Consumer Theory Research Articles

Faktor-Faktor yang Mempengaruhi Permintaan Impor Tekstil dan produk Tekstil (TPT) China di Jawa Timur Terkait ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACAFTA) Tahun 2010-2013

ABSTRACT This study examines the factors that influence the demand for the imports of the textiles and textile products (TPT) from China in the East Java, Indonesia. This research is based on the implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), applied to the ASEAN members and China. The implementation of tariff exemption between ASEAN-6 and China under the ACFTA, entered into force in 2010. The tariff exemption is being imposed to some of the TPT products under the category of Normal Track that affected the demand for Chinese textile imports in the East Java. The main problems to be discussed on this study are the factors that influence the demand for Chinese textile imports in East Java in regards to the ACFTA. This study uses the theory of the Free Trade Area (FTA), consumption theory, the theory of aggregate demand, business strategy, pricing strategy, the strategy of imitation, and the concept of imports. Based on the findings of the research, this research concludes that the factors affecting the demand for Chinese textile imports in East Java are divided into the external factors and internal factors. The External factors is the impact of the tariff-free implementation of ACFTA and the business strategies of China. While the internal factors comes from the purchasing power of the East Java, which can be observed through factors such as the prices, consumption, and average incomes. Keywords: ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA), business strategy, import demand, TPT East Java

РЕКЛАМА У ФОКУСІ СОЦІОЛОГІЇ: МЕТОДОЛОГІЧНІ ЗАСАДИ ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ

<div><p><em>The article deals with the problem of contemporary advertising, which is an important institutional factor in the construction of certain lifestyles of individuals and social groups.</em></p></div><p><em>The purpose of the article is to identify the basic methodological principles of advertising research as a social phenomenon that can be used by sociological science to monitor the content and nature of communication processes between advertisers and consumers in contemporary Ukrainian society.</em></p><p><em>The article used the methods of analysis and synthesis of the proposed topic to clearly define the topic, determine the purpose and objectives. The descriptive method was used to substantiate the appropriateness of using the theories of theorists to form the methodological basis of the sociology of advertising. Methods of grouping and typologization allowed to form a schematic representation of the use of certain groups of sociological methods and theories in the study of advertising and advertising influence on the consumer in the focus of sociology. The method of analyzing documentary sources has helped to identify methods and theories that can be effectively applied in the deployment of scientific surveys of sociologists in the study of advertising space and its features.</em></p><p><em>The study identified the conceptual foundations of advertising research in the sociological plane, namely: sociological theories relating to the integrative paradigm of sociology, theory of consumption, marketing and management theory, the theory of social and ethical marketing, classical and modern theories of advertising technologies, publicity.</em></p><p><strong><em>Key words:</em></strong><em> advertising, sociology of advertising, advertising methodology, information and communication technologies, manipulation, PR.</em></p><p> </p>

ボードリヤールの消費理論における余暇論の射程 : 高度大衆消費社会におけるシステム・サーヴィス・個性

ボードリヤールの消費理論における余暇論の射程 : 高度大衆消費社会におけるシステム・サーヴィス・個性

Modeling residential water demand: An approach based on household demand systems

Most estimations of residential water demand are based on single-equation models that rely on assumptions that are most often not compatible with the fundamental principles of consumer theory. In this paper, we relax these assumptions by using a more flexible system of demand estimation, the Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System (QUAIDS) (Banks et al., 1997) and reveal the existence in our sample of substitution and complementary patterns as well as non-linearities in Engel curves for water consumption. Water demand would not be, therefore, linear in income and separable from other goods consumed within the household. In this context the QUAIDS functional specification is expected to be more consistent with observed consumer behavior. Our results seem to confirm this expectation; when compared to the linear, log-linear and double-log models commonly used in water demand estimation, QUAIDS seems to produce a better overall fit and a better fit to the asymmetric shape of the real distribution of water consumption. This has important implications in terms of public policy, as it allows to explore how water policies interact with other goods consumed within the household (e.g. water-energy nexus or efficient household appliances). Furthermore, differential responses to pricing policies and taxes across the income distribution can be considered, thus contributing to avoid undesired redistributive effects and water poverty.

