceptable beef colour was evaluated using a web-based survey and standardised photographs of beef m. longissimus lumborum with known colorimetrics. Only L* and b* were found to relate to average consumer opinions of beef colour acceptability. Respondent nationality was also identified as a source of variation in beef colour acceptability score. Although this is a preliminary study with the findings necessitating additional investigation, these results suggest L* and b* as candidates for developing instrumental thresholds for consumer beef colour expectations. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recognition rights, mental health consumers and reconstructive cultural semantics

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Radden Jennifer H

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Those in mental health-related consumer movements have made clear their demands for humane treatment and basic civil rights, an end to stigma and discrimination, and a chance to participate in their own recovery. But theorizing about the politics of recognition, 'recognition rights' and epistemic justice, suggests that they also have a stake in the broad cultural meanings associated with conceptions of mental health and illness. Results First person accounts of psychiatric diagnosis and mental health care (shown here to represent 'counter stories' to the powerful 'master narrative' of biomedical psychiatry, offer indications about how experiences of mental disorder might be reframed and redefined as part of efforts to acknowledge and honor recognition rights and epistemic justice. However, the task of cultural semantics is one for the entire culture, not merely consumers. These new meanings must be negotiated. When they are not the result of negotiation, group-wrought definitions risk imposing a revision no less constraining than the mis-recognizing one it aims to replace. Contested realities make this a challenging task when it comes to cultural meanings about mental disorder. Examples from mental illness memoirs about two contested realities related to psychosis are examined here: the meaninglessness of symptoms, and the role of insight into illness. They show the magnitude of the challenge involved - for consumers, practitioners, and the general public - in the reconstruction of these new meanings and realities. Conclusion To honor recognition rights and epistemic justice acknowledgement must be made of the heterogeneity of the effects of, and of responses to, psychiatric diagnosis and care, and the extent of the challenge of the reconstructive cultural semantics involved.

16 CFR Appendix E to Part 698 - Summary of Consumer Identity Theft Rights

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Summary of Consumer Identity Theft Rights E Appendix E to Part 698 Commercial Practices FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT MODEL FORMS AND DISCLOSURES Pt. 698, App. E Appendix E to Part 698—Summary of Consumer Identity Theft Rights...

Forgiveness from Emotion Fit: Emotional Frame, Consumer Emotion, and Feeling-Right in Consumer Decision to Forgive

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Yaxuan; Wei, Haiying; Li, Qing

2016-01-01

Three studies examine an emotion fit effect in the crisis communication, namely, the interaction between emotional frames of guilt and shame and consumer emotions of anger and fear on consumer forgiveness. Guilt-framing communication results in higher forgiveness than shame-framing for angry consumers, whereas shame-framing communication results in higher forgiveness than guilt-framing for fearful consumers. These effects are driven by consumers’ accessible regulatory foci associated with anger/fear and guilt/shame. Specifically, feelings of anger activate a promotion focus that is represented by guilt frames, while feelings of fear activate a prevention focus that is enacted by shame frames. Compared with emotion non-fit (i.e., anger to shame and fear to guilt), emotion fit (i.e., anger to guilt and fear to shame) facilitates greater feeling-right and consumer forgiveness. The findings offer novel insights for extant literature on emotion, crisis communication, and regulatory focus theory, as well as practical suggestions regarding the emotional frames. PMID:27895612

THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMER RIGHTS FOR AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY IN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA

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Annalisa Yahanan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Indonesia and Malaysia have a good potency for cooperation in aviation industry. It can be seen in the establishing two aviation companies namely PT. Indonesia Air Asia and Malindo which both are low-cost carrier. These aviation industries are categorized as low-cost carrier, however safety and security are absolute factors because these are rights for consumers. This article will describe further about safety and security standard; protecting the rights for consumers in connection with safety aviation in Indonesia and Malaysia from the Consumer Protection Law and the Aviation Law. As a result of the research shows that safety standard passenger for air transportation in airport covers information and safety facility in the shape of availability of the emergency safety tools (fires, accidents and natural disasters; information, area and health facility; and healthcare workers. Moreover, safety standards for passenger in an aircraft include information and safety facility in the shape of availability information and the emergency safety tools for passenger in an aircraft. The protection for consumer rights for safety flight in Indonesia as follows: aviation industry has obligation to fulfill minimum standard of safety and security; consumers must be safety from false information which raises concern; aircraft operation which endanger of the passenger; and consumer protection in operating the electronic device which endanger flight. On the other hand, the law of consumer rights in Malaysia relating to aviation are ruled under the Aviation Law as a result of the Warsaw Convention 1929. In conclusion, the verdict of consumer rights related to security aviation begins when the passenger enter to an aircraft, in the aircraft, and by the time they get off the plane.

To ban or not to ban: direct-to-consumer advertising and human rights analysis

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Alex Wellington

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The issues surrounding Direct-To-Consumer Advertising of pharmaceuticals are ripe for scrutiny through the lens of Human Rights analysis. Among the human rights most decisively engaged by DTCA is the right to autonomy in health-related decision making, which in turn incorporates right of access to health-related information. The latter incorporates, in part, right of access to reliable and beneficial information through the avenues of commercial speech among others. Another crucial human right is the right not to be harmed by unsafe consumer products through corporate malfeasance or negligence. The most commonly invoked policy options in the context of DTCA are either an outright ban or strengthening regulatory oversight in combination with voluntary guidelines. Banning Direct-To-Consumer Advertising risks being both over inclusive and under inclusive as a policy option. A wholesale ban risks being over inclusive in that it could deprive consumers of information about medications with a positive benefit-risk profile, ones that could enhance their quality of health and well being. Thus it risks being overly paternalistic. Banning DTCA, by itself, is under inclusive in that it is insufficient to address the ways that unadvertised drugs can pose significant risks to consumers. Other policy measures would be most optimal to deal with the very serious deficits in the processes by which prescription drugs undergo clinical trials, and garner regulatory approval prior to their promotion in the marketplace. A more finely tuned approach to regulatory oversight is endorsed, one involving a proactive and precautionary approach reliant upon prior approval. Such an approach could help to address the very serious concerns about potential infringements of the human right not to be harmed by unsafe consumer products through corporate malfeasance or negligence.

To Withdraw Or Not To Withdraw? Evaluation of the Mandatory Right of Withdrawal in Consumer Distance Selling Contracts Taking Into Account Its Behavioural Effects on Consumers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luzak, J.A.

2014-01-01

The right of withdrawal was introduced to European consumer law as an exception to the general contractual principle of pacta sunt servanda. It has recently been upheld in the Consumer Rights Directive as a mandatory right for consumers concluding distance selling contracts. Among various

THREE DECADES OF CONSUMER PROTECTION OF RIGHTS ACT: RURAL INDIA NEEDS FOCUSED ATTENTION

OpenAIRE

Dr. Amrit Patel

2017-01-01

India has been observing December 24 each year since 1986 as “National Consumer Rights Day”, when the Consumer Protection Act [CPA], 1986 came into force on this day. Despite the implementation of the CPA has completed three decades in the country, the rural India has yet to understand the meaning of consumer’s rights & the procedure to protect the right enshrined in the CPA,1986. This has its significance because according to the National Council of Applied Economic Research survey report th...

Mobile Phone and Internet Consumers Rights Compliance in Romania

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Viorela Iacovoiu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This study highlights the extent to which rights of mobile phone and internet consumers are respected by the most important operators in Romania, namely Orange, Vodafone and Cosmote, in the context of accelerated technological changes on a highly competitive market. The research is focused on the analysis of regulations and contractual grievance procedures, number, distribution and motivation of consumer complaints, administrative quality indicators of data services and main consumer complaints. Among the documents under analysis we can mention contractual agreements, applicable procedures, as well as relevant empirical data provided by NAPC, NAMRC, economic operators and a site for online complaints, namely ReclamatieOnline.ro. The analyses emphasize that consumer complaints are mainly due to problems arising from contracts with service providers, billing services and defects of electronic terminals under warranty. The main cause for all this is the insufficient information users are provided with and, therefore, consumers’ decreased ability in the decision making process involved in the purchase of mobile technology and internet services. To better inform consumers, at the end of the study we propose a series of measures that could be adopted by mobile and internet service providers and regulatory, supervision and control institutions, as well as future directions of research in the field.

Scientific-methodological approaches to designing risk-oriented model of control and surveillance activities in the sphere of consumer rights protection

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N.V. Zaitseva

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We present scientific-methodological approaches to defining risk categories of economic entities which are subject to surveillance in the sphere of consumer rights protection. Risk is suggested to be assessed as a product of violations frequency comprising violations of separate provisions of the law on consumer rights protection detected in the course of scheduled and unscheduled inspections; a number of claims per one detected violation which were satisfied by courts in favor of consumers; each separate case of harm accepted by court in money terms (as a sum of physical and moral damage to health and damage to property; and coefficient of a potential impact scope which differentiates risks for economic entities belonging to micro-, small, medium-sized and large business. Our information sources are official statistic data obtained due to realization of state control in the sphere of consumer rights protection and court practice collected in all the RF regions over 2012–2016. It is shown that a share of economic entities with extremely high risk potential which can cause total material damage to consumers in sums greater than 10 million rubles per year amounts to about 0.15 % of the total number of economic entities (both juridical persons and private entrepreneurs; economic entities with high risk potential account for about 2 %. Such groups are made of companies involved in financial markets, share construction services, insurance and tourism. About 23 % of juridical persons and private entrepreneurs can be classified as having low risk potential and they can be excluded from scheduled inspections. Economic entities structure in general corresponds to world practices. It is shown that risk-oriented surveillance model development requires improvements in keeping registers of juridical persons and private entrepreneurs as such registers should contain comprehensive information; it is necessary for correct risk category (or hazard category

Effect of consumer rights on improvement of the buyer-sellers relationships in developing countries firms

OpenAIRE

R. Shafei; F. Shafei

2016-01-01

The aim of the article. The purpose of this research is evaluating of the relationship between the consumer rights and buyers-seller communications. The results of the analysis. The results of research indicated that the most important rights of consumers are: manufacturing regulations (pre-purchasing stage), confidence (in-purchasing stage) and packaging (post-purchasing stage). Also, the research findings showed that the mentioned rights affect the relational marketing. Also to respect t...

Direct to consumer genetic testing and the libertarian right to test.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonython, Wendy Elizabeth; Arnold, Bruce Baer

2017-08-20

Loi recently proposed a libertarian right to direct to consumer genetic testing (DTCGT)- independent of autonomy or utility-reflecting Cohen's work on self-ownership and Hohfeld's model of jural relations. Cohen's model of libertarianism dealt principally with self-ownership of the physical body. Although Loi adequately accounts for the physical properties of DNA, DNA is also an informational substrate, highly conserved within families. Information about the genome of relatives of the person undergoing testing may be extrapolated without requiring direct engagement with their personal physical copy of the genome, triggering rights and interests of relatives that may differ from the rights and interests of others, that is, individual consumers, testing providers and regulators. Loi argued that regulatory interference with exercise of the right required justification, whereas prima facie exercise of the right did not. Justification of regulatory interference could include 'conflict with other people's rights', 'aggressive' use of the genome and 'harming others'. Harms potentially experienced by relatives as a result of the individual's exercise of a right to test include breach of genetic privacy, violation of their right to determine when, and if, they undertake genetic testing and discrimination. Such harms may justify regulatory intervention, in the event they are recognised; motives driving 'aggressive' use of the genome may also be relevant. Each of the above criteria requires clarification, as potential redundancies and tensions exist between them, with different implications affecting different groups of rights holders. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Analysis of the Romanian Insurance Market Based on Ensuring and Exercising Consumers` Right to Claim

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Dan Armeanu

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In the financial market of insurance, consumer protection represents an important component contributing to the stability, discipline and efficiency of the market. In this respect, the activity of educating and informing insurance consumers on ensuring and exercising their right to claim plays a leading role in the mechanism of consumer protection. This study aims to improve the decision-making capacity of the financial services consumers from the Romanian insurance market through better information on ensuring and exercising their right to claim under the legislation. Thus, by applying three data analysis techniques – principal components analysis, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis – to the data regarding the petitions that were registered by the 41 insurance companies which operated in the Romanian market in 2012, a classification that assesses the insurance market transparency is achieved, resulting in a better information for consumers and, hence, the improvement of their protection through reducing the level of transactions that are harmful to consumers

Characteristics and consequences of consumer society

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Trandafilović Igor

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper's aim is studying the term of consumer society and its characteristics as well as its consequences on the community as a whole. Nowadays, a consumer is no longer a passive observer but an active participant. As the consumer's role has changed in the modern market, a new approach to marketing is required by companies. The term 'consumer society' entails defining consumerism in more detail as it has been used refer to the consumerists movement or movement for consumer rights protection. In another context, consumerism refers to the so-called consumer mentality.

THE PROTECTION OF CONSUMER RIGHTS FOR AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY IN INDONESIA AND MALAYSIA

OpenAIRE

Annalisa Yahanan; Febrian Febrian; Rohani Abdul Rahim

2017-01-01

Indonesia and Malaysia have a good potency for cooperation in aviation industry. It can be seen in the establishing two aviation companies namely PT. Indonesia Air Asia and Malindo which both are low-cost carrier. These aviation industries are categorized as low-cost carrier, however safety and security are absolute factors because these are rights for consumers. This article will describe further about safety and security standard; protecting the rights for consumers in connection with safet...

The Protection of Consumer Rights for Aviation Safety and Security in Indonesia and Malaysia

OpenAIRE

Yahanan, Annalisa; Febrian, Febrian; Rahim, Rohani Abdul

2017-01-01

Indonesia and Malaysia have a good potency for cooperation in aviation industry. It can be seen in the establishing two aviation companies namely PT. Indonesia Air Asia and Malindo which both are low-cost carrier. These aviation industries are categorized as low-cost carrier, however safety and security are absolute factors because these are rights for consumers. This article will describe further about safety and security standard; protecting the rights for consumers in connection with safet...

Informing consumers: Protection from deceptive advertising

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Stanković Ljiljana

2013-01-01

Full Text Available It is widely accepted that only informed consumers are protected from potential violation of their consumer rights. Advertising represents one of the main ways of informing consumers, so it is of crutial importance for it to include adequate information that can facilitate decision making proces regarding the purchase. With aim of preventing violation of basic consumer rights, advertising is regulated by legislation, both on EU level and on national level in Republic of Serbia, and while so special attention is dedicated to defining advertising that can possibly lead to deception of consumers. Authors of this paper are focused on analysing legislation and theoretical explanations of deceptive advertising. Results of the research regarding advertising in Serbia and ability of consumers to protect themselves from deceptive advertising are presented. The main aim of the authors is to contribute to increasing level of consumers' self-protection through increasing level of their counciousness on deceptive advertising and its concequences.

The problem of defining contemporary right-wing extremism in political theory

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Đorić Marija

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The subject matter of research in this paper is theoretical controversy related to the definition of right-wing extremism. Given the fact that extremism is a variable, amorphous and insufficiently researched phenomenon, largely conditioned by time, space, political and cultural differences, there is a great confusion in the field of political science when defining right-wing extremism. The problem of researching right-wing extremism is additionally complicated by various terms that are being used in the contemporary literature as its synonyms, such as right-wing radicalism, neo-Fascism, ultra-radicalism, etc. In order to provide the most valid theoretical determination of right-wing extremism, the author provides a detailed analysis of all the components constituting this phenomenon and examines their causality. In the political praxis, the term extremism is extensively abused, which additionally complicates its determination. Videlicet, politicians often use term 'extremist' in order to discredit their political opponents. While during the French revolution aristocracy saw the bourgeoisie as extremists, the members of the working class later stated that the bourgeoisie were extremists. The problem lies in the fact that, in politics, extremists are not only the ones who use violence as modus operandi; indeed, it is also used by political opponents who do not belong to the extreme political option. Another aggravating factor in defining right-wing extremism is that many administrative and academic definitions do not make a clear distinction between extremism and related phenomena, such as terrorism, radicalism and populism. Extremism is most often equaled with terrorism, which gives rise to another problem in defining this phenomenon. The relation between extremism and terrorism is the relation of general and specific. Namely, every act of terrorism is concurrently considered to be an act of extremism, but not vice versa, given the fact that

Rx for Consumer Health Information: The Magic is in the Right Source

OpenAIRE

Blue, Ana Rosa; Curry, Jane

2010-01-01

Health information is one of the most popular topics requested, in libraries, by the public. These handouts supported the session titled: "Rx for Consumer Health Information: The Magic is in the Right Source" presented at the 2010 BC Library Conference (theme: Seriously Entertaining: Learning through Fun and Games).

fundamental consumer rights under the consumer protection act 68

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Castle walk

(g) a collective agreement in terms of Section 213 of the Labour Relations Act. 59 ..... "Direct marketing" means to approach a person, either in person or by ..... literacy skills and minimal experience as a consumer, to understand the contents.

Transmission rights and market power on electric power networks. 2. Physical rights

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joskow, Paul; Tirole, Jean

1999-01-01

This discussion paper examines physical transmission rights where the capacity of each potentially congested interface is defined and the rights to use the congested interfaces are created and allocated in some way for suppliers and consumers. The way in which the allocation of physical rights affects competition or increases the buyers or sellers market power in the power generation market when a transmission interface is congested, and how rights markets with different microstructures allocate physical rights and determine rights prices are explored. An electricity market with physical transmission rights in the absence of capacity release rules, and physical transmission rights and market power are addressed. Loop flows, and capacity release rules are discussed. (UK)

77 FR 42873 - Defining Larger Participants of the Consumer Reporting Market

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-20

... consumer reporting agencies selling consumer reports, consumer report resellers, analyzers of consumer reports and other account information (analyzers), and specialty consumer reporting agencies (collectively... the agencies that collect information, typically provide further input to the consumer report...

THE ECONOMICS STUDENT – THE FUTURE BUSINESSMAN. FROM THE AWARENESS OF CONSUMERS' RIGHTS TO THEIR ENFORCEMENT

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Roman Teodora

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The student attending courses related to business field is the one who, as a practitioner, will direct his business towards the customer. Educating such students in a spirit of recognition and respect for the rights of consumers will determine them to apply these universal axioms in their future business approach.The objective of the research is to determine the experience achieved by the business student, as a consumer of various services, expressed through the knowledge, claim and protection of his consumer’s rights in case of violation of such rights. In order to achieve this objective, we conducted a survey on a sample of 291 third-year students of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, business management specializations (The Economy of Commerce, Services and Tourism, Marketing and Management. The main results of this research show that only 69.9% of the total sample has ever experienced a situation of violation of consumers` rights, 50.5% of cases being recorded in the service-providing field. Contrary to expectations, ECTS students are those who report the lowest number of situations of this kind for the service-providing field (46.75%, the rest being associated with tangible goods. Also, when experiencing a violation of consumer’s rights, a person goes through bad moods and emotions, which will remain as a mark in the mind of that person for a longer period of time. If the complaint is resolved in favour of the customer, then such a situation generates positive emotions that tend to be evoked for a longer period of time, as well. Putting face to face the actual reaction versus recommended reaction, and analyzing the emotional implications of a person experiencing such a situation of violation of consumer rights, we consider that our work may be useful because it explains to affected consumers the actions to be taken, and namely because it emphasizes the importance of educating the future business people in the spirit

Unpacking the Right to plain and understandable Language in the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008

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Philip N Stoop

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 came into effect on 1 April 2011. The purpose of this Act is, among other things, to promote fairness, openness and respectable business practice between the suppliers of goods or services and the consumers of such good and services. In consumer protection legislation fairness is usually approached from two directions, namely substantive and procedural fairness. Measures aimed at procedural fairness address conduct during the bargaining process and generally aim at ensuring transparency. Transparency in relation to the terms of a contract relates to whether the terms of the contract terms accessible, in clear language, well-structured, and cross-referenced, with prominence being given to terms that are detrimental to the consumer or because they grant important rights. One measure in the Act aimed at addressing procedural fairness is the right to plain and understandable language. The consumer’s right to being given information in plain and understandable language, as it is expressed in section 22, is embedded under the umbrella right of information and disclosure in the Act. Section 22 requires that notices, documents or visual representations that are required in terms of the Act or other law are to be provided in plain and understandable language as well as in the prescribed form, where such a prescription exists. In the analysis of the concept “plain and understandable language” the following aspects are considered in this article: the development of plain language measures in Australia and the United Kingdom; the structure and purpose of section 22; the documents that must be in plain language; the definition of plain language; the use of official languages in consumer contracts; and plain language guidelines (based on the law of the states of Pennsylvania and Connecticut in the United States of America.

Defining minors' abortion rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, A M

1988-01-01

The right to abortion is confirmed in the Roe versus Wade case, by the US Supreme Court. It is a fundamental right of privacy but not an absolute right, and must consider state interests. During the first trimester of pregnancy abortion is a decision of the woman and her doctor. During the second trimester of pregnancy the state may control the abortion practice to protect the mothers health, and in the last trimester, it may prohibit abortion, except in cases where the mother's life or health are in danger. The states enacted laws, including one that required parents to give written consent for a unmarried minor's abortion. This law was struck down by the US Court, but laws on notification were upheld as long as there was alternative procedures where the minor's interests are upheld. Many of these law have been challenged successfully, where the minor was judged mature and where it served her best interests. The state must enact laws on parental notification that take into consideration basic rights of the minor woman. Health professionals and workers should be aware of these laws and should encourage the minor to let parents in on the decision making process where possible.

Legislative Provisions Underlying Trade Unions' Right to Define Their Organizational Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Korobchenko, Victoria V.; Penov, Yury V.; Safonov, Valery A.

2016-01-01

The article contains a comparative analysis of constitutional and other legislative provisions that ensure a trade union's right to define its own administrative structure in European states. The aim of the study is to reveal the management's problems of European trade unions, declarative and empirical mass-character legislative provisions, which…

Debates on Intellectual Property Rights

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Paula – Angela VIDRAŞCU

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper supports the understanding of the definition of intellectual property rights and strong connection with intangible assets and, on the other hand, provides a brief presentation of the organizations supporting the protection of such rights. The essential aim of this article is represented by the detailed information obtained as a result of research carried out in order to define, identify and study the application of IPR in general and especially in our country. At the end of the paper I mentioned what involves protecting intellectual property rights and brought little concerned how our country is perceived to protect such rights. Most often, intellectual property is defined as a formal document of title, like a lease, which means that the property is a legal concept distinct from real property that are actually good without concrete material form. Constitute a special category of assets being perceived as an original creation, derived from creative ideas; has or may have a commercial value due to its contribution to earnings for its owner. The need for protection of intellectual property rights has emerged because of the changes in the contemporary society. The aim and purpose of which is to protect human intelligence product and, at the same time, ensuring that consumers benefit from the use of the attributes of this product. Always remember that the violation of intellectual property rights, causes injury to major economic, signifying a strong threat to the consumers health and safety.

Ayurvedic research, wellness and consumer rights

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Shailaja Chandra

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The growing interest in using Ayurvedic medicine as a gentler, safer option to using modern medicine drugs with attendant side effects continues to be thwarted because claims about effectiveness and safety are not backed with evidence and clinical data. The focus of Ayurveda practice and research should be on building bridges to this knowledge for public benefit. The consumer is being denied basic knowledge, access to product information as well as the benefit of a common prescription written by a single treating physician because of three factors – Ayurvedic OTC medicine is generally sold with names and labels which cannot be understood by the consumer despite being easily available without prescription; the treating modern medicine doctor is being prevented from writing the name of a herbal product even when he is individually convinced about its usefulness (in given circumstances and the absence of biomedical research using objective parameters proving the effectiveness of the drugs. Contemporary Ayurveda needs to be packaged to reach the modern consumer in a way that he gets the benefit of access to treatment options that assist healing within the ambit of the law. These obstacles have to be removed. Patient- based effectiveness studies using retrospective case material as well as research using interdisciplinary approaches are needed for public benefit. This has to be facilitated.

The Principles of the Consumer Right Protection in Electronic Trade: A Comparative Law Analysis

OpenAIRE

Elena Anatolyevna Kirillova, Elena Anatolyevna Shergunova1, Elena Stepanovna Ustinovich, Nikolay Nikolaevich Nadezhin, Lyubov Borisovna Sitdikova

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the speci嘜cs of electronic trade and the issues of protecting the rights of online-consumers, considers their rights and obligations, since we all face a radically new phenomenon in the sphere of trade – An unprecedented boom of electronic trade (e-commerce), based on the use of the Internet for concluding transactions and operations in the systems of wholesale and retail trade. The means of electronic communication provide broad opportunities for direct co...

The defining attributes of a luxury brand for consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sheila Liberal Ormaechea

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this research is to deepen the knowledge about luxury consumption from the paradigm of symbolic consumption through a holistic and multidimensional vision, allowing us to see and understand the perceptions of university consumers.Design/methodology: A literature review of the construct of a luxury brand is performed as part of the theoretical framework, before a descriptive and quantitative empirical study is done, based on university students completing a questionnaire. The aim is to understand their perception about the attributes situating a mark in the luxury segment.Findings: The results of this study contribute to the existing literature on luxury, thus providing a fuller and deeper understanding of the concept. The empirical study conducted with university students provides an idea of their perceptions about the nature of a luxury brand.Research limitations: The socio-cultural and demographic properties of the sample limit the research results to the accessible or new luxury category, and cannot be generalised for the whole sector or for other segments.Practical implications: The knowledge of the perception of luxury of consumers is critical for optimising the strategic management of such brands. The results provide guidance for the design of communication and marketing strategies aimed at the university public, and provide the most relevant features or parameters of luxury for this consumer segment.Social implications: The design of a marketing and communication strategy for a brand involves a thorough understanding of its consumers. Knowing the perceptions of social groups within different market segments is the first step towards an effective stimulation of their purchasing motivations.Originality/Added value: While the luxury sector is particularly attractive for professionals and researchers, in Spain there have been no empirical studies of consumers to extract a strategic value of the conclusions for these brands.

The consumer and the right to information against the uncertainties surrounding genetically modified foods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luana Michelle da Silva Godoy

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Verifies the need for consumer information on the divergênciascientíficas regarding the risks of genetically modified foods . Concludes access to information is inherent in the exercise of the right of choice doconsumidor front of genetically modified foods , as the same were entered the market without the existence of scientific consensus related to risk.

[Interaction of the bodies and institutions of the Russian Inspectorate for the protection of consumer rights and human welfare on sanitary-and-epidemiological examinations and issuing sanitary-and-epidemiological opinions].

Science.gov (United States)

Safonkina, S G

2009-01-01

The paper describes problems in the organization of the interaction of the Russian Inspectorate for the Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare in Moscow and the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in Moscow to perform sanitary-and-epidemiological examinations and to issue sanitary-and-epidemiological opinions. The goals of setting up a one-window service and measures required for its effective work are defined. Positive results of one-window activities are shown.

77 FR 65775 - Defining Larger Participants of the Consumer Debt Collection Market

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-31

... BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION 12 CFR Part 1090 [Docket No. CFPB-2012-0040] RIN 3170-AA30... Protection. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau) amends the... issuing the final rule pursuant to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. That law...

"We Have a Right to Know": Exploring Consumer Opinions on Content, Design and Acceptability of Enhanced Alcohol Labels.

Science.gov (United States)

Vallance, Kate; Romanovska, Inna; Stockwell, Tim; Hammond, David; Rosella, Laura; Hobin, Erin

2018-01-01

This study aimed to refine content and design of an enhanced alcohol label to provide information that best supports informed drinking and to gauge consumer acceptability of enhanced alcohol labels among a subset of consumers. Five focus groups (n = 45) were conducted with stakeholders and the general public (age 19+) across one jurisdiction in northern Canada. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using NVivo software. The majority of participants showed strong support for enhanced alcohol labels with an emphasis on the consumers' right to know about the health risks related to alcohol. Participants preferred larger labels that included standard drink (SD) information, national low-risk drinking guidelines presented as a chart with pictograms, cancer health messaging and a pregnancy warning. Supporting introduction of the labels with a web resource and an educational campaign was also recommended. Displaying enhanced labels on alcohol containers that include SD information, low-risk drinking guidelines and other health messaging in an accessible format may be an effective way to better inform drinkers about their consumption and increase awareness of alcohol-related health risks. Introduction of enhanced labels shows potential for consumer support. Focus group findings indicate strong support for enhanced alcohol labels displaying SD information, national drinking guidelines, health messaging and a pregnancy warning. Introduction of enhanced alcohol labels in tandem with an educational campaign may be an effective way to better inform Canadian drinkers and shows potential for consumer support. © The Author 2017. Medical Council on Alcohol and Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.

Consumer in insurance law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Čorkalo Milena

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The paper analyses the notion of consumer in the European Union law, and, in particular, the notion of consumer in insurance law. The author highligts the differences between the notion of consumer is in aquis communautaire and in insurance law, discussing whether the consumer can be defined in both field in the same way, concerning that insurance services differ a lot from other kind of services. Having regarded unequal position of contracting parties and information and technical disadvantages of a weaker party, author pleads for broad definition of consumer in insurance law. In Serbian law, the consumer is not defined in consistent way. That applies on Serbian insurance law as well. Therefore, the necessity of precise and broad definition of consumes is underlined, in order to delimit the circle of subject who are in need for protection. The author holds that the issue of determination of the circle of persons entitled to extended protection as consumers is of vital importance for further development of insurance market in Serbia.

How do people define moderation?

Science.gov (United States)

vanDellen, Michelle R; Isherwood, Jennifer C; Delose, Julie E

2016-06-01

Eating in moderation is considered to be sound and practical advice for weight maintenance or prevention of weight gain. However, the concept of moderation is ambiguous, and the effect of moderation messages on consumption has yet to be empirically examined. The present manuscript examines how people define moderate consumption. We expected that people would define moderate consumption in ways that justified their current or desired consumption rather than view moderation as an objective standard. In Studies 1 and 2, moderate consumption was perceived to involve greater quantities of an unhealthy food (chocolate chip cookies, gummy candies) than perceptions of how much one should consume. In Study 3, participants generally perceived themselves to eat in moderation and defined moderate consumption as greater than their personal consumption. Furthermore, definitions of moderate consumption were related to personal consumption behaviors. Results suggest that the endorsement of moderation messages allows for a wide range of interpretations of moderate consumption. Thus, we conclude that moderation messages are unlikely to be effective messages for helping people maintain or lose weight. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Rights as Constitutional Rights - A Comparative Analysis

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Mofasony

1984-07-24

Jul 24, 1984 ... Therefore, denial of any aspect of development through voluntary or ... Convention on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) which is compulsory ..... Article 51 of the 1978 Spanish Constitution is an illustration of an.

47 CFR 54.401 - Lifeline defined.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... SERVICE Universal Service Support for Low-Income Consumers § 54.401 Lifeline defined. (a) As used in this subpart, Lifeline means a retail local service offering: (1) That is available only to qualifying low-income consumers; (2) For which qualifying low-income consumers pay reduced charges as a result of...

PROBLEMS OF CONSUMER PROTECTION IN TOURISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gina Ionela Butnaru

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The actuality of the topic, its extent and importance, were strong arguments for writing this paper - Problems of consumer protection in tourism. To this, also the convergence of the fields that focus on the description of a image in deep of the topic is added, we are talking about economic, legal social features or features that belong to the specifics of tourism and of products and services consumed within it. The multiple dimensions of the approached topic transform it into an exciting topic which proves its usefulness when it is known since each individual can acquire the quality of a consumer, and his rights as a consumer are nothing else but the human rights of which every individual has to be aware. A process of education and information of the citizens regarding the rights they possess as consumers could reduce a part of the problems appearing in the process of consume of tourism products and services but it would contribute to the optimization of the protection of rights and interests of the consumers. In economic terms, democracy also implies ensuring the rights of the consumers and thus their protection, therefore the concept of protection of rights and interests of consumers exists.

Constructive Consumer Choice Processes.

OpenAIRE

Bettman, James R; Luce, Mary Frances; Payne, John W

1998-01-01

Consumer decision making has been a focal interest in consumer research, and consideration of current marketplace trends ( e.g., technological change, an information explosion) indicates that this topic will continue to be critically important. We argue that consumer choice is inherently constructive. Due to limited processing capacity, consumers often do not have well-defined existing preferences, but construct them using a variety of strategies contingent on task demands. After describing c...

[On the topical aspects of the activity of the Federal Service for Legal and Organizational Providence of the Activity in the Sphere of Sanitary and Epidemiological Providence and Consumer Rights].

Science.gov (United States)

Onshchenko, G G

2007-01-01

The reorganization of the Federal Service on the Control Over the Sphere of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare has made it possible to significantly increase the number of specialists working in the sphere of consumer rights. In 2005, Federal Service on the Control Over the Sphere of Consumer Rights and its territorial organs carried out 155000 inspections of the legislation on consumer rights; more than 55% of them were off-schedule inspections of economic subjects. The inspections revealed almost 210000 facts of failure of the subjects to follow the rules of consumer legislation (140 reports on infringements). Of all the infringements, 40% were failures to satisfy consumer's rights for information. The Federal Service has opened a hotline on the actual problems of consumer rights. Similar hotlines have been opened by Magadan and Saint Petersburg etc. territory administrations. Among the main tasks directed to perfection of governmental control over consumer rights protection is development of a complex of measures aimed at prevention of infringements in this area, especially in dwelling sphere, medical aid, transportation, retail etc. Also needed are development and realization of interaction between territory organs of the Federal Service and local offices as well as public and remedial organizations working in the field of consumer rights and human welfare. Problems of hygiene and epidemiology in the Federal Service are nowadays being solved by 28 epidemiological, hygienic, and antiplague research institutes employing 3000 researchers including 290 doctors of science and 820 candidates of science. Territory administrations present the main regional structure of the Federal Service. This should be taken into account when building relations between territory administrations and regional offices of the Federal Service. The main directions of the activity of the Federal Service in 2006 are determined by 15 December 2005 order #794 and include a vast list.

Right to health, biopower and bioethics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Roque Junges

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The right to health is being more and more affected by the Biopower new configurations, no more only determined by the State, as in Foucault's analyses, but mainly by the symbolic power of the market. The biotechnological enterprises stir up increasing claims for consuming in health. These products are techno-semiotic agencies of the subjectivity in health, rendering their use as a right. In this situation it is important to return to the Right to Health comprehension of the International Conventions and the Alma-Ata Conference, proving the interdependence between Human Rights in general and the Right to Health in particular, mainly aiming at the social determinants of health that define more basic rights. The Human Rights perspective permits the proposal of a public health bioethics, different from the clinical bioethics, more appropriate for considering the collective implications of the right to Health, not reduced to a mere consumption of technologies.

Consumer protection in European Union

OpenAIRE

Bartlová, Daniela

2009-01-01

The consumer protection is a very actual topic in the european policy. It is necessary for the right function of the internal market. The document mentions the development of the consumer protection policy - the past and the future strategy. The valid legislation is listed and also mentioned is the Proposal for a Directive on Consumer Rights. It gives an overview of european consumer organisations and their function . There are also mentioned some alternatives of the consumer's redress. Docum...

Consumer Behavior: Developing Skills for Assertiveness. Consumer Education Training Module.

Science.gov (United States)

Thayer, Lou

The goal of this inservice guide for teaching consumer education at the secondary and adult level is to help consumers become more assertive when buying goods and services. A major section in the guide defines assertiveness. The four basic components of assertive behavior are the ability to express emotions openly, the capacity to exercise one's…

[Legislative and legal security of supervisory activities in the sphere of protection of consumers' rights and human well-being].

Science.gov (United States)

Rumiantsev, G I; Kutsenko, G I; Polesskiĭ, V A

2007-01-01

Sanitary legislation plays an important role in supervisory activities ensuring the protection of consumers' rights and human well-being. The paper considers the basic laws and standard acts allowing for legal regulation in this sphere of activities.

Consumers Should Know.

Science.gov (United States)

Worthington, Robert M.

Consumer education can be defined as "a study of intelligent and effective methods of buying and using goods and services, competent money management, and the relationship of the consumer to the economy, the workplace, and the home." An important role of government is providing the individual with information so that the individual can…

Consumer rights informed choice on the food market

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beekman, V.

2008-01-01

The discourse about traceability in food chains focused on traceability as means towards the end of managing health risks. This discourse witnessed a call to broaden traceability to accommodate consumer concerns about foods that are not related to health. This call envisions the development of

12 CFR 226.23 - Right of rescission.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Closed-End Credit § 226.23 Right of rescission. (a) Consumer's right to... security interest in a consumer's principal dwelling is a transaction. The right of rescission applies only... the right to rescind, the exercise of the right by one consumer shall be effective as to all consumers...

76 FR 38059 - Defining Larger Participants in Certain Consumer Financial Products and Services Markets

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-29

... New York, Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit (February 2011). B. Consumer Reporting A range... and maintain data and provide credit reports on individual consumers. The reports include credit... Industry Association estimates that there are over 54 billion updates to consumer reports, and 3 billion...

Defining product intake fraction to quantify and compare exposure to consumer products

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jolliet, Oliver; Ernstoff, Alexi; Csiszar, Susan A.

2015-01-01

There is a growing consciousness that exposure studies need to better cover near-field exposure associated with products use. To consistently and quantitatively compare human exposure to chemicals in consumer products, we introduce the concept of product intake fraction, as the fraction...... of a chemical within a product that is eventually taken in by the human population. This metric enables consistent comparison of exposures during consumer product use for different product-chemical combinations, exposure duration, exposure routes and pathways and for other life cycle stages. We present example...... modalities within life cycle assessment and risk assessment contexts. The product intake fraction helps to provide a clear interface between the life cycle inventory and impact assessment phases, to identify best suited sentinel products and to calculate overall exposure to chemicals in consumer products...

Consumer choice behaviour

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Flemming; Percy, Larry; Hallum Hansen, Morten

2004-01-01

The paper is concerned with the measurement of emotions and the study of the role ofemotions in consumer choice. Contemporary neurological findings suggest that emotionsmay play a role in its own right, quite different from the way in which they have beenconsidered in traditional consumer choice ...... behaviour theory. A large-scale study including800 respondents, covering 64 brands, provide findings on emotional response tendenciesfor the brands, and relate these to involvement, type of need gratification, purchasingbehaviour, etc.......The paper is concerned with the measurement of emotions and the study of the role ofemotions in consumer choice. Contemporary neurological findings suggest that emotionsmay play a role in its own right, quite different from the way in which they have beenconsidered in traditional consumer choice...

Your Credit Rights: An Instructional Unit on Consumer Credit Protection. Revised.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Barbara J.; And Others

This instructional guide adds two new sections to the original guide published in May 1982. The guide was designed to assist educators in teaching the topics of consumer credit and consumer credit protection to secondary and postsecondary students in various economics and business courses, as well as in adult and community education courses. The…

Tools for Consumer Rights Protection in the Prediction of Electronic Virtual Market and Technological Changes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mikuláš Gangur

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Electronic virtual markets can serve as an alternative tool for collecting information that is spread among numerous experts. This is the principal market functionality from the operators’ point of view. On the other hand it is profits that are the main interest of the market participants. What they expect from the market is liquidity as high as possible and the opportunity for unrestricted trading. Both the operator and the electronic market participant can be considered consumers of this particular market with reference to the requirements for the accuracy of its outputs but also for the market liquidity. Both the above mentioned groups of consumers (the operators and the participants themselves expect protection of their specific consumer rights, i.e. securing the two above mentioned functionalities of the market. These functionalities of the electronic market are, however, influenced by many factors, among others by participants’ activity. The article deals with the motivation tools that may improve the quality of the prediction market. In the prediction electronic virtual market there may be situations in which the commonly used tools for increasing business activities described in the published literature are not significantly effective. For such situations we suggest a new type of motivation incentive consisting in penalizing the individual market participants whose funds are not placed in the market. The functionality of the proposed motivation incentive is presented on the example of the existing data gained from the electronic virtual prediction market which is actively operated.

Consumer rights to informed choice on the food market

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beekman, V.

2008-01-01

The discourse about traceability in food chains focused on traceability as means towards the end of managing health risks. This discourse witnessed a call to broaden traceability to accommodate consumer concerns about foods that are not related to health. This call envisions the development of

Promoting employee acceptance of a consumer bill of rights in a complex medical care organization: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullen, P D; Leifer, B H

1982-01-01

To develop strong health education programs, health educators working in complex medical care organizations must often secure professional cooperation across disciplines, coordination of services, and orientation of policies, procedures, and personnel toward patient preferences and needs. Frequently, they undertake these tasks against the tide, within a problematic organizational structure. The present case study illustrates the difficulties posed by introducing change in medical care organizations in the context of an education program to acquaint employees of a large HMO with a consumer bill of rights mandated by the consumer Board of Trustees. The underlying assumption was that in a bureaucratic institution, an employee-centered and modest system reform strategy would be effective in bringing about client-centered outcomes-in this case, increased recognition of client rights. The case analysis and results of a post-intervention, cross-sectional survey suggest that in units where a threshold level of participation was reached, there were improvements in knowledge about the Bill and employee attitudes. The program was less successful with hospital nurses whose feelings about physicians were not taken into account fully, and with physicians whose relative lack of integration into the policy and managerial domains made them harder to reach.

Online consumer contracts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luzak, J.

2014-01-01

The new Consumer Rights Directive introduced some changes to the level of consumers’ protection online. However, just like with its predecessor, the Distance Selling Directive, the main focus of the protection that consumers have been granted online is to provide them with transparent and salient

12 CFR 226.15 - Right of rescission.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... TRUTH IN LENDING (REGULATION Z) Open-End Credit § 226.15 Right of rescission. (a) Consumer's right to... increased. (ii) As provided in section 125(e) of the Act, the consumer does not have the right to rescind... established credit limit for the plan. (2) To exercise the right to rescind, the consumer shall notify the...