Productive consumption and economic communications

Modern economic theory cannot overcome the neoclassical dichotomy «producer - consumer», which contradicts the principle of methodological atomism and therefore is a methodological problem. The authors found that the producer-consumer dichotomy is partially solved with the help of theoretical tools such as the equilibrium approach and the balance method, but this is not a methodological solution. The authors proved that the solution to the producer-consumer dichotomy can be a synthesis of the theory of productive consumption and the theory of economic communications.

A reappraisal of Galbraith’s challenge to Consumer Sovereignty: preferences, welfare and the non-neutrality thesis*

The aim of the paper is to provide an exegesis of Galbraith’s theory of consumption and the conception of preferences on which it is grounded, which has often been misunderstood. From the point of view of the history of economic thought, this paper sheds new light on the origins of Galbraith’s analysis of consumption. This reappraisal also leads us to show that the latter is bound to a challenge to the Consumer Sovereignty Principle. Consequently, Galbraith’s theory contradicts the logic underlying Welfare Economics. Thanks to this exegesis, I finally explain the rationale behind Galbraith’s endorsement of the thesis of non-neutrality on the problem of value judgments in economics, which is illustrated by his presidential address to the American Economic Association.

Post Luxury: Normcore as Node and Prism

'Normcore' was not only the most Googled fashion trend of 2014 but also the runner-up for neologism of the year by Oxford University Press. The phrase generated numerous headlines, such as "Normcore Is (or Is It?) a Fashion Trend (or Non-Trend or Anti-Trend)" in the Los Angeles Times in 2015 or "Everyone's Getting Normcore Wrong, Says Its Inventors" in Dazed in 2014, indicating a multi-faceted and intriguing phenomenon. This article employs the timing of post peak normcore to investigate a trend that surely entailed more than meets the eye. Described as "a unisex fashion trend characterized by unpretentious, normal-looking clothing" by Wikipedia, normcore was in fact not meant to be a trend at all, nor was it meant to be used to refer to a particular code of dress. Initially a spoof marketing term coined by the art collective/trend forecasting group K-Hole in 2013, normcore was originally a subversive concept, anticipating an alternative way forward, proposing anti-distinction as the radical new, analysed here as a mode beyond luxury—as 'post luxury'. Combining anthropology, consumption theory, and critical fashion theory with a practice-based insight informed by the author's background in trend analysis and brand planning as well as the art school context, this article attempts to frame and unpack normcore in order to speculate about the future of luxury.

PENGARUH LITERASI KEUANGAN TERHADAP GAYA HIDUP KONSUMTIF DI KALANGAN PEKERJA

The study aims to test the influence between financial literacy and lifestyle on consumptive behaviour among workers, as well as to test the classic assumption in Keynes ' consumption theory, stating that consumption levels are affected by Income levels. This study was conducted using multiple regression tests that show the conclusion that financial literacy negatively affects the consumptive behaviour and lifestyle of positive effect on consumptive behavior, it contradicts With the classical theory of consumption caused this research is consistent with previous research among students (Pulungan and Febriaty, 2018; Lutfi and Herawati, 2015; Fauzia and Nurdin, 2019), consumption was not influenced by the level of income but also the level of financial literacy and lifestyle.