Defining Product Intake Fraction to Quantify and Compare Exposure to Consumer Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Jolliet, Olivier; Ernstoff, Alexi S; Csiszar, Susan A; Fantke, Peter

2015-08-04

There is a growing consciousness that exposure studies need to better cover near-field exposure associated with products use. To consistently and quantitatively compare human exposure to chemicals in consumer products, we introduce the concept of product intake fraction, as the fraction of a chemical within a product that is eventually taken in by the human population. This metric enables consistent comparison of exposures during consumer product use for different product-chemical combinations, exposure duration, exposure routes and pathways and for other life cycle stages. We present example applications of the product intake fraction concept, for two chemicals in two personal care products and two chemicals encapsulated in two articles, showing how intakes of these chemicals can primarily occur during product use. We demonstrate the utility of the product intake fraction and its application modalities within life cycle assessment and risk assessment contexts. The product intake fraction helps to provide a clear interface between the life cycle inventory and impact assessment phases, to identify best suited sentinel products and to calculate overall exposure to chemicals in consumer products, or back-calculate maximum allowable concentrations of substances inside products.

Consumer Behavior Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kaveh Peighambari

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes 12 years of recent scholarly research on consumer behavior published in the five leading international journals in this field. Analyzing academic contributions to a specific area of research provides valuable insights into how it has evolved over a defined period. The approach was to briefly discuss content analysis and its application in scholarly literature review studies. The methodology used here involves the classification of topics to evaluate key trends in consumer behavior literature. It includes a ranking of topics published, typology of the published articles, the research classification in terms of methodologies, and analysis techniques. The most cited articles in the field and within each journal are also examined. The comprehensive literature review of consumer behavior research undertaken in this article could advance the discipline of consumer behavior research by elucidating the evolution of consumer behavior literature in the studied period.

Choisen problems of the consumer protection

OpenAIRE

HUML, Jan

2010-01-01

The main aim is to determine consumers' awareness of their rights in the area of consumer protection. Secondary targets are to explored the reason of ignorance of law, determine consumer satisfaction with consumer protection and design measures to improve the situation.

Numerical equilibrium analysis for structured consumer resource models.

Science.gov (United States)

de Roos, A M; Diekmann, O; Getto, P; Kirkilionis, M A

2010-02-01

In this paper, we present methods for a numerical equilibrium and stability analysis for models of a size structured population competing for an unstructured resource. We concentrate on cases where two model parameters are free, and thus existence boundaries for equilibria and stability boundaries can be defined in the (two-parameter) plane. We numerically trace these implicitly defined curves using alternatingly tangent prediction and Newton correction. Evaluation of the maps defining the curves involves integration over individual size and individual survival probability (and their derivatives) as functions of individual age. Such ingredients are often defined as solutions of ODE, i.e., in general only implicitly. In our case, the right-hand sides of these ODE feature discontinuities that are caused by an abrupt change of behavior at the size where juveniles are assumed to turn adult. So, we combine the numerical solution of these ODE with curve tracing methods. We have implemented the algorithms for "Daphnia consuming algae" models in C-code. The results obtained by way of this implementation are shown in the form of graphs.

Definably compact groups definable in real closed fields.II

OpenAIRE

Barriga, Eliana

2017-01-01

We continue the analysis of definably compact groups definable in a real closed field $\\mathcal{R}$. In [3], we proved that for every definably compact definably connected semialgebraic group $G$ over $\\mathcal{R}$ there are a connected $R$-algebraic group $H$, a definable injective map $\\phi$ from a generic definable neighborhood of the identity of $G$ into the group $H\\left(R\\right)$ of $R$-points of $H$ such that $\\phi$ acts as a group homomorphism inside its domain. The above result and o...

Mains-solidarity and the right to direct connection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumann, P.

2006-01-01

This article takes a look at a particular aspect of Swiss electricity-market liberalisation i.e. the right of a particular consumer to be fed with electricity via a direct connection running parallel to the normal mains and grid infrastructure. Various aspects of such a configuration are looked at, including the question of solidarity with other consumers. The current situation in Switzerland is looked at. Here, some large customers are striving to be fed by defined suppliers over a higher grid level in order to reduce costs. The situation is analysed from the point of view of general supply and solidarity with other customers. Basic rulings already made in this area are looked at and models for the calculation of mains-usage fees are discussed. Legal aspects and existing legislation are looked at

NCTA v. FCC - Do Commercial Free Speech Justifications Trump Consumers' Personal Data Protection Rights? Answer To Shape Mobile Advertising Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cleff, Evelyne Beatrix; King, Nancy J.

2010-01-01

's right to communicate with their customers. Considering privacy risks associated with advances in computer technology, the complexities of modern information processing and evolving mobile advertising (m-advertising) practices, privacy regulations should not be equated with unwarranted speech regulations...... balance between protecting consumers' information privacy in an era of pervasive data processing and protecting the rights of marketers to engage in protected commercial free speech that involves using customers' personal information. A ruling against the FCC would have limited the use of government...... to support the growth of the global mobile advertising (m-advertising) industry....

A History of Drug Advertising: The Evolving Roles of Consumers and Consumer Protection

Science.gov (United States)

Donohue, Julie

2006-01-01

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in the United States is controversial. Underlying the debate are disagreements over the role of consumers in medical decision making, the appropriateness of consumers engaging in self-diagnosis, and the ethics of an industry promoting potentially dangerous drugs. Drug advertising and federal policy governing drug advertising have both responded to and reinforced changes in the consumer's role in health care and in the doctor-patient relationship over time. This article discusses the history of DTCA in the context of social movements to secure rights for health care patients and consumers, the modern trend toward consumer-oriented medicine, and the implications of DTCA and consumer-oriented medicine for contemporary health policy debates about improving the health care system. PMID:17096638

A history of drug advertising: the evolving roles of consumers and consumer protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Donohue, Julie

2006-01-01

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in the United States is controversial. Underlying the debate are disagreements over the role of consumers in medical decision making, the appropriateness of consumers engaging in self-diagnosis, and the ethics of an industry promoting potentially dangerous drugs. Drug advertising and federal policy governing drug advertising have both responded to and reinforced changes in the consumer's role in health care and in the doctor-patient relationship over time. This article discusses the history of DTCA in the context of social movements to secure rights for health care patients and consumers, the modern trend toward consumer-oriented medicine, and the implications of DTCA and consumer-oriented medicine for contemporary health policy debates about improving the health care system.

Genetics Home Reference: arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy

Science.gov (United States)

... cardiomyopathy Merck Manual Consumer Version: Cardiomyopathy Merck Manual Consumer Version: Overview of Abnormal Heart Rhythms Orphanet: Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy Orphanet: Familial isolated arrhythmogenic right ventricular ...

Consumers Favor "Right Brain" Training: The Dangerous Lure of Neuromarketing

Science.gov (United States)

Lindell, Annukka K.; Kidd, Evan

2013-01-01

Over the past decade the "neuro"marketing of educational products has become increasingly common. Researchers have however expressed concern about the misapplication of neuroscience to education marketing, fearing that consumers may be deceived into investing in apparently "brain-based" products under the misapprehension that…

Consumer Education in the States: A Blueprint for Action.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonner, Patricia A., Comp.

This document is designed to assist in development of state plans for action for consumer education. Its purpose is to serve as a catalyst for new and expanded public-private partnerships among state and local leaders that strengthen consumer education in the schools. Section 1 defines consumer education, discusses consumer concepts, and lists…

Patient's right to information under the New Zealand Code of Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Mullen, Kyla

2015-09-01

The Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights includes right 6: the "Right to be Fully Informed". Analysis of the Health and Disability Commissioners' opinions between 2008 and 2013 that have discussed right 6 shows that the duties on providers have increased in a number of areas: the need to inform of risks, including provider-inherent risks; open disclosure of adverse events; ongoing need to inform consumers throughout the therapeutic relationship; information of all available options; and provision of sufficient time between disclosure of information and obtaining informed consent for provision of health services. Following a breach opinion, the Human Rights Review Tribunal and the Health Practitioners Competency Tribunal, on occasion, have the opportunity to consider the case but their role in law development is limited compared with that of the Commissioner. The limitations of law development in this manner are discussed.

45 CFR 98.33 - Consumer education.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 45 Public Welfare 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Consumer education. 98.33 Section 98.33 Public... Program Operations (Child Care Services)-Parental Rights and Responsibilities § 98.33 Consumer education... public consumer education information that will promote informed child care choices including, at a...

Green Energy Options for Consumer-Owned Business

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Co-opPlus of Western Massachusetts

2006-05-01

The goal of this project was to define, test, and prototype a replicable business model for consumer-owned cooperatives. The result is a replicable consumer-owned cooperative business model for the generation, interconnection, and distribution of renewable energy that incorporates energy conservation and efficiency improvements.

Attitudes towards honey among Italian consumers: A choice experiment approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Cosmina, Marta; Gallenti, Gianluigi; Marangon, Francesco; Troiano, Stefania

2016-04-01

Honey is becoming increasingly popular with consumers for its nutritional benefits as well as many other functions. The objective of this article is to determine which factors influence consumers' purchase intentions and to assess the importance of certain honey characteristics to enable identification of the constituents of an ideal honey profile. This information will lead to satisfaction of consumers' preferences and formulation of marketing strategies that support honey makers. We applied a choice experiment to the Italian honey market to define the preferences and the willingness to pay for key characteristics of the product. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted in 2014 (January-July) among Italian consumers; it was completed by 427 respondents. A latent class model was estimated and four classes were identified, with different preferences, illustrating that respondents seem to be heterogeneous honey consumers. Results suggest the "organic" attribute was more important than others factors, such as the place where the honey was produced (landscape), but less important than the country of origin; local Italian honey was preferred to foreign honey. Respondents showed a higher willingness to pay (WTP) for honey from their country of origin versus the production method used. Our results suggest that while organic beekeeping might be an important strategy for diversification, if suitable communication is not taken into consideration, the added value of the production method might not be perceived by consumers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Promoting educated consumer choices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edinger, Wieke Willemijn Huizing

2016-01-01

Contemporary EU food information legislation combines and balances two main consumer interests, i.e., a consumer right to information and the freedom of choice, into one single protective standard: informed choice. Although the recent legislative measures quite openly establish a link between...... informed choice and the rather abstract societal norm of “what is good for the consumer,” this does not justify the conclusion that food information legislation has become overly meddlesome in relation to EU consumers and their choice of food. Rather, there has been a gradual maturing of the EU legislator......’s perception of its task from the mere provision of food information to ensuring educated consumer choices. This development is a logical and necessary consequence of the growing complexity of food choices....

Consumer choice behaviour

OpenAIRE

Hansen, Flemming; Percy, Larry; Hallum Hansen, Morten

2004-01-01

The paper is concerned with the measurement of emotions and the study of the role of emotions in consumer choice. Contemporary neurological findings suggest that emotions may play a role in its own right, quite different from the way in which they have been considered in traditional consumer choice behaviour theory. A large-scale study including 800 respondents, covering 64 brands, provide findings on emotional response tendencies for the brands, and relate these to involvement...

Representing distance, consuming distance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Gunvor Riber

Title: Representing Distance, Consuming Distance Abstract: Distance is a condition for corporeal and virtual mobilities, for desired and actual travel, but yet it has received relatively little attention as a theoretical entity in its own right. Understandings of and assumptions about distance...... are being consumed in the contemporary society, in the same way as places, media, cultures and status are being consumed (Urry 1995, Featherstone 2007). An exploration of distance and its representations through contemporary consumption theory could expose what role distance plays in forming...

Recreating Intimacy With Connected Consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Andrew

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In the good old times shop manager knew their customers personally and were able to tailor offerings to their needs and desires. But how can we create meaningful moments for connected consumers in global markets? Yasmeen Ahmad explains how in digital times data fill in. Smart algorithms help generate insights and enable real time action to provide the right product and service to the right customer at the right time. Companies that don’t want to be left behind a digital elite need to remain close to their customers across multiple digital touchpoints. Being capable of reading, interpreting and acting upon consumers` traces is a prerequisite.

Eating out in Spain: Motivations, sociability and consumer contexts.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Méndez, Cecilia; García-Espejo, Isabel

2017-12-01

Eating out is a consumer practice which is difficult to define. The study of this practice has traditionally been based on the work/leisure dichotomy. However, in Spain this is not so clear. If we analyse profiles, motivations, places and relationships, we discover an eating-out food model which is specific to Spain and in which food is not limited by this dual link with work and leisure. Eating linked to work does not respond only to instrumental needs. Leisure eating is not always a choice based on preference. Both contain a strong element of sociability which acts as a motivator and are linked to the familisme of Spanish society, whilst at the same time de-routinizing daily life, both at home and at work. This study is based on a national survey carried out in 2014 and helps to understand this consumer practice and those elements which are specific to Spain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

互联网金融消费者权益保护问题研究%The Research on Internet Financial Consumer Rights and Interests Protection

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

赵锋

2015-01-01

如何在支持互联网金融创新发展的同时，有效保护互联网金融消费者的合法权益，是一个亟待研究的重要课题。本文在总结互联网金融概念、模式的基础上，深入分析了互联网金融消费者权益受侵害的表现形式和当前互联网金融消费者权益保护面临的困境，提出了完善互联网金融消费者权益保护的政策建议。%It is an important subject to be studied how to support the development of Internet financial innovation, and at the same time, protect the lawful rights and interests of the Internet financial consumers effectively. The paper, on the basis of summarizing the concept and mode of the Internet finance, deeply analyzes the forms of the infraction of the Internet financial consumers’ rights and interests and the current plight of the Internet financial consumers' rights and interests protection. Finally, the paper proposes the policy suggestions on perfecting the protection of the rights and interests of the Internet financial consumers.

Students as Consumers: The Implications of the Consumer Protection Act for Higher Education Institutions in South Africa

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, K.

2012-01-01

The Consumer Protection Act (CPA) lays the basis for the protection of consumer rights in South Africa and comprehensively sets out obligations for "suppliers". There have been differing views expressed as to whether a student should be seen as a consumer. It is clear, however, that this Act applies to HEIs. This article, firstly,…

Labelling schemes: From a consumer perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juhl, Hans Jørn; Stacey, Julia

2000-01-01

Labelling of food products attracts a lot of political attention these days. As a result of a number of food scandals, most European countries have acknowledged the need for more information and better protection of consumers. Labelling schemes are one way of informing and guiding consumers....... However, initiatives in relation to labelling schemes seldom take their point of departure in consumers' needs and expectations; and in many cases, the schemes are defined by the institutions guaranteeing the label. It is therefore interesting to study how consumers actually value labelling schemes....... A recent MAPP study has investigated the value consumers attach the Government-controlled labels 'Ø-mærket' and 'Den Blå Lup' and the private supermarket label 'Mesterhakket' when they purchase minced meat. The results reveal four consumer segments that use labelling schemes for food products very...

Marketing research of consumer perception

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodić Jelena

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Perception involves the collection, processing and interpretation of information through sensory receptors and represents the reality of an individual. Collecting customer information is imperative for marketing, because consumers are in the focus of defining all its objectives, strategies and plans. The result of the perception depends on a number of factors and that is why people do not experience stimuli in the same way. A marketing research of consumer perceptions has been carried out in order to identify the habits and understand the behavior of consumers when choosing products with special emphasis on the influence of perception, stimuli from the environment and perceptions of risk in their decision. .

Issue Papers To Consumer Protection in Postsecondary Education.

Science.gov (United States)

1974

This document is intended to present background information on the basic consumer protection issues in postsecondary education. Topics discussed are: (1) recruitment practices of postsecondary schools; (2) the role of a state agency in consumer protection; (3) consumer rights, responsibilities and redress of consumer protection; (4) advertising…

78 FR 18902 - Defining Larger Participants of the Student Loan Servicing Market

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-28

... BUREAU OF CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION 12 CFR Part 1090 [Docket No. CFPB-2013-0005] RIN 3170-AA35... Protection. ACTION: Proposed rule; request for public comment. SUMMARY: The Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (Bureau or CFPB) proposes to amend the regulation defining larger participants of certain consumer...

RESEARCH REGARDING THE PURCHASE CONSUMER BEHAVIOR OF TOURISM SERVICES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Cristina Martin

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The service represents nonmaterial solution in solving consumer problems. From this kind of approach arise most features of product policy in provision of services filed. Service is always defined according witch to the needs and requirements of specific groups of consumers, respectively any offer of services witch targets well defined consumer segments, previously established. Per passing day tourism has an increasingly important role in the economy, reason for witch it should be given an special importance of tourism services, which must be analyzed through general features, especially specific ones, to their typology, because, according to these aspects, tourism service providers can provide tourist services that satisfies, at a higher level, consumption needs of the population.

Consumer demand for low-alcohol wine in an Australian sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saliba AJ

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Anthony J Saliba, Linda A Ovington, Carmen C MoranCharles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, AustraliaBackground: The aim of this paper is to inform wine producers and marketers of those in the population who are interested in low-alcohol wine by describing the results of an Australian survey.Method: In the present study, 851 adult wine consumers completed an online questionnaire on their purchasing and consumption of wine, demographics, knowledge, and reasons for consuming wine. Reasons for consumption were defined using Brunner and Siegrist’s validated model. Self-reported interest in low-alcohol wine was used to determine the likely maximum possible market size.Results: The majority of respondents considered “low-alcohol wine” to contain around 3%–8% alcohol. Results indicated that those most likely to purchase low-alcohol wine were female and those who drink wine with food. Those who drank wine more frequently showed interest in wine sold in known-dose quantities, such as one standard drink. Reasons for preferring a low-alcohol wine included driving after drinking, to lessen the adverse effects of alcohol, and to consume more without the effects of a higher-alcohol wine. Finally, results pointed to the importance of taste as a driver of consumption.Conclusion: This is the first study to define the opportunity market for low-alcohol wine in Australia agnostic to intervening variables, thus defines the likely upper limit. Further, we showed what consumers currently define as low alcohol. Both of these findings allow wine companies to make a decision on the profitability of the low-alcohol market in Australia.Keywords: consumer demand, low alcohol, wine, consumer preference

Defining an Open Source Strategy for NASA

Science.gov (United States)

Mattmann, C. A.; Crichton, D. J.; Lindsay, F.; Berrick, S. W.; Marshall, J. J.; Downs, R. R.

2011-12-01

Over the course of the past year, we have worked to help frame a strategy for NASA and open source software. This includes defining information processes to understand open source licensing, attribution, commerciality, redistribution, communities, architectures, and interactions within the agency. Specifically we held a training session at the NASA Earth Science Data Systems Working Group meeting in Open Source software as it relates to the NASA Earth Science data systems enterprise, including EOSDIS, the Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), ACCESS proposals, and the MEASURES communities, and efforts to understand how open source software can be both consumed and produced within that ecosystem. In addition, we presented at the 1st NASA Open Source Summit (OSS) and helped to define an agency-level strategy, a set of recommendations and paths forward for how to identify healthy open source communities, how to deal with issues such as contributions originating from other agencies, and how to search out talent with the right skills to develop software for NASA in the modern age. This talk will review our current recommendations for open source at NASA, and will cover the set of thirteen recommendations output from the NASA Open Source Summit and discuss some of their implications for the agency.

Reprint of "Attitudes towards honey among Italian consumers: A choice experiment approach".

Science.gov (United States)

Cosmina, Marta; Gallenti, Gianluigi; Marangon, Francesco; Troiano, Stefania

2016-11-01

Honey is becoming increasingly popular with consumers for its nutritional benefits as well as many other functions. The objective of this article is to determine which factors influence consumers' purchase intentions and to assess the importance of certain honey characteristics to enable identification of the constituents of an ideal honey profile. This information will lead to satisfaction of consumers' preferences and formulation of marketing strategies that support honey makers. We applied a choice experiment to the Italian honey market to define the preferences and the willingness to pay for key characteristics of the product. A face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted in 2014 (January-July) among Italian consumers; it was completed by 427 respondents. A latent class model was estimated and four classes were identified, with different preferences, illustrating that respondents seem to be heterogeneous honey consumers. Results suggest the "organic" attribute was more important than others factors, such as the place where the honey was produced (landscape), but less important than the country of origin; local Italian honey was preferred to foreign honey. Respondents showed a higher willingness to pay (WTP) for honey from their country of origin versus the production method used. Our results suggest that while organic beekeeping might be an important strategy for diversification, if suitable communication is not taken into consideration, the added value of the production method might not be perceived by consumers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Individual Licensing Models and Consumer Protection

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Guibault, L.; Liu, K.-C.; Hilty, R.M.

2017-01-01

Copyright law is not primarily directed at consumers. Their interests are therefore only marginally accounted for, as the copyright rules exempt specific uses of works from the right holder’s control. This chapter examines the impact of digital technology on the position of consumers of licensed

NCI Consumers Guide to Peer Review

Science.gov (United States)

To define the role consumer advocate in the peer review of applications that support extramural clinical and population-based research and clinical career development and training by various grant and cooperative agreement mechanisms.

16 CFR 313.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers; opt out methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... your consumers that accurately explains the right to opt out under that section. The notice must state... consumer to a nonaffiliated third party; (ii) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and (iii) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right. (2) Examples—(i...

12 CFR 332.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers; opt out methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... each of your consumers that accurately explains the right to opt out under that section. The notice... your consumer to a nonaffiliated third party; (ii) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and (iii) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right. (2) Examples...

12 CFR 216.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers; opt out methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... each of your consumers that accurately explains the right to opt out under that section. The notice... your consumer to a nonaffiliated third party; (ii) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and (iii) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right. (2) Examples...

Protection for the Consumer; Business Education: 6463.07.

Science.gov (United States)

Finora, Daniel

This course is designed to acquaint the student with the functions, criticisms, costs, and consumer analysis of advertising; Federal and State regulations of industry operation and advertising; Federal, State, and city agencies for consumer protection; private and business-sponsored organizations for consumer protection; and rights and…

NCTA v. FCC - Do Commercial Free Speech Justifications Trump Consumers' Personal Data Protection Rights? Answer To Shape Mobile Advertising Industry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cleff, Evelyne Beatrix; King, Nancy J.

2010-01-01

telecommunication carriers' personal data sharing practices in order to protect their customers' data privacy when the regulation restricts use of the data for marketing purposes. In this case National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA) challenged a new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rule...... requiring carriers to obtain customers' advance approval before releasing their telephone record information for marketing purposes. NCTA claimed the FCC's new opt-in rule violates companies' First Amendment right to engage in commercial speech. At stake in this appeal was the constitutionally required...... balance between protecting consumers' information privacy in an era of pervasive data processing and protecting the rights of marketers to engage in protected commercial free speech that involves using customers' personal information. A ruling against the FCC would have limited the use of government...

Consumer Information in the food service industry vs. food retailing

OpenAIRE

Rogge, C.B.E.; Becker, Tilman C.

2008-01-01

In order to define consumer expectations over a traceability and information system for the entire food supply chain, the information behaviour of consumers in the food service industry has been subject to an analysis for the first time. In comparison to consumers in retailing, significant differences appear in information seeking behaviour as well as in the information desired.

Discussion on Consumer Rights and Interests Protection in the Era of Internet Finance%互联网金融领域消费者权益保护问题探讨

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

吴朝平

2015-01-01

互联网金融领域消费者权益保护方面的挑战，主要集中于信息安全隐患大、资金安全难保障、消费者维权意识淡薄且维权成本高三方面。为不断加大互联网金融领域消费者权益保护力度，需加强信息安全立法，规范准入门槛，在提升风控要求基础上充分发挥市场力量提升市场主体保护消费者权益的自觉性和主动性，唤醒消费者维权意识并降低消费者维权成本。%The challenges for these problems mainly focus on huge hidden risk from information security, the safety of funds hardly to be guaranteed, weak awareness of consumer rights and high cost of rights protection. It’ s neces-sary for constantly enhancing the strength for protecting Internet financial consumer rights and interests to highlight information security legislation, to regulate access thresholds, to exert the role of market forces into full play based on promoting risk control requirement, so as to enhance the consciousness and initiative of market participants in terms of protecting consumer interests and awaken the awareness of consumers to protect their rights and reduce the cost of rights protection.

An itinerant sensory approach to investigate consumers' perception and acceptability at a food exhibition.

Science.gov (United States)

Torri, Luisa; Salini, Silvia

2016-12-01

In a food exhibition where several producers of the same product category are present at the same time, consumers usually have the opportunity to taste several free samples of the same product type, thus they can experience and compare the sensory characteristics of each and evaluate their liking for each sample tasted. This study assessed the potential of an itinerant sensory data collection in understanding the consumers' perception and acceptance of cheese during a multiple tasting experience at a food exhibition. Subjects tasted seven samples of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese aged for different times (24 and 36months) at seven producer stands and recorded their evaluations using tablets, on which an application specifically developed for this study was installed. This evaluation situation was defined as "pseudo-natural," in opposition to the "natural" and the "naturalistic" settings. The itinerant sensory session comprised a liking test, a rate-all-that-apply (RATA) test using a just about right (JAR) scale, a food pairing test, and a questionnaire. Consumers significantly (panalysis, and decision tree models in investigating the relationships between liking and the RATA data, provided results revealing that the attributes elasticity, sweetness, humidity, fresh fruit, and butter were the main drivers of liking. Whereas, the attributes sourness, bitterness, and hardness were the main drivers of dislike. Therefore, even though no significant differences in terms of liking were observed among the tested cheeses, consumers preferred the attributes more frequently perceived in the least aged products. In conclusion, the presented itinerant sensory approach had provided meaningful information to understand the consumers' cheese perception and acceptability. In the future, it could advantageously be applied for studying food perception in other situations in which subjects naturally choose or consume several products while freely moving from one to another (e.g. self

7 CFR 1209.70 - Right of the Secretary.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Right of the Secretary. 1209.70 Section 1209.70..., AND CONSUMER INFORMATION ORDER Mushroom Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order Miscellaneous § 1209.70 Right of the Secretary. All fiscal matters, programs, plans, or projects, rules or...

7 CFR 1212.80 - Right of the Secretary.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... RESEARCH, PROMOTION, CONSUMER EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY INFORMATION ORDER Honey Packers and Importers Research, Promotion, Consumer Education, and Industry Information Order Miscellaneous § 1212.80 Right of the Secretary... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Right of the Secretary. 1212.80 Section 1212.80...

7 CFR 1215.70 - Right of the Secretary.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Right of the Secretary. 1215.70 Section 1215.70... CONSUMER INFORMATION Popcorn Promotion, Research, and Consumer Information Order Miscellaneous § 1215.70 Right of the Secretary. All fiscal matters, programs, plans, or projects, contracts, rules or...

Free medical care and consumer protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Aniket Deepak; Banerjee, Arunabha

2011-01-01

This paper will examine the question of whether patients, who receive free medical care, whether from private charitable or governmental hospitals, can claim rights as 'consumers' under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. The issue will be discussed from a constitutional perspective as well as that of the law of torts.

Education – Determinant of Consumer`s Conditions in an Era of Technological Change

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Burghelea

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In the era of technological change, consumers face an environment increasingly complex, leading to significant challenges regarding buying and consuming choices and consumer protection. The most important and most influential technological changes in terms of the impact on the consumer, are iduced by internet, digitization and globalization. However, the era of technological change also means developing biotechnologies, nanotechnologies, new materials and new energy sources, all these changing people`s lives, living conditions, their needs and their behaviour as consumers. The literature highlights the factors that influence purchasing behaviour and changes manifested in terms of values, stressing the importance of promoting and protecting consumer`s rights and interests, The new responsible consumer can become a key driving force of sustainable development only if it is able to capitalize on new opportunities and to counter new risks of modern marketing technologies based on the Internet and mobile communications. This involves the assimilation of new knowledge throughout life to keep up with the accelerating pace of technological innovation and diffusion of e-commerce solutions and mobile commerce. We study the correlation between the composite index of consumer conditions and the level of participation in lifelong learning programmes in some Member States, based on secondary analysis of the data available at EU level,. The results confirm that the consumer`s situation is better in countries where the level of participation in lifelong learning programmes is higher. At the same time, however, the correlation is not linear. This shows that the consumer`s situation does not depend exclusively on formal continuing education but also other factors such as timeliness and severity of legal and institutional framework of consumer protection, the acquisition of knowledge through informal means, the requirement of different customers in different

Consumer attitudes and the governance of food safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Todt, Oliver; Muñoz, Emilio; González, Marta; Ponce, Gloria; Estévez, Betty

2009-01-01

This paper reports the analysis of a recent study of public perception of food safety governance in Spain, using genetically modified (GM) foods as an indicator. The data make clear that Spanish food consumers are aware of their rights and role in the marketplace. They are critical of current regulatory decision making, which they perceive to be unduly influenced by certain social actors, such as industry. In contrast, consumers demand decisions to be based primarily on scientific opinion, as well as consumer preferences. They want authorities to facilitate informed purchasing decisions, and favor labeling of GM foods mostly on the grounds of their right to know. However, consumers' actual level of knowledge with respect to food technology and food safety remains low. There are several ambivalences as to the real impact of these attitudes on actual consumer behavior (specifically when it comes to organizing themselves or searching out background information).

12 CFR 716.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers and opt out methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... your consumers that accurately explains the right to opt out under that section. The notice must state... consumer to a nonaffiliated third party; (ii) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and (iii) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right. (2) Examples. (i...

[METHODICAL APPROACHES, EXPERIENCE AND PERSPECTIVES OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RISK MODEL OF SURVEILLANCE ACTIVITIES IN THE SPHERE OF THE ASSURANCE OF SANITARY AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL WELFARE OF POPULATION, POPULATION'S HEALTH RISK MANAGEMENT AND THE CONSUMER RIGHTS PROTECTION].

Science.gov (United States)

Gurvich, V B; Kuz'min, S V; Dikonskaia, O V; Gileva, M A; Boiarskiĭ, A P

2015-01-01

Control and supervision measures--one of the main technologies of Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights protection and Human Welfare in the overall system of risk management for public health and damage to property consumers, aimed at the solution of the prior tasks in the field of assurance of the sanitary and epidemiological welfare of the population and consumer rights protection. The effectiveness of this technology depends on the correct choice of priority objects of supervision, which form the main problems in the sanitary and epidemiological situation and in the consumer market. The application of is approach has led to more effective oversight activity and the improvement of a number of indices characterizing the achievement of the objectives in the common system of risk management for public health and property of consumers.

Unpacking the right to plain and understandable language in the consumer protection act 68 of 2008

OpenAIRE

Stoop, Philip N; Chürr, Chrizell

2013-01-01

The Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 came into effect on 1 April 2011. The purpose of this Act is, among other things, to promote fairness, openness and respectable business practice between the suppliers of goods or services and the consumers of such good and services. In consumer protection legislation fairness is usually approached from two directions, namely substantive and procedural fairness. Measures aimed at procedural fairness address conduct during the bargaining process and gener...

[THE OPTIMIZATION OF THE ACTIVITY OF ORGANS OF FEDERAL SERVICE FOR SUPERVISION OF CONSUMER RIGHTS PROTECTION AND HUMAN WELFARE IN THE SVERDLOVSK REGION].

Science.gov (United States)

Kuz'min, S V; Gurvich, V B; Romanov, S V; Dikonskaia, O V; Iarushin, S V; Malykh, O L

2015-01-01

In the Sverdlovsk region there have developed and implemented methodological approaches to the optimization oj the activity of the Directorate and the Centre directed to the improvement of the sanitary and epidemiological surveillance and in the sphere of the protection of the rights of consumers in the framework of the development of an comprehensive regional system of risk management for the population's health in the Sverdlovsk region.

Communication Theory and the Consumer Movement-

Science.gov (United States)

Newsom, Doug

1977-01-01

Defines and traces the origins of the consumer movement and uses communication theories to explain the effects of the movement. Available from: Public Relations Review, Ray Hiebert, Dean, College of Journalism, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. (MH)

17 CFR 248.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers; opt out methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... the right to disclose nonpublic personal information about your consumer to a nonaffiliated third party; (ii) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and (iii) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right. (2) Examples—(i) Adequate opt out notice. You...

The Political Theology of Consumer Sovereignty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwarzkopf, Stefan

2011-01-01

The article analyses the common notion that the consumer society is a reflection of those principles in the market that also provide the ideas of democracy and liberal constitutionalism with legitimacy in the political realm. The inalienable right to self-development and self-determination makes...... the individual the starting and ending point of life, rendering all spheres of market and society a ‘republic of choice’. But if consumer society shares the essentials of liberal constitutionalism and the rational, processual nature of democratic representation, then its ontology needs to be investigated...... to understanding the ontology of consumer society. But rather than simply placing sovereignty into the hands of the independent, self-determined consumer, the earliest ontologists of the consumer society took recourse to medieval political theology and presented the consumer market as a new corpus mysticum. Thus...

Where are the SVHCs?: 10 years consumer's 'right to know' about substances of very high concern.

Science.gov (United States)

Klaschka, Ursula

2017-01-01

The European chemicals regulation REACH includes the legal duty for suppliers to inform consumers on request about the presence of substances of very high concern (SVHCs) in articles. Since this requirement has been in force now for 10 years, the intention of this study was to find out whether information on SVHCs is adequately communicated to the consumer today. Data on the presence of SVHCs in articles were collected as a prerequisite for the subsequent requests for a targeted choice of articles to examine the operability of the 'right to know.' Literature data show that SVHCs have been measured and described in a large variety of commodities. 32% of 334 information requests for articles which were suspected to contain SVHCs were answered by suppliers and a minor number of these answers were of good quality. Only two respondents indicated the presence of SVHCs in their articles. Suppliers are not legally obliged to respond to requests if their articles are free of SVHCs. Therefore, the absence of a response might be interpreted as an indication that SVHCs are present below 0.1% in the articles in question. However, there are certain doubts that only two out of 334 articles suspected contain SVHCs. The data question whether the ambitious aims of the SVHC regime can be achieved under the present conditions. Measures are proposed on how to improve implementation of the information requirement and to amend the legal criteria in the upcoming REACH revision.

12 CFR 573.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers; opt out methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... reserve the right to disclose nonpublic personal information about your consumer to a nonaffiliated third party; (ii) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and (iii) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right. (2) Examples—(i) Adequate opt out notice. You...

12 CFR 40.7 - Form of opt out notice to consumers; opt out methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... discloses or reserves the right to disclose nonpublic personal information about its consumer to a nonaffiliated third party; (ii) That the consumer has the right to opt out of that disclosure; and (iii) A reasonable means by which the consumer may exercise the opt out right. (2) Examples. (i) Adequate opt out...

A MARKETING VIEW OVER THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC AUTHORITIES IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSUMERS PRIVATE SPACE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veghes Calin

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The concept of privacy, seen in connection with the consumer's private space, and defined in terms of the rights the consumer have to disclose or not, respectively to have protected their personal data has gained an increasing importance, as a result of the organizations extended and more and more aggressive attempts, within their marketing efforts, to capture, process and use the consumers personal data. Privacy protection has become an important but, in the same time, extremely sensitive and challenging topic to be taken into consideration by all the stakeholders involved in the processing and employment of the consumers personal data. A key role in this respect is played by the public authorities acting as data controllers the Data Protection Authorities, that have to adopt a more proactive and efficient attitude in adopting and implementing policies and processes aiming to ensure a more effective protection of the personal data and private space, conduct privacy impact assessments and continuously improve the specific activities. Paper presents the opinions of the consumers through the results of an exploratory study regarding the importance given to the protection of the personal data, the area of protection of the specific laws, the need for laws regulating the personal data protection, the balance between the public and private entities in providing a proper protection of the personal data, and the relationship between the domestic, European, and international levels in ensuring the protection of the consumers personal data. Results regarding the role of the public authorities in the protection of the consumers personal data and private space in terms of the most appropriate institution to act as a data controller, the rights consumers consider important in relationship with the protection of their personal data and the risks faced in the context of a less effective protection are also presented.

Understanding the Interplay Between Consumer Knowledge, Trust and Relationship Satisfaction in Financial Services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Torben; Grønholdt, Lars; Josiassen, Alexander

, this study contributes to previous research by examining how consumer knowledge O/U affects two types of trust (broad-scope trust and narrow-scope trust) and consumer relationship satisfaction. Trust does not only concern consumer trust in individual companies (i.e., narrow.-scope confidence NST), but also...... concerns consumer confidence in the broader business context in which consumers plan and implement their behavior (i.e., broad scope trust, BST). NST is defined as "the expectation that the service provider can be relied on to deliver on its promises’, while BST is defined as ‘the expectation....../U a consumer becomes, the higher/lower NST and levels of relationship satisfaction will be. Second, it is demonstrated that BST has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between knowledge O/U and satisfaction, such that knowledge O/U has a higher positive/negative effect on relationship satisfaction...

Factors of influence and changes in the tourism consumer behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fratu, D.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Consumer behaviour is a very important aspect to be studied in every marketing activity, therefore in tourism marketing as well. Defining and identifying the factors that influence consumers help in understanding individual needs and buying processes in their whole complexity. Consumers have changed their behaviour over the last two years due to the instability of the economic environment. The author describes in this article the factors which influence consumer behaviour and also presents how it has changed over the past two years.

Defining the molecular signatures of human right heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Jordan L; Cavus, Omer; Loccoh, Emefah C; Adelman, Sara; Daugherty, John C; Smith, Sakima A; Canan, Benjamin; Janssen, Paul M L; Koenig, Sara; Kline, Crystal F; Mohler, Peter J; Bradley, Elisa A

2018-03-01

Right ventricular failure (RVF) varies significantly from the more common left ventricular failure (LVF). This study was undertaken to determine potential molecular pathways that are important in human right ventricular (RV) function and may mediate RVF. We analyzed mRNA of human non-failing LV and RV samples and RVF samples from patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and post-LVAD implantation. We then performed transcript analysis to determine differential expression of genes in the human heart samples. Immunoblot quantification was performed followed by analysis of non-failing and failing phenotypes. Inflammatory pathways were more commonly dysregulated in RV tissue (both non-failing and failing phenotypes). In non-failing human RV tissue we found important differences in expression of FIGF, TRAPPAC, and CTGF suggesting that regulation of normal RV and LV function are not the same. In failing RV tissue, FBN2, CTGF, SMOC2, and TRAPP6AC were differentially expressed, and are potential targets for further study. This work provides some of the first analyses of the molecular heterogeneity between human RV and LV tissue, as well as key differences in human disease (RVF secondary to pulmonary hypertension and LVAD mediated RVF). Our transcriptional data indicated that inflammatory pathways may be more important in RV tissue, and changes in FIGF and CTGF supported this hypothesis. In PAH RV failure samples, upregulation of FBN2 and CTGF further reinforced the potential significance that altered remodeling and inflammation play in normal RV function and failure. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 9592 - Defining Larger Participants in Certain Consumer Financial Product and Service Markets

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-17

... delinquency prior to charge off (charge off usually occurs 120 or 180 days after delinquency, depending on the...-off policy for open-end credit at 180 days delinquency and closed-end credit at 120 days delinquency... credit market and has a significant impact on consumers. By collecting delinquent debt, collectors reduce...

Consumer choice of pork chops in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, M T; Guo, H L; Tseng, T F; Roan, S W; Ngapo, T M

2010-07-01

Digital photographs of pork chops varying systematically in appearance were presented to 716 Taiwanese consumers in a study that aimed to identify the most important characteristics of fresh pork which determine consumer choice in Taiwan. Relationships between consumer segmentation in choice and socio-demographic and cultural differences were also investigated. Colour and fat cover were the most frequently chosen of the four characteristics studied. Dark red colour was preferred by 64% of consumers and lean fat cover by 44%. Marbling and drip were less important in the decision making process being used by less than a half of consumers. The four preference-based clusters of consumers showed no correlation with socio-demographic-based consumer clusters, but did show significant links with possession of a refrigerator, age at which schooling was completed, liking pork for its price and gender of consumer. Crown Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Behavior dan Marketing Mix

OpenAIRE

Pura A, Agus Hasan

2005-01-01

Marketing concept emerged since business philosophy shifted to a customer-centered, the job is to find the right products for your choosen target markets. The reason for customer orientation in which all functions work together to respond to, Serve, and satisfy customer. To satisfy consumer (end user) the marketing concept use integrated marketing, that is segmenting, Targeting, positioning, and marketing mix (4p/7p). And to.be success, marketer have to understand the behavior of consumers of...

Proceedings of the 12. forum: Croatian Energy Day: Energy consumers in open market conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Granic, G.; Jelavic, B.

2003-01-01

The theme of the 12. Forum: Energy Day in Croatia is energy sector liberalisation and the new position of the consumers, changing rapidly and acquiring a completely new perspective. By means of market opening of various energy forms the consumer gains right to choose the energy supplier, quite a radical change in relation to the former, monopolistic relationship. This means that the consumer becomes the centre of attention, as has already been achieved at the mobile phone market. Within new market environment, the consumer becomes product buyer, buyer of the product in principle bearing market characteristics as any other product. However, energy markets reveal numerous peculiarities, distinguishing them from the markets of goods and services, as we have known them for centuries, which function according to well-known market conditions. While part of the energy sector will permanently remain a natural monopoly (transmission / transportation and distribution networks), the opening of the considered market requires information science development, which means it is necessary to apply advanced technology for e.g. measuring devices, etc. In view of such market circumstances it is essential to define the quality of the product including supply stability, voltage quality or agility in responding to customer complaints. On the other hand, these factors cannot be adjusted to each individual consumer-buyer at the moment or at least not ones. The position of the customers-buyers has been solved differently in various countries. The aim of this Forum is to put forward and explain experience and solutions connected to the new customer-buyer role in market circumstances. It is our wish that the participants discuss problems connected to the consumer-buyer position under the following aspects: Present status of market opening for various energy forms in the countries of the EU and in the transition countries; technical preconditions for energy market opening such as information

Variables Influencing Food Perception Reviewed for Consumer-Oriented Product Development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sijtsema, S.J.; Linnemann, A.R.; Gaasbeek, T.; Dagevos, H.; Jongen, W.M.F.