Predicting knowledge creation through the use of knowledge acquisition tools and reading knowledge sources

PurposeThe purpose of this research paper is to report about an investigation on the relationship between knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation to find out whether knowledge acquisition can predict knowledge creation. The study measures the concept of knowledge acquisition through the faculty use of knowledge acquisition tools and reading knowledge sources while measuring the concept of knowledge creation through the faculty use of knowledge creation tools and publishing knowledge sources.Design/methodology/approachThe population of the study is faculty members in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The sample of the population consisted of 300 faculty members affiliated with 26 universities and colleges. Data was collected from the sample through questionnaire instrument. Stated hypotheses and Mathew’s theory of knowledge consumption–production correlation are tested and verified through correlation matrix and regression analysis.FindingsFindings of the study revealed that the use of knowledge acquisition tools by faculty members has a positive effect on the use of knowledge creation tools and on publishing knowledge sources. Likewise, reading knowledge sources appeared to have a positive impact on the use of knowledge creation tools and publishing knowledge sources. Accordingly, the study confirmed the stated four hypotheses. Moreover, the results of the study supported the theory of knowledge consumption–production correlation and strongly confirmed the prediction of knowledge creation through the use of information and communication technology (ICT) tools for knowledge acquisition and reading knowledge sources.Practical implicationsFindings of the study appeal to the decision-makers and stakeholders of academic institutions to make effective investment in ICT facilities and knowledge sources to improve knowledge creation among faculty members.Originality/valueNot many studies have investigated how knowledge acquisition can predict knowledge creation in the academic environment. This paper contributes to the understanding of the relationship between knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation in academic settings. Findings of the study can be an important reference for providing and improving knowledge sources, knowledge acquisition tools and knowledge creation tools in the academic environment.

Financial Service Technology in Indonesia: Between Free Market Regime and Consumer Protection

The free market era provided uninterrupted traffic in goods and services throughout the world, and was initially formed to offer benefits. Although there were still protests in technical problems and rising disputes that led a sue to legal institutions, countries agreed to maintain the free market. As a counterpart, the free market cannot ignore consumer’s protection as a standard of service. The liability development between consumer and producer relationship arranged from caveat emptor, to caveat vendor and finally to strict liability in the consumer protection system, implies disclosure of information on products and services. This research faces the legal theory of a free market regime with the theory of consumer’s protection law. This research proceeds to discuss two main issues. The first issue is an essential of Financial Technology or Fin-tech of services. The second issues is the influence of Fin-tech on the free market and consumer protection. Research uses a normative legal research method and the data obtained are secondary data from literary sources such as literature, articles and internet sites. Results of the analysis shows; first, the free market regime is both an opportunity as well as a challenge, therefore it is still worth to maintain. The consumer protection’s regime is the balance point of the free market’s regime. Theoretically, consumer’s protection must be used as a tool to protect the consumer’s interests. Moreover, it could manage the behaviour of service providers. Secondly, the role of the Financial Services Authority is a key to ensuring that balance is still on maintained. Supervision and determination of financial service providers broadly provide information for the public to choose carefullyof their necessity financial services

Book review: Consumption, psychology and practice theories: A hermeneutic perspective

Book review: Consumption, psychology and practice theories: A hermeneutic perspective

Reducing meat consumption by appealing to animal welfare: protocol for a meta-analysis and theoretical review

BackgroundReducing meat consumption may improve human health, curb environmental damage and greenhouse gas emissions, and limit the large-scale suffering of animals raised in factory farms. Previous work has begun to develop interventions to reduce individual meat consumption, often by appealing directly to individual health motivations. However, research on nutritional behavior change suggests that interventions additionally linking behavior to ethical values, identity formation, and existing social movements may be particularly effective and longer-lasting. Regarding meat consumption, preliminary evidence and psychological theory suggest that appeals related to animal welfare may have considerable potential to effectively leverage these elements of human psychology. We aim to conduct a systematic review and quantitative meta-analysis evaluating the effectiveness of animal welfare-related appeals on actual or intended meat consumption or purchasing. Our investigation will critically synthesize the current state of knowledge regarding psychological mechanisms of intervening on individual meat consumption and empirically identify the psychological characteristics underlying the most effective animal welfare-based interventions.MethodsWe will systematically search eight academic databases and extensively search unpublished grey literature. We will include studies that assess interventions intended to reduce meat consumption or purchase through the mention or portrayal of animal welfare, that measure outcomes related to meat consumption or purchase, and that have a control condition. Eligible studies may recruit from any human population, be written in any language, and be published or released any time. We will meta-analyze the studies, reporting the pooled point estimate and additional metrics that describe the distribution of potentially heterogeneous effects. We will assess studies’ risk of bias and conduct sensitivity analyses for publication bias. We describe possible follow-up analyses to investigate hypothesized moderators of intervention effectiveness.DiscussionThe findings of the proposed systematic review and meta-analysis, including any identified methodological limitations of the existing literature, could inform the design of successful evidence-based interventions with broad potential to improve human, animal, and environmental well-being.Systematic review registrationThe protocol was preregistered via the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/d3y56/registrations).