2002-01-01

Consumer wishes have to be translated into product characteristics to implement consumer-oriented product development. Before this step can be made, insight in food-related behavior and perception of consumers is necessary to make the right, useful, and successful translation. Food choice behavior

Aspects regarding the analysis of the rationality of the buying decision of the Romanian consumer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corina PELĂU

2012-12-01

Full Text Available One of the biggest challenges of economic theory is to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of economic activities and processes. In terms of consumer behavior this can be defined by the rationality of the buying decision. In this article there are presented several theories that have defined over time and still influence the rationality of the consumer. There are also presented the results of a research which aims to analyze the rationality of the consumer. In particular there are analyzed the relations between different quantitative aspects of the buying decision and the impulsive buying reactions of the consumer.

Understanding apple consumers' expectations in terms of likes and dislikes. Use of comment analysis in a cross-cultural study.

Science.gov (United States)

Galmarini, M V; Symoneaux, R; Chollet, S; Zamora, M C

2013-03-01

Apple consumers' expectations in Argentina and France were studied by comment analysis of open-ended questions. In an on-line survey consumers stated: attributes which defined quality in an apple; visual, flavor and texture characteristics they liked/did not like to find in an apple. Influence of country, consumption frequency and cultivar knowledge were analyzed by contingency tables, Chi-square per cell tests and Multiple Factor Analysis. Consumers' quality expectations were not the same in both countries. Argentineans and French consumers agreed that quality apples should be juicy (most used term in both countries), tasty, firm and fresh. However, for Argentineans quality was more related to visual characteristics, whereas for French it was driven by flavor. Argentineans used more words but French were more specific, particularly for flavour description. Moreover, frequency of consumption, varieties knowledge and the number of terms given were highly related. Frequent consumers knew more varieties and were more prolific in relation to flavour. Less frequent consumers knew fewer apple varieties and gave more words in the visual category. The use of comment analysis allowed identifying the terms that consumers used in their day to day life to describe apples, finding separately likes and dislikes, in spite of the different languages. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer attitudes towards radurisation in South Africa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Olst, M.W.

1985-01-01

To gain any insight into consumer attitudes towards radurization in South Africa, it is first of all necessary to pinpoint the consumer. The consumer has to be reached at all levels and must be convinced that radurization is a harmless process. All the indications are there that South African consumer acceptance will come readily once the positive benefits of irradiated food have been adequately publicized. Label and package information create untold problems for the grocery manufacturing and packaging industry. The radiation industry cannot afford to lose consumer confidence. The question is: Must a label be attached to a radurized product or not? The results of the trial marketing campaign have shown that if the correct information is supplied at the right time, the consumer is prepared to accept irradiated food

Product involvement and consumer food-elicited emotional associations: Insights from emoji questionnaires.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaeger, Sara R; Lee, Pui-Yee; Ares, Gastón

2018-04-01

Individual differences in food-related consumer behaviour are well documented, but lack thorough exploration in relation to product-elicited emotional associations. In this research, focus is directed to product involvement as a factor that modulates emotional associations to tasted products (dried fruit, n = 4) and written descriptions of consumption situations (drinking red wine, cooking dinner using seafood). Emoji questionnaires were used (as check-all-that-apply questions: CATA), and across two studies with consumers in New Zealand (n = 352) and China (n = 450), higher levels of involvement were associated with more positive emotional associations. For example, consumers with higher involvement for dried fruit used emoji with positive meanings (e.g., face savouring delicious food (), smiling face with heart-shaped eyes () and smiling face with smiling eyes () more frequently than those with lower levels of involvement. Conversely, emoji with negative or neutral meanings (e.g., confused face (), confounded face (), neutral face ()), were more frequently used by consumers with lower levels of product involvement. The number of significant differences between the samples of dried fruit were lower in the less involved consumer segment, and these consumers, on average, used less emoji to characterise the samples. A similar pattern of results were established for the written stimuli, which were used with Chinese consumers. For example, in the segment with greater involvement with seafood, associations to emoji with positive meanings were higher when responding to the situation "cooking dinner using frozen seafood as one of the ingredients." In the case of "drinking French red wine," the strategy used to define segments (median vs. triadic split of summed involvement scores) additionally influenced the results, and bigger differences were established when comparing more discrete segments (two extreme groups following triadic split). Copyright © 2018

A model for (re)building consumer trust in the food system.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Annabelle M; Withall, Elizabeth; Coveney, John; Meyer, Samantha B; Henderson, Julie; McCullum, Dean; Webb, Trevor; Ward, Paul R

2017-12-01

The article presents a best practice model that can be utilized by food system actors to assist with (re)building trust in the food system, before, during and after a food incident defined as 'any situation within the food supply chain where there is a risk or potential risk of illness or confirmed illness or injury associated with the consumption of a food or foods' (Commonwealth of Australia. National Food Incident Response Protocol. Commonwealth of Australia, Canberra, 2012). Interviews were undertaken with 105 actors working within the media, food industry and food regulatory settings across Australia, New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK). Interview data produced strategy statements, which indicated participant views on how to (re)build consumer trust in the food system. These included: (i) be transparent, (ii) have protocols and procedures in place, (iii) be credible, (iv) be proactive, (v) put consumers first, (vi) collaborate with stakeholders, (vii) be consistent, (viii) educate stakeholders and consumers, (ix) build your reputation and (x) keep your promises. A survey was designed to enable participants to indicate their agreement/disagreement with the ideas, rate their importance and provide further comment. The five strategies considered key to (re)building consumer trust were used to develop a model demonstrating best practice strategies for (re)building consumer trust in the food system before, during and after a food incident. In a world where the food system is increasingly complex, strategies for (re)building and fostering consumer trust are important. This study offers a model to do so which is derived from the views and experiences of actors working across the food industry, food regulation and the media. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Finding the Right Doctor

Science.gov (United States)

... certified hospital Communicating with Healthcare Professionals for Caregivers Consumer Health Care • Home • Health Insurance Information • Your Healthcare Team Introduction Finding the Right Doctor Talking to Your Doctor Getting a Second ...

Tourism law: from traveller to consumer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oscar Casanovas Ibáñez

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The law on tourism – “tourism law” for some authors – is the instrument that has been used to turn the tourist into a consumer. Travellers are increasingly aware of the rights they can exercise. Incorporating the regulation of combined travel contracts (separate tourist services sold for an overall price into the body of consumer regulation and air passenger protection has made a definitive contribution to establishing this condition. Tourist contracts involving consumers have ended up in the courts, which have already had the opportunity to interpret the regulations and orient them towards the most protectionist positions for consumers. With the addition of new consumption habits and new types of contracting the future of this field looks far from static.

Under consumers' scrutiny - an investigation into consumers' attitudes and concerns about nudging in the realm of health behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Junghans, Astrid F; Cheung, Tracy T L; De Ridder, Denise D T

2015-04-09

Nudging strategies have recently attracted attention from scholars and policy makers for their potential in influencing people's behaviors on large scales. But is the fact that nudges do not forbid any choice-options or significantly alter people's economic incentives sufficient to conclude that nudges should be implemented? While this is discussed amongst scholars from various disciplines the voices of consumers, the target-group of nudges, remain unheard. Since understanding their knowledge about nudging and their opinions on being nudged are crucial for the evaluation of the moral appropriateness of nudging, the current study examines consumers' knowledge of and attitudes toward nudging in general and the realm of health behavior. In this qualitative investigation in-depth semi-structured interviews with UK consumers were conducted to examine consumers' attitudes to four domains of inquiry around which the scholarly discussions about nudging have revolved: consumers' approval of nudging, consumers' views on the origin of nudges, consumers' perceived effectiveness of nudging, and consumers' concerns about manipulative aspects of nudging. Interviews revealed that consumers are largely unfamiliar with the concept of nudging altogether. Once defined and explained to them most consumers approve of the concept, especially in the realm of health behavior, given particular conditions: 1. Nudges should be designed for benefiting individuals and society; 2. consumers comprehend the decision-making context and the reasoning behind the promotion of the targeted behavior. Interviews revealed very limited concerns with manipulative aspects of nudges. These findings call for better information-management to ensure consumers knowledge of nudges and awareness of their current implementation. Under that condition the findings encourage the implementation of nudges benefitting individuals and society in domains that consumers comprehend, such as health behaviors. Further research

CONSIDERATIONS ON CONSUMER PERCEIVED RISK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Catalina Timiras

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this article we identified a number of factors influencing the consumers’ perceived risk. In the first part we conducted a review of the main issues that define the perceived risk by the consumer at the time of purchase, some of the lines of action of the organizations to diminish this risk perception and a number of influencing factors presented in the literature, with significant impact on the intensity with which risk is perceived by consumers. The second part of the article is based on the statistical information regarding e-commerce market, market in which the perceived risk plays an important role in the purchasing decision. Thus, based on available official statistics provided by Eurostat we have revealed the existence of certain links between electronic commerce and orientation towards risk and income levels, age and consumer educational level. The review is not intended to be exhaustive, the study taking into consideration only those links that can be identified from using official statistical data.

Arbitrability limitation in consumer (B2C disputes? : Consumers´ protection as legal and economic phenomenon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander J. Bělohlávek

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Protection of consumers became a phenomenon of many governmental politics. Retrieval of a balance between privat autonomy and protection of a weaker party is very sensitive. The particular degree of consumers protection through limitation of contractual autonomy (in B2C contracts as well as procedural autonomy (regarding B2C dispute resolution mechanisms, as chosen by particular governments, has both legal and economic effects, in positive and negative sense. The European Court of Human Rights adjudicated repeatedly that traditional court litigation is not capable to grant effective protection to contractual claims in many countries. Arbitration is therefore one of possible tools for B2C dispute resolution, even if many countries and obviously the EU Commission followe rather an opposite strategy (keeping down arbitrability of B2C disputes in the opposite to US trends. Arbitration is not a cure-all and definitely not a method suitable for the resolution of any and all types of disputes. It has its proponents as well as opponents. Indeed, it is hard to claim that a particular type (class of disputes is a priori fit to be resolved in arbitration, rather than litigation, or vice versa. This also applies to consumer disputes (disputes from consumer contracts. It is fairly undisputable that consumers deserve a certain degree of specific protection in cases in which they are forced to enter into a particular contract and have no other option than to accept the conditions stipulated by the other party (the professional. But we cannot principally claim that the resolution of these disputes in court would be more suitable than arbitration or any other, the so-called alternative, dispute resolution method (ADR. Despite the basically undisputed importance of and the need for special consumer protection (whether provided by special laws, typically in Europe, or on the basis of general legal principles and the application of general contract law, like in the

Consumer and farmer safety evaluation of application of botanical pesticides in black pepper crop protection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Moreno, David; Soffers, Ans E M F; Wiratno; Falke, Hein E; Rietjens, Ivonne M C M; Murk, Albertinka J

2013-06-01

This study presents a consumer and farmer safety evaluation on the use of four botanical pesticides in pepper berry crop protection. The pesticides evaluated include preparations from clove, tuba root, sweet flag and pyrethrum. Their safety evaluation was based on their active ingredients being eugenol, rotenone, β-asarone and pyrethrins, respectively. Botanical pesticides from Acorus calamus are of possible concern because of the genotoxic and carcinogenic ingredient β-asarone although estimated margins of exposure (MOE) for consumers indicate a low priority for risk management. For the other three botanical pesticides the margin of safety (MOS) between established acute reference doses and/or acceptable daily intake values and intake estimates for the consumer, resulting from their use as a botanical pesticide are not of safety concern, with the exception for levels of rotenone upon use of tuba root extracts on stored berries. Used levels of clove and pyrethrum as botanical pesticides in pepper berry crop production is not of safety concern for consumers or farmers, whereas for use of tuba root and sweet flag some risk factors were defined requiring further evaluation and/or risk management. It seems prudent to look for alternatives for use of sweet flag extracts containing β-asarone. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deciding on PSA-screening - Quality of current consumer information on the Internet.

Science.gov (United States)

Korfage, Ida J; van den Bergh, Roderick C N; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise

2010-11-01

Given that screening for prostate cancer has the potential to reduce prostate cancer mortality at the expense of considerable overdiagnosis and overtreatment, the availability of core consumer information - correct, balanced and supportive of autonomous decision-making - is a must. We assessed the quality of consumer information available through the Internet per November 2009 and its possible contribution to informed decision-making by potential screenees. Consumer information on PSA-screening was sought through the Internet in November 2009. Materials had to be targeted at potential consumers, offered by not-for-profit organisations, released in 2005 or after, in English or Dutch. Per material 2 of the authors assessed independently from each other whether standardised pre-defined topics were addressed, whether the content was correct and which approach was taken towards the decision-making process about uptake. Twenty-three materials were included, of which 11 were released (shortly) after the results of 2 large randomized-controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effectiveness of screening for prostate cancer had been published in March 2009. That a PSA-test result can be abnormal because of non-cancerous conditions (false positive) and that it may miss prostate cancer (false negative) was not addressed in 2/23 and 8/23 materials, respectively. The risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment was not mentioned in 6 out of 23. PSA-screening was presented as a usual thing to do in some materials, whereas other materials emphasised the voluntary nature of PSA-screening ('it is your decision'). The content of 19/23 materials was considered sufficiently informative according to the pre-defined criteria, 12/23 materials were considered supportive of informed decision-making by men. Most materials of not-for-profit organizations supplied adequate information about PSA-screening, whilst the degree of persuasion towards uptake reflected variations in opinions on men

Consumer preferences for mild cheddar cheese flavors.

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, S L; Gerard, P D; Drake, M A

2008-11-01

Flavor is an important factor in consumer selection of cheeses. Mild Cheddar cheese is the classification used to describe Cheddar cheese that is not aged extensively and has a "mild" flavor. However, there is no legal definition or age limit for Cheddar cheese to be labeled mild, medium, or sharp, nor are the flavor profiles or flavor expectations of these cheeses specifically defined. The objectives of this study were to document the distinct flavor profiles among commercially labeled mild Cheddar cheeses, and to characterize if consumer preferences existed for specific mild Cheddar cheese flavors or flavor profiles. Flavor descriptive sensory profiles of a representative array of commercial Cheddar cheeses labeled as mild (n= 22) were determined using a trained sensory panel and an established cheese flavor sensory language. Nine representative Cheddar cheeses were selected for consumer testing. Consumers (n= 215) assessed the cheeses for overall liking and other consumer liking attributes. Internal preference mapping, cluster analysis, and discriminant analysis were conducted. Mild Cheddar cheeses were diverse in flavor with many displaying flavors typically associated with more age. Four distinct consumer clusters were identified. The key drivers of liking for mild Cheddar cheese were: color, cooked/milky, whey and brothy flavors, and sour taste. Consumers have distinct flavor and color preferences for mild Cheddar cheese. These results can help manufacturers understand consumer preferences for mild Cheddar cheese.

Factors affecting dry-cured ham consumer acceptability.

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, R; Guerrero, L; Aguiar, A P S; Guàrdia, M D; Gou, P

2013-11-01

The objectives of the present study were (1) to compare the relative importance of price, processing time, texture and intramuscular fat in purchase intention of dry-cured ham through conjoint analysis, (2) to evaluate the effect of dry-cured ham appearance on consumer expectations, and (3) to describe the consumer sensory preferences of dry-cured ham using external preference mapping. Texture and processing time influenced the consumer preferences in conjoint analysis. Red colour intensity, colour uniformity, external fat and white film presence/absence influenced consumer expectations. The consumer disliked hams with bitter and metallic flavour and with excessive saltiness and piquantness. Differences between expected and experienced acceptability were found, which indicates that the visual preference of consumers does not allow them to select a dry-cured ham that satisfies their sensory preferences of flavour and texture. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Legal Framework of the Consumer Associations in the Romanian Consumer Law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juanita GOICOVICI

2009-06-01

Full Text Available This study is an analysis of the main legalaspects related to the activity of consumerassociations, seen as promoters of collectiveinterests of their members, in the RomanianConsumer Law. As a social partner of the publicadministration’ organisms, these associations playthree kinds of roles: (1 representing the consumersin the organisms of public administration;(2 informing and advising their members inquestions related to the purchase of products orthe supply of services; (3 taking legal actionsin order to obtain the protection of a collectiveinterest of consumers or the cessation of a illegalcommercial practice. This article also stresses theimportance of non governmental organizations ofconsumers’ right to be consulted by the PublicAdministration’ representatives, in the process ofelaborating legal norms and procedures relatedto consumers’ protection. The non governmentalorganizations of consumers are entitled to betreated as social partners, while representing theirmembers in the specialized organisms, at a nationalor local level, in which the Public Administrationauthorities are represented.

The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and Vulnerable Consumers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trzaskowski, Jan

the economic behaviour of consumers ‘below 1 average’ even though the practice does not meet the requirements of professional diligence. The Directive’s adoption of the European Court of Justice’s ‘average consumer’ entails that protection is generally provided only for those who are far from vulnerable......Consumer protection is deeply anchored in EU law, including the Treaty and the Charter of Fundamental Rights. This article discusses the concept of consumer vulnerability and how vulnerable consumers are protected in the context of commercial practices which is fully harmonised by the Unfair....... The Directive’s Article 5(3) concerning vulnerable consumers protects only—and to a limited extent—groups who are vulnerable due to mental or physical infirmity, age or credulity. Even though consumers make many good choices, all consumers are vulnerable in certain situations—often due to time constraints...

Clusters of Tourism Consumers in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pelau Corina

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The analysis and determination of typologies of tourism consumers has been a major concern for scientists, specialists and companies as well. Knowing the demographic and motivational factors that determine consumers to buy tourism products can have a major impact on the marketing strategy by a more efficient targeting of customers. This article presents the results of a research that aims to determine the factors which influence the buying decision for tourism products and the clusters of consumers resulted from these factors. 90 persons have been surveyed pursuing the determination of the most important factors for buying a tourism product and the correlation between them. The factor analysis and the cluster analysis have been applied with the help of the SPSS program. The results of the factor analysis group the items into six factors. In a second phase, the consumers have been divided into three categories based on a hierarchical Ward cluster analysis. The three clusters have been defined and analyzed and recommendations for the future research have been given.

Accreditation and Student Consumer Protection. An Occasional Paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Steven M.

The role of postsecondary accreditation and its relation to student consumer protection are discussed in this monograph. The importance of this concept is examined in light of increased marketing efforts on the part of higher education institutions. It is emphasized that students are consumers and their rights should be protected. Possible areas…

Consumer-oriented innovation in the food and personal care products sectors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, K.G.; Jensen, B.B.; Sonne, A. M.

2010-01-01

In this chapter, we clarify the concept of consumer-oriented innovation in the food and personal products sectors and define it as a process towards the development of a new product or service in which an integrated analysis and understanding of consumers wants, needs and preference formation play...... a key role. We then outline relevant streams of research that may promote the implementation of consumer-oriented innovation in these sectors. We first review research on understanding consumers, notably on the quality perception, associated methods, and their application in innovation processes. We...... then review research on innovation management, emphasizing the use of consumer insight information in innovation processes. We conclude that a better integration of consumer research and research on innovation management would benefit the innovation process....

Rights, goals, and capabilities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hees, M.V.B.P.M

This article analyses the relationship between rights and capabilities in order to get a better grasp of the kind of consequentialism that the capability theory represents. Capability rights have been defined as rights that have a capability as their object (rights to capabilities). Such a

New consumer services provided by smart metering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daminov Ildar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the issues of smart metering market and considers different services provided by smart metering from consumer point of view. Firstly, smart metering deployment challenges emerging and conventional tariffs, which modify a consumer behavior and thus, the entire electric energy market can be optimized since the customer is motivated to consume less energy. Secondly, the authors illustrate changes in electricity quality, which have an impact on consumer relations with utility. Additionally, two main indices of grid resilience – SAIDI and SAIFI – are exemplified to reveal the improvement potential of smart metering implementation in certain regions of Russia that also influence the consumer. Finally, in-home display and privacy problem directly reflect the consumer’s behavior, thus the private life rights should not be violated as they are guaranteed by law.

The ADR Directive: designed to fail? A hole-ridden stairway to consumer justice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luzak, J.

2016-01-01

The European legislator adopted the new Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Directive with an aim to create an additional, attractive stairway to consumer justice. As such, the ADR Directive intends to encourage more consumers to invoke their consumer rights and thus strengthen consumer law

The Influence of the Principle of Sustainable Consumption over the Combat against Planned Obsolescence, the Guarantee of ‘Durable Products’ and the Right to Information of Consumers in Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorena Vanina Bianchi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article is aimed to explain the problems related to the planned obsolescence, by means of describing their impacts on the consumption and on the environment. From a legal perspective, it can be analysed how the new principle of sustainable consumption, which has been recently acknowledged as a new principle of the Consumer Law in Argentina, allows us to reconsider the functioning of two classic tools to protect consumers. These two tools can be useful to combat or mitigate the negative effects of planned obsolescence: the right to information and the legal guarantee of products.

A STUDY OF THE CHANGING CONSUMER BUYING BEHAVIOUR IN ORGANISED RETAILING IN LUCKNOW CITY

OpenAIRE

Dr Zubair Ahmad

2018-01-01

The major factor of consumer behaviour in organised retailing is the changing buying behaviour. Various management thinkers have conducted several studies to understand the relationship of buying behaviour and organised retailing. Consumer behaviour is defined as the behaviour that consumers display in searching for, purchasing, using, evaluating and disposing of products and services that they expect will satisfy their needs. (L.G. Schiffman, L.L. Kanuk, 2005). Consumer buying behaviour ...

[Effectiveness of the Federal Inspectorate for the Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare in the Novosibirsk Region in 2007 to 2009].

Science.gov (United States)

Mikheev, V N; Ivanova, L K; Iagudin, B I; Turbinskiĭ, V V

2010-01-01

A system for monitoring and analyzing the effectiveness and efficiency of the performance of the Board of the Federal Inspectorate for the Protection of Consumer Rights and Human Welfare in the Novosibirsk Region was introduced into its activities to estimate the provision of the Novosibirsk Region's population with sanitary epidemiological wellbeing in 2007-2009. The introduction of monitoring was ascertained to increase the effectiveness of budgetary fund surveillance and spending, by predicting the effectiveness and choice of priority lines of activities, by increasing the quality of budgetary services rendered in the provision of sanitary and epidemiological well-being to the population.

Consumer innovation resistance as routines: is it an obstacle to development and well-being?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryzhkova Marina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this article we define the role of innovation in the economy of knowledge and in providing social and economic wellbeing to the population. The innovation resistance is defined as a complex phenomenon and as a result of agent-object relationships. Then the article is focused on consumer innovation resistance as a main obstacle to development of knowledge-based economy. Two types of consumer innovation resistance are revealed. The source of active consumer innovation resistance is the result of non-compliance of consumer expectations and characteristics of a new product. Passive consumer innovation resistance comes from the lack of desire to change stable behavior patterns and from unwillingness to learn. Also we classify the deterministic factors of consumer innovation resistance as exogenous indirect and direct factors and as endogenous factors, what can help to work out a general approach to overcoming the innovation resistance. Innovations can be considered as habits and routines to changes, which can be developed and distributed both to the young population and to the elderly. Some insights in this direction are offered.

CARCASS AND MEAT QUALITY CONSUMER AND RESEARCH ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Meat Research is concerned with measuring meat quality and quantity and investigating how production methods, processing, storage and transport, display for sale and methods of cooking influence quality. Quality must be defined as the requirements of the consumer, the market place and the processor. Take for example ...

PROTECTION OF ENERGY CONSUMERS IN THE ECONOMIES OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela ȘTEȚ

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The paper realizes an analyze of the position of the energy consumers and presents some ways of influencing the behaviour of the energy consumers. The paper dealt also with the issue of the protection of domestic electricity and gas consumer which aims, in particular, its rights to receive energy at any time, in safe conditions and at affordable prices.

Consumer hypnotic-like suggestibility: possible mechanism in compulsive purchasing.

Science.gov (United States)

Prete, M Irene; Guido, Gianluigi; Pichierri, Marco

2013-08-01

The authors hypothesize a concept, Consumer Hypnotic-Like Suggestibility (CHLS), defined as an altered state of consciousness, as a state causing a tendency to respond positively to messages aimed at inducing consumers to make unplanned purchases. This study aims to investigate the associations of CHLS with interpersonal variables and compulsive purchasing--a frequent and uncontrollable preoccupation with buying or impulses to buy. A study was conducted on a sample of 232 subjects (n = 111 men; M age = 41 yr.), through the administration of a questionnaire, which measured: CHLS, compulsive purchasing, consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (the necessity to enhance one's image in the opinion of others through the consumption of products), and consumer atmospherics, i.e., environmental stimuli known to influence purchasing decisions. Modeling and mediation analyses suggested that internal and external drivers--Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence and atmospherics--are positively related to CHLS which affects compulsive purchasing.

Psychosocial and demographic variables associated with consumer intention to purchase sustainably produced foods as defined by the Midwest Food Alliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Ramona; Smith, Chery

2002-01-01

To examine psychosocial and demographic variables associated with consumer intention to purchase sustainably produced foods using an expanded Theory of Planned Behavior. Consumers were approached at the store entrance and asked to complete a self-administered survey. Three metropolitan Minnesota grocery stores. Participants (n = 550) were adults who shopped at the store: the majority were white, female, and highly educated and earned >or= 50,000 dollars/year. Participation rates averaged 62%. The major domain investigated was consumer support for sustainably produced foods. Demographics, beliefs, attitudes, subjective norm, and self-identity and perceived behavioral control were evaluated as predictors of intention to purchase them. Descriptive statistics, independent t tests, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson product moment correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analyses (P Consumers were supportive of sustainably produced foods but not highly confident in their ability to purchase them. Independent predictors of intention to purchase them included attitudes, beliefs, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, past buying behavior, and marital status. Beliefs, attitudes, and confidence level may influence intention to purchase sustainably produced foods. Nutrition educators could increase consumers' awareness of sustainably produced foods by understanding their beliefs, attitudes, and confidence levels.

Dynamics of a minimal consumer network with bi-directional influence

Science.gov (United States)

Ekaterinchuk, Ekaterina; Jungeilges, Jochen; Ryazanova, Tatyana; Sushko, Iryna

2018-05-01

We study the dynamics of a model of interdependent consumer behavior defined by a family of two-dimensional noninvertible maps. This family belongs to a class of coupled logistic maps with different nonlinearity parameters and coupling terms that depend on one variable only. In our companion paper we considered the case of independent consumers as well as the case of uni-directionally connected consumers. The present paper aims at describing the dynamics in the case of a bi-directional connection. In particular, we investigate the bifurcation structure of the parameter plane associated with the strength of coupling between the consumers, focusing on the mechanisms of qualitative transformations of coexisting attractors and their basins of attraction.

Media rights and media security

Science.gov (United States)

Baugher, Mark

2005-03-01

Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems typically do not treat rights management as a security problem. DRM uses cryptographic techniques but not security relationships. Instead, DRM systems use "tamper-resistant mechanisms" to discourage unauthorized access to rights-managed content. Although proven ineffective in practice, tamper-resistant mechanisms penalize legitimate customers with added complexity and costs that arise from tamper-resisting data or program code. This paper explores how a security relationship between provider and consumer might be more effective for managing rights to content works on two-way networks.

Relationships between harvest time and wine composition in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon 2. Wine sensory properties and consumer preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Bindon, Keren; Holt, Helen; Williamson, Patricia O; Varela, Cristian; Herderich, Markus; Francis, I Leigh

2014-07-01

A series of five Vitis vinifera L. cv Cabernet Sauvignon wines were produced from sequentially-harvested grape parcels, with alcohol concentrations between 12% v/v and 15.5% v/v. A multidisciplinary approach, combining sensory analysis, consumer testing and detailed chemical analysis was used to better define the relationship between grape maturity, wine composition and sensory quality. The sensory attribute ratings for dark fruit, hotness and viscosity increased in wines produced from riper grapes, while the ratings for the attributes red fruit and fresh green decreased. Consumer testing of the wines revealed that the lowest-alcohol wines (12% v/v) were the least preferred and wines with ethanol concentration between 13% v/v and 15.5% v/v were equally liked by consumers. Partial least squares regression identified that many sensory attributes were strongly associated with the compositional data, providing evidence of wine chemical components which are important to wine sensory properties and consumer preferences, and which change as the grapes used for winemaking ripen. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Historic day for Malaysian consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, S R

1993-04-01

The Malaysian Medical Association, the Malaysian Dental Association, the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society, and the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations have introduced and endorsed the Charter for Patient Rights. The Charter recognized that health care is a basic human right, regardless of race, religion, social status, and ability to pay. Further, consumers have the right to seek medical care in both the public and private sectors. The Charter also includes the right to a second opinion, one's own medical records, and explanation before receiving any medical treatment and concerning the risks of treatment, compensation for negligence, and adequate information. Malaysia is the second Asian country to have such a charter, South Korea being the first. The UK also has a Patients Charter. The rest of Europe is also moving to adopt such a charter. The private sector, which serves only those who can afford them, provides most health care services in developing countries. Thus, a large private sector threatens the elderly, unemployed, rural poor, and the mentally ill in these countries. The supply of these services is a marketable commodity which physicians and health care professionals own and sell. The medical community has planned, formulated, implemented, and monitored health services in most of these countries. Therefore, the private sector is a major obstacle to health for all. The Charter helps to break down the barrier by informing both physicians and their patients of their rights and responsibilities.

Patients Bill of Rights Data

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services — Reducing Costs, Protecting Consumers - The Affordable Care Act on the One Year Anniversary of the Patients Bill of Rights For too long, too many hard working...

Consumer Preferences Expressed via Shopping in Alternative Food Chains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Miškolci

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years an increasing consumer interest in shopping in alternative food chains can be observed also in the Czech Republic. For the successful development of alternative food networks, it is important to understand what motivates consumers to shop there. This paper is aimed to define and discuss the key aspects of the preference determinants of AFN shoppers. The empirical analysis was conducted on 333 shoppers at two alternative food chains in Brno, Czech Republic. The consumer survey was designed to examine cognitive, normative and affective determinants of preference for purchased food. First findings confirm, that by the shopping at alternative food chains consumers demonstrate preferences not only for fresh and tasty food, but also their normative position of willingness to support local production and community.

Ethnic Minorities: Elements in Defining and Hierarchisation of the Right to Difference

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Jadranka Čačić-Kumpes

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The theme that this paper examines are minorities, or rather ethnic minorities, which are central within the framework of social phenomena and processes linked to the multiethnic and multicultural structure of contemporary societies. Proceeding from the assumption that clarity of concepts is a precondition for understanding and solving problems pertaining to ethnic minorities, the authors provide a critique of the definitions and differentiations of concepts from which, in concrete societies and in specific ways, the rights of ethnic minorities mainly derive. The problem is posed in the context of contemporary societies, especially the immigration societies of the European Union, and the authors note the ethnic heterogeneity of the latter and the declared general consensus on the right to difference and on the importance of this right. Comparing, on the one hand, the ethnic structures of fifteen countries of the European Union (based on census data and estimations, and on the other hand data pertaining to the legislative regulation of minority protection in these countries, the authors conclude that various forms of selective denial of equality of the right to difference are in action. Contemporary divisions distinguishing between formerly disprivileged traditional minorities that are striving towards their revitalisation, and new ethnic minorities that are being formed out of immigrant populations, open possibilities for new forms of discrimination. Therefore, the authors further conclude that an attempt should be made to make minority rights equal, also since establishing hierarchies of rights, as has been shown throughout history, may lead to frustrations with long-term consequences.

Health Care Crossroads: What's the Right Solution? Putting Consumer-Driven Ideas to Work at Louisiana State University

Science.gov (United States)

Benedict, Forest; Guinn, Shayla

2006-01-01

Idling at the crossroads and faced with ever-increasing health care costs, the Louisiana State University System chose the road less traveled and instituted a consumer-driven benefits plan. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the consumer-driven programs LSU has adopted and how these programs have helped curb costs and improve the…

CONSUMER BETWEEN OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE

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Răzvan Dina

2013-06-01

Full Text Available We live in a society where the consumer, due to the diversity and abundance of products and services whose characteristics are becoming more similar, has to make choices that are increasingly difficult. Another aspect that has led to a profound transformation of the consumer behavior is due to the large volume of information, supplied by the Internet, information which in some cases is not accurate, but is decisively influencing the consumer. In equal measure, the difficulty of making a purchasing decision is caused by the fact that with the opening to the global market, where the products and services were depersonalized, gaining common features, and where the concept of quality tends to no longer relate to the same standards as a few decades ago, having suffered major changes. The quality of products is a fundamental requirement of competitiveness, and quality assessment is a personal right of the consumer, because this is a direct effect of quality of life. (“Fundamentele ştiinţei mărfurilor” Dinu Vasile, 2008

Celebrity Endorsement & Consumer Behavior : Gender Differences as a Marketing Strategy

OpenAIRE

Junhem, Sanna; Adolfsson, Sophie

2017-01-01

Background - Celebrity endorsement is not a new phenomenon and it can be seen in advertisements around the world. Since the content of an advertisement easily can be screened out, it is important to target the right consumer. There has to be a fit between the consumer, the endorser and the product. Since gender plays a crucial part when understanding consumer behavior, knowledge about gender differences needs to be taken into account when creating a marketing strategy.      Purpose - Consumer...

Housing the Citizen-Consumer in Post-war Britain: The Parker Morris Report, Affluence and the Even Briefer Life of Social Democracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kefford, Alistair

2018-06-01

This article examines debates about the design and provision of post-war housing within the papers and report of the Parker Morris committee. It does so to show how the models of citizens' rights and expectations which underpinned post-war welfare provision were transformed by mass affluence and the dynamic sphere of commercial consumption. Parker Morris's deliberations demonstrate that, as early as the 1950s, the citizen-subject was reimagined as a consuming individual, with requirements based on their expressive needs and consuming desires, and that this had far-reaching consequences for social democratic systems of universal welfare provision. The introduction of consumerist imperatives into publicly defined models of citizens' needs enhanced the political and cultural authority of the commercial domain, prompted a heightened role for commercial experts and market logics within public governance, and served to devalue socialized forms of provision in favour of consumer choice in the private market. The article thus engages with the growing scholarship on the politics of mass consumerism by showing how the material and emotional comforts of post-war affluence came to be constructed as critical to social democratic citizenship and selfhood. Situating this uneasy entanglement of social democratic rights with consumer satisfaction as part of a wider trajectory of political change, the piece suggests that Parker Morris marks an early but significant moment in the transition from post-war welfarism and social democracy to the consumer- and market-oriented forms of governance which came to dominate British politics and society in the latter part of the twentieth century.

12 CFR 226.36 - Prohibited acts or practices in connection with credit secured by a consumer's principal dwelling.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... credit secured by a consumer's principal dwelling. 226.36 Section 226.36 Banks and Banking FEDERAL... with credit secured by a consumer's principal dwelling. (a) Mortgage broker defined. For purposes of...) Misrepresentation of value of consumer's dwelling—(1) Coercion of appraiser. In connection with a consumer credit...

The concept of abusive clauses/unfair terms in contracts concluded between the undertakings, on the one hand, and the consumers, on the other hand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreea-Teodora Stănescu

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Initially, the concept of unfair terms characterized only the contracts concluded between consumers and professionals. Currently, the concept is also incident in other types of contracts. This study only concerns the concept of unfair terms applicable to contracts concluded between consumers and professionals. Main regulations applicable are represented by Law no. 193/2000 on unfair terms in contracts concluded between professionals and consumers and Directive 93/13 / EEC on unfair terms in consumer contracts (interpreted by the ECJ. Scientific work is proposed to set up the concept of unfair terms. In order to do so, several steps are to be followed: 1. determining the scope (contracts on the sale of goods or services concluded between professionals and consumers 2. analysis of unfair terms defining features: (a the absence of negotiation between the contracting parties, (b the presence of a significant imbalance between the rights and obligations of the parties, to the detriment of consumers and (c the breach of good faith 3. the identification of the incident sanctions 4. the highlighting of some procedural features (especially in terms of the effects of court decisions finding the unfairness of a contractual term.

Consumer acceptance of cultured meat: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Christopher; Barnett, Julie

2018-09-01

Cultured meat grown in-vitro from animal cells is being developed as a way of addressing many of the ethical and environmental concerns associated with conventional meat production. As commercialisation of this technology appears increasingly feasible, there is growing interest in the research on consumer acceptance of cultured meat. We present a systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature, and synthesize and analyse the findings of 14 empirical studies. We highlight demographic variations in consumer acceptance, factors influencing acceptance, common consumer objections, perceived benefits, and areas of uncertainty. We conclude by evaluating the most important objections and benefits to consumers, as well as highlighting areas for future research. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Law Enforcement of Consumer Protection for Safe Food Packaging in The Decisions of Criminal Justice

Science.gov (United States)

Wiryani, F.; Herwastoeti; Najih, M.; Haris, A.

2017-04-01

The right to a safe food is a human rights protected by the 1945 Constitution and legislation, including the Health Act, the Consumer Protection Act and Food Act. The law governing the rights and obligations of consumers; rights, obligations and responsibilities of businesses, as well as prohibitions and sanctions for businesses that violate. Food consumers aggrieved can file a non-litigation legal action and / or litigation. Non-litigation legal efforts made through negotiation or mediation or through Consumer Dispute Resolution Body (BPSK). The litigation efforts made by filing a lawsuit for damages to the court and / or reporting the case to the criminal law enforcement. This study specifically examines the enforcement of criminal law in the judgment as a safeguard against food consumers. Sanctions provisions setting a strategic role in an effort to make the protection of consumers of food. Patterns general formulation of the maximum penalty in the third Act is not appropriate because it too gives flexibility for the judge to make a decision as low to the Defendant. Facts on society, business agent has a dominant and strong position compared with consumers of food. These favorable conditions business agent position and vice versa less give legal protection to the Consumer Food. Preferably the pattern formulation penalty of criminal acts in the field of food using a specific minimum and maximum public.

Consumer Issues and Consumer Protection in Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Widdows, Richard; And Others

1995-01-01

Looks at themes of consumer interests in Asia and comments on the directions consumer policy is taking in that region. Outlines issues facing the region's consumers, describes evolving consumer protection mechanisms, and presents a model for promoting consumer interests in the region. (JOW)

Crowdfunding and new trends in consumer behaviour

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Joanna Pieniążek

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses social funding and how it affects consumer behaviour. Crowdfunding contributes to the support and development of interesting products and services. Consumers have become not only the recipients but also co-creators of new products.The changes also apply to the consumption model.So far, the customer has received product already formed by the manufacturers. Now, the customer may pre-order the product via a crowdfunding site, by financially supporting the manufacturing process of the product. Online community which the consumer belongs to has the power to market the products which might never be created or would be created after a long period of time. It may also have influence on their appearance and functionality. The purpose of this article is to present the phenomenon of crowdfunding and an attempt at defining consumer attitudes related to the new model of funding, promotion and sale of products online.The article provides an overview of the literature on the subject and an analysis of selected crowdfunding sites.

TYPES OF CONSUMER LOYALTY IN THE UKRAINIAN HIGH TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS MARKET

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V. Zhurylo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The study addresses the problem of the formation of customer loyalty in the market of high-tech products. It examines existing approaches to defining the determinants that influence the formation of loyalty in the consumer market. On the basis of generalization of existing approaches it is proposed to divide the determinants of such groups: behavioral, perceptual, marketing and individual determinants of customers loyalty. Marketing research was conducted to identify the features of the market behavior of Ukrainian consumers of high-tech products. As the result, the main tends of consumers behavior, external and individual factors of actualization and influence on the consumers motivation were determined. Ukrainian consumers' loyalty was sorted depending on the reasons to buying high-tech products and consumer involvement in this process. Each type of market behavior of consumers corresponds to a certain type of consumer loyalty. Cognitive, agreement, demonstrative loyalty are formed in the case of high consumer involvement in the buying process. Active, perceptual loyalty and loyalty of convenience are observed in the case of low involvement.

Models of consumer behavior of households depending on the income level

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Melnikova A.S.

2016-11-01

Full Text Available the consumer behavior of households is defined by a complex of internal and external factors: income of the population, motives and incentives of behavior, behavioral norms and personal preferences. As the example of structure analysis of the income and expenses of households of Sverdlovsk region during research models of consumer behavior of households are allocated, characteristics and structure of the population depending on their welfare are allocated. Author's approach allows forecasting of the consumer market, proceeding from the socio-economic factors forming the level of the population income in the region.

The Effectivity of Promotional Benefit Towards Buying Intention Moderated By The Brain’s Tendency of Consumers

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Evan Stiawan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This research’s goal is to measured the influence of promotional benefit towards buying intention moderated the brain’s tendency of consumers. The object of this research is the consumers whom ever bought a mobile phone. The purpose of this research is to find out the consumer’s buying intention when price discount is higher than premium, the influence of price discount and premium toward buying intention which is moderated by the tendency of consumer’s left and right brain. The data analysis method used is ANOVA One Way and General Linear model (GLM. The result of the research shows that premium is more positively evaluated than price discount which is means the consumer tends to re-buy when premium promotion offered is higher that price discount. The group of consumers that get price discount and right brain tendency tend to have a higher buying intention than the group of consumers that get price discount and left brain tendency, also for the group of consumers that get price discount and right brain tendency tend to have a higher buying intention than the group of consumers that get premium and right brain tendency.

Consumer preferences regarding the introduction of new organic products. The case of the Mediterranean sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mauracher, C; Tempesta, T; Vecchiato, D

2013-04-01

The introduction of new products on the market poses several challenges; in particular, whether the characteristics of the proposed product will be judged positively by potential consumers. This paper analyses the preferences of consumers regarding the introduction on the Italian market of a new product: organic Mediterranean sea bass. The aim of this study is to assess the importance given by consumers to four main characteristics of sea bass (country of origin, size, production method - organic or conventional - and price) so as to be able to formulate marketing strategies. We applied a choice experiment (CE) in order to define not only the ordinal ranking of preferences but also the willingness to pay (WTP) for the key characteristics of the newly-introduced product. We found that consumers show a higher WTP for the sea bass country of origin than for the breeding method used. Our results suggest that while organic aquaculture might be a new and important strategy for diversification, if suitable communication, either from a public policy or commercial perspective, and labelling/certification are not taken into consideration, the added value of the production method might not be perceived by the final consumers. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The key determinants of consumer ethnocentrism in Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Bešlagić Amela

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The area of this research relates to consumer behavior and the effects that the influence of consumer ethnocentrism has on the national economy. Therefore is consumer ethnocentrism, as an attitude of spending and consumption of local products, the subject of this research. The aim is to identify the key determinants of the consumer ethnocentrism phenomenon, in order to explain the habits of consumers in the purchase and consumption of local products. The empirical research found the key determinants that influence the level of consumer ethnocentrism among the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A questionnaire as a data collection form, was used, so as the Cronbach alpha coefficient to measure the reliability of the CET scale, as well as the analysis of variance. The collected data were analyzed by using SPSS statistical software. The results confirmed recent findings conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina in this field. It was found that the Bosnian - Herzegovinian ethnocentric consumers and their propensity to purchase local products are defined by promotional activities, frequency of purchases of consumer goods, status in the household, number of household members, the average monthly household income, education level and employment status of the household head.

How Resource Phenology Affects Consumer Population Dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Bewick, Sharon; Cantrell, R Stephen; Cosner, Chris; Fagan, William F

2016-02-01

Climate change drives uneven phenology shifts across taxa, and this can result in changes to the phenological match between interacting species. Shifts in the relative phenology of partner species are well documented, but few studies have addressed the effects of such changes on population dynamics. To explore this, we develop a phenologically explicit model describing consumer-resource interactions. Focusing on scenarios for univoltine insects, we show how changes in resource phenology can be reinterpreted as transformations in the year-to-year recursion relationships defining consumer population dynamics. This perspective provides a straightforward path for interpreting the long-term population consequences of phenology change. Specifically, by relating the outcome of phenological shifts to species traits governing recursion relationships (e.g., consumer fecundity or competitive scenario), we demonstrate how changes in relative phenology can force systems into different dynamical regimes, with major implications for resource management, conservation, and other areas of applied dynamics.

Analysis on the Changes in Consumer Behavior and Marketing Countermeasure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Haiyu

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Currently, there’s a huge change in the media use habit, demand and route to get the information for the consumers, and the right of consumers to release information is mostly realized, indicating an actual return of consumer sovereignty. In such a background, it is undoubtedly the best choice for the marketing of enterprise brand to focus on the target people, manage the client relation and increase the socialized videos.

77 FR 51706 - Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce; Consumer Protection Regulations...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-27

... waiver of receipt of printed copies of consumer protection materials. The direct final rule harmonized... receipt of the consumer protection publications ``Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move,'' and... No. FMCSA-2011-0313] RIN 2126-AB41 Transportation of Household Goods in Interstate Commerce; Consumer...

Nutrient profiling for front of pack labelling: how to align logical consumer choice with improvement of products?

Science.gov (United States)

Roodenburg, Annet J C

2017-08-01

The primary goal of front of pack (FOP) labelling is to help consumers make healthier choices through communication. A secondary goal is to encourage producers to improve the nutritional composition of their products. Evidence has shown that (FOP) labelling can help consumers to make healthier food choices and has been an incentive for producers to improve product composition. As FOP labelling is seen as an important tool to improve food environments for public health purposes, the WHO supports initiatives of governments to implement an FOP labelling system. Based on the experiences of a wide range of countries over many years, possible success factors for such an FOP system have been defined, six of which are discussed in the present paper and used to evaluate the Dutch Choices Programme that was started in 2006. In the course of time a large number of producers joined the programme and the logo was recognised by more than 90 % of the consumers, but by 2016 the Dutch consumer organisation argued on the basis of their own research that a quarter of the consumers did not understand the colour coding of the logo and as a result the Dutch government decided to no longer support this logo and to introduce a nutrition app. The challenge that remains is to find a system that consumers understand well and that still encourages manufacturers of food to improve product composition. New technology-based data collecting initiatives might provide the right tools to develop such a system.

Consumer behavior in the setting of over-the-counter statin availability: lessons from the consumer use study of OTC Mevacor.

Science.gov (United States)

Brass, Eric P

2004-11-04

Despite the proven benefits of statins, large numbers of patients meeting guideline criteria for therapy are not receiving these drugs. It has been suggested that over-the-counter (OTC) availability of statins would allow more consumers to use statins and achieve cardiovascular risk reduction. However, concerns have been raised as to the consumers' ability to self-manage hyperlipidemia and use statins safely. The Consumer Use Study of OTC Mevacor (CUSTOM) was designed to define consumer behaviors in the setting of OTC statin availability. The study was conducted in a simulated OTC setting and allowed consumers to purchase once-daily lovastatin 20 mg. The CUSTOM dataset includes >3,300 consumers who evaluated OTC lovastatin for potential purchase at study sites and follow-up information on purchasers for up to 6 months of self-managed therapy. These data have been analyzed to address consumers' knowledge of their cholesterol concentrations as well as their ability to make OTC use decisions based on their cardiovascular risk, avoid drug-drug interactions, self-manage their cholesterol treatment after deciding to use the OTC product, and maintain interactions with physicians while using lovastatin OTC. The results showed that most study participants appropriately self-selected OTC statin therapy and managed their treatment. Use of OTC statins by consumers needing more intensive statin therapy or facing the risk of potential drug-drug interactions remains an area of concern but occurred infrequently in CUSTOM. These data are important for making an informed risk-benefit decision concerning OTC statin availability.

Balancing consumer protection and scientific integrity in the face of uncertainty: the example of gluten-free foods.

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, Margaret Sova

2010-01-01

In 2009, gluten-free foods were not only "hot" in the marketplace, several countries, including the United States, continued efforts to define gluten-free and appropriate labeling parameters. The regulatory process illuminates how difficult regulations based on safe scientific thresholds can be for regulators, manufacturers and consumers. This article analyzes the gluten-free regulatory landscape, challenges to defining a safe gluten threshold, and how consumers might need more label information beyond the term "gluten-free." The article includes an overview of international gluten-free regulations, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rulemaking process, and issues for consumers.

Clustering the Consumers According to Their Environmental Concern: A Study In the Turkish Market

OpenAIRE

Ahu Ergen; Filiz Bozkurt; Caner Giray

2014-01-01

The consumption of natural resources and environmental pollution is still one of our planets most serious problems. Accordingly, the number of consumers who are worried about diminishing natural resources is increasing rapidly. Knowing more about these consumers will give companies the opportunity to define their strategies appropriately. The objective of this study is to profile consumers regarding environmental concern and green buying behavior. Three distinct clusters are identified and th...

Factoring consumers' perspectives into policy decisions for nursing competence.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazarus, Jean B; Lee, N Genell

2006-08-01

Health care delivery competence and accountability have typically been defined from providers' perspectives, rather than those of consumers as purchasers of services. In 1999, in the face of broad public concern about nursing competence the Alabama Board of Nursing developed an accountability model that established consumers at the center of the model and placed accountability for competent nursing practice at all levels of providers including regulatory agencies, health care organizations, educators, and licensees. The Board then authorized two research projects involving first, consumers perceptions on nursing competence and regulation, and second, comparing their perceptions with those of licensees, nurse educators, and organizational leaders (N = 1,127). Comparative data evidenced significant differences between consumers' and other participants' perceptions. This article highlights how policy implications derived from research resulted in regulatory changes for nursing competence. Five years of progress in policy changes made in the interest of public safety are summarized.

Knowledge/Power Transforming the Social Landscape: The Case of the Consumer Health Information Movement

Science.gov (United States)

Huber, Jeffrey T.; Gillaspy, Mary L.

2011-01-01

The consumer health information (CHI) movement is the result of various twentieth-century ideologies and is an outgrowth of the broader consumer movement. From a sociocultural and political perspective, the consumer, civil rights, and women's movements and related societal shifts helped pave the way for the consumer health movement, which laid the…

The right to health of prisoners in international human rights law.

Science.gov (United States)

Lines, Rick

2008-01-01

This paper explores the health rights of prisoners as defined in international law, and the mechanisms that have been used to ensure the rights of persons in detention to realise the highest attainable standard of health. It examines this right as articulated within United Nations and regional human rights treaties, non-binding or so-called soft law instruments from international organisations and the jurisprudence of international human rights bodies. It explores the use of economic, social and cultural rights mechanisms, and those within civil and political rights, as they engage the right to health of prisoners, and identifies the minimum legal obligations of governments in order to remain compliant with human rights norms as defined within the international case law. In addressing these issues, this article adopts a holistic approach to the definition of the highest attainable standard of health. This includes a consideration of adequate standards of general medical care, including preventative health and mental health services. It also examines the question of environmental health, and those poor conditions of detention that may exacerbate health decline, disease transmission, mental illness or death. The paper examines the approach to prison health of the United Nations human rights system and its various monitoring bodies, as well as the regional human rights systems in Europe, Africa and the Americas. Based upon this analysis, the paper draws conclusions on the current fulfilment of the right to health of prisoners on an international scale, and proposes expanded mechanisms under the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment to monitor and promote the health rights of prisoners at the international and domestic levels.

Consumer Information in the Electronic Media: Neutral Information, Advertising, Selling. Working Paper No. 4.

Science.gov (United States)

Sepstrup, Preben; Olander, Folke

This paper presents a self-contained summary in English of the results of a research project conducted for the Nordic Council of Ministers to define problems, advantages, and disadvantages of the electronic dissemination of information for consumers, and to determine whether consumer organizations should adapt their information activities and…

Consumer focus can spur group practice turnaround.

Science.gov (United States)

Foreman, M S; Draper, A

2001-06-01

Many healthcare organizations have lost money on their employed group practices. The solution to this dilemma is not necessarily divestment of the group practices. Instead, some healthcare organizations should view their physicians as an asset. Healthcare organizations and physicians need to develop a new framework for their relationship to optimize their competitive advantage. Three guiding principles that will help accomplish this objective are to recast the healthcare organization-physician relationship to focus on the consumer, reconfigure the economic model to exceed consumer demands, and restructure the group practice to encourage fiscal and service excellence. In developing a new relationship framework, the stakeholders need to define the group practice's mission, strategic direction, composition, infrastructure, compensation model, and structure.

Defining children's rights and responsibilities in Sub-Saharan Africa

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Evans, Ruth; Skovdal, Morten

2015-01-01

and UNCRC concerns about “hazardous” and “harmful” work are highlighted through examining the situation of children providing unpaid domestic and care support to family members in the private space of their own or a relative’s home. Differing perspectives toward young caregiving have been adopted to date....... A contextual, multi-sectorial approach to young caregiving is needed that seeks to understand children’s, family members’, and community members’ perceptions of what constitutes inappropriate caring responsibilities within particular cultural contexts and how these should best be alleviated.......This chapter explores the spatialities of children’s rights through a focus on how children’s paid and unpaid work in sub-Saharan Africa intersects with wider debates about child labor, child domestic work, and young caregiving. Several tensions surround the universalist and individualistic nature...

A laboratory validation study of comfort and limit temperatures of four sleeping bags defined according to EN 13537 (2002).

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Li-Yen; Wang, Faming; Kuklane, Kalev; Gao, Chuansi; Holmér, Ingvar; Zhao, Mengmeng

2013-03-01

In this study, we validated comfort and limit temperatures of four sleeping bags with different levels of insulation defined according to EN 13537. Six male subjects and four female subjects underwent totally 20 two-hour exposures in four sleeping bags at four intended testing temperatures: 11.2, 3.8, 2.1 and -9.0 °C. The subjective perceptions and physiological responses of these subjects were reported and analyzed. It was found that the EN 13537 defined comfort temperature and limit temperature were underestimated for sleeping bags MA3, HAG and MAM. The predictions are so conservative that further revision may be required to meet the requirements of both manufacturers and consumers. In contrast, for the sleeping bag MA0 with a low level of insulation, the limit temperature defined by EN 13537 was slightly overestimated. In addition, two individual case studies (-28.0 and -32.0 °C) demonstrated that low toe temperatures were widely observed among the male and female subjects, although the mean skin temperatures were almost within the thermoneutrality range (32.0-34.0 °C). It seems that the IREQ model (ISO 11079) overestimated both the comfort and limit temperatures of the sleeping bags. Finally, traditional sleeping bags may be required to be re-designed to provide consumers both whole body comfort as well as local thermal comfort at feet/toes or users need to be made aware of the higher need for their insulation. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Consumers' environmental and ethical consciousness and the use of the related food products information: The role of perceived consumer effectiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghvanidze, Sophie; Velikova, Natalia; Dodd, Tim H; Oldewage-Theron, Wilna

2016-12-01

Consumers can be important active contributors to a sustainable society by selecting food choices that are both healthy and produced respecting environmental and socially ethical standards. The current study investigates five consumer behavioural factors - namely, perceived consumer effectiveness (PCE); environmental conscious behaviour; concerns for ethical food production; health conscious lifestyle; and healthy dietary patterns. The key interest of the study lies in exploring the moderating role of PCE - the extent to which the consumer believes that his/her own efforts can make a difference - in these interrelationships. The empirical analysis was conducted through an online survey of food consumers implemented in three markets - the US, the UK and Germany. Findings indicate that for individuals with higher levels of PCE, who are environmental conscious and ethically concerned, information on food labels relating to environmental and social issues represents value by itself. Interestingly, health and nutrition information on food labels was not perceived valuable by consumers with high PCE. The predictive effects of various socio-demographic variables on PCE, consumer environmental and health consciousness are discussed. Cross-cultural differences are also outlined. The results of this research may contribute to the development of environmental policies and communication strategies of the food industry to enhance perceived consumer effectiveness among consumers. Improved PCE, in turn, may catalyze consumers' environmental behaviour and ethical concerns in relation to consumption of food products with environmental and social information. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Handbook for Consumers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-02-09

This handbook is designed to answer a consumer's basic questions, as well as point them to additional information they need, to make the best decision about whether an electric-drive vehicle is right for them.

HIPAA's Individual Right of Access to Genomic Data: Reconciling Safety and Civil Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, Barbara J

2018-01-04

In 2014, the United States granted individuals a right of access to their own laboratory test results, including genomic data. Many observers feel that this right is in tension with regulatory and bioethical standards designed to protect the safety of people who undergo genomic testing. This commentary attributes this tension to growing pains within an expanding federal regulatory program for genetic and genomic testing. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 expanded the regulatory agenda to encompass civil rights and consumer safety. The individual access right, as it applies to genomic data, is best understood as a civil-rights regulation. Competing regulatory objectives-safety and civil rights-were not successfully integrated during the initial rollout of genomic civil-rights regulations after 2008. Federal law clarifies how to prioritize safety and civil rights when the two come into conflict, although with careful policy design, the two need not collide. This commentary opens a dialog about possible solutions to advance safety and civil rights together. Copyright © 2017 American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Online Consumer Ethnocentrism of Danish Consumers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bujac, Andreea Ioana

2017-01-01

No doubt that consumer ethnocentrism is an important phenomenon in international marketing. However, not much attention has been paid to consumer ethnocentrism in an online context. The current study aims to fill in this gap. Specifically, the ethnocentric tendency of Danish online consumers...

Consumerism and consumer complexity: implications for university teaching and teaching evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Wendy A

2013-07-01

A contemporary issue is the effects of a corporate production metaphor and consumerism on university education. Efforts by universities to attract students and teaching strategies aimed at 'adult learners' tend to treat student consumers as a homogeneous group with similar expectations. In this paper, I argue that consumer groups are not uniform. I use Dagevos' theoretical approach to categorize consumers as calculating, traditional, unique, and responsible. Based on the characteristics of consumers occupying these categories, I describe the implications of the varying consumer expectations for teaching. I also consider the implications for evaluation of teaching and call for research taking consumer types into account when evaluating teaching. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Consumer Search Behavior Typology on the Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions

OpenAIRE

Wahyuningsih

2007-01-01

The author investigates how consumer search behavior typology affects the relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The results show that the type of consumer as defined by whether and how they search for information (passive, rational-active, relational-dependent) perceive different levels of satisfaction and performs differently on satisfaction-behavioral intentions linkages. Relational-dependent and rational-active consumers are found to perceive higher satisfac...

Effects of Consumer Search Behavior Typology on the Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions

OpenAIRE

Wahyuningsih Wahyuningsih

2013-01-01

The author investigates how consumer search behavior typology affects the relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The results show that the type of consumer as defined by whether and how they search for information (passive, rational-active, relational-dependent) perceive different levels of satisfaction and performs differently on satisfaction-behavioral intentions linkages. Relational-dependent and rational-active consumers are found to perceive higher satisfac...

Consumer Legislation and E-Commerce Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason Freeman

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Where there is vigorous competition, and consumer confidence, there is economic growth. E-commerce drives both of these but there remain situations where traders exploit technology or consumer behavioural biases, and seek to compete on the wrong things –such as unrealistic up front prices. This harms competition and can reduce consumer trust, meaning that consumers consume less. This could occur when traders: i prevent consumers from accessing, assessing or acting on information, and so make the wrong choice; ii take advantage of their superior understanding of technology to collect data or money from consumers; iii abuse the advantages of the internet (ease of set up, cross jurisdictional reach, access to markets to misrepresent the price, the quality, the range of products on offer, or the service you will get.Firms should therefore behave responsibly, and not seek to steal an unfair march on their competitors. Effective enforcement incentivises the right behaviours. In order to enforce effectively, EU agencies need to prioritise robustly and build strong competence in internet investigation. Increasingly enforcement activities need to be run as international projects involving non EU enforcers and industry allies –and we need to be willing to protect overseas consumers as well as our own. It is important that the legal framework facilitates, rather than hinders, enforcement –so that for example investigators can easily discover the true identity of traders who run anonymous websites, that they are able to carry out covert test purchases, and so that websites causing harm to the economic interests of consumers can swiftly be removed.There are a number of areas where the EU legislator should consider further work, in order to address those persistent threats that have proven difficult to eradicate so far: clarifying the scope of platform responsibility; extending consumer protection to all individuals; ensuring all CPC enforcers have

Functional Requirements for Onboard Management of Space Shuttle Consumables. Volume 2

Science.gov (United States)

Graf, P. J.; Herwig, H. A.; Neel, L. W.

1973-01-01

This report documents the results of the study "Functional Requirements for Onboard Management of Space Shuttle Consumables." The study was conducted for the Mission Planning and Analysis Division of the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, between 3 July 1972 and 16 November 1973. The overall study program objective was two-fold. The first objective was to define a generalized consumable management concept which is applicable to advanced spacecraft. The second objective was to develop a specific consumables management concept for the Space Shuttle vehicle and to generate the functional requirements for the onboard portion of that concept. Consumables management is the process of controlling or influencing the usage of expendable materials involved in vehicle subsystem operation. The report consists of two volumes. Volume I presents a description of the study activities related to general approaches for developing consumable management, concepts for advanced spacecraft applications, and functional requirements for a Shuttle consumables management concept. Volume II presents a detailed description of the onboard consumables management concept proposed for use on the Space Shuttle.

How do consumers describe wine astringency?

Science.gov (United States)

Vidal, Leticia; Giménez, Ana; Medina, Karina; Boido, Eduardo; Ares, Gastón

2015-12-01

Astringency is one of the most important sensory characteristics of red wine. Although a hierarchically structured vocabulary to describe the mouthfeel sensations of red wine has been proposed, research on consumers' astringency vocabulary is lacking. In this context, the aim of this work was to gain an insight on the vocabulary used by wine consumers to describe the astringency of red wine and to evaluate the influence of wine involvement on consumers' vocabulary. One hundred and twenty-five wine consumers completed and on-line survey with five tasks: an open-ended question about the definition of wine astringency, free listing the sensations perceived when drinking an astringent wine, free listing the words they would use to describe the astringency of a red wine, a CATA question with 44 terms used in the literature to describe astringency, and a wine involvement questionnaire. When thinking about wine astringency consumers freely elicited terms included in the Mouth-feel Wheel, such as dryness and harsh. The majority of the specific sub-qualities of the Mouth-feel Wheel were not included in consumer responses. Also, terms not classified as astringency descriptors were elicited (e.g. acid and bitter). Only 17 out of the 31 terms from the Mouth-feel Wheel were used by more than 10% of participants when answering the CATA question. There were no large differences in the responses of consumer segments with different wine involvement. Results from the present work suggest that most of the terms of the Mouth-feel Wheel might not be adequate to communicate the astringency characteristics of red wine to consumers. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

论微商交易中消费者隐私权的保护%On protection of privacy right of consumer in transaction of Wechat business

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

董润芸; 魏冬妮

2016-01-01

In recent years, the emergence of Wechat has gradually changed the mode of traditional social interaction, and Wechat has become a mainstream platform of daily communication of people.Meanwhile, by utilizinging the large audience of Wechat friend circle, the rapid development of Wechat business attracts more and more attention.However, the lack of unified supervision of Wechat business which is in its initial stage leads to market disorder and the great difficulty for consumers to protect their own rights.The goods with inferior quality flooded in this market not only violate the rights for consumers to know and to claim, but also threat the protection of privacy rights of consumers seriously by the behaviors of some illegal merchants who steal and trade personal information for their expansion of product propaganda.Due to the difficulty and the complex procedure of legislation, there are no laws regulating Wechat business and other internet shopping.To perfect the supervision mechanism of Wechat business and other internet shopping platforms, promote the improvement of technology and management, and promote the establishment of trade self-discipline associations are effective means to regulate the infringement of Wechat business and protect the legal rights and interests of consumers nowadays.%近年来，微信的出现逐渐改变了传统的社交模式，成为人们日常沟通的主流平台。与此同时，借助微信朋友圈庞大的受众群，微商的迅猛发展也受到越来越多的关注。然而，正处于起步阶段的微商缺乏统一的监管，导致市场混乱，消费者维权困难。这一市场充斥的劣质商品不仅侵害消费者的知情权与求偿权，一些不法商家为扩大产品宣传盗取买卖个人信息的行为，也对消费者隐�

Consumer motivations toward buying local rice: The case of northern Iranian consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahnama, Hassan

2017-07-01

This research had two purposes. The first aim was to identify Iranian and Non-Iranian rice consumers based on demographic characteristics and examine difference of these features with buying behaviors. The second purpose of study was to investigate consumer's motivation to buy local rice in Iran. The sample were 1500 people (men and women). The data was collected by using questionnaire based on a face-to-face survey. Chi-square, confirmatory factor analysis, and multiple linear regression were applied to assess collected data by a questionnaire survey. Regarding Iranian local rice buyers, 884 people buy local rice. Chi-square test showed that there is a significant difference between gender, having children, and marital status in buying local rice. Habitual Iranian local rice buyers include: female (51%), people who are more than 45 years old (51%), people with children (63%), people who are living urban (61%), married people (48%) and individuals that their monthly income is between 321.5 and 625 Dollars (53%). Regarding non-Iranian rice buyers, 616 people buy it. Also there is a significant difference between gender, location, marital status, and income in buying local rice. For considering consumers motivation toward buying local rice the econometrical model is used. Model had three aspects including; quality aspects (taste, good appearance), economic aspects (price, convenience, consumer's ethnocentrism), and safety aspects (health, not using pesticides and environment protection) and seven subset. The results of analysis indicated that quality aspects, economic aspects and safety aspects have positive effects on buying Iranian local rice. Also, indicative variables including; taste, good appearance, price, convenience, consumer's ethnocentrism, health, not using pesticides and environment have significant effects on buying it. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Economics and Consumer Mathematics Textbooks.

Science.gov (United States)

Eastern Michigan Univ., Ypsilanti. National Inst. for Consumer Education.

This publication lists a selection of consumer economics and consumer mathematics textbooks available for review from the National Institute for Consumer Education. Twenty-six textbooks for the secondary level are cited. Nine advanced level texts are also listed. These texts are generally considered college level texts but could be adapted for…

Direct-to-consumer teledermatology services for pediatric patients: Room for improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Alexander L; Teng, Joyce; Sarin, Kavita Y

2016-11-01

Direct-to-consumer teledermatology is radically changing the way some patients obtain dermatologic care. Many direct-to-consumer teledermatology services offer care to patients younger than 18 years, but policies and standards are nonuniform. For pediatric patients, direct-to-consumer teledermatology is a substantial departure from in-person care. More consensus, standards, and guidelines are necessary. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs: consumers' attitudes and preferences concerning its regulation in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Hae Sun; Lee, Donghyun; Kim, Sang Yong; Chee, Dong Hyun; Kang, Hye-Young

2011-08-01

To examine consumers' attitudes toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs in Korea. We conducted a survey of 350 patients visiting community pharmacies to fill their prescriptions. Consumers' attitudes toward DTCA were assessed in terms of whether they felt DTCA was necessary, their trust in the information provided by DTCA, and their intention to use the information provided by DTCA. We examined consumers' preferences regarding the regulation of DTCA and their expectations of the effects of DTCA. About 60% of the respondents responded that DTCA is necessary and that they intended to use the information from DTCA. Less than half of the respondents reported that they would trust DTCA information. About 70% of the participants expressed the need for prior vetting of the DTCA content. Respondents had the highest expectation on the effect of DTCA as an information source for patients. Positive consumer expectations regarding the effects of DTCA were significantly associated with positive consumer attitudes toward DTCA (odds ratio=4.70, 95% confidence interval: 2.25-9.82). This study provides evidence that consumers in South Korea generally have positive attitudes toward DTCA. However, most of the respondents wanted a prior examination system of DTCA content to ensure that the information conveyed to them via DTCA was trustworthy. Policy-makers should be cautious and well-prepared if they decide to introduce DTCA in Korea. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A conjoint analysis to consumer choice in Brazil: Defining device attributes for recognizing customized foods characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Calegari, L P; Barbosa, J; Marodin, G A; Fettermann, D C

2018-07-01

the availability of information about food products may be an essential factor in the consumer's value perception in their purchasing decision. As the food product becomes personalized, the customization of this information becomes complex due to the possible combinations of product components. The use of smart technology in devices is one way to provide customers with customized food information. In the following research five attributes were identified in the composition of these devices: (A) portability; (B) precision; (C) diet customization; (D) food quality analysis; and (E) price. This study aims to identify the appropriate combination of possible functionalities or attributes that must be present in a device in order to detect the food composition of customized foods and their relation to market characteristics. One experiment used fractional factorial project to present the attributes in the form of scenarios following the Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis (CBCA) method. The data collection was done using survey methodology, through online questionnaire, with some 303 Brazilian respondents. So, the Logistic Regression was applied to data analysis. The moderating variables-gender, age, gluten restriction, lactose restriction and other restrictions-were also added to verify potential interactions with the primary attributes. From the results obtained, it was possible to observe higher significance for the primary attributes of diet personalization and quality food analyzes function. Our study contributes to the literature by enhancing the understanding about what the attributes should be in a technological device that has the purpose of recognizing food characteristics and is capable of generating information about customized food products. Furthermore, this device can enabler the production of mass customized food with the nutritional labels for each possible combination. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Connecting cognition and consumer choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartels, Daniel M; Johnson, Eric J

2015-02-01

We describe what can be gained from connecting cognition and consumer choice by discussing two contexts ripe for interaction between the two fields. The first-context effects on choice-has already been addressed by cognitive science yielding insights about cognitive process but there is promise for more interaction. The second is learning and representation in choice where relevant theories in cognitive science could be informed by consumer choice, and in return, could pose and answer new questions. We conclude by discussing how these two fields of research stand to benefit from more interaction, citing examples of how interfaces of cognitive science with other fields have been illuminating for theories of cognition. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Consumer and case manager perspectives of service empowerment: relationship to mental health recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

Crane-Ross, Dushka; Lutz, Wilma J; Roth, Dee

2006-04-01

This study examines the relationship between service empowerment and recovery. Service empowerment is defined as the extent to which consumers participate in service decisions and the level of reciprocity and respect within the relationship with their case managers. Assessments were made from two perspectives: consumers and their case managers. Structural equation models were developed to examine the direct and indirect effects of service empowerment on four recovery outcomes: Quality of Life, Level of Functioning, Consumer-Reported Symptomatology, and Case Manager-Reported Symptomatology. Consumers' perceptions of service empowerment were the most powerful predictor of recovery outcomes across the four models. Consumers' and case managers' perceptions were related but the magnitude of the relationship was small, indicating that considerable differences exist between their perceptions of service empowerment.

Consumers, health insurance and dominated choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinaiko, Anna D; Hirth, Richard A

2011-03-01

We analyze employee health plan choices when the choice set offered by their employer includes a dominated plan. During our study period, one-third of workers were enrolled in the dominated plan. Some may have selected the plan before it was dominated and then failed to switch out of it. However, a substantial number actively chose the dominated plan when they had an unambiguously better choice. These results suggest limitations in the ability of health reform based solely on consumer choice to achieve efficient outcomes and that implementation of health reform should anticipate, monitor and account for this consumer behavior. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Segmentation of Residential Gas Consumers Using Clustering Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta P. Fernandes

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The growing environmental concerns and liberalization of energy markets have resulted in an increased competition between utilities and a strong focus on efficiency. To develop new energy efficiency measures and optimize operations, utilities seek new market-related insights and customer engagement strategies. This paper proposes a clustering-based methodology to define the segmentation of residential gas consumers. The segments of gas consumers are obtained through a detailed clustering analysis using smart metering data. Insights are derived from the segmentation, where the segments result from the clustering process and are characterized based on the consumption profiles, as well as according to information regarding consumers’ socio-economic and household key features. The study is based on a sample of approximately one thousand households over one year. The representative load profiles of consumers are essentially characterized by two evident consumption peaks, one in the morning and the other in the evening, and an off-peak consumption. Significant insights can be derived from this methodology regarding typical consumption curves of the different segments of consumers in the population. This knowledge can assist energy utilities and policy makers in the development of consumer engagement strategies, demand forecasting tools and in the design of more sophisticated tariff systems.

Self-perceived Age and Attitudes Toward Marketing of Older Consumers in China

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Bin

2010-01-01

Understanding consumer psychological characteristics and their impact on consumer behavior is an important foundation for business marketing strategies. Self-perceived age has a great impact on older consumers’ behavior. This article defines the gray market in China, investigates the factors that affect the differences between older consumers’ self-perceived age and life age, and analyzes the influence of self-perceived age on older Chinese consumers’ behavior. In this study, 1,120 older consumers were randomly selected from six cities in China. Findings show that over half of the respondents feel younger than their actual life age. Related marketing strategies are discussed. PMID:20835378

U.S. consumers attitudes toward farm animal cloning.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Kathleen R; Lusk, Jayson L

2011-10-01

In January 2008, the United States Food and Drug Administration concluded "meat and milk from cattle, swine, and goat clones or their offspring are as safe to eat as food we eat from those species now" (U.S. FDA, 2010). However, cloning remains a very controversial topic. A web-based survey administered by Knowledge Networks was used to determine U.S. consumers' awareness of and attitudes toward meat and milk from cloned cattle. Findings reveal consumers do not differentiate much between products from cloned animals and products from non-cloned animals. Overall consumers are concerned that animal cloning is an unnatural process and that it will lead to human cloning. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Consumer Search Behavior Typology on the Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wahyuningsih Wahyuningsih

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The author investigates how consumer search behavior typology affects the relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The results show that the type of consumer as defined by whether and how they search for information (passive, rational-active, relational-dependent perceive different levels of satisfaction and performs differently on satisfaction-behavioral intentions linkages. Relational-dependent and rational-active consumers are found to perceive higher satisfaction levels, and to express stronger intentions to engage in positive behavioral intentions than passive consumers. The identification of satisfaction and behavioral intentions within each search type allows managers to satisfy their consumers; hence, the company will obtain higher profit.Keywords: consumer behavior typology, satisfaction, behavioral intentions

(Public) Health and Human Rights in Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Annas, George J; Mariner, Wendy K

2016-02-01

Public health's reliance on law to define and carry out public activities makes it impossible to define a set of ethical principles unique to public health. Public health ethics must be encompassed within--and consistent with--a broader set of principles that define the power and limits of governmental institutions. These include human rights, health law, and even medical ethics. The human right to health requires governments not only to respect individual human rights and personal freedoms, but also, importantly, to protect people from harm from external sources and third parties, and to fulfill the health needs of the population. Even if human rights are the natural language for public health, not all public health professionals are comfortable with the language of human rights. Some argue that individual human rights--such as autonomy and privacy--unfairly limit the permissible means to achieve the goal of health protection. We argue that public health should welcome and promote the human rights framework. In almost every instance, this will make public health more effective in the long run, because the goals of public health and human rights are the same: to promote human flourishing. Copyright © 2016 by Duke University Press.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilie BUDICA

2010-03-01

Full Text Available The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as: the psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives; the psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment; the behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marketing outcome; how consumer motivation and decision strategies differ between products that differ in their level of importance or interest that they entail for the consumer; and how marketers can adapt and improve their marketing campaigns and marketing strategies to more effectively reach the consumer.

PRE-CONTRACTUAL INFORMATION IN CREDIT AGREEMENTS FOR CONSUMERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihaela-Irina IONESCU

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The article provides an image to the point on information provided to consumers before the conclusion of a credit contract, starting with the importance of information and ending with the legal framework. A high consumer protection may be achieved primarily through consumer information. The complexity of banking services but also the vulnerability of consumers in relation to the banks and the unbalanced relationship led to the need to develop specific legislation that clearly establishes the rights and obligations of the parties of a credit agreement for consumers. In this regard, in 2008, after many debates, Directive 2008/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on credit agreements for consumers was adopted. At national level, the Directive was transposed by the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 50/2010 on credit agreements for consumers. Taking into account national specificities, such as lack of experience of consumers in financial products, the irresponsible lending and the unfair practices of creditors, the national act includes wider provisions than the European Directive, such as those relating to fees limitations or those related to the calculation of the variable interest rate. Also the GEO no 50/2010 applies to all credit agreements concluded by consumers and creditors. As regards the advertising, any advertisement shall include a series of standard information. Also, pre-contractual information is standard information, is provided to consumers 15 days before the contract is concluded and is transmitted through the “European Consumer Credit Information sheet Standard”. The article presents when, how and what information should be given to consumers and insists on the importance of annual percentage rate and to what consumers should pay attention in order to be able to compare different offers.

Which perceived characteristics make product innovations appealing to the consumer? A study on the acceptance of fruit innovations using cross-cultural consumer segmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Onwezen, Marleen C; Bartels, Jos

2011-08-01

In general, fruit consumption in the EU does not meet governments' recommended levels, and innovations in the fruit industry are thought to be useful for increasing fruit consumption. Despite the enormous number of product innovations, the majority of new products in the market fail within the first two years, due to a lack of consumer acceptance. Consumer segmentation may be a useful research tool to increase the success rates of new fruit products. The current study aims to identify consumer segments based on individual importance rankings of fruit choice motives. We conducted a cross-national, online panel survey on fresh fruit innovations in four European countries: the Netherlands (n=251), Greece (n=246), Poland (n=250), and Spain (n=250). Our cluster analysis revealed three homogeneous consumer segments: Average Joe, the Naturally conscious consumer, and the Health-oriented consumer. These consumer segments differed with respect to their importance ratings for fruit choice motives. Furthermore, the willingness to buy specific fruit innovations (i.e., genetically modified, functional food and convenience innovation) and the perceived product characteristics that influence this willingness differed across the segments. Our study could lead to more tailored marketing strategies aimed at increasing consumer acceptance of fruit product innovations based on consumer segmentation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cutting Power to the Detriment of the Disadvantaged Consumer at the Democratic Rule of Law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Carlos Nunes Pereira

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Administrative law. Consumer Law. Constitutional right. Theory of Fundamental Human Rights. Transversality. Democratic Rule of Law. The cut in the supply of essential public service of electricity when the default results of consumer hipossuficiência. Cutting impracticality than through legal action, that part, an objective aspect, discussion anchored in the Theory of Fundamental Human Rights, and a subjective aspect, the hipossuficiente citizen accompanied by technical defense and the Brazilian State.

CONSIDERATIONS ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRODUCER AND CONSUMER ON FOOD MARKET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MADALINA DINU

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Perhaps one of the largest legislative climbing in recent years is shaped by the instruments that Romanian legislator puts at hand in order to protect its consumers from potential abuses of the producer. The importance of rules of such liability producer is justified primarily by the fact that a modern democratic society, consumer protection has become an essential part of the whole system of social protection. Moreover, the consumer's right to health and safety of its community is a constitutional principle, a consumer is considered by the Community forums as a new form of citizenship.

Ethical aspects of advertising in the struggle for consumer confidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galavtina Anna

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the issues associated with ethical aspects of advertising activities of the enterprise and consumer perception. The significance of this study is primarily due to the fact that in today's world, the realization of any products (goods is impossible without advertising support. The consumer has the right to receive the necessary, affordable, reliable and timely information about the product, which allows its conscious and informed choice. The purpose of this article is to reveal the problematic issues of ethics and truthfulness in advertising and to show their influence on consumer choice. The results of the study show that consumers tend to choose the product, which they are more informed about, even being aware of the shortcomings of this product. Companies, open to consumers, increasingly come into market leaders.

Effects of Consumer Search Behavior Typology on the Relationship Between Customer Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wahyuningsih

2007-04-01

Full Text Available The author investigates how consumer search behavior typology affects the relationship between customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The results show that the type of consumer as defined by whether and how they search for information (passive, rational-active, relational-dependent perceive different levels of satisfaction and performs differently on satisfaction behavioral intentions linkages. Relational-dependent and rational active consumers are found to perceive higher satisfaction levels, and to express stronger intentions to engage in positive behavioral intentions than passive consumers. The identification of satisfaction and behavioral intentions within each search type allows managers to satisfy their consumers; hence, the company will obtain higher profit.

75 FR 52655 - Summary of Rights and Notices of Duties Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-27

... reporting agencies, and a notice of responsibilities for persons that obtain consumer reports from consumer... include a summary of consumer rights with every consumer report they provide to consumers.\\1\\ The... who obtain consumer reports from them (User Notice).\\2\\ \\1\\ 15 U.S.C. 1681g(c). Under section 609(a...

Consumer attitudes, knowledge, and consumption of organic yogurt.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Loo, Ellen J; Diem, My Nguyen Hoang; Pieniak, Zuzanna; Verbeke, Wim

2013-04-01

The segment of organic products occupies an increasingly important place in dairy assortments. The European Union (EU) introduced a new EU organic logo in 2010 with the aim of harmonizing its organic sector and boosting consumer trust in organic food. This study focuses on organic yogurt and investigates consumer awareness and knowledge of the new EU logo. Consumers evaluate organic yogurt as superior compared with conventional yogurt on healthiness, environmental friendliness, quality, and safety. More frequent buyers of organic yogurt have a stronger belief that organic yogurt is superior. The willingness-to-pay for organic yogurt ranged from a premium of 15% for nonbuyers to 40% for habitual buyers, indicating the market potential for this product. A structural equations model reveals the positive association between knowledge, attitudes, and the frequency of purchasing and consuming organic yogurt. Nevertheless, consumer awareness of the EU organic logo remains rather low, which suggests a need for more effective information campaigns and marketing actions. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

INFLUENCE OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIVE STRATEGIES ON CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: A CASE OF THE HIGH-TECHNOLOGY MARKET OF UKRAINE

OpenAIRE

Victoria Zhurylo; Olga Prygara

2017-01-01

The purpose of the study is to research consumer behaviour types and to develop marketing strategies of communicative influence on the consumer in the high-technology goods market. Methodology. Marketing research in Ukrainian market of high-tech goods is conducted to define motivations of the consumers and the peculiarities of their market behaviour. The profiles of target customers are developed and the typology of consumer behaviour is formed, based on the reasons of purchasing of high-tech...

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Handbook for Consumers (Brochure)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2015-02-01

This handbook is designed to answer a consumer's basic questions, as well as point them to additional information they need, to make the best decision about whether an electric-drive vehicle is right for them.

The long arm of Northern consumers – a lever for Southern rights?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wangel, Arne

or those set and audited by non-governmental organisations. While corporate social responsibility initially was enacted by way of a communication strategy, proactive interventions for achieving positive social, economic and environmental impacts are now being adopted. At the same time, donors are targeting......The concept of ‘private governance’ in global value chains refers to the fact that lead firms increasingly integrate monitoring of environmental, social and labour standards into their supply chain management. Growing concern by consumers in Northern markets about unequal distribution of benefits...... upgrading for primary producers of agricultural commodities in Africa, interventions to address critical constraints in their value chains, and increased access to export markets as measures to stimulate economic growth. The setting of social, labour and environmental standards is based on international...

Identifying the 'right patient': nurse and consumer perspectives on verifying patient identity during medication administration.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Teresa; Roper, Cath; Elsom, Stephen; Gaskin, Cadeyrn

2011-10-01

Accurate verification of patient identity during medication administration is an important component of medication administration practice. In medical and surgical inpatient settings, the use of identification aids, such as wristbands, is common. In many psychiatric inpatient units in Victoria, Australia, however, standardized identification aids are not used. The present paper outlines the findings of a qualitative research project that employed focus groups to examine mental health nurse and mental health consumer perspectives on the identification of patients during routine medication administration in psychiatric inpatient units. The study identified a range of different methods currently employed to verify patient identity, including technical methods, such as wristband and photographs, and interpersonal methods, such as patient recognition. There were marked similarities in the perspectives of mental health nurses and mental health consumers regarding their opinions and preferences. Technical aids were seen as important, but not as a replacement for the therapeutic nurse-patient encounter. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing © 2011 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

The protection of a consumer during the providing of banking services in the Czech Republic

OpenAIRE

Haasová, Eva

2010-01-01

The Bachelor's thesis describes and analyses the protection of a bank client. In the beginning I discuss the necessity of the institution of consumer's protection define the basic terms and describe the structure of the system of consumer's protection. Then, I depict the basic elements of the consumer's protection, the requirements to banks, the duty to provide information, the protection of personal data, the bank secret and the deposit insurance. After these I concentrate on the analysis of...