Određivanje indikatora cirkularne ekonomije - studija slučaja kompanije "MB INTERNACIONAL''

The circular economy (CE) is currently a worldwide popular concept that should ensure sustainable development and resource efficiency. It is established on the theory of consumption and use of resources in the process of production in a way that affects a limitation of adverse effects on the environment. Simultaneously, this concept creates additional value and reuse of the products. In the Republic of Serbia (RS), the idea of CE is still new and underdeveloped. Hence, this paper aims to explore the possibility of implementing a CE in companies that operate in the RS by adopting the already developed methodology in the European Union. This research was conducted by monitoring the production process in the company "MB INTERNACIONAL" that produced cardboard packaging. The obtained approximate value of Circular Indicator of this company was 0.47, which indicated that the company had excellent chances for full implementation of the CE model in the business with the application of specific measures. The low-budget and highbudget measures, which could improve the circularity level in the analyzed company, are also presented in the research.

Transferable utility and demand functions

While many theoretical works, particularly in family economics, rely on the transferable utility (TU) assumption, its exact implications in terms of individual preferences have never been fully worked out. In this paper, we provide a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for a group to satisfy the TU property. We express these conditions in terms of both individual indirect utilities and individual demand functions. Last, we describe the link between this question and a standard problem in consumer theory (initially raised by Gorman 1953), and explain why a similar characterization in terms of direct utilities cannot obtain.

Decoding the Mystery Behind the Globalization of Chinese Time-honored Brands -- A Case Analysis of Lao Gan Ma Chili Sauce

Globalization creates a complexly interrelated arena where multiple local differences converge and compete against each other. With respect to its consequent potential impact on various local cultures, Western dominant cultures have been believed as the ultimate destiny for the modernizing cultures under this fast-changing global context, as is more often proved in business where countless companies in developing nations have been keen on learning from Western business giants in the names of modern enterprise administration or international conventions. An originally underprivileged Chinese brand, Lao Gan Ma Chili Sauce, however, has established an invaluably different developmental route by branding with strong Chinese flavors and exposing itself as a miniature of indigenous cultures, successfully growing into a worldwide Chinese cooperation in the past decades. Decoding the mystery underlying its success therefore of significance in cross-cultural business studies. Applying such cultural theories as cultural identity, symbolic consumption and instinct theory, the present study analyzes the business strategies Lao Gan Ma conducts. The qualitative study in this essay demonstrates that cultural resources of a firm are potentially convertible into its powerful capital in the fierce competing world market. More specifically, a unique cultural identity and certain perceived symbolic values retained by a business corporation can serve as alternative and desirable resources to make that firm, especially one in less affluent societies, a competitive contender in the globalized market system. Besides, enterprises whose products cater to the human inner instinct can enjoy exceptional advantages in their penetration into the global market.