On the tautology of the matching law in consumer behavior analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Curry, Bruce; Foxall, Gordon R; Sigurdsson, Valdimar

2010-05-01

Matching analysis has often attracted the criticism that it is formally tautological and hence empirically unfalsifiable, a problem that particularly affects translational attempts to extend behavior analysis into new areas. An example is consumer behavior analysis where application of matching in natural settings requires the inference of ratio-based relationships between amount purchased and amount spent. This gives rise to the argument that matching is an artifact of the way in which the alleged independent and dependent variables are defined and measured. We argue that the amount matching law would be tautological only in extreme circumstances (those in which prices or quantities move strictly in proportion); this is because of the presence of an error term in the matching function which arises from aggregation, particularly aggregation over brands. Cost matching is a viable complement of amount matching which avoids this tautology but a complete explanation of consumer choice requires a viable measure of amount matching also. This necessitates a more general solution to the problem of tautology in matching. In general, the fact that there remain doubts about the functional form of the matching equation itself implies the absence of a tautology. In proposing a general solution to the problem of assumed tautology in matching, the paper notes the experiences of matching researchers in another translation field, sports behavior. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors that predict consumer acceptance of enriched processed meats.

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Liran C; Henchion, Maeve; De Brún, Aoife; Murrin, Celine; Wall, Patrick G; Monahan, Frank J

2017-11-01

The study aimed to understand predictors of consumers' purchase intention towards processed meat based functional foods (i.e. enriched processed meat). A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 486 processed meat consumers in spring 2016. Results showed that processed meats were perceived differently in healthiness, with sausage-type products perceived less healthy than cured meat products. Consumers were in general more uncertain than positive about enriched processed meat but differences existed in terms of the attitudes and purchase intention. Following regression analysis, consumers' purchase intention towards enriched processed meat was primarily driven by their attitudes towards the product concept. Perceived healthiness of existing products and eating frequency of processed meat were also positively associated with the purchase intention. Other factors such as general food choice motives, socio-demographic characteristics, consumer health and the consumption of functional foods and dietary supplements in general, were not significant predictors of the purchase intention for enriched processed meat. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

OpenAIRE

Ilie BUDICA; Silvia PUIU; Bogdan Andrei BUDICA

2010-01-01

The study of consumers helps firms and organizations improve their marketing strategies by understanding issues such as: the psychology of how consumers think, feel, reason, and select between different alternatives; the psychology of how the consumer is influenced by his or her environment; the behavior of consumers while shopping or making other marketing decisions; limitations in consumer knowledge or information processing abilities influence decisions and marke...

Analysing the components of attitude in a function of improving consumer protection in the Republic of Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ćirić Maja

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Consumers are the starting point and the focus of all activities of companies that want to survive in the long term and do business profitably on the market. However, even in the most developed economies in the world do not have all the companies awareness about the importance of social responsible business and ethical marketing. Therefore there is a need for institutional protection of consumers from unfer and unethical business of companies, on the one hand, but on the other hand, they have to encourage themselves to be more involved in the protection of their rights. The purpose of this paper is the analysis of the components of consumer attitude about the degree of protection of consumer rights in the Republic of Serbia in order to conclude on which way consumers can be encouraged to participate more actively in the exercise of rights. The aim of this study is to determine whether the cognitive, affective and behavioral component of the attitude are intercorelated and to what extent, and whether cognitive or affective component has dominant influence on forming behavioral component of the consumer attitude. Based on the results of the research about the corelation and influence of the analyzed components of the attitude we draw conclusions on which way it can be possible to affect on the consumer intention to be more engaged in its rights protection as well as on which way it can be possible to improve the consumer protection in the Republic of Serbia, generally speaking.

Expectations and responsibilities regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies: perspectives of consumers and pharmacy support staff.

Science.gov (United States)

Iyer, Priya; McFarland, Reanna; La Caze, Adam

2017-08-01

Most sales of complementary medicines within pharmacies are conducted by pharmacy support staff. The absence of rigorous evidence for the effectiveness of many complementary medicines raises a number of ethical questions regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies. Explore (1) what consumers expect from pharmacists/pharmacies with regard to the sale of complementary medicines, and (2) how pharmacy support staff perceive their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of pharmacy support staff and consumers in pharmacies in Brisbane. Consumers were asked to describe their expectations when purchasing complementary medicines. Pharmacy support staff were asked to describe their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. Interviews were conducted and analysed using the techniques developed within Grounded Theory. Thirty-three consumers were recruited from three pharmacies. Consumers described complementary medicine use as a personal health choice. Consumer expectations on the pharmacist included: select the right product for the right person, expert product knowledge and maintaining a wide range of good quality stock. Twenty pharmacy support staff were recruited from four pharmacies. Pharmacy support staff employed processes to ensure consumers receive the right product for the right person. Pharmacy support staff expressed a commitment to aiding consumers, but few evaluated the reliability of effectiveness claims regarding complementary medicines. Pharmacists need to respect the personal health choices of consumers while also putting procedures in place to ensure safe and appropriate use of complementary medicines. This includes providing appropriate support to pharmacy support staff. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Practical methods to define scattering coefficients in a room acoustics computer model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zeng, Xiangyang; Christensen, Claus Lynge; Rindel, Jens Holger

2006-01-01

of obtaining the data becomes quite time consuming thus increasing the cost of design. In this paper, practical methods to define scattering coefficients, which is based on an approach of modeling surface scattering and scattering caused by limited size of surface as well as edge diffraction are presented...

ATTITUDES OF THE CONSUMERS REGARDING THE PROCESSING AND EMPLOYMENT OF THEIR PERSONAL DATA

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Rusescu Marius

2010-07-01

Full Text Available The concept of privacy, seen in connection with the consumer's private space, and defined in terms of the specific personal data has gained an increasing importance, as a result of the organizations’ extended attempts, within their marketing efforts, to capture, process and use the consumers’ personal data. Paper explores the attitudes of the consumers regarding their personal data in terms of their disclosure, previous agreement consumers should grant to the companies or public institutions (authorities processing them, employment, registration and processing by the companies, and buying products and/or services as a result of a direct approach.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Handbook for Consumers (Brochure)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2011-09-01

Plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) are entering the automobile market and are viable alternatives to conventional vehicles. This guide for consumers describes the basics of PEV technology, PEV benefits, how to select the right PEV, charging a PEV, and PEV maintenance.

AGREEMENT ON THE SALE AND PURCHASE OF HOUSES TO BE BUILT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

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Ahmad Fauzi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In residential buying agreements, contracts governing default are usually common. Default is stated by expressing negligence in two respects, whether it is negligence in payment of instalment or negligence in the delay of settlement of house construction which will be delivered to the consumer. The developer's responsibility is usually related to the delay of the house construction and delivery to the consumer. In the execution of the sale and purchase transaction of the house to be built, consumers rarely gain consumer protection rights as regulated and mentioned in the article on consumer rights and business actor obligations contained in Article 4 and 7 of Law no. 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection. Furthermore, field practice reality shows that consumers and developers do not have the same bargaining position, where the consumer are usually required to follow the agreement that has been standardized by developers who are legally contrary to Article 18 of Law no. 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection.

Do consumers really know if the price is right ? Direct measures of references price are their implications for retailing

OpenAIRE

VANHUELE, Marc; DREZE, Xavier

2000-01-01

Reference price research suggest that consumers memorize and recall price information when selecting brands for frequently purchased products. In this study, we show that previous price-knowledge surveys provided imperfect estimates of reference price. Further, we propose to use a combination of price recall, price recognition, and deal recognition to measure representations to memorize prices. In addition we identify consumer and product characteristics that explain the variations in price k...

Consumer Protection Towards Local Food Production In Southeast Sulawesi Indonesia

OpenAIRE

Suriani BT. Tolo; Ahsan Yunus; Ahmadi Miru; Irwansyah

2015-01-01

Abstract Consumers have rights which should not just be ignored by businesses such as the right to be a safety the right be informed the right to be heard as well as the right to a good environment and healthy. Kendari Regency as a local government has been manifested by issuing regulations and policies that support the development of local food production such as the Mayor of Kendari regulation No. 15 of 2010 and Mayor Kendari Decree No. 427 of 2012 regarding the Establishment of Community C...

Why Libertarians Should Reject Positive Rights

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Joshua Katz

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Maloberti, in “Why Libertarians Should Accept Positive Rights” argues that, as normally presented, libertarianism entails anarchism. He argues that libertarians should, therefore, accept a limited form of positive rights, which will allow for the creation of a libertarian government. In this paper, it is argued that the entailment of anarchism is not a problem for libertarianism, and that the form of positive rights endorsed by Maloberti is unfounded, ill-defined, and inconsistent with libertarian notions of individual freedom. It is further argued that Maloberti’s positive rights, as defined in his paper, cannot withstand the analysis prompted by Austrian value theory.

THE CONSUMER’S RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL FROM CONTRACTS CONCLUDED BY ELECTRONIC MEANS IN ROMANIAN LAW

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MIHAELA GIURANIUC (TUDORACHE

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to analyse the legislation, doctrinal opinions and relevant case law regarding the consumer's right of withdrawal from contracts concluded by electronic means (e-contracts.The objectives pursued by the author are:- establishing the juridical nature of consumer's right of withdrawal from e-contracts;- identification of problems that could arise from law’s interpretation,- issuing of the de lege ferenda proposals.Governmental Ordinance no. 130/2000 introduces a new exception to the principle of irrevocability of contracts in Romanian law: the consumer's right of withdrawal from distance contracts. The same Ordinance sets the scope and conditions for the applicability of this right.Consumer's right of withdrawal from e-contracts, as a type of distance contracts, can be exercised without the need to give any specific reason and without penalties, within 10 working days from the date of receiving the goods or from the another moment depending on the specifics set out in GO no. 130/2000. If consumer cancels the distance contract on the basis that he does not like the goods, the withdrawal from the contract is valid, even if the withdrawal solely depended on the will of the consumer, this sets out a legal exception from the provisions of art. 1010 of Civil Code which stipulate the nullity of the obligations undertook by the liable person under the condition “if I want”.Sales of goods by electronic means, as a particular case of a distance contracts, is, therefore, a new form of selling, governed by its own specific legal regime.

The effect of technology information on consumer expectations and liking of beef.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Wezemael, Lynn; Ueland, Øydis; Rødbotten, Rune; De Smet, Stefaan; Scholderer, Joachim; Verbeke, Wim

2012-02-01

European consumers increasingly attach value to process characteristics of food. Although beef technologies are hardly communicated to consumers, providing consumer-oriented information about technology application might increase perceived transparency and consumer acceptance. This study investigates how information about beef technologies influences consumer expectations and liking of beef. Beef consumers in Belgium (n = 108) and Norway (n = 110) participated in an information experiment combined with sensory testing in which each consumer tasted three beef muscles treated with different technologies: unprocessed tenderloin M. Psoas major, muscle profiled M. Infraspinatus, and marinated (by injection) M. Semitendinosus. The findings indicate that detailed information about beef technologies can enhance consumers' expectations and liking of beef. However, this effect differs between countries and beef technologies. Information becomes either less relevant when the product is actually tasted, as indicated by the findings in Norway, or more relevant when information is confirmed by own experience during tasting, as indicated by the findings in Belgium. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The object of "Rights" : third world women and the production of global human rights discourse

OpenAIRE

Hua, Julietta Y.

2006-01-01

The US "women's rights as human rights" doctrine continues to represent campaigns for international women's rights through the stories and images of Asian, African, and Latin American women. As both the idea of global human rights, and the place of women within the context of international human rights discourse become more powerful in framing a U.S. national identity, it seems that only certain issues (located in Other places that are always assumed to be "behind") come to define the US wome...

Research of preferences of consumers of household filters for water purification by the fokus-grupp method

OpenAIRE

Medvedeva, E.; Blyumina, A.; Piskunov, V.

2013-01-01

Availability of qualitative water - the minimum guarantee of health of the person water or to use it only for cleaning and ware washing. The growing demand and change of consumer preferences causes relevance and timeliness of the organization and carrying out the research "Consumer Behaviour in the Market of Household Filters for Water Purification". As the main instrument of obtaining information the method of focus groups was chosen. In article criteria of a consumer choice are defined, to ...

Correlating consumer perception and consumer acceptability of traditional Doenjang in Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mina K; Lee, Kwang-Geun

2014-11-01

Doenjang is a traditional Korean food and is widely used for many Korean foods. Consumer perception and consumer acceptability on the typical sensory characteristics of traditional Doenjang remain unknown. The objective of the current study was to determine the consumer perception on traditional Doenjang characteristics and how preexisting consumer perception influenced the consumer liking for traditionally and commercially manufactured Doenjang. A consumer survey was conducted by presenting 26 sensory descriptions to consumers (n = 82) for check-all-that-apply measurement. Then, a consumer acceptance test was conducted over 2 d on 2 Doenjang samples representing commercially produced Doenjang and traditionally produced Doenjang: Day 1 consumers evaluated without any information (n = 182), and day 2 consumers evaluated samples informed that both samples were made by the "traditional" method (n = 109). Two-way ANOVA and multivariate analyses were conducted. Consumers' preexisting perceptions on the typical sensory characteristics of traditionally made Doenjang were similar in that they associate "gu-soo flavor," "dark color," "flavorful," and "well-fermented flavor" regardless of consumer demographics and Doenjang user status. However, these consumer perceptions on sensory attributes of traditional Doenjang did not agree with desirable sensory attributes for consumer liking, in that consumers preferred the commercially made Doenjang regardless of the evaluation condition and consumer user status. Findings from the current study therefore suggested a discrepancy between the preexisting current consumer perception and actual consumer acceptability of traditional Doenjang products. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

MEASUREMENT OF CONSUMER ETHNOCENTRISM OF SLOVAK CONSUMERS

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Janka Taborecka-Petrovicova

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The conceptualization of consumer ethnocentrism is inferred from the general concept of ethnocentrism which assumes that ethnocentrism starts with the culture into which an individual is born. Over time, the individual will accept the values and behaviour of this particular culture as a norm. However, when the individual becomes aware of other cultures with different values and behaviours, there develops the need of belonging and identification with own culture rather than that of others. When analysing the consumer ethnocentrism, it is also essential to examine whether consumer ethnocentrism operates uniformly across all consumers or there exist some specific factors moderating their ethnocentric tendencies. A lot of studies researching these issues can be found in various cultural contexts, however in Slovakia we found certain gap since there is just a few of them. The aim of the paper is to investigate the level of consumer ethnocentricity of Slovak consumers in general and with the respect to chosen variables – age and gender. The results can serve as an information base for decision-making process of marketing managers focusing especially on local production of domestic products.

Consumer Protection Towards Local Food Production In Southeast Sulawesi Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suriani BT. Tolo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Consumers have rights which should not just be ignored by businesses such as the right to be a safety the right be informed the right to be heard as well as the right to a good environment and healthy. Kendari Regency as a local government has been manifested by issuing regulations and policies that support the development of local food production such as the Mayor of Kendari regulation No. 15 of 2010 and Mayor Kendari Decree No. 427 of 2012 regarding the Establishment of Community Care Local Food. It appears that the local government is trying to make this local food as an alternative food. The type of research used in this paper is a socio-legal research reviewing the local food production from the perspective of consumer protection. The outcomes of the research indicate that responsibility of food business operators in the implementation of local production is essentially an effort to assist the government in ensuring the realization of food safety system. Therefore there is a need for awareness of the laws and regulations for all parties involved towards local food production especially in Kendari Regency Southeast Sulawesi on the food production process.

Investigating consumers' and informal carers' views and preferences for consumer directed care: A discrete choice experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaambwa, Billingsley; Lancsar, Emily; McCaffrey, Nicola; Chen, Gang; Gill, Liz; Cameron, Ian D; Crotty, Maria; Ratcliffe, Julie

2015-09-01

Consumer directed care (CDC) is currently being embraced internationally as a means to promote autonomy and choice for consumers (people aged 65 and over) receiving community aged care services (CACSs). CDC involves giving CACS clients (consumers and informal carers of consumers) control over how CACSs are administered. However, CDC models have largely developed in the absence of evidence on clients' views and preferences. We explored CACS clients' preferences for a variety of CDC attributes and identified factors that may influence these preferences and potentially inform improved design of future CDC models. Study participants were clients of CACSs delivered by five Australian providers. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) approach undertaken in a group setting between June and December 2013, we investigated the relative importance to CACS consumers and informal (family) carers of gradations relating to six salient features of CDC (choice of service provider(s), budget management, saving unused/unspent funds, choice of support/care worker(s), support-worker flexibility and level of contact with service coordinator). The DCE data were analysed using conditional, mixed and generalised logit regression models, accounting for preference and scale heterogeneity. Mean ages for 117 study participants were 80 years (87 consumers) and 74 years (30 informal carers). All participants preferred a CDC approach that allowed them to: save unused funds from a CACS package for future use; have support workers that were flexible in terms of changing activities within their CACS care plan and; choose the support workers that provide their day-to-day CACSs. The CDC attributes found to be important to both consumers and informal carers receiving CACSs will inform the design of future CDC models of service delivery. The DCE approach used in this study has the potential for wide applicability and facilitates the assessment of preferences for elements of potential future aged care

Understanding consumer decisions using behavioral economics.

Science.gov (United States)

Zandstra, Elizabeth H; Miyapuram, Krishna P; Tobler, Philippe N

2013-01-01

Consumers make many decisions in everyday life involving finances, food, and health. It is known from behavioral economics research that people are often driven by short-term gratification, that is, people tend to choose the immediate, albeit smaller reward. But choosing the delayed reward, that is, delaying the gratification, can actually be beneficial. How can we motivate consumers to resist the "now" and invest in their future, leading to sustainable or healthy habits? We review recent developments from behavioral and neuroimaging studies that are relevant for understanding consumer decisions. Further, we present results from our field research that examined whether we can increase the perceived value of a (delayed) environmental benefit using tailored communication, that is, change the way it is framed. More specifically, we investigated whether we can boost the value of an abstract, long-term "green" claim of a product by expressing it as a concrete, short-term benefit. This is a new application area for behavioral economics. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Congenital tri-cavernous hemangiomas of the right buccal region, right accessory parotid gland, and masseter muscle region.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Tao; Gu, Yongchun; Zhang, Li; Hua, Zequan

2014-03-01

We report a rare case of congenital tri-cavernous hemangiomas of the right buccal region, right accessory parotid gland, and masseter muscle region in an adult. The patient, a 25-year-old woman, complained of 3 masses in her right midcheek. Ultrasonographic and computed tomographic findings showed an irregular-shaped mass (multiple calcifications) with a well-defined margin in the masseter muscle region, an ellipse-shaped mass (multiple calcifications) with a well-defined margin in the right buccal region, and a comma-shaped mass (no calcifications) with a well-defined margin separate from the parotid gland in the right accessory parotid gland region. These iconographic findings suggested that the masses were all hemangiomas separately originating from the parotid gland, accessory parotid gland, and masseter muscle. The masses were completely removed through a standard parotid incision without postoperative facial palsy, skin deformity, and difficulty in secreting saliva. Findings from histologic examination of the tumor revealed multiple, thin-walled, and dilated blood vessels, confirming the diagnosis of cavernous hemangiomas. Ultrasonographic and computed tomographic findings were extremely useful in diagnosing the mass/masses as hemangioma before surgery, clarifying relationships between the mass and adjacent structures, and determining the surgical approach to the mass/masses.

Consumer sleep monitors: is there a baby in the bathwater?

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, Kathryn; Goparaju, Balaji; Bianchi, Matt T

2015-01-01

The rapid expansion of consumer sleep devices is outpacing the validation data necessary to assess the potential use of these devices in clinical and research settings. Common sleep monitoring devices utilize a variety of sensors to track movement as well as cardiac and respiratory physiology. The variety of sensors and user-specific factors offer the potential, at least theoretically, for clinically relevant information. We describe the current challenges for interpretation of consumer sleep monitoring data, since the devices are mainly used in non-medical contexts (consumer use) although medically-definable sleep disorders may commonly occur in this setting. A framework for addressing questions of how certain devices might be useful is offered. We suggest that multistage validation efforts are crucially needed, from the level of sensor data and algorithm output, to extrapolations beyond healthy adults and into other populations and real-world environments.

"It's our DNA, we deserve the right to test!" A content analysis of a petition for the right to access direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Yeyang; Borry, Pascal; Otte, Ina C; Howard, Heidi C

2013-09-01

Various companies are currently advertising or selling genetic tests over the internet using a model of provision referred to as 'direct-to-consumer' (DTC). This commercial offer of DTC genetic testing (GT) has fueled a number of scientific, ethical and policy debates. To date there have been few studies published regarding the users' perspective. This study aimed to obtain information regarding the issues raised by individuals who signed a petition in support of DTC GT and the 'unrestricted' access to their genetic information. We conducted qualitative content analysis of comments written by individuals who signed a public online petition initiated by DIYgenomics (CA, USA) to support "personal access to genetic information". Of the 523 individuals who signed the petition sponsored by DIYgenomics, 247 individuals also wrote individual comments. A content analysis of these comments reveals that petitioners raised six main issues in support of unrestricted access to DTC GT: that their ownership of their DNA should allow them to have unrestricted access to their genomic information; that they should have the right to their genomic information; that the government has no place in (further) regulating DTC GT; that healthcare professionals should not be placed as intermediaries when purchasing DTC GT services; that many petioners who had already obtained DTC GT had positive experiences with this model of provision; and that genealogy or ancestry DNA testing is one of the main activities petitioners wish to have 'unrestricted' or 'direct' access. These results give insight into why individuals may support unrestricted access to their genomic information and confirm some of the motivations of users for purchasing DTC GT. Our analysis also brings to the forefront themes that have been raised less often in empirical studies involving motivations to purchase DTC GT services; these include the strongly held beliefs of some petitioners that, since they own their DNA, they

A Theory of the Perturbed Consumer with General Budgets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McFadden, Daniel L; Fosgerau, Mogens

We consider demand systems for utility-maximizing consumers facing general budget constraints whose utilities are perturbed by additive linear shifts in marginal utilities. Budgets are required to be compact but are not required to be convex. We define demand generating functions (DGF) whose...... subgradients with respect to these perturbations are convex hulls of the utility-maximizing demands. We give necessary as well as sufficient conditions for DGF to be consistent with utility maximization, and establish under quite general conditions that utility-maximizing demands are almost everywhere single......-valued and smooth in their arguments. We also give sufficient conditions for integrability of perturbed demand. Our analysis provides a foundation for applications of consumer theory to problems with nonlinear budget constraints....

Consumer attitudes on buying fish in Banja Luka

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ostojić Aleksandar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of research presented in the paper is to determine the basic parameters affecting the purchase, supply and consumption of fish in the market of the city of Banja Luka (Bosnia and Herzegovina. The survey was conducted on a random sample of 100 respondents. The data were analyzed by univariante (frequency and distribution and two-variant statistical methods and cross-tabulation. The conclusions are that for the purchase of fish, freshness is a primary factor, which is to be expected given the type of product as well as the origin, and price and type of fish. Out of all respondents, 41% said they were not informed enough about the fish as a food, while the remaining 59% said they got information through different media channels. It was found that consumers are generally informed about the importance of fish as a foodstuff through secondary promotion channels, i.e. 'word of mouth'. Consumers in Banja Luka prefer fresh fish, and the most consumed is freshwater fish. As a place of buying fish, both hypermarket and fish shops are equally represented. Factors of purchase may have a major role in creating consumer attitude towards fish and therefore, producers and sellers of fish are recommended too take into account the results of this and similar studies, in order to segment their markets and develop better marketing tools/strategies and thus make better approach of fish consumers to defined market segments.

Pharmaceutical direct-to-consumer advertising and US Hispanic patient-consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Kristin K; Vasquez Guzman, Cirila Estela

2015-11-01

Hispanic Americans use prescription medications at markedly lower rates than do non-Hispanic whites. At the same time, Hispanics are the largest racial-ethnic minority in the USA. In a recent effort to reach this underdeveloped market, the pharmaceutical industry has begun to create Spanish-language direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) campaigns. The substantive content of these campaigns is being tailored to appeal to the purported cultural values, beliefs and identities of Latino consumers. We compare English-language and Spanish-language television commercials for two prescription medications. We highlight the importance of selling medicine to a medically under-served population as a key marketing element of Latino-targeted DTCA. We define selling medicine as the pharmaceutical industry's explicit promotion of medicine's cultural authority as a means of expanding its markets and profits. We reflect on the prospects of this development in terms of promoting medicalisation in a US subgroup that has heretofore eluded the pharmaceutical industry's marketing influence. Our analysis draws on Nikolas Rose's insights concerning variations in the degree to which certain groups of people are more medically made up than others, by reflecting on the racial and ethnic character of medicalisation in the USA and the role DTCA plays in shaping medicalisation trends. A video abstract of this article can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZabCle9-jHw&feature=youtu.be. © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

Exploring Perceptions of Raspberries and Blueberries by Italian Consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo Girgenti

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Consumers can be important active contributors to a sustainable society by selecting foods that are produced respecting environmental and socially ethical standards. In the fruit sector, sustainability issues are often associated with imprecisely defined concepts such as “locally grown”, “freshness” and “local product”. This study has investigated raspberries (Rubus idaeus L. and blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L. purchases in order to identify how berry fruits choice attributes are ranked by consumers in two Italian Regions, using a choice experiment (best-worst methodology. Twelve attributes—that indirectly refer to the concept of environmental sustainability—have been investigated. According to the preferences expressed by our sample of retail purchasers (n = 669, the results show that the reasons for the purchase of berries are associated with numerous parameters among which freshness and product origin are the most important and price was not ranked as so relevant. These findings indirectly testify the consumer attention towards the sustainability of local production and the link between sustainability and territory. Therefore, we can presume that the improvement of consumer familiarity with attributes such as “locally grown” and “local product” could support more eco-friendly consumption of raspberries and blueberries.

Eating green. Consumers' willingness to adopt ecological food consumption behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Tobler, Christina; Visschers, Vivianne H M; Siegrist, Michael

2011-12-01

Food consumption is associated with various environmental impacts, and consumers' food choices therefore represent important environmental decisions. In a large-scale survey, we examined consumers' beliefs about ecological food consumption and their willingness to adopt such behaviors. Additionally, we investigated in more detail how different motives and food-related attitudes influenced consumers' willingness to reduce meat consumption and to buy seasonal fruits and vegetables. We found consumers believed avoiding excessive packaging had the strongest impact on the environment, whereas they rated purchasing organic food and reducing meat consumption as least environmentally beneficial. Similarly, respondents appeared to be most unwilling to reduce meat consumption and purchase organic food. Taste and environmental motives influenced consumers' willingness to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables, whereas preparedness to reduce meat consumption was influenced by health and ethical motives. Women and respondents who preferred natural foods were more willing to adopt ecological food consumption patterns. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progress and challenges associated with halal authentication of consumer packaged goods.

Science.gov (United States)

Premanandh, Jagadeesan; Bin Salem, Samara

2017-11-01

Abusive business practices are increasingly evident in consumer packaged goods. Although consumers have the right to protect themselves against such practices, rapid urbanization and industrialization result in greater distances between producers and consumers, raising serious concerns on the supply chain. The operational complexities surrounding halal authentication pose serious challenges on the integrity of consumer packaged goods. This article attempts to address the progress and challenges associated with halal authentication. Advancement and concerns on the application of new, rapid analytical methods for halal authentication are discussed. The significance of zero tolerance policy in consumer packaged foods and its impact on analytical testing are presented. The role of halal assurance systems and their challenges are also considered. In conclusion, consensus on the establishment of one standard approach coupled with a sound traceability system and constant monitoring would certainly improve and ensure halalness of consumer packaged goods. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Instigating involvement through consumer-based brand equity : an attitudinal study of consumer-based brand equity and consumer involvement

OpenAIRE

Bredberg, David; Holmquist, Johan

2009-01-01

Recent research on links between dimensions of consumer-based brand equity, as well as links to consumer involvement, has shown that it is a significant predictor of purchase behavior. The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the affect brands have on consumer involvement. We attempt to investigate how consumer-based brand equity affects the level of consumer involvement. Based on consumer behavior theory and previous research of these areas, gathered primary data (an empirical investig...

Data Rights and Responsibilities: A Human Rights Perspective on Data Sharing.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Theresa L; Wyndham, Jessica M

2015-07-01

A human-rights-based analysis can be a useful tool for the scientific community and policy makers as they develop codes of conduct, harmonized standards, and national policies for data sharing. The human rights framework provides a shared set of values and norms across borders, defines rights and responsibilities of various actors involved in data sharing, addresses the potential harms as well as the benefits of data sharing, and offers a framework for balancing competing values. The right to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress and its applications offers a particularly helpful lens through which to view data as both a tool of scientific inquiry to which access is vital and as a product of science from which everyone should benefit. © The Author(s) 2015.

Health care consumer reports: an evaluation of consumer perspectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Daniel R; Everet, Kevin D

2003-01-01

There has been a proliferation of health care consumer reports, also known as "consumer guides," "report cards," and "performance reports," which are designed to assist consumers in making more informed health care decisions. While there is evidence that providers use such reports to identify and make changes in practice, thus improving the quality of care, there is little empirical evidence on how consumer guides/report cards are used by consumers. This study fills that gap by surveying 925 patients as they wait for ambulatory care in several clinics in a midwestern city. Findings indicate that consumers are selective in their use of these reports and quickly identify those sections of the report of most interest to them. Report developers should take precautions to ensure such reports are viewed as credible sources of health care information.

Consumer preferences for pork chops in five Canadian provinces.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngapo, T M

2017-07-01

The aim of this study is to identify the most important characteristics of fresh pork that determine consumer choice in five Canadian provinces. Within-consumer preference replication and systematic image manipulation in surveying showed differences in strategies for pork choice in lean colour (P<0.001) and marbling (P=0.006). High proportions of Nova Scotians (29%) chose light red pork, Albertans (42%) dark red and Quebecers (29%) non-marbled pork. Overall, the most important choice criteria were fat cover (57% preferred lean, 8% fatty) and lean colour (35% dark red, 18% light red). Marbling and drip were less used, but are important noting that 26% of consumers used three or four characteristics to make their choice. The preferences are readily met by the industry, but unfortunately, preferences for minimal or no marbling and fat cover likely result in a compromised gustative experience for many Canadian consumers. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The behavioral economics of consumer brand choice: patterns of reinforcement and utility maximization.

Science.gov (United States)

Foxall, Gordon R; Oliveira-Castro, Jorge M; Schrezenmaier, Teresa C

2004-06-30

Purchasers of fast-moving consumer goods generally exhibit multi-brand choice, selecting apparently randomly among a small subset or "repertoire" of tried and trusted brands. Their behavior shows both matching and maximization, though it is not clear just what the majority of buyers are maximizing. Each brand attracts, however, a small percentage of consumers who are 100%-loyal to it during the period of observation. Some of these are exclusively buyers of premium-priced brands who are presumably maximizing informational reinforcement because their demand for the brand is relatively price-insensitive or inelastic. Others buy exclusively the cheapest brands available and can be assumed to maximize utilitarian reinforcement since their behavior is particularly price-sensitive or elastic. Between them are the majority of consumers whose multi-brand buying takes the form of selecting a mixture of economy -- and premium-priced brands. Based on the analysis of buying patterns of 80 consumers for 9 product categories, the paper examines the continuum of consumers so defined and seeks to relate their buying behavior to the question of how and what consumers maximize.

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing for predicting sports performance and talent identification: Consensus statement.

Science.gov (United States)

Webborn, Nick; Williams, Alun; McNamee, Mike; Bouchard, Claude; Pitsiladis, Yannis; Ahmetov, Ildus; Ashley, Euan; Byrne, Nuala; Camporesi, Silvia; Collins, Malcolm; Dijkstra, Paul; Eynon, Nir; Fuku, Noriyuki; Garton, Fleur C; Hoppe, Nils; Holm, Søren; Kaye, Jane; Klissouras, Vassilis; Lucia, Alejandro; Maase, Kamiel; Moran, Colin; North, Kathryn N; Pigozzi, Fabio; Wang, Guan

2015-12-01

The general consensus among sport and exercise genetics researchers is that genetic tests have no role to play in talent identification or the individualised prescription of training to maximise performance. Despite the lack of evidence, recent years have witnessed the rise of an emerging market of direct-to-consumer marketing (DTC) tests that claim to be able to identify children's athletic talents. Targeted consumers include mainly coaches and parents. There is concern among the scientific community that the current level of knowledge is being misrepresented for commercial purposes. There remains a lack of universally accepted guidelines and legislation for DTC testing in relation to all forms of genetic testing and not just for talent identification. There is concern over the lack of clarity of information over which specific genes or variants are being tested and the almost universal lack of appropriate genetic counselling for the interpretation of the genetic data to consumers. Furthermore independent studies have identified issues relating to quality control by DTC laboratories with different results being reported from samples from the same individual. Consequently, in the current state of knowledge, no child or young athlete should be exposed to DTC genetic testing to define or alter training or for talent identification aimed at selecting gifted children or adolescents. Large scale collaborative projects, may help to develop a stronger scientific foundation on these issues in the future. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Disease-specific direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals: An examination of endorser type and gender effects on consumers' attitudes and behaviors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhutada, Nilesh S; Rollins, Brent L

2015-01-01

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising is still a controversial topic for pharmaceutical manufacturers' and researchers, and while numerous studies have examined the DTC phenomenon, little research has examined the effect of gender, particularly gender of the endorser and consumer. The objective of this research was to assess the impact of the endorser (celebrity vs. expert vs. non-celebrity) and gender - both gender of the endorser and gender of the consumer - on consumers' attitudes and behaviors in response to a print disease-specific direct-to-consumer advertisement. Using Qualtrics consumer panel, data were obtained for 514 US adults (age 18 years and above) who demonstrated at least minimal symptoms of depression and need for monitoring based on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) score. Data were analyzed using a 3 (Endorser Type: Celebrity/Expert/Non-Celebrity) × 2 (Endorser Gender: Male/Female) × 2 (Consumer Gender: Male/Female) full factorial between subjects multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and necessary univariate analysis. Only the type of the endorser (celebrity vs. expert vs. non-celebrity) used in the ad had a significant main effect on the dependent variables. Further univariate analyses revealed that, of the several dependent variables, endorser type had a significant influence only on attitude towards the ad, attention paid to the ad, and endorser credibility, with gender being non-significant in all cases. Expert endorser generated significantly more favorable levels of attitude towards the ad, and endorser credibility compared to the non-celebrity endorser. Celebrity endorser attracted more consumer attention towards the ad and generated favorable endorser credibility perceptions compared to the non-celebrity endorser. However, celebrity and expert endorsers did not significantly differ from each other on the abovementioned ad effectiveness variables. Lastly, endorser gender and consumer gender did not have a significant influence

THE RIGHT TO FORM AND TO JOIN TRADE UNIONS AS DEFINED IN INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INSTRUMENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andon Majhoshev

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The right of workers to form and to join trade unions is one of the most important international labour standards. This means that employees, no matter where they are employed (public or private sector, have the right to form their own organizations (unions. Apart from the employees, employers also have the right to form and join in employers’ associations. The right of employees and employers to organize is based on the following principles: voluntariness, autonomy and democracy. The general objective of the formation of unions and employers’ associations is to protect the rights and interests of members of the union and the employers’ association, as well as their promotion in an organized manner. The provision and guarantee of union and workers' rights are guaranteed by a number of international and regional legal instruments (conventions, recommendations, regulations, such as ILO, UN, Council of Europe and the European Union, which will be analysed further in this paper. The main objective arising from these documents is to improve the position of workers and their protection. Within the paper, we will also analyse the most important legal acts of the Republic of Macedonia concerning the right to join unions. By analysing the content of the national labour legislation, we will determine the extent to which the international labour law is being implemented. Moreover, the paper will analyse the basic principles underlying union organization and association.

Defining adaptation in a generic multi layer model: CAM: The GRAPPLE Conceptual Adaptation Model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrix, M.; De Bra, P.M.E.; Pechenizkiy, M.; Smits, D.; Cristea, A.I.; Dillenbourg, P.; Specht, M.

2008-01-01

Authoring of Adaptive Hypermedia is a difficult and time consuming task. Reference models like LAOS and AHAM separate adaptation and content in different layers. Systems like AHA!, offer graphical tools based on these models to allow authors to define adaptation without knowing any adaptation

Cannabis consumption patterns among frequent consumers in Uruguay.

Science.gov (United States)

Boidi, María Fernanda; Queirolo, Rosario; Cruz, José Miguel

2016-08-01

In 2013, Uruguay became the first country to fully regulate the cannabis market, which now operates under state control. Cannabis can be legally acquired in three ways: growing it for personal use (self-cultivation), cannabis club membership, and from pharmacies (not yet implemented). Users must be entered into a confidential official registry to gain access. This article presents findings of a Respondent Driven Sample survey of 294 high-frequency cannabis consumers in the Montevideo metropolitan area. Frequent consumers resort to more than one method for acquiring cannabis, with illegal means still predominating after 1 year of the new regulation law. Cannabis users overwhelmingly support the current regulation, but many of them are reluctant to register. Some of the attitudes and behaviors of the high-frequency consumers pose a challenge to the success of the cannabis law. Individuals relying on more than one method of access defy the single access clause, a prerequisite for legal use, while the maximum amount of cannabis individuals can access monthly seems too high even for most frequent consumers, which might promote the emergence of a grey market. Reluctance to register among a significant proportion of high-frequency consumers raises doubts about the law's ability to achieve its stated objectives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flemish consumer attitudes towards more sustainable food choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanhonacker, Filiep; Van Loo, Ellen J; Gellynck, Xavier; Verbeke, Wim

2013-03-01

Intensive agricultural practices and current western consumption patterns are associated with increased ecological pressure. One way to reduce the ecological impact could be a shift to more sustainable food choices. This study investigates consumer opinions towards a series of food choices with a lower ecological impact. The investigated food choices range from well-known meat substitutes to alternatives which are more radical or innovative and that require an adaptation of food habits and cultural patterns. Results are obtained through a survey among 221 Flemish respondents in Spring 2011. Many consumers underestimate the ecological impact of animal production. Well-known alternatives such as organic meat, moderation of meat consumption and sustainable fish are accepted, although willingness to pay is clearly lower than willingness to consume. Consumers are more reluctant to alternatives that (partly) ban or replace meat in the meal. Opportunities of introducing insects currently appear to be non-existent. Five consumer segments were identified based on self-evaluated ecological footprint and personal relevance of the ecological footprint. The segments were termed Conscious, Active, Unwilling, Ignorant and Uncertain. A profile in terms of demographics, attitudinal and behavioral characteristics is developed for each segments, and conclusions with respect to opportunities for sustainable food choices are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer perception of astringency in clear acidic whey protein beverages.

Science.gov (United States)

Childs, Jessica L; Drake, MaryAnne

2010-01-01

Acidic whey protein beverages are a growing component of the functional food and beverage market. These beverages are also astringent, but astringency is an expected and desirable attribute of many beverages (red wine, tea, coffee) and may not necessarily be a negative attribute of acidic whey protein beverages. The goal of this study was to define the consumer perception of astringency in clear acidic whey protein beverages. Six focus groups (n=49) were held to gain understanding of consumer knowledge of astringency. Consumers were presented with beverages and asked to map them based on astringent mouthfeel and liking. Orthonasal thresholds for whey protein isolate (WPI) in water and flavored model beverages were determined using a 7-series ascending forced choice method. Mouthfeel/basic taste thresholds were determined for WPI in water. Acceptance tests on model beverages were conducted using consumers (n=120) with and without wearing nose clips. Consumers in focus groups were able to identify astringency in beverages. Astringency intensity was not directly related to dislike. The orthonasal threshold for WPI in water was lower (P astringent mouthfeel and that both flavor and astringency should be the focus of ongoing studies to improve the palatability of these products. © 2010 Institute of Food Technologists®

Incorporating Transformative Consumer Research into the Consumer Behavior Course Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Petkus, Ed, Jr.

2010-01-01

In contrast to understanding consumer behavior for the benefit of business organizations, transformative consumer research (TCR) seeks to understand consumer behavior for the benefit of consumers themselves. Following Mari's (2008) call for the incorporation of TCR in doctoral programs in marketing, this article outlines the relevance of TCR to…

Property rights institutions and investment

OpenAIRE

Saleh, Jahangir

2004-01-01

This paper examines the channels through which alternative property rights institutions affect investment. These institutions are defined by a society's enforced laws, regulations, governance mechanisms and norms concerning the use of resources. A transaction cost framework is used to analyze the incentive impact of various types of property rights, liability rules, and rules regarding con...

Consumer protection and internet shopping

OpenAIRE

Blažková, Lenka

2010-01-01

The diploma thesis is devoted to the issue of online shopping. Its aim is to analyze internet shopping and see the rights and obligations of consumers and sellers, which are based on current legislation. The thesis is divided into two parts. The theoretical part deals with purchase over the internet and its regulations. There are explained the concepts internet, e-business and e-commerce and indicate the types of e-business and is mentioned certification of online stores. The practical part i...

Global city aspirations, graduated citizenship and public housing: analysing the consumer citizenships of neoliberalism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dallas Rogers

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Global city discourses rearticulate the relationships between the state, urban space and the global economy. At the local level, global city reconfigurations stamp the mark of a global economic order onto local citizenship practices. Public housing is a legacy of specific national (welfare states where citizenship rights arose from territorially bound constitutional discourses, and is incompatible in its current form with the consumer-based rights and responsibilities of a global economic order. At the same time, property markets in high-value areas of cities like Sydney, Australia, see not only increasing presence of international investment but fundamental changes in planning and governance processes in order to facilitate it. Global market-oriented discourses of urban governance promote consumer “performances of citizenship” and a graduated approach to the distribution of rights, including the right to housing. In this article we explore what is new about neoliberal approaches to public and social housing policy, and how public tenants respond to and negotiate it. In Australia tenants’ right to participate in local-level democracy, and in housing management, must be reconsidered in light of the broader discourses of consumer citizenship that are now enforced on tenants as a set of “responsibilities” to the market and state.

Improving the sensory quality of flavored liquid milk by engaging sensory analysis and consumer preference.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhi, Ruicong; Zhao, Lei; Shi, Jingye

2016-07-01

Developing innovative products that satisfy various groups of consumers helps a company maintain a leading market share. The hedonic scale and just-about-right (JAR) scale are 2 popular methods for hedonic assessment and product diagnostics. In this paper, we chose to study flavored liquid milk because it is one of the most necessary nutrient sources in China. The hedonic scale and JAR scale methods were combined to provide directional information for flavored liquid milk optimization. Two methods of analysis (penalty analysis and partial least squares regression on dummy variables) were used and the results were compared. This paper had 2 aims: (1) to investigate consumer preferences of basic flavor attributes of milk from various cities in China; and (2) to determine the improvement direction for specific products and the ideal overall liking for consumers in various cities. The results showed that consumers in China have local-specific requirements for characteristics of flavored liquid milk. Furthermore, we provide a consumer-oriented product design method to improve sensory quality according to the preference of particular consumers. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

THE CONSUMER CONCEPT IN G.O. NO. 107/1999 AND G.O. NO. 21/1992. COMPARATIVE APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreea-Teodora STANESCU

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Government Ordinance no. 107/1999 is a normative act with relevance in the field of consumer protection. Thus, according to Article 30, the ordinance is supplemented by GO no. 21/1992 on consumer protection. In this context, it should be noted that the notion of consumer as defined by GO no. 107/1999 is not identical to that used in consumer protection regulations. Thus, contracts for the sale of package travels may be contracts concluded with consumers from the perspective of GO no. 107/1999, but not from the point of view of consumer protection regulations. This study will identify the features of the consumer concept in GO no. 107/1999 and in GO no. 21/1992, as a normative act comprising the common law in the field of consumer protection. By identifying the differences between concepts, this study will exemplify their legal relevance in terms of consumer protection against the introduction of unfair contract terms.

16 CFR 1027.11 - Non-waiver of rights.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Non-waiver of rights. 1027.11 Section 1027.11 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL SALARY OFFSET § 1027.11 Non-waiver... any other provision of law. ...

The US considers consumer choice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCaughey, John.

1996-01-01

About half the states in the USA are seriously considering giving domestic customers the right to choose their own gas supplier as large consumers have been able to for years. This is referred to as ''unbundling''. Of the 1400 or so natural gas local distribution companies (LDCs), about one third appear to support unbundling, another third are opposed and the remainder are uncertain; small and medium sized LDCs are most likely to be opposed. A number of state regulators are also ambivalent or actively hostile to the idea. The LDCs supply consumers with gas at the price the LDC pays for it. Their profits are made from connections and the transport of as large a volume of gas as possible for which the supplier pays passthrough charges. The complex arguments as to whether unbundling will prove favourable to the LDCs and what benefits and disadvantages there may be for customers are examined. (UK)

Factors for consumer choice of dairy products in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahnama, Hassan; Rajabpour, Shayan

2017-04-01

Little is known about consumers' behavior especially their choice behavior toward purchasing and consuming dairy products in developing countries. Hence, the aim of the present work is understanding the factors that affect on consumers' choice behavior toward dairy products in Iran. The study applies the theory of consumption values, which includes the functional values (taste, price, health, and body weight), social value, emotional value, conditional value and epistemic value. The sample were 1420 people (men and women). The data was collected using face to face survey in summer and fall 2015. Chi-square, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modelling is used to assess data collected. The results indicate that functional values, social value, emotional value and epistemic value have a positive impact on choosing dairy products and conditional value didn't have a positive impact. It was concluded that the main influential factors for consumers' choice behavior toward dairy products included consumers experience positive emotion (e.g. enjoyment, pleasure, comfort and feeling relaxed) and functional value-health. This study emphasized the proper pricing of dairy products by producers and sellers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Using consumer panels in public health observational studies].

Science.gov (United States)

Matilla-Santander, Nuria; Fu, Marcela; Ballbè, Montse; Lidón-Moyano, Cristina; Martín-Sánchez, Juan Carlos; Fernández, Esteve; Martínez-Sánchez, José M

Consumer panels are a market research method useful for gathering information about low-frequency or difficult-access customers. The objective of this field-note is to explain our experience using this method in a cross-sectional public health study on the use of electronic cigarettes. After taking into account other non-probabilistic sampling techniques to obtain a huge sample of electronic-cigarette users (n=600), in the end we decided to use consumer panels (recruiters) because of the relative short duration of the field work and the high representativeness of the sample. Copyright © 2017 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Consumer knowledge and attitudes toward nutritional labels.

Science.gov (United States)

Cannoosamy, Komeela; Pugo-Gunsam, Prity; Jeewon, Rajesh

2014-01-01

To determine Mauritian consumers' attitudes toward nutritional labels based on the Kano model and to identify determinants of the use and understanding of nutrition labels. The researchers also used a Kano model questionnaire to determine consumers' attitudes toward nutrition labeling. Four hundred consumers residing in Mauritius. Information was elicited via a questionnaire that assessed nutritional knowledge and information about the use and understanding of nutritional labels and demographic factors. Nutritional label use and understanding, nutrition knowledge, and association of demographic factors with label use. Statistical tests performed included 1-way ANOVA and independent samples t tests. Statistically significant relationships (P nutritional knowledge and nutritional label usage with demographic factors. All demographic factors with the exception of gender were significantly associated (P nutritional label understanding. Based on the outcome of the Kano survey, calorie content, trans fat content, protein content, and cholesterol content were found to be must-be attributes: that is, attributes that, when not present, result in consumer dissatisfaction. Age, education, income, household size, and nutrition knowledge had an impact on nutritional label use. Health promoters should aim to increase the use of nutritional labels. Copyright © 2014 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fast-food consumers in Singapore: demographic profile, diet quality and weight status.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitton, Clare; Ma, Yi; Bastian, Amber Carla; Fen Chan, Mei; Chew, Ling

2014-08-01

To determine the demographic profile of fast-food consumers among adult Singapore residents and ascertain whether fast-food consumption frequency is associated with diet quality and weight status. A nationally representative cross-sectional survey including an FFQ and anthropometric measures. Participants were grouped based on their fast-food consumption frequency as non-consumer, occasional consumer or regular consumer, with regular defined as at least once per week. Individuals living in the community in Singapore. Singapore residents (n 1627) aged 18-69 years of Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnicity. Proportions of regular fast-food consumers were higher in younger age groups, higher income groups and middle education level groups. Mean daily energy intake was positively associated with fast-food consumption frequency (non-consumers 9636 kJ (2303 kcal); occasional consumers 11 159 kJ (2667 kcal); regular consumers 13 100 kJ (3131 kcal); P for trend food consumers were more likely to exceed the RDA for energy, fat and saturated fat, and less likely to meet wholegrain and fruit recommendations. Both regular consumers (OR = 1·24; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·51) and occasional consumers (OR = 1·52; 95 % CI 1·32, 1·77) were more likely to have a waist:hip ratio indicating abdominal obesity. Occasional consumers were more likely to have a BMI ≥ 23·0 kg/m2 (OR = 1·19; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·37), whereas regular consumers were less likely (OR = 0·76; 95 % CI 0·64, 0·91) to have an 'at-risk' BMI. Fast-food consumption is most prevalent in young adults, high income and middle education level groups. Frequent fast-food consumption in Singapore is associated with unfavourable dietary and nutrient profiles and abdominal obesity.

How important is local food to organic-minded consumers?

Science.gov (United States)

Hempel, Corinna; Hamm, Ulrich

2016-01-01

The study deals with German consumers' attitudes towards organic food and local food, their food purchase behaviour and their personal characteristics. The purpose is to investigate the differences in attitudes and willingness-to-pay values between consumers who consider the organic production of food (very) important and those who consider it less important. This study combines a consumer survey with an in-store, discrete choice experiment. In the analysis, findings from the consumer survey were related to the choices made by consumers in the experiment. Consumers' preferences and willingness-to-pay values were estimated through random parameter logit modelling. Organic-minded consumers (i.e. those who regarded organic food production as (very) important in the survey) have stronger preferences and estimated willingness-to-pay values for organic as well as local products. Locally produced food, as opposed to food from neighbouring countries or non-EU countries, is preferred over organically produced food by both consumer groups which demonstrates that organic-minded consumers do not only consider organic food production as important, but also value local food production in a purchase situation. Hence, it can be assumed that local food production complements organic food production for the group of organic-minded consumers. This contribution is the first study dealing with local and organic food purchase behaviour in Germany that examines four different products and is carried out in rural as well as urban locations in four different regions. Due to the application of a choice experiment including no-choice options and binding purchase decisions, the results are expected to be closer to real purchase situations than results of direct questioning and choice experiments in online applications. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Marketing strategies - consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, C.

1985-01-01

As Australia's largest consumer organisation, the Australian Consumers' Association (ACA) has a vital role in providing information, so consumers can make an informed choice, as well as participating in formulation of standards to increase the quality of products, including foods. The consumer movement is marketing the process of irradiation and will continue to give consumers information that allows them to make an informed choice

THE PROBLEM OF CREATION AND CONSUMING OF MEDIA CONTENT OF INNOVATIVE PR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berezenko Vita Vitalyevna

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The article analyses on the theoretical level the media content of innovative public relations which can be conveyed via the possibilities of online communication; it also defines the characteristic features of the media content drawing attention of scientific community ( scholars. The purpose of this article - review of the production and consumption of media content of innovative PR in Ukraine at the theoretical level. Problems of creating and consuming of innovative PR media content are determined; among them the problem of professional training and state of being ready of all participants of communication for adequate perception and consuming of innovative media content, intellectual product, as soon as they are science consuming a priori, i.e. complex; the problem of copyright for intellectual product created by both producer and consumer, i.e. created by their mutual efforts. Public relations produce new characteristics of content in media while carrying out strategic functions in the Ukrainian society.

Consumer participation in housing: reflecting on consumer preferences.

Science.gov (United States)

Browne, Graeme; Hemsley, Martin

2010-12-01

Historically, people living with mental illness have had limited chance to participate in mental health services other than as patients. Following on from a recent review focusing on consumer participation in mental health services, this paper looks at consumer participation in housing. Housing is a critical element in recovery from mental illness. Without suitable housing, people have little chance of maintaining other resources in their lives, such as supportive social relationships and meaningful activities. Consumer participation is not a common topic in the recent literature, despite the significant public policy push to promote it. The importance of appropriate housing to the recovery of people living with mental illness cannot be underestimated. Even well-meaning and well-resourced housing initiatives can fall short of meeting consumers' recovery goals when they do not incorporate the expressed needs of consumers. These expressed needs include keeping units small in size and employing drop-in support models.

Young Children as Media Users and Consumers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Stine Liv

2008-01-01

a very early age, also becoming consumers in their own right. Through media, children are exposed to a wide range of consumer goods,not only through traditional spot commercials, but especially through different kinds of merchandise related to program content. This process, the paper argues, takes place...... in a complex socialization, in which the child through daily interactions with family members and media texts learns how to act and behave as a competent media user......This paper presents some main results from the PhD-project ‘Toddlers watching TV'1. Young children, aged 1½ to three, are in this project understood and examined as active participants in the process of becoming regular viewers of both public service and commercial television, and thereby, from...

Analysis of Researching Dynamics and Structure of Consumer Expenditure of the Russian Population

OpenAIRE

Buneeva, Raisa Ilyinichna; Buneeva, Maria Vitalyevna; Toropov, Valery Valeryevich; Khryuchkina, Elena Alekxeevna

2016-01-01

The model of consumption, consumer behavior (character of consumption), volume and structure of consumption are determined by the person’s style and lifestyle. In their turn, style and lifestyle are formed on the basis of the consumer’s level of life, i.e., the level of prosperity and benefits consumption defined by the needs, ways and forms to satisfy them based on the real consumer demand. The article shows the results of the analysis related to the researches that prove the influence of th...

Visually suboptimal bananas: How ripeness affects consumer expectation and perception.

Science.gov (United States)

Symmank, Claudia; Zahn, Susann; Rohm, Harald

2018-01-01

One reason for the significant amount of food that is wasted in developed countries is that consumers often expect visually suboptimal food as being less palatable. Using bananas as example, the objective of this study was to determine how appearance affects consumer overall liking, the rating of sensory attributes, purchase intention, and the intended use of bananas. The ripeness degree (RD) of the samples was adjusted to RD 5 (control) and RD 7 (more ripened, visually suboptimal). After preliminary experiments, a total of 233 participants were asked to judge their satisfaction with the intensity of sensory attributes that referred to flavor, taste, and texture using just-about-right scales. Subjects who received peeled samples were asked after tasting, whereas subjects who received unpeeled bananas judged expectation and, after peeling and tasting, perception. Expected overall liking and purchase intention were significantly lower for RD 7 bananas. Purchase intention was still significantly different between RD 5 and RD 7 after tasting, whereas no difference in overall liking was observed. Significant differences between RD 5 and RD 7 were observed when asking participants for their intended use of the bananas. Concerning the sensory attributes, penalty analysis revealed that only the firmness of the RD 7 bananas was still not just-about-right after tasting. The importance that consumers attribute to the shelf-life of food had a pronounced impact on purchase intention of bananas with different ripeness degree. In the case of suboptimal bananas, the results demonstrate a positive relationship between the sensory perception and overall liking and purchase intention. Convincing consumers that visually suboptimal food is still tasty is of high relevance for recommending different ways of communication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mexican consumers at the point of meat purchase. Beef choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngapo, T M; Braña Varela, D; Rubio Lozano, M S

2017-12-01

Within-consumer preference replication achieved through systematic image manipulation was used in consumer surveys in four cities across Mexico (Mexico City, n=195; Guadalajara, n=100; Hermosillo, n=132; Veracruz, n=61) to study beef preferences. Images of beef steaks controlled for lean and fat colour, fat cover and marbling were presented to consumers to determine the characteristics used in beef choice and the levels of preference of these characteristics. The most important choice criteria were fat cover (62% preferring little fat cover) and marbling (59% preferring non-marbled). Lean colour was also important with 24% and 29% choosing light and dark red beef, respectively. Fat colour was the least important of the four attributes studied (18% and 19% choosing white and yellow, respectively), but was nevertheless important given that 43% of consumers used three or four characteristics to make their choice. Imported and domestic beef in the Mexican marketplace appear to respond to the range of consumers' beef preferences at the point of purchase. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer satisfaction with dry-cured ham in five European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Resano, H; Pérez-Cueto, F J A; Sanjuán, A I; de Barcellos, M D; Grunert, K G; Verbeke, W

2011-04-01

The objective is to investigate consumer satisfaction with dry-cured ham in five European countries. A logistic regression model has been fitted using data collected through a cross-sectional web-based survey carried out in Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Poland and Greece during January 2008 (n=2437 of which 2156 were dry-cured ham consumers). Satisfaction was evaluated as overall satisfaction, as well as specific satisfaction with healthfulness, price, convenience and taste. The findings show that the main determinant of overall satisfaction is taste satisfaction, hence, producers are recommended to focus on matching sensory acceptability of dry-cured ham. No significant between-country differences were found, reflecting the wide availability of this product in all countries. Consumer characteristics influenced their level of satisfaction. Men, older (age > 52 years) and frequent consumers of dry-cured ham consumption were more likely to be satisfied with dry-cured ham. Consumers trust the butcher's advice and they preferred purchasing dry-cured ham at a butcher shop rather than in a supermarket. © 2010 The American Meat Science Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Health Informatics Aspects of Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genomic Testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Kathleen; Stephen, Remya; Terrill, Bronwyn; Wilson, Brenda; Middleton, Anna; Tytherleigh, Rigan; Turbitt, Erin; Gaff, Clara; Savard, Jacqueline; Hickerton, Chriselle; Newson, Ainsley; Metcalfe, Sylvia

2017-01-01

This paper uses consumer health informatics as a framework to explore whether and how direct-to-consumer personal genomic testing can be regarded as a form of information which assists consumers to manage their health. It presents findings from qualitative content analysis of web sites that offer testing services, and of transcripts from focus groups conducted as part a study of the Australian public's expectations of personal genomics. Content analysis showed that service offerings have some features of consumer health information but lack consistency. Focus group participants were mostly unfamiliar with the specifics of test reports and related information services. Some of their ideas about aids to knowledge were in line with the benefits described on provider web sites, but some expectations were inflated. People were ambivalent about whether these services would address consumers' health needs, interests and contexts and whether they would support consumers' health self-management decisions and outcomes. There is scope for consumer health informatics approaches to refine the usage and the utility of direct-to-consumer personal genomic testing. Further research may focus on how uptake is affected by consumers' health literacy or by services' engagement with consumers about what they really want.

Mandatory Contract Law: Functions and Principles in Light of the Proposal for a Directive on Consumer Rights

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G. Wagner (Gerhard)

2010-01-01

textabstractStarting from the theoretical underpinnings of contract law, mandatory rules should be the exception. In the reality of current European legislation, mandatory law is not the exception but the rule. The obvious explanation is that the EU has focussed on consumer law, i.e. on the

Consumer attitudes towards castration of piglets and alternatives to surgical castration.

Science.gov (United States)

Fredriksen, Bente; Johnsen, Anne Mette Sibeko; Skuterud, Ellen

2011-04-01

From three in-depth focus group studies and an internet based study concerning consumers attitudes towards surgical castration of piglets and alternatives, it can be concluded that Norwegian consumers are content with the current practice of castration using local anaesthesia. They accept castration as a necessary means to prevent the risk of boar taint in meat and thereby secure meat quality. Even though castration using anaesthesia is not a perfect solution, it is considered sufficient, and the consumers do not ask for alternatives. Most consumers were sceptical of immunocastration. The scepticism was mainly based on the fear of residuals in meat and unknown long-term consequences for the consumers. On the other hand the confidence in Norwegian control authorities is considerable, and will probably contribute to the maintenance of purchase habits even if immunocastration is to be introduced in Norwegian pig production. Castration without anaesthesia was characterized as completely unacceptable. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainability of Italian wines: Knowledge, understanding, and interest of consumers

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Borra Danielle

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The continuous consumption of resources and the progressive climatic changes have contributed to develop a new range of products with a “greener” vocation. After the shift to organic and biodynamic production, companies have started to promote products' sustainability. The wine sector has undergone a transformation connected with the emergence of several projects related to the concept of sustainability. But what the consumer knows and thinks of all this? In this regard, it was carried out a study about the perception of the consumer on issues related to sustainability. The goals are multiple: to define the concept of sustainability perceived by consumers, to evaluate the spread of eco-friendly products, to measure the interest and willingness in spending on these products and finally to assess the knowledge of the main brands that identify some sustainable projects. Thanks to this first part that fits into a larger study still in progress, it was possible to obtain an initial assessment of the motivations that influence the purchase of wine, learn more about the consumer on these issues and assess the prevalence of brands associated with each of these major projects on the Italian scene.

Consumer sleep monitors: is there a baby in the bathwater?

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Russo K

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Kathryn Russo,1 Balaji Goparaju,1 Matt T Bianchi1,2 1Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Abstract: The rapid expansion of consumer sleep devices is outpacing the validation data necessary to assess the potential use of these devices in clinical and research settings. Common sleep monitoring devices utilize a variety of sensors to track movement as well as cardiac and respiratory physiology. The variety of sensors and user-specific factors offer the potential, at least theoretically, for clinically relevant information. We describe the current challenges for interpretation of consumer sleep monitoring data, since the devices are mainly used in nonmedical contexts (consumer use although medically-definable sleep disorders may commonly occur in this setting. A framework for addressing questions of how certain devices might be useful is offered. We suggest that multistage validation efforts are crucially needed, from the level of sensor data and algorithm output, to extrapolations beyond healthy adults and into other populations and real-world environments. Keywords: movement, cardiac and respiratory physiology, sensor, consumer sleep monitoring data

Consumer Perception of the Quality of Lamb and Lamb Confit.

Science.gov (United States)

Ripoll, Guillermo; Joy, Margalida; Panea, Begoña

2018-05-22

The patterns of food consumption in general and those of meat, in particular, are constantly changing. These changes are due not only to socioeconomic and cultural trends that affect the whole society but also to the specific lifestyles of consumer groups. Due to the importance of consumer lifestyle, the objectives of this study were (i) to identify the profiles of lamb meat consumers according to their orientation toward convenience, as defined by their eating and cooking habits; (ii) to characterize these profiles according to their socioeconomic characteristics and their preferences regarding the intrinsic and extrinsic quality signals of lamb meat; and (iii) to analyze the willingness to pay for lamb confit. In this study, four types of consumers have been differentiated according to their lifestyles related to lamb consumption. These groups, due to their characteristics, could be called "Gourmet", "Disinterested", "Conservative", and "Basic". The Gourmet group has characteristics that make it especially interesting to market a product such as lamb confit. However, this group is unaware of this product. Therefore, a possible strategy to expand the commercialization of light lamb and the confit product would be guided marketing to this niche market.

Investigating Consumer Preferences towards Sustainability in Product Packaging

OpenAIRE

Petit, Lisa

2017-01-01

This research-oriented thesis investigates to which extent German consumers consider the sustainability aspect of a product package as their main factor in preferring a product. The research was conducted based on a comparison between two specific smoothies from the Company A and Company B brands. Company A smoothies are packed in glass bottles, whereas Company B smoothies are sold in plastic bottles. For the scope of the thesis, sustainable product packaging was defined regarding its contrib...

Assessing the Impact of the National Cultural Framework on Responsible Corporate Behaviour towards Consumers: an Application of Geert Hofstede`s Cultural Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Gănescu

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This article aims to define and measure responsible corporate behaviour towards consumers in EU countries by defining an index of responsible corporate behaviour towards consumers and to establish the impact of Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions on the responsible behaviour of organisations towards consumers. The index uses a specific measurement methodology based on three major components of responsible corporate behaviour towards customers and on content analysis of the Eurostat databases, the RAPEX 2012 Annual Report, the 2012-2013 Global Competitiveness Report and the Global Reporting Initiative database. We used the multifactorial regression and the Wald significance test to demonstrate that organisations operating in countries characterised by low power distance, individualism, femininity, tolerance of unknown and long-term orientation pay more attention to responsible corporate behaviour towards customers. The study highlights theoretical considerations that support the influence of the national cultural framework on responsible corporate behaviour towards consumers. The methodology for calculating the index of responsible corporate behaviour towards consumers can become a basis of analysis of responsible corporate behaviour towards local consumers or other stakeholders.

How may consumer policy empower consumers for sustainable lifestyles?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thøgersen, John

2005-01-01

Consumer policy can empower consumers for changing lifestyles by reducing personal constraints and limitations, but it should also attempt to loosen some of the external constraints that make changes towards a more sustainable lifestyle difficult. In terms of reducing consumers' subjectively felt...... restrictions on their ability to change lifestyle, the two approaches are equivalent. Policies that increase a feeling of empowerment may also have a positive effect on consumers' motivation to make an effort, thus amplifying its effects. In this paper both types of constraints on lifestyle changes...

Consumers' beliefs and behavioural intentions towards organic food. Evidence from the Czech Republic.

Science.gov (United States)

Zagata, Lukas

2012-08-01

Research has revealed that organic consumers share beliefs about positive health effects, environmentally friendly production and better taste of organic food. Yet, very little is known about the decisions of organic consumers in post-socialist countries with emerging organic food markets. In order to examine this area a representative data set (N=1054) from the Czech Republic was used. Target group of the study has become the Czech consumers that purchase organic food on regular basis. The consumers' behaviour was conceptualised with the use of the theory of planned behaviour (ToPB). Firstly, the ToPB model was tested, and secondly, belief-based factors that influence the decisions and behaviour of consumers were explored. The theory proved able to predict and explain the behaviour of Czech organic consumers. The best predictors of the intention to purchase organic food are attitudes towards the behaviour and subjective norms. Decisive positions in consumers' beliefs have product- and process-based qualities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Body size mediated coexistence of consumers competing for resources in space

Science.gov (United States)

Basset, A.; Angelis, D.L.

2007-01-01

Body size is a major phenotypic trait of individuals that commonly differentiates co-occurring species. We analyzed inter-specific competitive interactions between a large consumer and smaller competitors, whose energetics, selection and giving-up behaviour on identical resource patches scaled with individual body size. The aim was to investigate whether pure metabolic constraints on patch behaviour of vagile species can determine coexistence conditions consistent with existing theoretical and experimental evidence. We used an individual-based spatially explicit simulation model at a spatial scale defined by the home range of the large consumer, which was assumed to be parthenogenic and semelparous. Under exploitative conditions, competitive coexistence occurred in a range of body size ratios between 2 and 10. Asymmetrical competition and the mechanism underlying asymmetry, determined by the scaling of energetics and patch behaviour with consumer body size, were the proximate determinant of inter-specific coexistence. The small consumer exploited patches more efficiently, but searched for profitable patches less effectively than the larger competitor. Therefore, body-size related constraints induced niche partitioning, allowing competitive coexistence within a set of conditions where the large consumer maintained control over the small consumer and resource dynamics. The model summarises and extends the existing evidence of species coexistence on a limiting resource, and provides a mechanistic explanation for decoding the size-abundance distribution patterns commonly observed at guild and community levels. ?? Oikos.

Framing choice: The origins and impact of consumer rhetoric in US health care debates.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Nancy S

2015-08-01

This paper examines the origins of consumerist discourse in health care from a communication perspective via a historical textual analysis of health writing in popular magazines from 1930 to 1949. The focus is on Consumers Union's Consumer Reports and the American Medical Association's lay health magazine, Hygeia. Findings from Consumer Reports show that the consumer movement of the 1930s-40s staunchly advocated for universal health insurance. Whereas consumer rights language nowadays tends towards individual choice and personal responsibility, consumerism in health care during that era articulated ideas about consumer citizenship, framing choice and responsibility in collectivist terms and health care as a social good. This paper also illuminates the limits and weaknesses of a central tenet in consumerism-freedom of choice-by analyzing stories in Hygeia about the doctor-patient relationship. A textual analysis finds that the AMA's justification in the 1930s-40s against socialized medicine, i.e., the freedom to choose a doctor, was in practice highly controlled by the medical profession. Findings show that long before the rhetoric of the "empowered consumer" became popular, some patients exercised some choice even in an era when physicians achieved total professional dominance. But these patients were few and tend to occupy the upper socioeconomic strata of US society. In reality choice was an illusion in a fee-for-service era when most American families could not afford the costs of medical care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

论网络购物中的消费者权益保护%Protection of consumer rights and interests in online shopping

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

何如; 俞华娟; 施燕飞

2016-01-01

随着互联网的发展和电子科技的进步，网络购物已经成为了当今社会新兴的购物方式。由于网络购物的便捷高效，商品多样，吸引着越来越多的人加入网络购物中来。消费者通过网络购物带给自身便利，但由于网络购物的高速发展和关于这个领域的立法空缺，网络购物存在的客观问题也开始显现。如何保障网络购物消费者的合法权益成为社会的热点。%With the development of internet and the advancement of electronic science and technology, online shopping has become a new way of shopping in today's society. Due to the convenience and efficiency of online shopping, goods are diverse, attracting more and more people to join online shopping. Consumers through online shopping to bring their own convenience, but because of the rapid development of online shopping and the legislative vacancy on this field, the existence of the objective problems of online shopping also began to show. How to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of the consumers of online shopping has become a hot spot of society.

Coexistence and community structure in a consumer resource model with implicit stoichiometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Orlando, Paul A; Brown, Joel S; Wise, David H

2012-09-01

We combine stoichiometry theory and optimal foraging theory into the MacArthur consumer-resource model. This generates predictions for diet choice, coexistence, and community structure of heterotroph communities. Tradeoffs in consumer resource-garnering traits influence community outcomes. With scarce resources, consumers forage opportunistically for complementary resources and may coexist via tradeoffs in resource encounter rates. In contrast to single currency models, stoichiometry permits multiple equilibria. These alternative stable states occur when tradeoffs in resource encounter rates are stronger than tradeoffs in elemental conversion efficiencies. With abundant resources consumers exhibit partially selective diets for essential resources and may coexist via tradeoffs in elemental conversion efficiencies. These results differ from single currency models, where adaptive diet selection is either opportunistic or selective. Interestingly, communities composed of efficient consumers share many of the same properties as communities based on substitutable resources. However, communities composed of relatively inefficient consumers behave similarly to plant communities as characterized by Tilman's consumer resource theory. The results of our model indicate that the effects of stoichiometry theory on community ecology are dependent upon both consumer foraging behavior and the nature of resource garnering tradeoffs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Industry and Consumers Awareness for Effective Management of Functional Animal-based Foods in South Korea

OpenAIRE

Wi, Seo-Hyun; Park, Jung-Min; Wee, Sung-Hwan; Park, Jae-Woo; Kim, Jin-Man

2013-01-01

In recent years, manufacturers of animal-based foods with health claims have encountered difficulties in the labeling of their products because of a lack of regulation on defining the functionality of animal-based foods. Therefore, this study was conducted to establish the basic requirements for the development of a definition for functional animal-based foods by investigating consumer and industry awareness. Survey data were collected from 114 industry representatives and 1,100 consumers. Th...

I don't think we've quite got there yet: The experience of allyship for mental health consumer researchers.

Science.gov (United States)

Happell, Brenda; Scholz, Brett; Gordon, Sarah; Bocking, Julia; Ellis, Pete; Roper, Cath; Liggins, Jackie; Platania-Phung, Chris

2018-06-12

Australia and New Zealand mental health policy requires consumer participation in all aspects of mental health services. Systemic participation informs and improves the quality of mental health services. Collaboration with consumer researchers should be similarly required. Enhanced understandings of collaborations are needed. To enhance understanding of the perspectives and experiences of nonconsumer researchers in working collaboratively with consumers as researchers. This qualitative exploratory study involved interviews with non-consumer mental health researchers who have worked collaboratively with consumers in research. Interviews were conducted with participants from Australia and New Zealand. 'Allyship' emerged as a major theme. This describes non-consumer researchers playing an actively supportive role to facilitate opportunities for the development and growth of consumer research roles and activities. Seven sub-themes were identified: establishing and supporting roles, corralling resources, guiding navigation of university systems, advocacy at multiple levels, aspiring to coproduction and consumer-led research, extending connections and partnerships, and desire to do better. Allyship may have an important role to play in the broader consumer research agenda and requires further consideration. Embedding meaningful consumer participation within mental health services requires active consumer involvement in research. Allies can play an important facilitative role. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Predicting consumers' intention to consume ready-to-eat meals. The role of moral attitude.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Nina Veflen; Sijtsema, Siet J; Hall, Gunnar

2010-12-01

This study investigates the usefulness of integrating moral attitude into the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model when predicting intention to consume ready-to-eat (RTE) meals. Questionnaire data were gathered in three countries: Norway (N = 112), The Netherlands (N = 99), and Finland (N = 134) in spring 2009. A stepwise hierarchical regression was conducted, and the analyses showed that moral attitude is an important predictor of RTE-meal consumption. The feeling of moral obligation, operationalised as a negative feeling of guilt, had a negative effect on peoples' intention to consume ready meals in all the three countries tested, and the explained variance (R²) for TPB increased when moral was added as an explanatory factor. However, although the test showed significant results for the effect of attitude towards behavior and moral in all countries, non-significant results were observed for the effect of subjective norm in both The Netherlands and Norway when moral attitude was included to the TPB-model, indicating cultural differences in the social pressure towards ready meal consumption. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Building a Sustainable Society: The Necessity to Change the Term 'Consumer'

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabrina Chakori

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The profit-seeking system leads to many negative environmental impacts. Within this economic system, consumption reflects an important relationship between humans and nature. However, despite the growing international attention to environmental sustainability, our society does not necessarily acknowledge consumerism as the cause of global environmental degradation. Deconstructing the consumption culture and redefining what determines well-being, this paper will attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing definition of people in the economic system. Many authors have defined our role in the economy; however, in terms of customer, citizen-consumer, and socially conscious consumer, most of the literature in this domain remains rooted in consumerism. Consumerism cannot be fixed with further consumerism; therefore this paper discusses the importance of reclaiming our identity and the need to define new terms for people in a new economic system. Any new terms should integrate interests and responsibilities that go beyond simple utility maximization. Moving beyond the term “consumer” will change our worldview. This cultural transformation may help facilitate long-term environmental sustainability.

Perceived media influence on behaviour of food products' consumers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đokić Ines

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In modern business conditions, it is possible to identify a number of manners for company's communication with current customers and prospects. That is the reason for marketers to prioritize the requirements of finding an adequate mix of integrated marketing communications instruments, defining their roles and the extent to which they should be implemented, as well as their mutual coordination and synergetic effects. Company can use different media and, by their combination and integration, send a clear and consistent promotional message to customers. In this paper, the authors analyse the perceived impact of the media and their combination on consumers' attitudes towards food products and their intention to buy food products, as well as whether there are differences when it comes to these influences among consumers with different socio-demographic characteristics.

Mental health consumer parents' recommendations for designing psychoeducation interventions for their minor children.

Science.gov (United States)

Riebschleger, Joanne; Onaga, Esther; Tableman, Betty; Bybee, Deborah

2014-09-01

This research explores consumer parents' recommendations for developing psychoeducation programs for their minor children. Data were drawn from a purposive sample of 3 focus groups of parent consumers of a community mental health agency. The research question was: "What do consumer parents recommend for developing psychoeducation programs for their minor children?" Parents recommended content foci of mental illness, recovery, heritability, stigma, and coping. The next step is youth psychoeducation intervention development and evaluation. Parents, youth, and professionals should be included in the program planning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved).

How may consumer policy empower consumers for sustainable lifestyles?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thøgersen, John

At least judged by its outcome, it seems that consumers in the rich parts of the world make less of an effort at changing their lifestyle in a sustainable direction than is desired by society and than is in their own collective long-term interest. Part of the explanations is that individual......'s striving for sustainability. The relevant external conditions are an extremely diverse set of factors, perhaps their only commonality being that, unless making an organized effort, consumers can do nothing about them. Because external conditions influence all or many consumers, making them more...... facilitating for sustainable consumption can be much more effective than anything an individual consumer can do. Many of the external constraints facing consumers who want to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle are of a relative nature and their impact depends on the individual's resources. For instance...

Spanish, French and British consumers' acceptability of Uruguayan beef, and consumers' beef choice associated with country of origin, finishing diet and meat price.

Science.gov (United States)

Realini, C E; Font i Furnols, M; Sañudo, C; Montossi, F; Oliver, M A; Guerrero, L

2013-09-01

The effect of country of origin (local, Switzerland, Argentina, Uruguay), finishing diet (grass, grass plus concentrate, concentrate), and price (low, medium, high) on consumer's beef choice and segmentation was evaluated in Spain, France and United Kingdom. Sensory acceptability of Uruguayan beef from different production systems was also evaluated and contrasted with consumers' beef choices. Origin was the most important characteristic for the choice of beef with preference for meat produced locally. The second most important factor was animal feed followed by price with preference for beef from grass-fed animals and lowest price. The least preferred product was beef from Uruguay, concentrate-fed animals and highest price. Sensory data showed higher acceptability scores for Uruguayan beef from grass-fed animals with or without concentrate supplementation than animals fed concentrate only. Consumer segments with distinct preferences were identified. Foreign country promotion seems to be fundamental for marketing beef in Europe, as well as the development of different marketing strategies to satisfy each consumer segment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ACTIVITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATION OF FEDERAL SERVICE FOR SURVEILLANCE ON CONSUMER RIGHTS PROTECTION AND HUMAN WELL-BEING IN KHABAROVSKY KRAI IN CONDITIONS OF THE FUKUSHIMA ACCIDENT AND MEASURES UNDERTAKEN TO PROTECT THE TERRITORY AND POPULATION THE REGION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. A. Ott

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The article analyzes activities of the Administration of Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Well-being in Khabarovsky Krai and the Federal Health Organization "Center of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Khabarovsky Krai" in the situation related to the Fukushima accident in Japan

Setting stroke research priorities: The consumer perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Sangvatanakul, Pukkaporn; Hillege, Sharon; Lalor, Erin; Levi, Christopher; Hill, Kelvin; Middleton, Sandy

2010-12-01

To test a method of engaging consumers in research priority-setting using a quantitative approach and to determine consumer views on stroke research priorities for clinical practice recommendations with lower levels of evidence (Level III and Level IV) and expert consensus opinion as published in the Australian stroke clinical practice guidelines. Survey Urban community Eighteen stroke survivors (n = 12) and carers (n = 6) who were members of the "Working Aged Group - Stroke" (WAGS) consumer support group. Phase I: Participants were asked whether recommendations were "worth" researching ("yes" or "no"); and, if researched, what potential impact they likely would have on patient outcomes. Phase II: Participants were asked to rank recommendations rated by more than 75% of participants in Phase I as "worth" researching and "highly likely" or "likely" to generate research with a significant effect on patient outcomes (n = 13) in order of priority for future stroke research. All recommendations were rated by at least half (n = 9, 50%) of participants as "worth" researching. The majority (67% to 100%) rated all recommendations as "highly likely" or "likely" that research would have a significant effect on patient outcomes. Thirteen out of 20 recommendations were ranked for their research priorities. Recommendations under the topic heading Getting to hospital were ranked highest and Organization of care and Living with stroke were ranked as a lower priority for research. This study provided an example of how to involve consumers in research priority setting successfully using a quantitative approach. Stroke research priorities from the consumer perspective were different from those of health professionals, as published in the literature; thus, consumer opinion should be considered when setting research priorities. Copyright © 2010 Society for Vascular Nursing, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Consumers' conceptualization of ultra-processed foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Ares, Gastón; Vidal, Leticia; Allegue, Gimena; Giménez, Ana; Bandeira, Elisa; Moratorio, Ximena; Molina, Verónika; Curutchet, María Rosa

2016-10-01

Consumption of ultra-processed foods has been associated with low diet quality, obesity and other non-communicable diseases. This situation makes it necessary to develop educational campaigns to discourage consumers from substituting meals based on unprocessed or minimally processed foods by ultra-processed foods. In this context, the aim of the present work was to investigate how consumers conceptualize the term ultra-processed foods and to evaluate if the foods they perceive as ultra-processed are in concordance with the products included in the NOVA classification system. An online study was carried out with 2381 participants. They were asked to explain what they understood by ultra-processed foods and to list foods that can be considered ultra-processed. Responses were analysed using inductive coding. The great majority of the participants was able to provide an explanation of what ultra-processed foods are, which was similar to the definition described in the literature. Most of the participants described ultra-processed foods as highly processed products that usually contain additives and other artificial ingredients, stressing that they have low nutritional quality and are unhealthful. The most relevant products for consumers' conceptualization of the term were in agreement with the NOVA classification system and included processed meats, soft drinks, snacks, burgers, powdered and packaged soups and noodles. However, some of the participants perceived processed foods, culinary ingredients and even some minimally processed foods as ultra-processed. This suggests that in order to accurately convey their message, educational campaigns aimed at discouraging consumers from consuming ultra-processed foods should include a clear definition of the term and describe some of their specific characteristics, such as the type of ingredients included in their formulation and their nutritional composition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer perception of bread quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ľudmila Nagyová

2009-01-01

specialized stores, where personal contact of a shop-assistant and a cus­to­mer is more often. Results of the performed marketing research of consumer behavior in the market with bakery products will become a sort of the initial basis for departments involved in the research. The team of co-authors have the task to define bread quality on the basis of chemical analyses in accordance with consumers needs.

Consumer protection act for digital products

Science.gov (United States)

Hampel, Viktor E.

1996-03-01

This report proposes a `Consumer Protection Act for Digital Products' to support electronic commerce and to control the increasing abuse and lack of security on the national information highways. Patterned after the `Food and Drug Act of 1906 (21 USC)' and subsequent legislation, a new agency similar to that of the FDA would have the authority `to develop administrative policy with regard to the safety, effectiveness, and labeling of digital products and their communications for human use, and to review and evaluate new applications of such products.' Specifically, it is proposed that standards, originally developed by the defense industry for the labeling, enveloping, and authentication of digital products delivered to the Government, be extended to promote global electronic commerce by protecting the intellectual property rights of producers, establishing their liability for the end-use of digital products, and give consumers means for informed decision making and purchase.