Maternal Mortality in Nigeria: Trend, Triggers and Implications for Sustainable Development

Sustainable development has been a major aspiration of many developing countries, including Nigeria. However, the incidence of maternal mortality in the country has elicited serious concerns from all stake holders. This paper attempts to examine the incidence of maternal mortality in Nigeria, its trend and triggers with a view to appraising its implications for sustainable development. The study utilized secondary data obtained from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators 2015. The research indicates the existence of high maternal mortality in Nigeria, in spite of various government interventions in the health sector. The reasons ascribed for this situation include: poor health management; poverty, unemployment, poor access to health facilities, high illiteracy level and ignorance especially among rural dwellers, pathological causes, corruption, poor gender relations, and dearth of project management expertise. Implications for sustainable development revealed by the study include: Late/low school enrollment, absence of maternal care, increased poverty, waste of the nation’s non-renewable resources, productivity impairment and slowed Gross Domestic Product growth rate. The paper therefore recommends that the government should strongly fight corruption and enforce the nine years of universal basic education, ensure comprehensive health management, craft an inclusive theory of consumption, intensify public sensitization especially for rural dwellers and hone the project management skills of health workers. Finally, government needs to intensify campaign for gender equality in order to improve female-confidence and voice in the society while also making health facilities and processes more public-friendly with a view to facilitating access to pre- and post-natal services.

Genetic Data: Potential Uses and Misuses in Marketing

Advances in molecular genetics have led to the exponential growth of the direct-to-consumer genetic testing industry, resulting in the assembly of massive privately-owned genetic databases. This article explores the potential impact of this new data type on the field of marketing. Drawing on findings from behavioral genetic research, we propose a framework that incorporates genetic influences into existing consumer behavior theory, and use it to survey potential marketing uses of genetic data. Applications include business strategies that rely on genetic variants as bases for segmentation and targeting, creative uses that develop consumers’ sense of community and personalization, use of genetically informed study designs to test causal relations, and refinement of consumer theory by uncovering biological mechanisms underlying behavior. We further evaluate ethical challenges related to autonomy, privacy, misinformation and discrimination that are unique to the use of genetic data and are not sufficiently addressed by current regulations. We conclude by proposing an agenda for future research.

Prices and Federal Policies in Opioid Markets

More than a dozen Federal policy changes since the year 2000 have affected incentives to prescribe, manufacture, and purchase both prescription and illicitly-manufactured opioids. To the extent that one of the policies, the 2013 “Holder memo,” had a meaningful effect on the cost structure of suppliers of heroin and illicit fentanyl, standard consumer theory predicts that the trend for opioid-involved fatalities would proceed in distinct phases. Prior to 2013, subsidies to, and conveniences for, prescribers and consumers would increase total opioid consumption by reducing the full price of Rx. More surprising is that, with heroin relatively cheap of late, any Rx opioid policy could – and likely does – have the opposite total-consumption effect after 2013 than it would before, especially when the more expensive Rx opioid products are most affected. Subsidies to benzodiazepines (an opioid complement) increase opioid consumption in both phases. While policy changes at first reduced the full price of Rx, and then later increased it, technological change in illicit markets is also a relevant factor over the longer term.

Assessment of the Effectiveness and the Adaption of CSR Management System in Food Industry: The Case of the South Asian versus the Western Food Companies

The purpose of this empirical study is to undertake a comparative analysis of the South Asian and Western food companies based on their corporate social responsibility (CSR) adoption and impact on firm performance. We conducted a survey of 24 South Asian and 20 Western companies. Later, we performed independent samples t-tests and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Furthermore, we applied Kingdon’s agenda and green consumer theories to explain how CSR in Western food companies could be advanced than the food companies in South Asia. Based on the aforementioned tests, the Western food companies obtained better scores than their counterparts in South Asia. This result was obvious as the West has a developed CSR management system compared to South Asia. However, this is interesting that we found a weak CSR performance link between the Western and the South Asian food companies. The lower CSR adoption levels of South Asian food companies show their greedy nature as these companies are hesitant to spend the portion of their profits on promoting CSR. South Asian governments with a vested interest in improving CSR performance provide tax breaks and other motivations for increasing CSR adoption among food companies. These findings have theoretical and practical implication for future research.

Medieval Sugaura from the perspective of consumption theory

Medieval Sugaura from the perspective of consumption theory