Consumer Choice between Food Safety and Food Quality: The Case of Farm-Raised Atlantic Salmon

Science.gov (United States)

Haghiri, Morteza

2016-01-01

Since the food incidence of polychlorinated biphenyls in farm-raised Atlantic salmon, its market demand has drastically changed as a result of consumers mistrust in both the quality and safety of the product. Policymakers have been trying to find ways to ensure consumers that farm-raised Atlantic salmon is safe. One of the suggested policies is the implementation of integrated traceability methods and quality control systems. This article examines consumer choice between food safety and food quality to purchase certified farm-raised Atlantic salmon, defined as a product that has passed through various stages of traceability systems in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. PMID:28231118

Consumer perceptions of satiety-related snack food decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilman, E M; van Trijp, J C M; Renes, R J

2010-12-01

The aim of this study is to gain more insight into how consumers' perceptions of the satiety value of snack products influence their choice of such products and to get a better understanding of consumer terminology and perceptions about product-related satiety. Participants were asked to indicate their individual product choice in response to a scenario. Scenarios varied as a between-subject factor in terms of whether information on the time gap till the next meal occasion (favorite main dish) was provided or not, and whether this meal would be eaten after one hour or four hours. To get a better understanding of consumer terminology a repertory grid task was used to elicit consumer attributes relating to satiety. This research shows that, when consumers are confronted with situations that vary in satiety requirements, they do not make significantly different snack products choices. But they do have specific ideas about the product features that influence the perceived satiety level of a product. Products perceived as fat, high in protein, with a savory taste and in one piece are expected to have a higher level of satiety compared to sweet products and products that exist of multiple small items. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting Consumer Effort in Finding and Paying for Health Care: Expert Interviews and Claims Data Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Sandra; Monsen, Karen A; Pieczkiewicz, David; Wolfson, Julian; Khairat, Saif

2017-10-12

For consumers to accept and use a health care information system, it must be easy to use, and the consumer must perceive it as being free from effort. Finding health care providers and paying for care are tasks that must be done to access treatment. These tasks require effort on the part of the consumer and can be frustrating when the goal of the consumer is primarily to receive treatments for better health. The aim of this study was to determine the factors that result in consumer effort when finding accessible health care. Having an understanding of these factors will help define requirements when designing health information systems. A panel of 12 subject matter experts was consulted and the data from 60 million medical claims were used to determine the factors contributing to effort. Approximately 60 million claims were processed by the health care insurance organization in a 12-month duration with the population defined. Over 292 million diagnoses from claims were used to validate the panel input. The results of the study showed that the number of people in the consumer's household, number of visits to providers outside the consumer's insurance network, number of adjusted and denied medical claims, and number of consumer inquiries are a proxy for the level of effort in finding and paying for care. The effort level, so measured and weighted per expert panel recommendations, differed by diagnosis. This study provides an understanding of how consumers must put forth effort when engaging with a health care system to access care. For higher satisfaction and acceptance results, health care payers ideally will design and develop systems that facilitate an understanding of how to avoid denied claims, educate on the payment of claims to avoid adjustments, and quickly find providers of affordable care. ©Sandra Long, Karen A. Monsen, David Pieczkiewicz, Julian Wolfson, Saif Khairat. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 12.10.2017.

What can we learn from consumer reports on psychiatric adverse drug reactions with antidepressant medication? Experiences from reports to a consumer association.

Science.gov (United States)

Vilhelmsson, Andreas; Svensson, Tommy; Meeuwisse, Anna; Carlsten, Anders

2011-10-25

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the cost of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the general population is high and under-reporting by health professionals is a well-recognized problem. Another way to increase ADR reporting is to let the consumers themselves report directly to the authorities. In Sweden it is mandatory for prescribers to report serious ADRs to the Medical Products Agency (MPA), but there are no such regulations for consumers. The non-profit and independent organization Consumer Association for Medicines and Health, KILEN has launched the possibility for consumers to report their perceptions and experiences from their use of medicines in order to strengthen consumer rights within the health care sector. This study aimed to analyze these consumer reports. All reports submitted from January 2002 to April 2009 to an open web site in Sweden where anyone could report their experience with the use of pharmaceuticals were analyzed with focus on common psychiatric side effects related to antidepressant usage. More than one ADR for a specific drug could be reported. In total 665 reports were made during the period. 442 reports concerned antidepressant medications and the individual antidepressant reports represented 2392 ADRs and 878 (37%) of these were psychiatric ADRs. 75% of the individual reports concerned serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and the rest serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI). Women reported more antidepressant psychiatric ADRs (71%) compared to men (24%). More potentially serious psychiatric ADRs were frequently reported to KILEN and withdrawal symptoms during discontinuation were also reported as a common issue. The present study indicates that consumer reports may contribute with important information regarding more serious psychiatric ADRs following antidepressant treatment. Consumer reporting may be considered a complement to traditional ADR reporting.

Railroad right-of-way incident analysis research.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

Locations of railroad right-of-way incidents in this research were identified as hotspots. These can be defined as highway-rail grade crossings or locations along the railroad right-of-way where collision or trespassing risk is unacceptably high and ...

The Power Asymmetry and Non-Competitive Behaviour of Firms at Consumer Markets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ulyana Vladimirovna Karagezyan

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The specific features of formation of the market economy in Russia caused not only development of the competitive environment, but also fixing of the model of noncompetitive behavior of enterprises. In a contradiction of the economic theory in which one of necessary conditions of “survival” of the companies is improvement of quality of goods, in the real economy consumers often face acquisition of low-quality goods. This article is devoted to an urgent problem of studying the model of noncompetitive behavior of firms in Russia. The purpose of this study is the explanation of the reasons of noncompetitive behavior of the enterprises in the Russian markets. On the basis of data of Federal service on supervision in the sphere of consumer protection, the dominating violations, as well as the markets most subjected to noncompetitive behavior of firms were revealed. Key characteristics of noncompetitive behavior are decline in the quality of production, violation of the consumer rights, using illegal tactics. As a result of this analysis we have made the following conclusions: violations of the rights of the consumer are expressed in realization of low-quality and unsafe products, refusal of providing necessary information on terms of transaction, imposing of additional services. The reasons of noncompetitive behavior of the companies include prevailing of the sovereignty of the producer over the consumer’s sovereignty; accumulation of the power of firms in a services sector and retail trade, a manipulative information and existence of information asymmetry between consumers and the companies. Overcoming the noncompetitive behavior of firm will become possible when power and information asymmetry decreases at the consumer markets.

The Role of Consumer's Identification in Consumer Behavior and Branding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mana Razeghi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to investigate relationships between congruity of consumer and brand values, brand identification, brand commitment, and word of mouth. In order to test the relationships between variables 600 questionnaire were distributed in Dubai Malls (Sun and Sand Sports and 334 of questionnaires were received and analyzed. To verify the validity of the questionnaire and to test the significance of observer variables (questionnaire and latent variables (factors, confirmatory factor analysis was used, and Cronbach's alpha was employed to test the reliability. To evaluate the association between variables, the Pearson correlation test is used, and then to verify the conceptual model test the structural equation modeling (SEM and LISREL software are deployed. The result shows that Value congruity positively influences consumers' identification with a brand and Value congruity positively influences consumers ‘commitment to brand. The result also shows that Consumer identification has a positive influence on brand commitment and mediating variable between value congruity and brand commitment and Consumers commitment to a brand has a positive influence on positive WOM and mediating variable between consumers' identification and WOM. The results also demonstrate that Consumer identification positively influences positive WOM.

Consumer Finance

OpenAIRE

Peter Tufano

2009-01-01

Although consumer finance is a substantial element of the economy, it has had a smaller footprint within financial economics. In this review, I suggest a functional definition of the subfield of consumer finance, focusing on four key functions: payments, risk management, moving funds from today to tomorrow (saving/investing), and from tomorrow to today (borrowing). I provide data showing the economic importance of consumer finance in the American economy. I propose a historical explanation fo...

Consumer factors predicting level of treatment response to illness management and recovery.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Dominique A; McGuire, Alan B; Luther, Lauren; Anderson, Adrienne I; Phalen, Peter; McGrew, John H

2017-12-01

This study aims to identify consumer-level predictors of level of treatment response to illness management and recovery (IMR) to target the appropriate consumers and aid psychiatric rehabilitation settings in developing intervention adaptations. Secondary analyses from a multisite study of IMR were conducted. Self-report data from consumer participants of the parent study (n = 236) were analyzed for the current study. Consumers completed prepost surveys assessing illness management, coping, goal-related hope, social support, medication adherence, and working alliance. Correlations and multiple regression analyses were run to identify self-report variables that predicted level of treatment response to IMR. Analyses revealed that goal-related hope significantly predicted level of improved illness self-management, F(1, 164) = 10.93, p consumer-level predictors of level of treatment response have not been explored for IMR. Although 2 significant predictors were identified, study findings suggest more work is needed. Future research is needed to identify additional consumer-level factors predictive of IMR treatment response in order to identify who would benefit most from this treatment program. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Risk and promise in energy market liberalization: consumer choice in buying electricity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, Barry

1999-01-01

In many countries, where the electricity industry is being exposed to market liberalisation, it is found that the hardest part of the market to reform is retail supply to small business and domestic consumers. There are two main alternatives for promoting consumer choice, metering and load profiling. Notable developments are occurring in the United Kingdom, the United States, Scandinavia and New Zealand. Significant legal difficulties are encountered with such reforms. Among them are contract law, energy-sector regulation, competition law, privacy and individual rights, and consumer protection. The disaggregation of the industry, especially at the retail end, imposes special demands on contract and industry self-regulation. (Author)

Researching the Gap between Foodstuff’s Attractiveness and Real Nutritional Profile – Prerequisite for Strengthening Nutrition Education and Consumer Rights Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Cristian Onete

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Consumer`s health protection has become a major concern of global public policies, given that overweight and obesity have alarmingly increased, particularly among children and teens. The paper addresses one of the current problems caused by globalization, namely the obvious tendency of young people to choose food products based on organoleptic features and to disregard nutritional quality, with negative consequences on health. An exploratory marketing research was conducted among students for identifying the perceived importance of the sensorial dimension of food products and understanding key dimensions of buying decision process among youth. SAIN–LIM method was used to determine the nutritional profile of foodstuffs with special organoleptic features. Research results clearly show that in industrial foodstuff there is a gap between product attractiveness, which is based on exceptional sensorial properties, perceived by young consumers and real nutritional value of foods, which frequently translates into unbalanced nutritional profiles. To have a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, young consumers need to be informed that a tasty and good looking foodstuff is not necessarily healthy. Youth need to be properly educated in order to understand the close relationship between diet, weight and health and to develop a responsible food consumption behavior.

The Art of Creating Attractive Consumer Experiences at the Right Time: Skills Marketers Will Need to Survive and Thrive

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lemon Katherine N.

2016-11-01

Full Text Available New technologies have made today’s marketing faster, more mobile, more location-based, more digital, more virtual, and more automatized than ever. In this new world, marketers need to be “real-time relevant” – to gain awareness, to change perceptions and to spur action. They need to have their content in the right channel, format, time and context – from a consumer’s perspective. Only then do they at least have a chance of the consumer attending to the information and being influenced by it. In such an environment new skills and competences are required. The amount of available data has virtually exploded. To gain any perspective or apparent “control” in these environments, successful managers must embrace the complexity and learn to analyze, integrate and interpret all this data. A critical skill for marketers will be to identify the metrics that best reflect the desired outcomes of the organization and that sufficiently reflect specific indicators of critical processes. Furthermore, insights from other disciplines such as architecture, design, information-processing, biology or engineering will be important for creating customer experiences. The marketer of the future will need to be supremely curious and creative and to balance and integrate different worlds. It will all come down to delivering memorable and lasting experiences in a constantly and fast changing environment.

77 FR 34233 - Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-11

... initiator of the message, to be a nuisance and an invasion of privacy; and (3) individuals' privacy rights... are made by the consumer's loan servicer, because the primary motivation of the calling party is to... challenged as TCPA violations because the primary motivation appears to be sending a telephone solicitation...

Pre-Emption, Back-In And Redemption Rights As Well As The Right Of Priority In Acquisition Of Real Estate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dadańska Katarzyna A.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Among factors that might significantly diversify common and economic trading, in particular trading in real estate, pre-emption, back-in and redemption rights, as well as the right of priority in acquisition play an important role. These legal instruments, despite certain differences in their legal structures, serve a similar function. Namely, they may be utilized for the purpose of affecting the preferred ownership structure. The legislator in pursuit of the assumed ownership structure may – through the instruments of the pre-emption right, back–in right, redemption right and the right of priority in acquisition – particularly with their statutory character - restrict freedom to trade in ownership with regard to the selection of the real estate purchaser. Simultaneously, in the contracting process, the parties face a certain manner of proceeding imposed, the purpose of which is to conclude the contract on transferring real estate ownership with the partner preferred by the legislator. In certain cases, the legislator goes even further, granting the eligible party a claim under which the eligible party may demand that the party obliged shall submit an appropriate declaration of will, and in the event that the party obliged refuses – the eligible party may seek the judgment of the court replacing that declaration. Proper navigation in the field of real estate trading, in particular with regard to transactions in which the pre-emption right, back-in right, and redemption right, or the right of priority in acquisition is reserved for defined entities, requires defining the legal character of the given instrument, the manner of executing the due right by the eligible party, results of the failure of the parties to the contracting process to fulfill the obligations imposed by the act, and finally, defining whether there are means for the compulsory execution of the power guaranteed by the act and, if yes, what these means are.

Consumer Rights as Constitutional Rights-A Comparative Analysis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Journal of International Law and Jurisprudence. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search · Current Issue · Archives · Journal Home > Vol 2 (2011) >. Log in or Register to get access to full text downloads.

Summary of Utility Studies: Smart Grid Investment Grant Consumer Behavior Study Analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cappers, Peter [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Todd, Annika [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Goldamn, Charles A. [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2013-05-01

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) program is working with a subset of the 99 SGIG projects to assess the response of mass market consumers (i.e., residential and small commercial customers) to time-varying electricity prices (referred to herein as time-based rate programs) in conjunction with the deployment of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) and associated technologies. The effort provides an opportunity to advance the electric industry’s understanding of consumer behavior. In addition, DOE is attempting to apply a consistent study design and analysis framework for the SGIG Consumer Behavior Studies (CBS). The aim is to collect information across the studies on variables and impacts that have been defined in a consistent manner. This will enable Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL), as DOE’s principal investigator for these Consumer Behavior Studies, to leverage the data from the individual studies and conduct comparative analysis of the impacts of AMI, time-based rate programs and enabling technologies that facilitate customer control, automation and information/feedback on customer energy usage.

Exposure to Chemicals in Consumer Products: The Role of the Near-Field Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fantke, Peter; Ernstoff, Alexi; Huang, L.

2016-01-01

Humans can be exposed to chemicals in consumer products during product use and environmental releases with inhalation, ingestion, and dermal uptake as typical exposure routes. Nevertheless, chemical exposure modeling has traditionally focused on the far-field with near-field indoor models only...... recently gaining attention. Further, models that are mostly emissions-based, may not necessarily be applicable to all types of chemical release from consumer products. To address this gap, we (1) define a framework to simultaneously account for exposure to chemicals in the near- and far-field, (2......) determine chemical product concentrations for various functional use categories, (3) introduce a quantitative metric linking exposure to chemical mass in products, the Product Intake Fraction (PiF), and (4) demonstrate our framework for various consumer product categories. This framework lends itself...

Feasibility of bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge using defined microbial consortium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shireen Meher Kotay; Debabrata Das [Fermentation Technology Lab., Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, W.B., INDIA-721302 (India)

2006-07-01

Biological hydrogen production potential of a defined microbial consortium consisting of three facultative anaerobes, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1 was studied. In this investigation their individual and combinatorial H{sub 2} production capabilities have been studied on defined media and pretreated sewage sludge. Defined medium, MYG (1% w/v Malt extract, 0.4% w/v yeast extract and 1% w/v glucose) with glucose as limiting substrate has been found to be most suitable for hydrogen production. Individually E. cloacae clearly gave higher yield (276 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD reduced) using defined medium than the other two strains. There was no considerable difference in maximal yield of hydrogen from individual and combinatorial (1:1:1 consortium) modes suggesting that E. cloacae dominated in the consortia on defined medium. Contradictorily, B. coagulans gave better bio-hydrogen yield (37.16 ml H{sub 2}/g COD consumed) than the other two strains when activated sewage sludge was used as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization, (15% v/v) dilution and supplementation with 0.5%w/v glucose which was found to be essential to screen out the hydrogen consuming bacteria and ameliorate the hydrogenation. Considering (1:1:1) consortium as inoculum, interestingly yield of hydrogen was recorded to increase to 41.23 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD reduced inferring that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The hydrogen yield from pretreated sludge obtained in this study (35.54 ml H{sub 2} g sludge) has been found to be distinctively higher than the earlier reports (8.1 - 16.9 ml H{sub 2}/g sludge). However it was lower compared to the yield obtained from co-digestion of (83:17) food waste and sewage sludge (122 ml H{sub 2}/g carbohydrate COD). Employing formulated microbial consortia for bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge was an attempt to augment the hydrogen yield from sludge

Feasibility of bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge using defined microbial consortium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shireen Meher Kotay; Debabrata Das [Fermentation Technology Lab., Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, W.B., INDIA-721302 (India)

2006-07-01

Biological hydrogen production potential of a defined microbial consortium consisting of three facultative anaerobes, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1 was studied. In this investigation their individual and combinatorial H{sub 2} production capabilities have been studied on defined media and pretreated sewage sludge. Defined medium, MYG (1% w/v Malt extract, 0.4% w/v yeast extract and 1% w/v glucose) with glucose as limiting substrate has been found to be most suitable for hydrogen production. Individually E. cloacae clearly gave higher yield (276 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD reduced) using defined medium than the other two strains. There was no considerable difference in maximal yield of hydrogen from individual and combinatorial (1:1:1 consortium) modes suggesting that E. cloacae dominated in the consortia on defined medium. Contradictorily, B. coagulans gave better bio-hydrogen yield (37.16 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD consumed) than the other two strains when activated sewage sludge was used as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization, (15% v/v) dilution and supplementation with 0.5% w/v glucose which was found to be essential to screen out the hydrogen consuming bacteria and ameliorate the hydrogenation. Considering (1:1:1) consortium as inoculum, interestingly yield of hydrogen was recorded to increase to 41.23 ml H{sub 2}/ g COD reduced inferring that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The hydrogen yield from pretreated sludge obtained in this study (35.54 ml H{sub 2}/ g sludge) has been found to be distinctively higher than the earlier reports (8.1 - 16.9 ml H{sub 2} / g sludge). However it was lower compared to the yield obtained from co-digestion of (83:17) food waste and sewage sludge (122 ml H{sub 2}/ g carbohydrate COD). Employing formulated microbial consortia for bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge was an attempt to augment the hydrogen yield from

Feasibility of bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge using defined microbial consortium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shireen Meher Kotay; Debabrata Das

2006-01-01

Biological hydrogen production potential of a defined microbial consortium consisting of three facultative anaerobes, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1 was studied. In this investigation their individual and combinatorial H 2 production capabilities have been studied on defined media and pretreated sewage sludge. Defined medium, MYG (1% w/v Malt extract, 0.4% w/v yeast extract and 1% w/v glucose) with glucose as limiting substrate has been found to be most suitable for hydrogen production. Individually E. cloacae clearly gave higher yield (276 ml H 2 / g COD reduced) using defined medium than the other two strains. There was no considerable difference in maximal yield of hydrogen from individual and combinatorial (1:1:1 consortium) modes suggesting that E. cloacae dominated in the consortia on defined medium. Contradictorily, B. coagulans gave better bio-hydrogen yield (37.16 ml H 2 /g COD consumed) than the other two strains when activated sewage sludge was used as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization, (15% v/v) dilution and supplementation with 0.5%w/v glucose which was found to be essential to screen out the hydrogen consuming bacteria and ameliorate the hydrogenation. Considering (1:1:1) consortium as inoculum, interestingly yield of hydrogen was recorded to increase to 41.23 ml H 2 / g COD reduced inferring that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The hydrogen yield from pretreated sludge obtained in this study (35.54 ml H 2 g sludge) has been found to be distinctively higher than the earlier reports (8.1 - 16.9 ml H 2 /g sludge). However it was lower compared to the yield obtained from co-digestion of (83:17) food waste and sewage sludge (122 ml H 2 /g carbohydrate COD). Employing formulated microbial consortia for bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge was an attempt to augment the hydrogen yield from sludge. (authors)

Feasibility of bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge using defined microbial consortium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shireen Meher Kotay; Debabrata Das

2006-01-01

Biological hydrogen production potential of a defined microbial consortium consisting of three facultative anaerobes, Enterobacter cloacae IIT-BT 08, Citrobacter freundii IIT-BT L139 and Bacillus coagulans IIT-BT S1 was studied. In this investigation their individual and combinatorial H 2 production capabilities have been studied on defined media and pretreated sewage sludge. Defined medium, MYG (1% w/v Malt extract, 0.4% w/v yeast extract and 1% w/v glucose) with glucose as limiting substrate has been found to be most suitable for hydrogen production. Individually E. cloacae clearly gave higher yield (276 ml H 2 / g COD reduced) using defined medium than the other two strains. There was no considerable difference in maximal yield of hydrogen from individual and combinatorial (1:1:1 consortium) modes suggesting that E. cloacae dominated in the consortia on defined medium. Contradictorily, B. coagulans gave better bio-hydrogen yield (37.16 ml H 2 / g COD consumed) than the other two strains when activated sewage sludge was used as substrate. The pretreatment of sludge included sterilization, (15% v/v) dilution and supplementation with 0.5% w/v glucose which was found to be essential to screen out the hydrogen consuming bacteria and ameliorate the hydrogenation. Considering (1:1:1) consortium as inoculum, interestingly yield of hydrogen was recorded to increase to 41.23 ml H 2 / g COD reduced inferring that in consortium, the substrate utilization was significantly higher. The hydrogen yield from pretreated sludge obtained in this study (35.54 ml H 2 / g sludge) has been found to be distinctively higher than the earlier reports (8.1 - 16.9 ml H 2 / g sludge). However it was lower compared to the yield obtained from co-digestion of (83:17) food waste and sewage sludge (122 ml H 2 / g carbohydrate COD). Employing formulated microbial consortia for bio-hydrogen production from sewage sludge was an attempt to augment the hydrogen yield from sludge. (authors)

Bringing the DERP to consumers: 'Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs'.

Science.gov (United States)

Findlay, Steven D

2006-01-01

Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, has used the drug class reviews of the Drug Effectiveness Review Project (DERP) as one critical component of a free public information project on the comparative effectiveness, safety, and cost of prescription drugs. The project translates the DERP findings for consumers. Drawing on other sources and adding information on drug costs, the project chooses Best Buy drugs in each category it evaluates. This guidance can help consumers save up to thousands of dollars per year, and it has the potential to reduce overall drug spending.

Rights of Children and Parents in Holy Quran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masumeh Saeidi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Human rights are the basic standards that people need to live in dignity.  In addition to the rights that are available to all people, there are rights that apply only to children.  Children need special rights because of their unique needs;  they need additional protection that adults don’t.  The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is an international document that sets out all of the rights that children have – a child is defined in the Convention as any person under the age of 18. On the other hand Islam recognises family as a basic social unit. Along with the husband-wife relationship the Parent-child relationship is the most important one. To maintain any social relationship both parties must have some clear-cut Rights as well as obligations. The relationships are reciprocal. Duties of one side are the Rights of the other side. So in Parent-child relationship the Rights of parents are the obligations (duties of the children and vice versa, the Rights of children are obligations (duties of parents. Islam clearly defines the Rights of Parents (which mean duties of children and obligations of parents (which means Rights of children.

The Consumer Science of Sharing: A Discussant's Observations

OpenAIRE

Rudmin, Floyd Webster

2016-01-01

This discussant’s response to the collected articles on the consumer behavior of sharing draws on a 1983–99 record of research on the psychology of ownership and property. The major recommendations here are: (1) that sharing be defined as the simultaneous or sequential use of an object (e.g., car), a space (e.g., living room), or an intangible (e.g., identity) by more than one individual; (2) that sharing be better described and analyzed by the naive phenomenology methods used by Ichheiser, H...

Effect of direct-to-consumer genetic tests on health behaviour and anxiety: a survey of consumers and potential consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Egglestone, Corin; Morris, Anne; O'Brien, Ann

2013-10-01

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests can be purchased over the internet. Some companies claim to provide relative genetic risks for various diseases and thus encourage healthy behaviour. There are concerns that exposure to such information may actually discourage healthy behaviour or increase health anxiety. An online survey was conducted (n = 275). Respondents were composed of individuals who had purchased a DTC genetic test and received their results (consumers, n = 189), as well as individuals who were either awaiting test results or considering purchasing a test (potential consumers, n = 86). Consumers were asked if their health behaviour or health anxiety had changed after receiving their results. Respondents' current health behaviour and health anxiety were queried and compared. In total, 27.3 % of consumers claimed a change in health behaviour, all either positive or neutral, with no reported cessation of any existing health behaviour. A change in health anxiety was claimed by 24.6 % of consumers, 85.3 % of which were a reduction. Consumers had significantly better health behaviour scores than potential consumers (p = 0.02), with no significant difference in health anxiety. This study points towards an association between receipt of DTC genetic test results and increased adoption of healthy behaviours for a minority of consumers based on self-report, with more mixed results in relation to health anxiety.

Change of values in the consumer society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Austruma S.

2012-10-01

education is the one, which gives them moral and attested material support in the future. The education must not only educate the society, but also has to carry a comprehensive content that would hold culture memories and the transfer of it. In the research family as the main value in choice of values of young people stands side by side with such values as health and love, which in case of paradigm of consumer society would not be clearly definable as material or post material values.

Price Intransparency, Consumer Decision Making and European Consumer Law

OpenAIRE

Boom, Willem

2011-01-01

textabstractPrice comparison is a basic element of competition. For comparison to work, at least prices need to be transparent. Moreover, price is usually a focal point in consumer thinking and deciding on transactions. Hence, obfuscating prices can be detrimental to consumers. Therefore, it is vital for policymakers to know how transparent pricing is in reality. Commercial practices involving price intransparency can be detrimental to consumer decision making and may be associated with marke...

Impulsive consumer behavior

OpenAIRE

Kovač Žnideršić, Ružica; Grubor, Aleksandar; Marić, Dražen

2014-01-01

Research into consumer behaviour features as the foundation of all the planned and implemented marketing activities of a company. Consumer behaviour is determined by numerous factors, and is therefore characterised as highly complex and difficult to predict. A particular challenge for marketing science and practice is to research impulse consumer behaviour in shopping – a behaviour that occurs when consumers experience a sudden, powerful and persistent urge to buy something immediately. This ...

Consumers' online brand endorsements: a study into intentions to endorse different types of brands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bernritter, S.F.

2014-01-01

Advertisers increasingly motivate people to endorse brands as a tactic to overcome people’s resistance against traditional persuasion attempts. In the present paper we introduce the concept of consumer endorsement, which we define as people’s intentional public and positive affiliations with brands.

An empirical analysis of consumers' attitudes toward physicians' advertising.

Science.gov (United States)

Moser, H

2008-01-01

Advertising by physicians is a relatively recent phenomenon. Historically, most professions prohibited licensed members from engaging in speech activities that proposed a commercial transaction-advertising. However the history of a physician's legal right to advertise is not the main focus of this article. A brief review of the past, present, and possible future of such rights might assist readers in understanding the revolutionary constitutional and commercial speech changes that have occurred over the past three decades. A physician's legal right to advertise has developed as part of the evolutionary interpretation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The purposes of this study were to determine (a) consumers' attitudes toward advertising by physicians and (b) whether city of residence, occupation, age, sex, race, marital status, number of children in household, total family household income, and education of the consumer accounted for any significant difference in attitude toward physicians who advertise. The intent was to discover information that would be useful to physicians in planning marketing strategies and improving the quality of their advertising. The study seems to confirm the belief of many marketing professionals that advertising and marketing clearly have a place in the future of health care services.

The Impact of Visual Merchandising on Consumer Impulse Buying Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khurram L. Bhatti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In present Post-Modern Era, the competitive situation in the business is characterized by a cut throat competition, which subsequently results in companies and retailers to pay almost anything for undifferentiated merchandising. This merchandising tool is being used by today’s retailer to distinguish him from other competitors, to be prominent in the market and become a source of attraction for the customers. A few researchers contribute in this field by exploring the reasons which causes the customers impulsive buying, but still there is more to be determined. Purpose of this study is to identify the relation between the consumer impulsive buying and visual merchandising on buying behavior of customers. This study was based on primary data in the form of a questioner. A total of 350 questioners were floated in different consumer outlets (super marts and self-service stores of Rawalpindi, Pakistan out of which 344 questioners were completed and received. Defined four hypotheses were window display, forum display, floor merchandising and shop brand name. These hypotheses were tested for regression analysis by using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS software. It was found that window display, forum display, floor merchandising and shop brand name (independent variables are significantly associated to consumer impulse buying behavior (dependent variable. Hence, forum display is negatively related to consumer impulse buying and window display; however, floor merchandising and shop brand name are positively related to consumer impulse buying behavior.

Utility and performance relative to consumer product energy efficiency standards. Final technical report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coggins, J.L.

1979-12-14

An investigation of the relative utility and performance of nine major household consumer products covered by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act is summarized. The objective was to define the terms utility and performance, to recommend methods for quantifying these two concepts, and to recommend an approach for dealing with utility and performance issues in the energy efficiency standards program. The definitions developed are: performance of a consumer product is the objective measure of how well, with the expected level of consumer input (following the manufacturer's instructions for installation and operation), the product does its intended job; and utility of a consumer product is a subjective measure, based on the consumer's perception, of the capability of the product to satisfy human needs. Quantification is based on test procedures and consumer survey methods which are largely already in use by industry. Utility and performance issues are important in product classification for prescribing energy efficiency standards. The recommended approach to utility and performance issues and classification is: prior to setting standards, evaluate utility and performance issues in the most quantitative way allowed by resources and schedules in order to develop classification guidelines. This approach requires no changes in existing Department of Energy test procedures.

Expectation of having consumed caffeine can improve performance and mood.

Science.gov (United States)

Dawkins, Lynne; Shahzad, Fatima-Zahra; Ahmed, Suada S; Edmonds, Caroline J

2011-12-01

We explored whether caffeine, and expectation of having consumed caffeine, affects attention, reward responsivity and mood using double-blinded methodology. 88 participants were randomly allocated to 'drink-type' (caffeinated/decaffeinated coffee) and 'expectancy' (told caffeinated/told decaffeinated coffee) manipulations. Both caffeine and expectation of having consumed caffeine improved attention and psychomotor speed. Expectation enhanced self-reported vigour and reward responsivity. Self-reported depression increased at post-drink for all participants, but less in those receiving or expecting caffeine. These results suggest caffeine expectation can affect mood and performance but do not support a synergistic effect. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A consumer perspective on food labelling: ethical or not?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. van der Merwe

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This article provides a review of ethical food labelling from a consumer perspective and makes recommendations to the food industry and regulators regarding ethical food labelling in order to satisfy consumers’ food-labelling needs. Various studies have found that many consumers have negative perceptions regarding food labelling. However, research on consumers’ perspectives regarding ethical food labelling has been accorded little attention. This article addresses this topic through a review of the relevant literature of mostly quantitative research, but also includes qualitative and mixed method studies. The article examines such aspects as the trustworthiness of claims on food labels, intelligibility of label information, listing of food additives on labels, and labelling of genetically modified foods. As negative perspectives on food labelling are likely to affect consumers’ decision making regarding the purchasing of food products, the food industry must realise their responsibility to provide ethical food labels. The food industry and regulators should aim to provide risk communication and intelligible information through ethical food labels and consumer education programmes on food labelling. Consumers need to be aware of their right to know what they are purchasing through ethical food labels and take a stand in this regard.

Consumers as co-developers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeppesen, Lars Bo; Molin, Måns J.

Abstract: This study describes a process in which a firm relies on an external consumer communityfor innovation. While it has been recognized that users may sometimes innovate, little is known aboutwhat commercial firms can do to motivate and capture such innovations and their related benefits...... firms purposively can do to generate consumer innovation efforts. An explorative casestudy shows that consumer innovation can be structured, motivated, and partly organized by acommercial firm that lays out the infrastructure for interactive learning by consumers in a publicKeywords: Product Development......, Consumer-to-Consumer Interaction, Learning, Consumer Innovation, Community, User-toolkits. JEL code(s): L21; L23; O31; O32...

We "Must" Integrate Human Rights into the Social Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Brien, Ed

1999-01-01

Asserts that educators need to teach about human rights issues, such as social and economic rights, in the social studies curriculum because these issues are disregarded throughout the country. Defines human rights, discusses the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and provides two lessons. (CMK)

Comparison of two methods to explore consumer preferences for cottage cheese.

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, S L; Lopetcharat, K; Drake, M A

2009-12-01

In the past 2 decades, total sales of cottage cheese have declined 17% despite increases in sales for low-fat cottage cheese. There are no recent published studies investigating consumer preferences for cottage cheese. This study was conducted to identify and define sensory characteristics of commercial cottage cheese and to compare 2 approaches for characterizing consumer preferences: traditional preference mapping and a new composite qualitative approach, qualitative multivariate analysis (QMA). A sensory language was identified to document the sensory properties (visual, flavor, and texture) of cottage cheeses. Twenty-six commercial cottage cheeses with variable fat contents (4, 2, 1, and 0% fat) were evaluated by trained panelists using the sensory language. Eight representative cottage cheeses were selected for consumer acceptance testing (n = 110) and QMA with consumer home usage testing (n = 12), followed by internal and external preference mapping to identify key drivers. Principal component analysis of descriptive data indicated that cottage cheeses were primarily differentiated by cooked, milkfat, diacetyl, and acetaldehyde flavors and salty taste, and by firmness, smoothness, tackiness, curd size, and adhesiveness texture attributes. Similar drivers of liking (diacetyl and milkfat flavors, smooth texture, and mouthcoating) were identified by both consumer research techniques. However, the QMA technique identified controversial distinctions among the cottage cheeses and the influence of brand and pricing. These results can be used by processors to promote cottage cheese sales.

Environmentally Friendly Consumer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reijonen, Satu

2011-01-01

on the green consumer: cultural determinism, psycho-socio-demographic determinism and calculative determinism. An explanation of the green consumer in these terms, however, loses sight of the emergence and processuality of consumer behaviour. Process oriented constructionism, by contrast, is useful to recover...... these important aspects. This paper suggests a research agenda focused on socio-material processes and situated actions that lead to the emergence and stabilization of a particular type of consumer behaviour.......Several attempts have been made by academics in the past to explain the so-called ‘environmentally conscious’ consumer. These explanations share an important feature, namely determinism. This paper identifies three different sources of determinism that are distinguished in recent literature...

Definably compact groups definable in real closed fields. I

OpenAIRE

Barriga, Eliana

2017-01-01

We study definably compact definably connected groups definable in a sufficiently saturated real closed field $R$. We introduce the notion of group-generic point for $\\bigvee$-definable groups and show the existence of group-generic points for definably compact groups definable in a sufficiently saturated o-minimal expansion of a real closed field. We use this notion along with some properties of generic sets to prove that for every definably compact definably connected group $G$ definable in...

Ordered Consumer Search

OpenAIRE

Armstrong, Mark

2016-01-01

The paper discusses situations in which consumers search through their options in a deliberate order, in contrast to more familiar models with random search. Topics include: network effects (consumers may be better off following the same search order as other consumers); the use of price and non-price advertising to direct search; the impact of consumers starting a new search with their previous supplier; the incentive sellers have to merge or co-locate with other sellers; and the incentive a...

Mexican consumers at the point of meat purchase. Pork choice.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngapo, T M; Rubio Lozano, M S; Braña Varela, D

2018-01-01

Use of within-consumer preference replication and systematic image manipulation in surveying showed that consumers in four cities across Mexico had similar strategies for pork choice. New surveying tools also determined preferred levels of the characteristics used in the decision-making process. The most important choice criteria were colour (31% chose dark and 21% light red), and fat cover (42% chose lean and 8% fatty). Marbling and drip were less used, but are nevertheless important given that 21% of consumers used three or four characteristics to make their choice. Split colour and marbling preferences and a range of acceptable limits for both, and a preference for the leanest fat cover available were observed. Preferences within the normal range of pork colour, fat cover achieved through trimming and drip countered by an absorbent pad all favour industry practice. Unfortunately, preferences for minimal or no marbling and fat cover likely result in a compromised gustative experience for many Mexican consumers. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Summary of procedures used to transport and distribute consumer products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Etnier, E.L.; O'Donnell, F.R.

1979-02-01

A wide variety of consumer products that contain radionuclides are available to the general public. Estimation of radiation doses to man from exposures to these products requires that the entire life span of each product be defined in a manner that identifies persons who may be exposed and quantifies the conditions under which exposures may occur. This paper presents models of steps which make up the paths for transportation and distribution of consumer products. Fire probabilities and damage rates to parcels during transportation are included. Transportation steps considered include those used to move parcels via truck, air, first-class mail, and parcel delivery. Distribution steps include handling in distribution centers, warehouses, and retail stores. A hypothetical distribution scheme is presented to illustrate application of the exposure scenarios described in model

Global property rights. The Kyoto protocol and the knowledge revolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chichilnisky, G.

2006-01-01

This paper is about the origin of today's global environmental problems, and how to resolve them. At stake are catastrophic risks from global warming and damage to the world's biodiversity that ranks as the planet' sixth great extinction. The origin of today's global environmental problems is a historic difference in property rights regimes between industrial and developing countries, the North and the South. The solutions we suggest involve redefining property rights in the use of the global environment as well as in knowledge. We discuss the Kyoto Protocol's new systems of property rights on the use of the planet's atmosphere, and propose a parallel system of property rights on knowledge. Resources such as forests and oil and other mineral deposits are owned as private property in industrial countries but they are treated as common or government property in developing countries. Ill-defined protected property rights lead to the over-extraction of resources in the South, such as timber and oil. They are exported at low prices to the North that over-consumes them. The international market amplifies the tragedy of the commons, leading to inferior solutions for the world economy as a whole (Chichilnisky 1994). Updating property rights on resources in developing countries would face formidable opposition. The lack of property rights in inputs to production, such as timber and oil, could be compensated by assigning property rights on by-products of outputs. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol provides an example as it limits the countries' rights to emit carbon, a by-product of burning fossil fuels. Our suggestions for trading emissions rights (Chichilnisky 1995, 96) was adopted in the Kyoto Protocol, yet the atmosphere's carbon concentration is a global public good, which makes trading tricky. Trading rights to forests' carbon sequestration services or to genetic blueprints would also be trading global public goods. Markets that trade public goods have been shown to require a

Influence of packaging information on consumer liking of chocolate milk.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, M K; Lopetcharat, K; Drake, M A

2013-08-01

Chocolate milk varies widely in flavor, color, and viscosity, and liking is influenced by these properties. Additionally, package labels (declared fat content) and brand are some of the extrinsic factors that may influence consumer perception. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of packaging labels and brand name on consumer liking and purchase intent of chocolate milk. A consumer acceptance test, conjoint analysis survey, and Kano analysis were conducted. One hundred eight consumers evaluated 7 chocolate milks with and without brand or package information in a 2-d crossover design. A conjoint analysis survey and Kano analysis were conducted after the consumer acceptance test. Results were evaluated by 2-way ANOVA and multivariate analyses. Declared fat content and brand influenced overall liking and purchase intent for chocolate milks to differing degrees. A subsequent conjoint analysis (n=250) revealed that fat content was a driver of choice for purchasing chocolate milk followed by sugar content and brand. Brand name was less important for purchase intent of chocolate milk than fat or sugar content. Among fat content of chocolate milk, 2 and 1% fat level were most appealing to consumers, and reduced sugar and regular sugar were equally important for purchase intent. Kano analysis confirmed that fat content (whole milk, 1, or 2% fat chocolate milk) was an attractive attribute for consumer satisfaction, more so than brand. Organic labeling did not affect the purchase decision of chocolate milk; however, Kano results revealed that having an organic label on a package positively influenced consumer satisfaction. Findings from this study can help chocolate milk producers as well as food marketers better target their product labels with attributes that drive consumer choice of chocolate milk. Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

EAACI Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Guidelines. Protecting consumers with food allergies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Muraro, A; Hoffmann-Sommergruber, K; Holzhauser, T

2014-01-01

production. There is an urgent requirement for effective communication between health care professionals, patient organizations, food industry representatives and regulators to develop a better approach to protecting consumers with food allergies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved....... and expectations of the food allergic consumer in that context. There is a general duty of care on the food industry and obligations in European Union legislation to reduce and manage the presence of allergens alongside other food hazards. Current evidence enables quantification of allergen reference doses used...

Consumer Information. NASFAA Task Force Report. Consumer Information

Science.gov (United States)

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, 2014

2014-01-01

The National Association of Student Financial Aid and Administrators (NASFAA) Consumer Information Task Force was convened to conduct a thorough review of the current student consumer information requirements and propose ways to streamline both the content and delivery of those requirements. The proposals in the this report were produced for…

Factors influencing purchase intention towards consumer-to-consumer e-commerce

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Dachyar

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Purpose: This study explores factors that influence consumer’s purchase intention at three consumer-to-consumer (C2C e-commerce companies in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach: 5 Expert opinions are used to determine the indicators of each factor and the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM method is used to analyze the empirical data of  400 respondents for each company. Findings: It is found different significant factors that influence customer’s purchase intention in each company. Trust and risk are found to be significantly effect purchase intention in Company A. Meanwhile, the other two companies, perceived usefulness proved to be significant in Company B and benefit significantly effect consumer purchase intention in Company C. Originality/value: This study represents purchase intention in the consumer-to-consumer e-commerce by investigating three case study using technology acceptance model as a guiding theory.

Consumer Benefits of Today's Digital Rights Management (DRM) Solutions. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property of the Committee on the Judiciary. House of Representatives, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Second Session (June 5, 2002).

Science.gov (United States)

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on the Judiciary.

The Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, Committee on the Judiciary met, pursuant to call, at 2:15 p.m., in Room 2141, Rayburn House Office Building, to review the consumer benefits of today's digital rights management (DRM) solutions. The Honorable Howard Coble, a Representative in Congress from North Carolina and…

Small Wind Electric Systems: A U.S. Consumer's Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Dell, K.

2001-01-01

The U.S. Consumer's Guide for Small Wind Electric systems provides consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include: how to make your home more energy efficient, how to choose the right size turbine, the parts of a wind electric system, determining if there is enough wind resource on your site, choosing the best site for your turbine, connecting your system to the utility grid, and if it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy

Comparison of sensory perception and verbal expression of Korean Kimchi stews between Chinese consumers and Korean trained panelists.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hye-Won; Kim, Young Choul; Jang, Seong-Ho; Hong, Jae-Hee

2018-05-25

Sensory drivers of liking in foreign food markets are difficult to identify because expression of perceived characteristics varies depending on cultural differences. We aimed to identify differences in perception and expression of a Korean home meal replacement product (Kimchi stew) between 10 Korean trained panelists and 50 eastern Chinese consumers (EC) and 54 northern Chinese consumers (NC) using descriptive analysis and rate-all-that-apply (RATA) tests. Regional differences between EC and NC groups were also investigated. Sensory representations of the six Kimchi stew samples were similar between the Korean trained and Chinese consumer panels. Use of simple sensory RATA terms was similar among the groups. However, EC whose daily diet has mild flavors associated consumer terms with negative connotations, such as odd flavor and sharp, with burning sensation and seasoning, implying the influence of regional food cultures. RATA could elicit foreign consumers' sensory representations of an unfamiliar ethnic food that was comparable to that from descriptive analysis, assisting researchers in understanding target consumers' sensory perceptions in a more cost- and time-effective manner. Inclusion of consumer terms in a RATA list and its correlation with descriptive analysis by a native descriptive panel can help in understanding foreign consumers' verbal expressions This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Common Aims, Values And Principles Of Intellectual Property, Right To Competence And Others Rights

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Carlos Riofrío Martínez-Villalba

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper aims the definition of which are the pourposes, values and common principles of intellectual property, competence law of advertising, consumer and information. It shows how the principles are anchored in values, and these in turn into rights purposes, making palpable the hierarchy such purposes, values ​​and principles have in the legal system. Thus, the outcome of the research is threefold: (i definition of the purposes, values ​​and principles common to these areas of law, (ii its interface, and (iii their ranking.

A "Child's Rights Perspective": The "Right" of Children and Young People to Participate in Health Care Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Sonya

2015-01-01

As all human beings are consumers of health care provision across the life span and in receipt of care delivered by accountable health care professionals, all should have the right to be involved in shaping the future of their own health care. Rights-based participation, when applied successfully, has the potential to inform and influence the delivery of child health care, the child's experience of health care, plus children's nursing education (Coyne & Gallagher, 2011). The "right" of every child and young person to participate in research that relates to their own health care is also sustained by the author's lead position as a Senior Lecturer in Higher Education for pre-registration children's nursing in Northern Ireland and the appreciation of their voice when practicing as a registered children's nurse and ward sister. The report provides an insight into seminal work on human and child rights; the historical context of children in Western society, and the evolution of children's nursing amid the child's right to participate in shaping their own health care.

Journal of Consumer Sciences

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Journal of Consumer Sciences is an official publication of the South African Association of Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences (SAAFECS). The Journal of Consumer Sciences (JCS) publishes articles that focus on consumer experiences in different places and from different perspectives and methodological ...

Consumer attitudes and olive oil acceptance: The potential consumer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McEwan, Jean A.

1994-04-01

Full Text Available       This paper outlines the results of consumer research to investigate consumer attitudes towards olive oil, and to evaluate selected experimental samples for acceptability.
      Consumer focus group discussions were used to investigate consumer attitudes to and awareness of olive oil, in relation to other culinary oils. A wide range of information was obtained, indicating the increasing importance of olive oil in the UK.
       Product use was examined to investigate the different types of olive oils consumers use, and the importance of different attributes for purchase. Price, quality and colour were the most important considerations for purchasing an olive oil, whilst package design, package material and brand were the least important.       Eight samples of virgin olive oil were evaluated for acceptability of appearance, odour, flavour and mouthfeel. These data indicated clear differences in acceptability between the samples, particularly on flavour, mouthfeel and overall acceptability. These data were then linked to sensory information to determine the characteristics of oil associated with liking for the product.

Attitudes, perceptions, and trust. Insights from a consumer survey regarding genetically modified banana in Uganda.

Science.gov (United States)

Kikulwe, Enoch M; Wesseler, Justus; Falck-Zepeda, Jose

2011-10-01

Genetically modified (GM) crops and food are still controversial. This paper analyzes consumers' perceptions and institutional awareness and trust toward GM banana regulation in Uganda. Results are based on a study conducted among 421 banana-consuming households between July and August 2007. Results show a high willingness to purchase GM banana among consumers. An explanatory factor analysis is conducted to identify the perceptions toward genetic modification. The identified factors are used in a cluster analysis that grouped consumers into segments of GM skepticism, government trust, health safety concern, and food and environmental safety concern. Socioeconomic characteristics differed significantly across segments. Consumer characteristics and perception factors influence consumers' willingness to purchase GM banana. The institutional awareness and trust varied significantly across segments as well. The findings would be essential to policy makers when designing risk-communication strategies targeting different consumer segments to ensure proper discussion and addressing potential concerns about GM technology. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Fetish

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arnould, Eric; Cayla, Julien

2015-01-01

in the organizational fetishization of consumers, that is, how in the process of understanding and managing markets, a quasimagical fascination with amalgams of consumer voices, images, and artefacts comes about. We offer several contributions. First, we demonstrate the pertinence of (primarily anthropological...

Human Rights and Democratization of the Media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abner Barrera Rivas

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes the relationship between the freedom of the press, conceived and practiced by the big media, and the human right to an independent and truthful information, as understood and proposed by some international treaties, agreement, conventions and declarations concerning freedom of opinion and freedom of expression as human rights. For this reason are taken into account the controversies aroused by media and some progressive governments in South America in the past fifteen years. The article presents and analyzes arguments advanced with respect to human rights that civil society demands when receiving the information, and the rights big media’s owners hold. Given that private media companies’ priority is profit, the information becomes, then, just another consumer product. It is concluded that this situation is a real problem for the education and configuration of a democratic society, and the proposal is to democratize media to protect the human rights of all.

The paradoxes of the consumer society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. N. Il’In

2016-01-01

standards. In a way, it takes the right of consumer choice.

Manufacturer Responsiveness to Consumer Correspondence: An Empirical Investigation of Consumer Perceptions.

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, Denise T.; Martin, Charles L.

1992-01-01

Evaluation of manufacturers' responses to 300 consumer letters of praise or complaint as well as consumer's reactions to responses concluded that (1) businesses should tell consumers their input is appreciated; (2) sincere, personal responses are preferred; and (3) coupons, refunds, or similar gifts should be sent with letters. (SK)

[Thoughts on the concept of animal rights].

Science.gov (United States)

Chapouthier, Georges

2013-01-01

The human species, granting rights to abstract entities such as businesses, can easily grant such rights to animals, provided that they are clearly defined in relation to human rights. If it is accepted that laws and regulations already afford protection to animals, it may then be said that we already have "animal rights". Such "rights" are thus seen as the opposite of duties and constraints for animal welfare as imposed on humans by humans through laws. Such rights or restrictions should then be extended. From a philosophical point of view, a subtle definition of these rights will lead to the development of a practical and gradual moral stance, granting human rights their rightful position.

Consumer health information seeking as hypothesis testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Keselman, Alla; Browne, Allen C; Kaufman, David R

2008-01-01

Despite the proliferation of consumer health sites, lay individuals often experience difficulty finding health information online. The present study attempts to understand users' information seeking difficulties by drawing on a hypothesis testing explanatory framework. It also addresses the role of user competencies and their interaction with internet resources. Twenty participants were interviewed about their understanding of a hypothetical scenario about a family member suffering from stable angina and then searched MedlinePlus consumer health information portal for information on the problem presented in the scenario. Participants' understanding of heart disease was analyzed via semantic analysis. Thematic coding was used to describe information seeking trajectories in terms of three key strategies: verification of the primary hypothesis, narrowing search within the general hypothesis area and bottom-up search. Compared to an expert model, participants' understanding of heart disease involved different key concepts, which were also differently grouped and defined. This understanding provided the framework for search-guiding hypotheses and results interpretation. Incorrect or imprecise domain knowledge led individuals to search for information on irrelevant sites, often seeking out data to confirm their incorrect initial hypotheses. Online search skills enhanced search efficiency, but did not eliminate these difficulties. Regardless of their web experience and general search skills, lay individuals may experience difficulty with health information searches. These difficulties may be related to formulating and evaluating hypotheses that are rooted in their domain knowledge. Informatics can provide support at the levels of health information portals, individual websites, and consumer education tools.

Attribute importance segmentation of Norwegian seafood consumers: The inclusion of salient packaging attributes.

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Svein Ottar; Tuu, Ho Huu; Grunert, Klaus G

2017-10-01

The main purpose of this study is to identify consumer segments based on the importance of product attributes when buying seafood for homemade meals on weekdays. There is a particular focus on the relative importance of the packaging attributes of fresh seafood. The results are based on a representative survey of 840 Norwegian consumers between 18 and 80 years of age. This study found that taste, freshness, nutritional value and naturalness are the most important attributes for the home consumption of seafood. Except for the high importance of information about expiration date, most other packaging attributes have only medium importance. Three consumer segments are identified based on the importance of 33 attributes associated with seafood: Perfectionists, Quality Conscious and Careless Consumers. The Quality Conscious consumers feel more self-confident in their evaluation of quality, and are less concerned with packaging, branding, convenience and emotional benefits compared to the Perfectionists. Careless Consumers are important as regular consumers of convenient and pre-packed seafood products and value recipe information on the packaging. The seafood industry may use the results provided in this study to strengthen their positioning of seafood across three different consumer segments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Small Wind Electric Systems: A Kansas Consumer's Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Dell, K.

2001-01-01

The Kansas Consumer's Guide for Small Wind Electric Systems provides consumers with enough information to help them determine if a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and their economics. Topics discussed in the guide include: how to make your home more energy efficient, how to choose the right size turbine, the parts of a wind electric system, determining if there is enough wind resource on your site, choosing the best site for your turbine, connecting your system to the utility grid, and if it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a list of state incentives and state contacts for more information

38 CFR 17.31 - Duty periods defined.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Definitions and Active Duty § 17.31 Duty periods defined. Full-time duty as a member of the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, Women's Reserve of the Navy and Marine Corps and Women's Reserve of the Coast Guard. [34 FR..., 1996, § 17.31(b)(5) was redesignated as § 17.31. Protection of Patient Rights ...

LOW INCOME CONSUMERS AND ONLINE SHOPPING: APPREHENSIONS IN CONSUMING THROUGH THE INTERNET

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Pablo da Silva Dias

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The growth in access of low income consumers to the internet has taken them to use the net in search of entertainment, education and relationships. However, consuming online is still an activity surrounded by distrust. The present study aims to discuss the reasons why low income consumers have apprehension in consuming through the internet. For this, in depth interviews were conducted with 23 low income consumers. The collected data shows that the internet is still seen by the interviewees as being, mainly, for leisure and entertainment. Online shopping still is a task they fear, because of different motives. Initially, one can point the preference to consume in physical stores, since the consumers can touch the desired product, enjoy the trip to the store as a moment of pleasure and the possibility of interacting with salesmen, who help them in their choice. The apprehensions in buying online are also influenced by the perception that sites are not safe, because they offer threats, such as viruses or theft of personal information. Furthermore, interviewees believe that online stores are not compromised with their customers, since they permit problems to occur in the delivery of merchandise, are not clear about the shopping process, and create difficulties in payment method. Another reason for them not to buy online is the perception that if a negative consuming episode of online shopping happened to someone they know, it is also bound to happen with them. Despite this reasoning, these consumers point the importance of help from a third party in their reference group as main incentive for them to face the obstacles to consuming through the internet. In conclusion, it is possible to consider that low income consumers have apprehensions that are similar to their higher income peers, but, also, show different feelings, which are seldom discussed in the literature about online shopping.

A consumer-based approach to salt reduction: Case study with bread.

Science.gov (United States)

Antúnez, Lucía; Giménez, Ana; Ares, Gastón

2016-12-01

In recent years high sodium intake has raised growing concern worldwide. A widespread reduction of salt concentration in processed foods has been claimed as one of the most effective strategies to achieve a short-term impact on global health. However, one of the major challenges in reducing salt in food products is its potential negative impact on consumer perception. For this reason, gradual salt reduction has been recommended. In this context, the aim of the present work was to present a consumer-based approach to salt reduction, using bread as case study. Two consumer studies with a total of 303 consumers were carried out. In the first study, four sequential difference thresholds were determined through paired-comparison tests, starting at a salt concentration of 2%. In the second study, 99 consumers performed a two-bite evaluation of their sensory and hedonic perception of five bread samples: a control bread containing 2% salt and four samples with reduced salt content according to the difference thresholds determined in the first study. Survival analysis was used to determine average difference thresholds, which ranged from 9.4% to 14.3% of the salt concentration of the control bread. Results showed that salt concentration significantly influenced consumer overall liking of the bread samples. However, large heterogeneity was found in consumer hedonic reaction towards salt reduction: two groups of consumers with different preference and hedonic sensitivity to salt reduction were found. Results from the present work confirm that cumulative series of small salt reductions may be a feasible strategy for reducing the sodium content of bread without affecting consumer hedonic perception and stress the importance of considering consumer perception in the design of gradual salt reduction programmes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer behavior research

OpenAIRE

Hašková, Lucie

2010-01-01

The major part of this work is a consumer behavior research in process of buying christmas presents. The goal of this work is to describe a consumer behavior of Prague's customers in process of buying christmas presents, also describe a a consumer behavior of different age and social groups, as well as the difference between men and women.

A Qualitative Study of Vulnerable Patient Views of Type 2 Diabetes Consumer Reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Longo, Daniel R; Crabtree, Benjamin F; Pellerano, Maria B; Howard, Jenna; Saver, Barry; Hannan, Edward L; Lee, Justin; Lundberg, Michael T; Sabo, Roy

2016-06-01

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates the release of publicly available consumer reports to highlight differences in quality of care and reduce healthcare disparities. However, little is known about patient perceptions of the value of such reports. This study aims to identify whether vulnerable populations with type 2 diabetes perceive consumer reports as helpful in making decisions about diabetes care. We conducted a brief demographic survey and qualitative study of 18 focus groups: six each of African American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White consumers diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (n = 92). We analysed focus group transcripts to identify recurring themes, which were summarized and compared across population groups. Participants expressed minimal interest in currently available consumer reports. They instead listed personal referrals and interpersonal interactions among the most important factors when choosing a physician. Further, in place of information to aid in physician selection, participants articulated strong desires for more basic, straightforward disease-specific information that would promote diabetes self-management. This study's results call into question the value of consumer reports as defined by the ACA. Participants reported little interest in comparative provider performance data. Instead, they were more interested in information to assist in diabetes self-management. This suggests that consumer reports may not be as important a tool to improve outcomes and reduce health disparities as policy makers imagine them to be.

Consumer energy conservation options - professional and consumer perspectives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ritchie, B.J.R.; Claxton, J.D.; McDougall, G.H.G.

1980-01-01

The objectives of this study were to: identify government policies for reducing Canadian consumption of home heating fuel, electricity, and gasoline; assess probable effectiveness of different policy alternatives as a means of reducing consumer energy consumption; and measure the acceptability to Canadian consumers of the different policy alternatives. Interviews were conducted with energy conservation professionals to identify and evaluate existing energy conservation programs, and interviews were conducted with consumers who had evaluated selected programs previously reviewed by the professionals. Information was also gathered on energy conservation activities of consumers surveyed. A directory of 34 energy conservation programs was also compiled. Some of the conclusions reached in this report are as follows. There is a need for an information system to gather data on existing conservation programs in order to increase the knowledge of relevant parties as to the outcomes of operating programs. This would help evaluation and improvement of current programs and suggest new program possibilities. The professionals rated six of the 34 programs highly, including the Energuide and the Canadian Home Insulation Program (CHIP). Retrofitting programs for houses are recommended for continuation and expansion, with some consideration given to linking these kinds of programs with home audit programs. In the private transport sector, any new conservation programs should be thoroughly tested on a small scale before widespread implementation, as evidence indicates that certain programs favorably evaluated by professionals may not be received favorably by consumers. 3 refs., 24 tabs.

Governing the ethical consumer: identity, choice and the primary care medical encounter.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Ruth; Mead, Nicola; Cheraghi-Sohi, Sudeh; Bower, Peter; Whalley, Diane; Roland, Martin

2007-04-01

Government policy promoting consumerism in healthcare can be seen as offering up certain preferred identities to which its citizens are encouraged to aspire. Whilst many commentators reject the notion that health services users should be conceived of as consumers, this paper outlines the relevance of the concept to our understanding of the ways in which individuals manage their health and service use. The paper examines the identity work undertaken by individuals in relation to decisions about healthcare preferences and assesses the extent to which this is compatible with the identities promoted in Government policy. We suggest that in circumstances where individuals feel both a sense of personal entitlement and a desire to be supportive of the needs of other members of the community, 'doing' ethical consumer can be fraught with discomfort and anxiety. These anxieties are exacerbated in a context where citizenship is increasingly being defined in terms of consumer identities, and making good (health) choices might be seen as distinguishing the civilised from the marginalised.

Consumer Generated Advertising and Brand Trust in The Consumer Experience

OpenAIRE

Reeves, C

2010-01-01

Increasing media clutter now exposes consumers to thousands of commercial messages every day (Gritten, 2007). The advent of the internet and technology over the past twenty years now means consumer-generated media such as blogs, podcasts, and online social networking sites are a further source (Gritten, 2007). Building brand trust remains, now more than ever, crucial to corporate marketers, in a world where consumers are losing faith in traditional marketing strategies. Social media has give...

Satisfaction and loyalty of consumers of educational services in the conditions of competitive fight

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Velichko Natalia

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The study examined the need to study the satisfaction and loyalty of consumers of educational services in a competitive environment. The study proved that customer orientation is becoming a key principle in the organization of the educational process and the functioning of the quality management system at any university. It is based on the consumer organization should define the purpose of the activity and set goals to achieve it. The university is not able to adapt to the level of the individual or social community, it will inevitably be supplanted by other institutions of the educational space.

Academic Freedom as Fundamental Right

OpenAIRE

Cippitani, Roberto

2015-01-01

[EN] The paper aims at defining in particular the concept of academic freedom within the context of the European legal sources. Even though the idea of a special corporative status for professors was born during the Middle Ages, it was only during the second half of the twentieth century that the Constitutions recognised academic freedom as an individual’s legal right.. Such an individual right is regulated within the category of the freedom of expression, even if it is characteri...

Price Intransparency, Consumer Decision Making and European Consumer Law

NARCIS (Netherlands)

W.H. van Boom (Willem)

2011-01-01

textabstractPrice comparison is a basic element of competition. For comparison to work, at least prices need to be transparent. Moreover, price is usually a focal point in consumer thinking and deciding on transactions. Hence, obfuscating prices can be detrimental to consumers. Therefore, it is

ACCEPTANCE OF FUNCTIONAL FOOD AMONG CHILEAN CONSUMERS: APPLE LEATHER.

Science.gov (United States)

van Vliet, Maya; Adasme-Berrios, Cristian; Schnettler, Berta

2015-10-01

the aim of this study is to measure acceptance of a specific functional food: apple (fruit) leather, based on organoleptic characteristics and to identify consumer types and preferences for natural additives which increase the product's functionality and meet current nutritional needs. a sample of 800 consumers provided an evaluation of apple leather in terms of acceptance (liking). A sensorial panel was carried out using a 9-point hedonic scale. Cluster analysis was used to identify different acceptance-based consumer types. In addition, a conjoint analysis was carried out to determine preference for different additives. the cluster analysis resulted in four groups with significant differences in the average likings obtained from the sensory panel. Results indicate that the sweetness of the tested apple leather was evaluated best among all groups and, on average, color was rated as the worst attribute. However, overall likings differ significantly between groups. Results from the conjoint analysis indicate that, in general, consumers prefer natural additives included in the product which enhance functionality. although there is a "global acceptance" of the product, there are significant differences between groups. The results of the conjoint analysis indicate that, in general, consumers prefer the aggregation of natural additives which increase the product's functionality. Apple leather with natural additives, such as anticariogenics and antioxidants, can be considered a functional substitute of unhealthy snacks and/or sweets. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Consumer-to-Consumer Electronic Commerce: A Distinct Research Stream

OpenAIRE

Kiku Jones; Lori N.K. Leonard

2007-01-01

Consumer-to-consumer (C2C) e-commerce is a growing area of e-commerce. However, according to a meta-analysis of critical themes of e-commerce, C2C e-commerce was only represented in the area of online auctions (Wareham, Zheng, & Straub, 2005). C2C e-commerce can encompass much more than just auctions. The question then becomes, “is C2C e-commerce a different research area that deserves its own stream of research?†This study adapts constructs from a business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce st...

Leveraging consumer's behaviour to promote generic drugs in Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zerbini, Cristina; Luceri, Beatrice; Vergura, Donata Tania

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to fill the lack of knowledge regarding a more grounded exploration of the consumer's decision-making process in the context of generic drugs. In this perspective, a model, within the theoretical framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), for studying the consumers' purchase intention of generic drugs was developed. An online survey on 2,222 Italian people who bought drugs in the past was conducted. The proposed model was tested through structural equation modelling (SEM). Almost all the constructs considered in the model, except the perceived behavioural control, contribute to explain the consumer's purchase intention of generic drugs, after controlling for demographic variables (age, income, education). Specifically, attitude, subjective norm, past behaviour, self-identity and trust in the pharmacist have a positive influence on the intention to buy generic drugs. On the contrary, perceived risk towards products and brand sensitivity act negatively. The results of the present study could be useful to public policy makers in developing effective policies and educational campaigns aimed at promoting generic drugs. Specifically, marketing efforts should be directed to inform consumers about the generic drugs' characteristics to mitigate the perceived risk towards these products and to raise awareness during their decision-making process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The new frontiers for CCT: Considering consumer-producer interaction in consumer culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

MSc Lotte Salome

2010-01-01

Previous investigations of consumer subcultures in the CCT tradition focused primarily on consumer behaviours, feelings, experiences and meanings of consumption. This paper advocates that in order to deeply understand and interpret a particular subculture, researchers in consumer culture should

How Do Deaf Adults Define Quality of Life?

Science.gov (United States)

McAbee, Emilee R.; Drasgow, Erik; Lowrey, K. Alisa

2017-01-01

Six deaf adults defined quality of life (QOL) in personal interviews. Questions were based on an eight-domain QOL framework: physical well-being, emotional well-being, interpersonal relations, social inclusion, personal development, material well-being, self-determination, and rights (Schalock & Alonso, 2002). The interview process had three…

What Does a Shoulder MRI Cost the Consumer?

Science.gov (United States)

Westermann, Robert W; Schick, Cameron; Graves, Christopher M; Duchman, Kyle R; Weinstein, Stuart L

2017-03-01

More than 100 MRIs per 1000 inhabitants are performed in the United States annually, more than almost every other country. Little is known regarding the cost of obtaining an MRI and factors associated with differences in cost. By surveying all hospital-owned and independent imaging centers in Iowa, we wished to determine (1) the cost to the consumer of obtaining a noncontrast shoulder MRI, (2) the frequency and magnitude of discounts provided, and (3) factors associated with differences in cost including location (hospital-owned or independent) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services designation (rural, urban, and critical access). There were 71 hospitals and 26 independent imaging centers that offered MRI services in Iowa. Each site was contacted via telephone and posed a scripted request for the cost of the technical component of a noncontrast shoulder MRI. Radiologists' reading fees were not considered. Statistical analysis was performed using standard methods and significance was defined as a probability less than 0.05. The mean technical component cost to consumers for an MRI was USD 1874 ± USD 694 (range, USD 500-USD 4000). Discounts were offered by 49% of imaging centers, with a mean savings of 21%. Factors associated with increased cost include hospital-owned imaging centers (USD 2062 ± USD 664 versus USD 1400 ± USD 441 at independent imaging centers; p consumer of a shoulder MRI is significantly less at independent imaging centers compared with hospital-owned centers. Referring physicians and healthcare consumers should be aware that there may be substantial price discrepancies between centers that provide advanced imaging services. Level IV, Economic and decision analysis.

Market liberalism in health care: a dysfunctional view of respecting "consumer" autonomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kekewich, Michael A

2014-03-01

The unfortunately vast history of paternalism in both medicine and clinical research has resulted in perpetually increasing respect for patient autonomy and free choice in Western health care systems. Beginning with the negative right to informed consent, the principle of respect for autonomy has for many patients evolved into a positive right to request treatments and expect accommodation. This evolution of patient autonomy has mirrored a more general social attitude of market liberalism where increasing numbers of patients have come to embody the role of the "consumer." This paper explores this transformation and critiques the current way in which respect for patient autonomy is put into practice. Ultimately, this paper concludes that the consumer view of patient autonomy is dysfunctional. Moreover, this paper argues that, based on the inherent goals of medicine, some form of paternalism is required in any meaningfully therapeutic relationship.

Consumer perceptions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ngapo, T. M.; Dransfield, E.; Martin, J. F.

2004-01-01

Consumer focus groups in France, England, Sweden and Denmark were used to obtain insights into the decision-making involved in the choice of fresh pork and attitudes towards today's pig production systems. Many positive perceptions of pork meat were evoked. Negative images of the production systems...... that there was no link between the negative images of production methods and their purchase behaviour. The groups were clearly confused and mistrusted the limited information available at the point of purchase. Careful consideration should be given to meat labelling, in particular taking account of the evident consumer...... ethnocentrism, to assure that such information is targeted to enhance consumer confidence....

Convenience food with environmentally-sustainable attributes: A consumer perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Stranieri, Stefanella; Ricci, Elena Claire; Banterle, Alessandro

2017-09-01

The use of chemicals in agriculture poses risks on both human health and the environment. Regulatory measures, both mandatory and voluntary, have been introduced to promote a reduction in the use of pesticides. The proliferation of such standards is related to the gradual shift of consumer preferences towards food with reduced negative health and environmental impacts. Beside consumer demand for sustainable food products, convenience food is also assuming an increasingly important role in developed countries. Among such products, minimally-processed vegetables are showing a growing positive trend, but their production has also negative effects on the environment. The goal of this study is to investigate the interaction between environmentally-friendly and healthy convenience food, and to investigate the determinants behind the purchase of healthy convenience food products with environmentally-sustainable attributes, focusing on minimally-processed vegetables labelled with voluntary standards related to integrated agriculture. To do so, we started from the Theory of Planned Behaviour and tested the efficacy of an extended model by considering also other variables which were found to affect significantly food choices. Data were collected by means of face-to-face interviews with 550 consumers in charge of grocery shopping in the metropolitan area of Milan, in northern Italy. Structural equation modelling was performed to analyse the relative importance of the constructs on consumer behaviour. Results confirm the relations of Ajzen's theory and reveal positive relations with consumer food shopping habits, food-related environmental behaviour, gender, income and knowledge. A negative relation with agricultural practices concern also emerges, highlighting that the most concerned consumers may prefer other more stringent environmental certifications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Teaching Consumers To Use the Internet To Make Consumer Decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

O'Neill, Barbara

1999-01-01

An adult-education course familiarized participants with online consumer resources. Beyond teaching the mechanics of Internet use, it showed how to use the Internet as a tool for consumer decision making. (SK)

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR – REFERENCE ELEMENT FOR MARKET TRENDS OF AUTOMOBILE IN ROMANIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicoleta ISAC

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The paper aims to form an overview of the current situation of the car market in Romania and based on this to highlight trends and directions towards which this important branch of manufacturing industry seen through the eyes of consumers. The consumer always seeks to compare the performance of the product, with certain standards and they have required to inform themselves and to reflect upon purchasing the product. In order to ensure business success and minimize the risk, entrepreneurs must pay major attention to defining and knowledge of the market or markets they want to act, as well as the segment of consumers that their it proposes to conquer the products and services offered. To a better analyze of the consumer behaviour we implemented a model based on a questionnaire that allows us to detect the main objectives: Identifying the attributes of an ideal car; Establishing the importance of these attributes for current and potential customers; The Dacia brand in comparison to major competing brands; Determining the factors influencing the choice of consumer. The reason I chose the automobile market is the fact that manufacturing (which includes engineering sector, whose part is the construction industry of cars is the main component industry in Romania, covering about 80% of the volume of activity in which are covered about 1.5 million people.

The practice of property rights in rural China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Li, Juan

2017-01-01

In the economic transition of the past decades, China has seen remarkable economic growth without robust property rights. In an era of urban transformation premised on large-scale rural land conversion, those ill-defined property rights have, without hindering economic growth, led to increasing

True or False: Consumer Perception to Green Consumer Retail

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio Silva Braga Junior

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of greenwshing in consumer awareness for green consumption in retail. Under this approach was evaluated if the greenwashing confuses consumers about what is to be green consumption and if it relies on green consumption. For the verification of the objective proposed by this work, an exploratory survey was conducted quantitative, through a survey with a sample of 359 respondents of São Paulo/Brazil. As for the justification of the method used, the exploratory research, with a non-probabilistic convenience sampling and quantitative nature, are characterized by a field approach seeking situational characteristics presented by respondents to generate quantitative measures of the attributes observed by them. For data collection was used a specialized company and market research and thus were collected data from real consumers. As a result it was observed that the greenwashing confuses consumed and does not influence the confidence of the green product.

Consumer Market for Functional Foods in South Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcia Dutra de Barcellos

2011-12-01

consumers about the benefits of particular categories of functional foods. Food industry itself is not regarded as the most trustworthy source, what indicates the need of more attention to this fact from a corporate point of view. Finally, this study shows that the understanding of Brazilian consumers is fundamental to help food companies define their strategies. To map the most accepted categories of functional foods is also important, aiming to avoid the "tentative and error" approach.

Influence of scientific-technical literacy on consumers' behavioural intentions regarding new food.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Entrena, Macario; Salazar-Ordóñez, Melania

2013-01-01

The application of genetic engineering to agriculture has led to an important and controversial innovation in the food sector, so-called Genetically Modified (GM) food. A great deal of literature has studied cognitive and attitudinal factors conditioning consumers' acceptance of GM food, knowledge being one of the most inconsistent variables. Notwithstanding, some authors suggest closer attention should be paid to "science literacy", even more so than knowledge. This paper studies the potential role of consumer literacy fields - i.e. consumer scientific-technical or social-humanistic literacy - in determining consumer choice behaviour towards GM foods. We analyse the strength of the moderating effects produced by consumer university training in some of the most important factors which influence consumers' innovative product acceptance, such as perceived benefits and risks, attitudes to GM technology, trust in institutions or knowledge. The research is performed in southern Spain, using a variance-based technique called Structural Equation Modelling by Partial Least Squares (PLSs). The results show that perceived benefits and risks play a significant role in shaping behavioural intentions towards GM food, the attitude to GM technology being the main driver of consumers' beliefs about risks and benefits. Additionally, behavioural intentions display some differences between the scientific-technical and social-humanistic literacy fields, the variables of trust in institutions and knowledge registering the most striking differences. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying the ideal profile of French yogurts for different clusters of consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Masson, M; Saint-Eve, A; Delarue, J; Blumenthal, D

2016-05-01

Identifying the sensory properties that affect consumer preferences for food products is an important feature of product development. Different methods, such as external preference mapping or partial least squares regression, are used to establish relationships between sensory data and consumer preferences and to identify sensory attributes that drive consumer preferences, by highlighting optimum products. Plain French yogurts were evaluated by a sensory profiling method performed by 12 trained judges. In parallel, 180 consumers were asked to score their overall liking and complete a cognitive restraint questionnaire. After hierarchical cluster analysis on the liking scores, preference mapping using a quadratic regression model was performed. Five clusters of consumers were identified as a function of different preference patterns. Contrary to our expectations, fat levels were not discriminating. For each cluster, the results of preference mapping enabled the identification of optimum products. A comparison of the 5 sensory profiles revealed numerous differences between key sensory attributes. For example, one consumer cluster had a strong preference for products perceived as very thick, grainy, but with a less flowing texture, less sticky, whey presence and color, in contrast to other clusters. In addition, each segment of consumers was characterized according to the results of the cognitive restraint questionnaire. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Field Report - Consumer Survey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kristian S.; Gwozdz, Wencke

The present report outlines the purpose, scope, and methodology of a recently conducted four-country consumer survey that explored sustainable clothing consumption. The report also presents a sample of the descriptive findings from the survey (see Gwozdz, Nielsen & Müller, 2017 for further results...... foundation for upcoming deliverables relating to quality of life, acceptance of new business models, and consumer policy recommendations. The results presented in the report relate, specifically, to consumers’ general clothing consumption patterns, acceptance of new business models, and environmental...... purchasing outlets, and acceptance of new business models. Polish and American consumers purchased the most clothing items. Polish consumers also reported the lowest expenditures on clothing, whereas German consumers reported the highest expenditures. Only a limited proportion of consumers had previously...

Optimal Consumer Electronics Product Take-Back Time with Consideration of Consumer Value

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Tse Fang

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Rapid economic growth in recent years has transformed our lifestyle to massively produce, consume, and dispose of products, especially for consumer electronics. This change has put great threat to our environment and caused natural resource depletion. Moreover, short product life cycles and quick replacements of consumer electronics create enormous electronic wastes (e-wastes. Without proper waste management, immense environmental damage is expected. In this empirical study, we notice that lots of valuable materials that can still be recycled from these used consumer electronics are left unused at home instead of being recycled at the appropriate time, which causes a low collection rate and a decrease in residual value for the used products. Therefore, it is important for the government and the recyclers to handle them efficiently by increasing the used product take-back rate. Our study develops an assessment model for customer value based on the idea of value engineering and the perspective of product life cycle. We also explore the relationship between product value and the total cost of ownership with an evaluation of their time variation, considering different usage modes for various consumer groups and different recycling award schemes (fixed and variable recycling awards. Proper take-back management is likely to create a win-win situation both for consumers and environmental protection. This study regards the notebook computer as an example to determine the optimal time for recycling laptops based on usage patterns and provides consumers a reference for when to replace their used product. The results from our modeling firstly clearly indicate that consumers with higher frequency of usage have shorter take back times and higher maximum consumer value. Secondly, a variable recycling award scheme with higher maximum consumer value is more practical than a fixed recycling award scheme.

Analysis of consumers' preferences and behavior with regard to horse meat using a structured survey questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Woon Yong; Lee, Ji Woong; Lee, Chong Eon; Ko, Moon Seok; Jeong, Jae Hong

2009-12-01

In this study, a structured survey questionnaire was used to determine consumers' preferences and behavior with regard to horse meat at a horse meat restaurant located in Jeju, Korea, from October 1 to December 24, 2005. The questionnaire employed in this study consisted of 20 questions designed to characterize six general attributes: horse meat sensory property, physical appearance, health condition, origin, price, and other attributes. Of the 1370 questionnaires distributed, 1126 completed questionnaires were retained based on the completeness of the answers, representing an 82.2% response rate. Two issues were investigated that might facilitate the search for ways to improve horse meat production and marketing programs in Korea. The first step was to determine certain important factors, called principal components, which enabled the researchers to understand the needs of horse meat consumers via principal component analysis. The second step was to define consumer segments with regard to their preferences for horse meat, which was accomplished via cluster analysis. The results of the current study showed that health condition, price, origin, and leanness were the most critical physical attributes affecting the preferences of horse meat consumers. Four segments of consumers, with different demands for horse meat attributes, were identified: origin-sensitive consumers, price-sensitive consumers, quality and safety-sensitive consumers, and non-specific consumers. Significant differences existed among segments of consumers in terms of age, nature of work, frequency of consumption, and general level of acceptability of horse meat.

Prediction of the conditions for the consumption of game by Polish consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwiecińska, Katarzyna; Kosicka-Gębska, Małgorzata; Gębski, Jerzy; Gutkowska, Krystyna

2017-09-01

Due to the changing needs of consumers and the increased risk of diet-related diseases, today's consumers are forced to seek alternative types of meat. It should, on one hand be tasty, and on the other will improve the health of the consumer. Game is considered to be such a meat. Although Poland is one of the leading producers and exporters of game in Europe, the level of its consumption is very low at about 0.08kg/person/year. Based on quantitative data from 1000 respondents a model predicting the consumption of wild game based on logistic regression has been prepared. It was demonstrated that consumers are likely to increase their consumption of game, provided that it will have a higher quality and greater commercial availability. A higher propensity to change eating habits in respect of game was displayed mainly by men, city dwellers and those who evaluated their own knowledge on nutritional and diet higher than others. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does consumer preference exceed initially indicated wishes? The case of dessert topping

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katarina BOROVŠAK

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Success of a new food product on the market is strongly related to how good that product is adapted to consumers’ preferences, wishes, expectations and needs. This paper shows the importance of consumer studies including consumer sensory tests for product prototype optimization on the case of an innovative sweet topping made from well-known Slovenian wine Teran. Empirical study was made combining two stages, first the exploratory qualitative research with focus groups and questionnaire and second a test for new food prototype with consumer sensory techniques. The results of the exploratory research were very encouraging and perceived market potential was substantial. However, when more precise and objective research techniques were applied, obtained managerial recommendation critically differ. Application of the consumer sensory tests, namely preference test and JAR (just about right test, disconfirmed high expectations from the exploratory phase and showed that chocolate flavour is the main driver of liking the topping.

Consumer satisfaction with pork meat and derived products in five European countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Resano, Helena; Perez-Cueto, Federico J A; de Barcellos, Marcia D; Veflen-Olsen, Nina; Grunert, Klaus G; Verbeke, Wim

2011-02-01

This paper investigates consumers' satisfaction level with pork meat and derived products in five European countries. Data were collected through a cross-sectional web-based survey in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, and Poland during January 2008 with a total sample of 2437 consumers. Data included socio-demographics and questions regarding satisfaction with 27 common pork-based products; classified into fresh pork, processed pork and pork meat products. Satisfaction was evaluated in terms of overall satisfaction, as well as satisfaction with health-giving qualities, price, convenience and taste. Logistic regression analyses showed taste as the main determinant of satisfaction, followed by convenience. Healthfulness is not a significant driver of overall satisfaction. Price influences satisfaction with fresh pork more than with processed products. Tasty pork, easy to prepare and consume, with adequate promotion of its healthfulness, and with a good price/quality relationship appears to be the key factor to satisfy pork consumers. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PRIVATE GRAPHS – ACCESS RIGHTS ON GRAPHS FOR SEAMLESS NAVIGATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. Dorner

2016-06-01

Full Text Available After the success of GNSS (Global Navigational Satellite Systems and navigation services for public streets, indoor seems to be the next big development in navigational services, relying on RTLS – Real Time Locating Services (e.g. WIFI and allowing seamless navigation. In contrast to navigation and routing services on public streets, seamless navigation will cause an additional challenge: how to make routing data accessible to defined users or restrict access rights for defined areas or only to parts of the graph to a defined user group? The paper will present case studies and data from literature, where seamless and especially indoor navigation solutions are presented (hospitals, industrial complexes, building sites, but the problem of restricted access rights was only touched from a real world, but not a technical perspective. The analysis of case studies will show, that the objective of navigation and the different target groups for navigation solutions will demand well defined access rights and require solutions, how to make only parts of a graph to a user or application available to solve a navigational task. The paper will therefore introduce the concept of private graphs, which is defined as a graph for navigational purposes covering the street, road or floor network of an area behind a public street and suggest different approaches how to make graph data for navigational purposes available considering access rights and data protection, privacy and security issues as well.

Bidding price analysis for competitive generators and large consumers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ping Wei; Luonan Chen; Hsiao Dong Chiang

2005-01-01

We present a new method to analyze the bidding price of each participant (power suppliers and large consumers) in a pay-as-bid market. The bidding price will be decomposed into a variety of components corresponding to five factors, such as the incremental values of the subject bidder's generation on the system operational costs, on the income or payment of other bidders, and on the binding tradable constraints, and the first-order approximation of the subjective participant's bidding price. From an economic viewpoint, each component provides useful information for participants to design the strategic planning. The advantages of the method include that the decomposition is well defined without assumptions and that each decomposition term has its own economical and/or engineering meaning. The proposed method is numerically verified through computer simulations on a three-bus example system and a modified IEEE 30-bus power system with both generator and large consumer bidding. (author)

Consumer identification with store brands: Differences between consumers according to their brand loyalty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Rubio

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Retail management of store brands (SBs has focused on achieving positioning in value and creating associations of smart or expert shopping. The result is that value-conscious consumers and market mavens are the main targets of these brands. This study proposes and contrasts empirically a theoretical model of the effect of market mavenism and value consciousness on consumer identification with SBs. We also perform a multi-group analysis based on the consumer tendency to be loyal to the brands he or she buys. Consumers who are loyal to brands are very attractive segments for firms, due to the potential benefits these consumers represent in the long term, whereas consumers with little loyalty to brands can be an attractive segment for potential benefits in the short term. The results obtained in this study show differences between these two groups. For consumers who are loyal to brands, the results stress strong identification with the SB among the most value-conscious consumers, due fundamentally to their greater disagreement with the greater functional risk of these brands as compared to manufacturer brands and due to their greater conviction of the better price-quality ratio of SBs. In consumers with little brand loyalty, we find identification with the SB among the consumers with the greatest market mavenism, as a result of their greater perception of smart or expert shopping for these brands. Significant implications for management are derived from this study.

Small Wind Electric Systems An Alaska Consumer's Guide